Tip Tuesday #68

Guys, I just hit 1000 followers. Thank you! I can't tell you how touched I am you've stuck around when I've been such a quiet blogger the last half of this year. There will be a post on that SOON (cause you know I can't resist an end-of-year post). In the meantime, I have a fabulous tip from Deren Hansen on research! Please visit his blog as thanks.

If we literally followed the advice to, "write what you know," we wouldn't have stories about boy wizards, ruby slippers, or epic wars sweeping across a galaxy. Of course, we might argue that the person who imagined those things does, in fact, know them. Writer's face a bigger challenge when they want to write about something, like a city or a profession, with which they have no experience but others know very well.

There are many ways to learn about something unfamiliar: books, travel, interviews, etc. Between its search engine, maps, and street view, Google makes it particularly easy to pick up a passing familiarity with a topic or take a virtual tour of a place.

But the particular problem for writers is that we generally don't have time to become experts on the topic. So how do you know when you've done enough research to use the unfamiliar thing in your story without giving the people who actually know the thing reason to throw your book across the room?

I use the following guidelines:

• Your research isn't done until you've discovered something surprising about the topic.
• Your research isn't done until you can explain how the conventional wisdom is right and wrong.

I have a longer discussion about research techniques when writing about the unfamiliar on my blog, The Laws of Making.

Deren Hansen

Writing / Research Tip Tuesday #23

Time for another Tuesday Tip! Today's tip was sent in by Simon Kewin who you might recognize from around the blogosphere. To show your appreciation of the fabulous tip he's sent in (and it is fabulous), please visit his blog and website on your way out!

"Recently, I needed to take a walk down a certain road in Manchester (in the UK) for a scene in an urban fantasy novel I've been writing. It was a road I walked along often a number of years ago, but the problem was that I now live a hundred and fifty miles away. I could remember the sights and sounds of the street well enough, but I needed to check on a detail of the road's layout as it was significant to my plot. But conventional maps and satellite photographs didn't give me the three-dimensional, street-level perspective I needed.

"Then I remembered Google Street View. As you may know, Google are in the process of photographing streets and roads the world over, stitching the pictures together so that you can visually "move" along them. Privacy concerns aside, this can be an invaluable resource for the writer. A series of pictures will never give you the sounds and smells of a particular place, but they can help trigger memories and they can help confirm that this or that road or building are as you recall them. Using Street View I found I was able to check on my facts without having to undertake a 300 mile round-trip."

This is such a great tip, Simon. And it ties in pretty darn good with Ann's tip from last week. Just like I never thought to peruse travel blogs for research information, I never thought to "travel" there via Google Street View. Amazing! I'll definitely be peeping in on some streets in the near future.

THE CALL or, What to Ask a Literary Agent When Offered Representation

 

Given the nature of this blog and my general advocacy of doing research and making informed decisions about literary agents,  I've long wanted to do a post on  THE CALL, THE E-MAIL or, What to Ask a Literary Agent When Offered Representation.  I can't speak from experience yet, but I can give you the list of questions I've been creating for myself.  And we can discuss! 

A couple notes about the questions before I continue.  Depending on the agent, I might already know some of the answers and therefore wouldn't bother asking those questions.  I also expect a lot of these questions would run together and be cross-answered naturally, so while it seems like a lot of questions, I don't think I'd have to ask them all word for word.  At the bottom, I'm listing out the posts that helped me develop my list.

***

What do you think of my work?  What are the strengths and weaknesses of the manuscript?  Do you think it will stand out in the marketplace?  How ready is it?

Are you an editorial agent?  If so, to what extent?  What are you thinking in terms of revision?  How collaborative are you?

Will I be working solely with you, or will there be times I'll work with an associate or assistant?  If so, please elaborate.

How many clients do you have?  Are you confident you have enough time and energy to add another client to your roster?  If it's not already full, how many clients do you wish to have on your list eventually?

Do you represent clients book by book or on a career basis?  Are you confident that we have a great chance of making a career-long match?

Will you work with me on career planning and marketing?  Do you work with a publicist?

How much of my genre do you handle?  What's your approximate success rate?

What happens if you can't sell this manuscript?  What if you don't like my future projects and ideas? 

Would you still support and represent me if at some point I wrote outside of my current genre?

