So you\u2019ve written a book. It\u2019s taken you three months or 18 months or seven years. You\u2019ve shared your manuscript with your sister, significant other, office mate and that kind-looking stranger and they all really, really liked it.<\/p>\n
Now what?<\/p>\n
In the best of all possible worlds, the right agent would fall in love with your writing at first glance and guide you through the publishing process<\/a>. But how do you find your perfect literary match and convince him or her to love your book?<\/p>\n The New Jersey-based Writers Circle Workshops<\/a> recently presented a panel discussion with three literary agents: Liza Dawson, founder of Liza Dawson Associates<\/a>; Tamar Rydzinski, Vice President of the Laura Dail Literary Agency<\/a>; and Marietta B. Zacker of Nancy Gallt Literary Agency<\/a>.<\/p>\n These agents shared what attracts them to a manuscript, what turns them off and how aspiring authors can improve their chances of matchmaking success.<\/b> Here are some of their best tips from the discussion.<\/p>\n Query letters<\/a> are intended to pique an agent\u2019s interest in seeing your manuscript. Think of your query letter as a job interview: It should be concise and professional.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is your sales pitch,\u201d Dawson said. \u201cI need you to tell me why I need to read your book.\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n A query should include a brief biography, but agents don\u2019t want to read paragraphs or even pages about your life. \u201cGive us too much information and you just give us a reason to reject you,\u201d Rydzinski said. \u201cJust tell me what your credentials are briefly and what your book\u2019s about.\u201d<\/p>\n As a children\u2019s book agent, Zacker added, \u201cDon\u2019t tell me your child loved your book or her teacher thought it was like Percy Jackson. Very few children tell their parents their book sucks.\u201d<\/p>\n But all three agents agreed there\u2019s no \u201cone-size-fits-all\u201d template. \u201cThe query letter that tells a [brief] story … works best for me,\u201d Dawson said. \u201cIf you can entertain me and keep my attention, I\u2019m more likely to read your submission.\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n Take a look at publishers\u2019 catalogues and review Chuck Sambuchino\u2019s Successful Queries<\/a> blog series for ideas and advice on crafting your query letter.<\/p>\n Before you send out your queries, make sure your manuscript looks its best by revising it, getting feedback from beta readers<\/a> and working with an editor.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople forget that getting an agent is not the end. It\u2019s barely the beginning,\u201d Zacker said. \u201cWhen you send out a query, you should feel that your manuscript could be published tomorrow. It needs to be ready if we ask for it.\u201d<\/p>\n Zacker also recommended printing out your manuscript when you\u2019re revising. \u201cThere\u2019s a difference between seeing text on a screen and reading it in hard copy,\u201dshe explained.<\/p>\n If you send query letters to agents who don\u2019t represent the type of work you\u2019re pitching, you\u2019ll expose yourself as an amateur.<\/p>\n Every agency has information and submission guidelines on its websites that define the types of books it represents. The websites often also list which genres each specific agent is interested in, or you can use resources such as Publishers Marketplace<\/a> and MS Wishlist<\/a>, a compilation of tweets from agents using the hashtag \u201c#MSWL\u201d to call for queries.<\/p>\n Other places to find this information include the Writer\u2019s Market agent listings<\/a> and associations representing your genre, such as the Historical Novel Society<\/a>, Mystery Writers of America<\/a> or the Society of Children\u2019s Book Writers & Illustrators<\/a>.<\/p>\n And, no surprise, writers need to read a lot and know the market. \u201cThat\u2019s part of our homework, just as it\u2019s part of yours,\u201d Zacker said.<\/p>\n While agents and publishers want to find that \u201cunique voice,\u201d they also need to believe there\u2019s a market for your work. Writers need a solid grasp of who and what is being published in their genre and any relevant trends.<\/b><\/p>\n This is also useful information when comparing your book to another author\u2019s work, an important part of any literary pitch. All three agents recommended picking a notable writer in your genre, but not an author who has become a phenomenon — not a J.K Rowling or a Lincoln Childs. Over-reaching is a turn-off, they agreed.<\/p>\n A corollary to knowing the market: \u201cDon\u2019t write \u2018what\u2019s hot,\u2019\u201d<\/b> Rydzinski warned. Finishing her sentence, Zacker added, \u201c\u2026 because you\u2019re already too late.\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n Today\u2019s hot trend consists of books sold to publishers two years ago. Moreover, if the market is saturated with the type of book you\u2019ve invested your heart in, you may have to shelve it for a while or redefine your book\u2019s genre in some manner. Write what you\u2019re passionate about<\/b><\/a>, the agents concurred.<\/p>\n A lot of book marketing is on your shoulders these days, Dawson and Rydzinski confirmed. That means you need to have a solid author platform<\/a>, including social media.<\/p>\n The agents agreed it\u2019s important to find a social media platform that makes you comfortable.<\/b> \u201cThere\u2019s nothing worse than opening a Facebook page and seeing a year-old post,\u201d Zacker said. Concise writers might prefer Twitter. Writers of adult works might be better off on Facebook. And children\u2019s authors should try Instagram. Play with each platform, and tweak your online profiles to make them work for you.<\/p>\n If posting to social media feels too daunting, Rydzinski suggested checking out communities like Wattpad<\/a> where writers share their writing to get feedback and create buzz.<\/p>\n Not sure how to get started? Here\u2019s a great guide to building an author platform from scratch<\/a>.<\/p>\n1. Keep your query concise and professional<\/b><\/h2>\n
2. Polish your manuscript<\/b><\/h2>\n
3. Do your homework<\/b><\/h2>\n
4. Keep up with social media<\/b><\/h2>\n