L is for Literary Agents
From what I’ve gathered in the writing world the general consensus is that you need a literary agent to publish your book. I’ve read several guides that suggest finding a literary agent and pitching the idea before you write the novel. All enthusiastic writers know that you can’t sit on an idea once it’s crawling to get out. My novel is finished, forgetting small edits here and there. So, I’m now in the step of finding a literary agent.
Opinions. I need them! Are books like 2011 Guide To Literary Agents helpful? Or are they just a money-making scheme. :/
For those that are published:
1. Did you find a literary agent or did you self-publish?
2. How long did it take you to find a literary agent?
3. What made you decide to publish the way you did?
4. Helpful hints?
Thanks for reading and taking the time to comment with opinions and advice. It is priceless! <3
(Also, my page might look a bit different. My app for the adsense program was finally accepted last night! Guys, it took for.ev.er. All is well now though)
I had a literary agent once for a book I wrote several years ago. She was the most absent-minded woman I'd ever met and I'm sorry I didn't take the time to research her. I wish now that I had asked for some of her clients' names. Anyway, I had to wait out my year contract, and then ended up publishing the book myself anyway – another harrowing experience – every time the publisher sent back the galleys, I found more and more mistakes, so I'd resubmit it and find more mistakes. The process went on like that for so long I thought I'd never publish the book. My only suggestion is to research the literary agent. I didn't have Internet back then, but I would definitely research any potential literary agent now. Here is my latest A-Z Challenge – http://myheartblogstoyou.blogspot.com/2011/04/living-out-of-suitcases-day-12-from-a-z.html
ReplyDeleteTwo of the best places to start researching agents are: Querytracker.net and AgentQuery.com. They list reputable agents and what types of genres they represent, along with submission guidelines.
ReplyDeleteGood Luck!
Congrats on finishing the book and good luck on finding an agent. I can be absolutely no help in this area but I am wishing you well!
ReplyDeleteI’m A-Z Blogging on Langley Writes about Writing and Langley’s Rich and Random Life