Do you have a plan for submission in mind already?  Which houses/editors do think will be a good fit for this project?  How many editors do you plan to submit to initially, and how many do you plan to submit to overall if it does not sell as soon as hoped?

I know it varies, but what is the expected turn-around time for an editor during the submission process?  How long will you allow a project to languish before you'll nudge?

How open are you with information during the submission process?  Will you keep me updated as rejections and offers come in?  Will I know exactly who you're submitting to at all times?  Are you willing to share the rejections with me?

What is your preferred method of communication?  How often are you in contact with your clients?  How soon can I expect an answer to any given e-mail?  How about a revision or new project?

What are your business hours?  When do you prefer to be contacted?

Do you have a verbal or written contract?  What do the terms and agreements include?  What is the duration of the contract?  If it's written, would you be willing to go through it word-for-word with me if I felt that was necessary?

Are there any situations where you'd make decisions on my behalf? 

If for some reason we need to part ways, how will this be handled?  Are there any stipulations I should be aware of?  For what reasons would you terminate a client?

If a situation should arise where you are no longer able to represent my work, do you have a plan for me?  Or will I need to seek new representation on my own?  What if I'm in the middle of the submission process?  How would I proceed?

How are subsidiary rights handled within your agency?  Would you say your agency is strong in subright sales?  Do you see potential for my project in this regard?

What are your commission rates?  Are they the standard 15% domestic and 20% foreign/film?

What is your procedure for processing and disbursing client funds?  How soon will I receive my share when payments are received?  Do you keep different bank accounts for author funds and agency revenue?  Will I receive a 1099 at the end of each year?  Will I have full fiscal disclosure upon request? 

Will you be billing me for any submission costs (supplies, etc)?  If so, what should I expect?  How will those costs be charged to me?

How long have you been an agent?  What do you love about it?  Dislike about it?

Generally, what do you expect of your clients in a given year?  What do you feel makes for an ideal agent-author relationship?

What are a few of your recent sales? 

What if another client and I approached you with a similar idea?  How would you move forward in that situation?

Would you allow me to contact a couple of your clients?  Specifically, one you've sold at least one project for and one you you've yet to sell for?  What about publishers you've worked with?

Do you belong to any organizations?  The AAR?  Are you listed on Publisher's Marketplace?  If so, do you report the majority of your deals to them?

What questions do you have for me?

***

Here are the posts that helped me develop my list:

"Preparing for THE CALL" at Writers Musings.

"What Can I Expect of My Agent" at Editorial Ass.

"How to Interview a Literary Agent" at Writing for Children and Teens.

"Getting THE CALL" at Rants and Ramblings of a Literary Agent.

"Questions to Ask an Agent" at Rants and Ramblings of a Literary Agent.

"Before You Hire a Literary Agent" by Michael Hyatt.

"Questions to Ask a Potential Literary Agent" at Squidoo.

"Questions to Ask Literary Agents" at Quill Driver Books (reprinted from the AAR).

***

What do you think?  Do you want to discuss any of the questions?  Add your own?  Talk about your own experience with THE CALL?  Please do!  Also, if you're interested in writing a guest post about your experience interviewing one or more literary agents before hiring one, please e-mail me. 

Research Tip Tuesday

Want to know what people are saying about a particular agent or subject? Google Blog Search specifically searches blogs (all blogs, not just Blogger) for your search term or phrase. Advanced options also allow you to filter and search by date. I use it all the time for my spotlights!

Next week, I have a fabulous tip from Samantha Clark. Look forward to it! Want to see your own tip featured? E-mail me at agentspotlight(at)gmail(dot)com.

Research Tip Tuesday

Another great writing research tip from Tara McClendon!

"For history writers, a good source of information can be histories of fashion. Often these books have drawings and definitions for terms used during specific eras. C. Otis Sweezey provides a Web site with information on a text published from 1861 to 1880. Other modern books provide a look at a wider range of eras."

Tara is a freelance writer and editor. She maintains her own blog Eye Feathers.

Thanks Tara! Anyone else have any favorite web sites they frequent for historical research? Please share them in the comments.

Research Tip Tuesday

On this fine Tuesday, I'm featuring Tara MClendon, who offers a fabulous writing-related research tip. Check out her bio below! And remember, if you'd like to see your own tip featured, just shoot me an e-mail. Here's Tara:

"Writers who need to do research for the medical field can register to view journals and abstracts from Web sites like Free Medical Journals, which also has a subscription option. While some sites charge a membership fee, writers can find a variety of free ones by searching the Internet for "Free Medical Journals." Another great source of information is the Mayo Clinic, which provides in-depth information on nearly every known disease."

