Looking for a publishing agent. Have any of you published a book before, if so do you have any tips on how...

Question

to get an agent? I would really like to get my fiction novel published but have sent query letters out, 20 of them, and only had one interested, but then they said it was too Harry Potterish. I've made adjustments while still staying true to my story and am ready to send it out again. Does anyone have any ideas or tips that might help me. I'm a mother of 3 and would really like to accomplish this goal in my life not only for me but for my kids. Thank you.

Answer 1

Too much like Harry Potter? That should be a selling point, not a detraction right now.

Be careful when seeking an agent. Stay within your own country so you have legal recourse if your manuscript is stolen. Do NOT pay reading or editing fees.

I would recommend you shop the manuscript around to publishers instead of wasting time looking for an agent for a first book. Good agents are extremely hard to find and most have more clients than they can handle.

Use Writers Market, but also browse through the publishers of books at www.fictionwise.com to get additional publishers. These are smaller publishers, but they are more open to first books than the majors. If the books are listed on both www.fictionwise.com and Amazon, the publisher is also professional in the way they sell.

Answer 2

You dont' desire an agent so as to get traditionally revealed. some human beings persist in spreading that delusion. THere are super publishers that settle for unagented manuscripts and there are some imprints of the enormous six publishers (the biggest 6 in the international) that take unagented manuscripts. no count in case you desire an agent relies upon. generally, a small writer which will pay little to no improve will never be some thing an agent is drawn to. in case you have your eyes set in this one small writer then decide for it. in case you desire your e book open as much as a a lot wider selection of publishers then an agent is your ultimate guess. in case you opt to flow with out an agent then hire a attorney who makes a speciality of publishing contracts to barter on your behalf or to a minimum of look over your contract previously you sign to confirm there is not any risky language in it.

Answer 3

Contrary to popular opinion, agents are constantly looking for talent. Every time someone tells you that "nobody" publishes or works with new writers, remind them that by default every successful writer was, at one point, new!

A few things about agents:

Legitimate agents do not get paid until they have actually placed your work with a publisher. Any agent that requests money up front or tries to sell you add-on services is a con artist. Generally, an agent will earn between 10-20% of your royalties once they place your book.

Large publishers will not even consider unagented submissions. Many small presses, however, will look at unagented submissions.

Don't send your complete manuscript to an agent unless they request it. Send a query letter. In your query letter, briefly introduce yourself (sticking to facts relevent to the work) and summarize your plot.

For example:

Dear Agent,

My name is Jane Doe. I found your agency listed in the Writer's List of Agents. I am interested in submitting my young adult title Harry Potterish, for your review.

Harry Potterish tells the tale of a young man who discovers he is the last heir of a poweful wizard family. He finds himself thrown into a world of intrigue and danger as he searches for the people responsible for the murder of his family. He must also deal with the realization that everything he believed about his life has been a lie, and must adjust his perception of the world in order to not only survive, but thrive.

My work has previously appeared in Some Little Magazine, My Hometown Journal, A Little Small Press, and other publications. I have enclosed a self-addressed stamped envelope for your convenience. Thank you for your time, and I look forward to your reply.

Sincerely,
Jane Doe.

If you have no previous publishing credits, include relevent information. "I am a member of the Hometown Writer's Workshop." "As a teacher of 8th grade English teacher, I am very familiar with the young adult market." or "Though I have no previous publishing credits, I have worked on my craft by participating in the Women's Writing Conference at Skidmore College."

DON'T make comments like "I'm a mother of three and I really want to publish this book for my kids." It's not relevent to your query. You COULD say, "as a mother of three, I have grown frustrated by much of the formulatic stories in the books I read to my children." Catch the difference?

A good place to start when looking for a publisher or agent is Preditors & Editors. It will help you sort through the good, bad, and the ugly. The International Women's Writing Guild distributes a list of agents that are interested "specifically" in working with women authors. You can also check out Poets & Writers for information on small presses that accept unagented work.

Answer 4

Hi anna. Email me at: [e-mail] because I cannot say publicly who my agent is. I'm a big friend of Narinder Dhami,(Famous Author, writer of "Bend it like Beckham") Gurinder Chadha (Director), Aishwarya Rai(Miss World 1994), and Tim Bowler (Famous Author)

Answer 5

Getting an agent is tough. The best advice I can give you is to keep trying until you get one.

(And paper the walls with your rejection letters while you do it. :0) )