HOW TO FIND A LITERARY AGENT
When trying to find an agent, you have every right to question and interview them. Unfortunately, most writers don't interview agents and simply sign with whoever agrees to represent them. While agents are qualifying you as a prospective client, qualify them as potential agents. When interviewing with an agent:
Keep a balance. Answer their questions, but also listen.
Don't dominate the conversation and put all your focus on selling yourself. Agents will be looking for specific answers from you and if you don't let them ask them, they may decide not to represent you.
After you respond to agents' inquiries, question them. Get answers and obtain information so that you can make the best possible decision.
Questions to Ask
The questions that you should ask prospective agents will vary project to project. However, the following basic questions are appropriate in most situations:
Do you specialize in a particular genre of books?
What have you recently sold that you are most excited about?
May I have a list of your current and past clients? May I contact your clients?
May I have a list of the books you sold in the past year?
What books that are similar to mine have you sold?
How much should I expect my book to sell for to a publisher?
Who will lead my account? What is his/her experience? How much time will he/she spend on my account?
What is your plan for selling my book and How long do you expect it to take?
What more can I do to increase my book's chances of selling?
How much input will I have in my campaign?
What are your advantages over other agencies?
Do you have an author/agent agreement?
Attracting the interest of the right agent can be as mystifying and elusive as interesting the man or woman of your dreams. How to do it depends on many factors, including chemistry, timing, luck, and so many unknowns. Often, the agents who will intrigue you the most will also find you and your project interesting. Trust your instincts; often links or connections can be based on reasons that we can't identify or articulate, but we just feel that they exist. So if you find yourself liking or being drawn to a particular agent, trust your feelings.
An excerpt from Author 101: Bestselling Secrets From Top Agents
by Rick Frishman and Robyn Freedman Spizman
http://www.author101.com
When trying to find an agent, you have every right to question and interview them. Unfortunately, most writers don't interview agents and simply sign with whoever agrees to represent them. While agents are qualifying you as a prospective client, qualify them as potential agents. When interviewing with an agent:
Keep a balance. Answer their questions, but also listen.
Don't dominate the conversation and put all your focus on selling yourself. Agents will be looking for specific answers from you and if you don't let them ask them, they may decide not to represent you.
After you respond to agents' inquiries, question them. Get answers and obtain information so that you can make the best possible decision.
Questions to Ask
The questions that you should ask prospective agents will vary project to project. However, the following basic questions are appropriate in most situations:
Do you specialize in a particular genre of books?
What have you recently sold that you are most excited about?
May I have a list of your current and past clients? May I contact your clients?
May I have a list of the books you sold in the past year?
What books that are similar to mine have you sold?
How much should I expect my book to sell for to a publisher?
Who will lead my account? What is his/her experience? How much time will he/she spend on my account?
What is your plan for selling my book and How long do you expect it to take?
What more can I do to increase my book's chances of selling?
How much input will I have in my campaign?
What are your advantages over other agencies?
Do you have an author/agent agreement?
Attracting the interest of the right agent can be as mystifying and elusive as interesting the man or woman of your dreams. How to do it depends on many factors, including chemistry, timing, luck, and so many unknowns. Often, the agents who will intrigue you the most will also find you and your project interesting. Trust your instincts; often links or connections can be based on reasons that we can't identify or articulate, but we just feel that they exist. So if you find yourself liking or being drawn to a particular agent, trust your feelings.
An excerpt from Author 101: Bestselling Secrets From Top Agents
by Rick Frishman and Robyn Freedman Spizman
http://www.author101.com
posted by Ricky Ross at 10:23 PM
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