Tara is a freelance writer and editor. She maintains her own blog Eye Feathers.

Guest Post: Beth Revis, Book Comparisons In Your Query

I have a fabulous guest post by Beth Revis of writing it out to share with you today! 

I read one of Beth's queries awhile ago on the KT Literary blog, Ask Daphe, and she had one of the best book comparisons I'd ever read in a query (I usually don't like them), so I was pretty excited to receive this here guest post on the subject, and I'm equally excited to share it with you.  

Now... here's Beth!

*** 

IT'S LIKE THIS MEETS THAT

I know you've heard it a million times before: do your research before you query. But what, exactly, are you supposed to research...and how do you apply it in your query?

Beyond the obvious things (such as genres represented and submission guidelines) one of the top things to research for your query is what books compare best to yours.

Why you need comparisons
You've probably heard before that you shouldn't compare your work to others. And that is true. When I say research what books compare best to yours, what I do NOT mean is that you're going to include a list of bestsellers and tell the agent your book is at least as good as theirs. No. NO. Do NOT do this.

But what you DO need to do is prove to the agent two things: 1) You've done the research in your market, and 2) You have a book that will actually have a specific place on a bookseller's shelf.

Saying you have a romance/science fiction/literary/children's/masterpiece is a red flag to an agent. Saying you have a YA that would appeal to fans of Neil Gaiman's STARDUST is actually helpful.

Comparing to bestsellers
Don't do it.

Comparing to non-bestsellers
First, read *current* books in your genre. You're looking for something recent to the market that is moderately well known but not a bestseller. When I started pitching my YA SF, the obvious choice to compare it to would be Orson Scott Card's ELDER'S GAME (as the most popular YA SF of all time), Suzanne Collins's THE HUNGER GAMES (as the current bestselling YA SF), or Stephenie Meyer's THE HOST (as Stephenie Meyers is writing gold in these here parts). But those were all the wrong choices for me. Card's work is too classic--and you need to prove to the agent you've read things beyond the obvious and have your finger on the current market's pulse. Collins and Meyer's were too big of names--they're overused (much like Harry Potter and Dan Brown).

The point of comparing your work to others is so that you can stand out from the crowd. Do this by using a current, specific, work that suitably compares. I used Mary Pearson's THE ADORATION OF JENNA FOX to compare my work to--it's in the genre, came out only a few years ago, and is well known but not overused.

It's all in how you phrase it
One reason why so many people say to avoid making comparisons to books in your query is because it makes you sound rude, cocky, and self-centered. Saying "My book is like X but so much better because..." makes you sound like the loud, annoying guy at the party everyone wishes would go home early.

So how do you say it? There's a couple of good approaches. First, the simplest way to compare your book to another one is by saying, "Fans of X may also like my work because..." The key is to have a good "because," one that proves you've read the book and that fans actually will like your work. For example: "Fans of Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series will also like my book because I also tap into Greek mythology as a base for my character's problems." Make your sentences work for you--this one sentence has two purposes: to give a competent comparison to your work, and also to emphasize the use of Greek mythology.

This also works if you're having trouble coming up with a comparative title for your work. My WIP is a YA SF, and there's precious little of that on the market today. So, in addition to comparing it to THE ADORATION OF JENNA FOX, a YA SF title, I also used a middle grade title, Jeanne du Prau's THE CITY OF EMBER. My work isn't exactly like hers, but I do have a mystery line like she does, so I said, "Fans of the contained mystery in Jeanne du Prau's CITY OF EMBER may also enjoy my work."

Research the agent
Use sites like Query Tracker to discover what agents represent what books. If you can find an agent who specifically represents a book you think directly relates to your own, then be sure to send it to that agent. You better believe I'll be researching Mary Pearson and Jeanne du Prau's agents.

But also, check out blogs and interviews with agents. Often, an agent will mention a book they don't represent and how much they wish they did. Use that! Compare to books the agent likes, even if they don't represent them.

