Finding a Literary Agent
Finding a literary agent is rarely easy. Publishing agents are selective. They accept only a few clients a year, and only those they believe they can successfully
market. It's important to approach them with the same professionalism you would approach a prospective employer. Your writing and your demeanor must give an
agent confidence.
You will have the least amount of trouble finding a literary agent when you have something to offeryou have just won a prize or have been offered a book deal, so enter
contests regularly.
I'm not certain my literary agent would have returned my call if I had not just been
shortlisted for a major prize when I contacted her. However, I lucked out, and finding a literary agent was not difficult for me. I had already done my
research, and I approached the agent I believed to be the best and most powerful in the country. She asked to see my manuscript and subsequently offered to represent me.
When you already have an offer on the table, an agent will be much more likely to see you as an opportunity in the making. You're also
more likely to be of interest
if you have published a significant number of short stories or have published a successful book with a small press.
Follow These Steps
- Most importantly, be certain your manuscript is ready for publicationseek a professional opinion on this!
- Be sure your synopsis is strongagain, seek professional help
- Do your research:
- Ask every author you meet which agent he or she feels is best and why
- Research these agents on the Internet and in publishing magazines to see which names come up most often, what they've sold recently, and what others say about them
- Make a shortlist of "top" agents
- View their web sites to see who they publish and if they are accepting new clients
- Be sure they publish authors in your genre
- Read their submission requirements
- Attend writing conferences where agents on your shortlist will be present
- Talk to the agents and listen to what they tell you
- Ask for permission to send your manuscript to each one after you have implemented their advice
- When your ms. is ready, follow the agency's submission guidelines exactly
- Wait until you hear from the agentif you hear nothing for thirty days, call the office assistant and ask about your ms.
- If the agent tells you that he or she cannot represent you, do NOT call or email to ask whyyou will be remembered as someone to avoid
- If you receive numerous rejections, reconsider the quality of your manuscript and seek help from a different professional or writing conference
Canadian Publishing Agents Fiction and Nonfiction
- Anne McDermid and Associates Ltd.*
- Arnold Gosewich, Consultant and Literary Agent
- Bella Pomer Agency Inc.
- Beverly Slopen Literary Agency
- The Bukowski Agency *
- Carolyn Swayze Literary Agency Ltd.
- The Cooke Agency *
- Helen Heller Agency Inc.
- Rick Broadhead and Associates Literary and Media Agents
- The Rights Factory
- Robert Lecker Agency
- Seventh Avenue Literary Agency
- The Transatlantic Literary Agency
- Westwood Creative Artists *
*
Recommended for writers of literary fiction.
Agents Without a Web Site
- Inga Hessel Literary Agency (613) 241-1769
Other articles about agents:
When you may NOT need a book publishing agent
Why publishing agents are necessary
Literary Agents: When You May Not Need a Book Publishing Agent, Part I
Literary Agents: Meet Book Publishing Agents at Conferences, Part II
And one more helpful video link
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