Likewise, look at their wishlists. If they say they like one book but are looking for a fresh twist, mention that. For example: "I noticed in your interview with Casey that you're looking for a Dan Brown with a twist; I think you'll agree that my use of X will appeal to Brown's fans, but my use of Y will add a fresh aspect to the genre."

Avoid sucking up
Just because you know an agent's full client list doesn't mean you should use it. Don't throw out a bunch of titles from the agent's list. Use them only if they are truly comparable, and if you've ACTUALLY READ THEM and know they're comparable. Agents can sniff a suck-up a mile away.

Using comparisons in your query shouldn't be the meat of your pitch--but if you do your research and use them well, they can be just the sweet dessert that makes your query stand out from all the rest.

Bio: Beth Revis is currently pitching a YA SF and writes at bethrevis.blogspot.com.

Assessing Agents or Keeping Perspective

The importance of a good agent-author relationship is constantly touted to writers, and seeing as most of us would like to find the perfect match on our first signing, it's only natural that we stress.  With so little information available and no good way to know how we'll fit with an agent before we query, it's no wonder we start grappling for any kind of telling hint we can.  But what are we really doing?  Being fools, in some cases. 

Whatever are you talking about, Casey? 

Looking too far into details.  Details.  You know, judging an agent by their response times, their web site (or lack thereof), their submission requirements, the voice of their web site, the font they use, and so on and so forth.  It's like taking a walk through the Internet and deciding what we think about an agent by what's there.  No matter that we've never interacted with them personally.  Kinda silly.  So today, I'd like to offer a different perspective on some of the common hang-ups writers have with agents (including one or two I've been guilty of myself).

Slow Response Times:

You see it everywhere.  Writers speculating on an agent's response times and how that reflects on the agent.  Many think that slow response times directly reflect how well an agent will correspond with their clients, and/or the quality of agent's business ethic.  The same often goes for agents that have a no-response policy.

Hold on there.  You've got it backwards.  Believe it or not, finding new clients is generally a small facet in an agent's overall job.  They're busy dealing with the clients they already have, negotiating contracts, following up on due royalties, and making sales.  This is good.  This is what you'd want them to be doing if you were one of their clients.  You wouldn't want them to neglect selling your book to catch up on slush, would you?  When waiting out the weeks or months on a pending submission, try to remember what an agent is dealing with beyond you, and what good things it will mean if you become their client.

Only Accepts Snail-mail: 

It's easy to make assumptions about an agent that only accepts snail mail, and many such assumptions are made: they aren't keeping up with the times, they aren't "green," they'll only correspond over phone and mail, e-mail savvy editors won't want to deal with such an agent, etc.

Just because an agent likes to read their slush on paper doesn't mean they don't use e-mail.  Sometimes it's just easier on the eyes.  Some agents just have a better year-proven system with paper slush.  Whatever the case, don't skip over an agent with years of experience and fabulous clients because you're worried about how they handle slush.  Again, it's what they are doing with their clients that matters.  Are they legit?  Are they making sales?  Chances are, if you can get passed the paper slush pile, there is a great agent there who uses e-mail as well as the next no-paper agent. 

No web site: 

This is another area where we can lose perspective.  We hear about an agent, type their name in Google, and what do we find?  No web site.  Sure, it's disappointing, we wanted to learn more about them, but it doesn't mean they aren't a good agent.  Just because they aren't extremely accessible doesn't mean they don't want to hear from you either.

The reality is, the agent probably has a bulging clientele list, and if that's the case, getting a web site up for potential clients isn't going to be high on their priority list.  Stop for a moment and consider yourself a client of an agent with no web site.  Are you going to care whether or not they have a web site when you're in frequent contact with them and they are focusing on your book?  Probably not.  You'll probably never look at it.  Agents mostly have web sites for potential clients, so if an agent isn't necessarily looking to expand their list (but still looking), it's not going to be necessary.  They get plenty of other slush and referrals without one. There are some great agents out there like this, and you'd be extremely lucky to have them if they took you on.

Not a Member of AAR: 

For the writers who will only query members of the AAR.

The AAR used to be one of the best ways to find a legit agent, and it's still great, but these days, a lot of legit agents are choosing not to apply.  I don't pretend to know all the reasons, but I think it has a lot to do with Publisher's Marketplace and word of mouth.  A lot of established agents simply don't need to be part of the association to find new clients, and a lot of newer agents haven't been in the business long enough to apply.  These days, I don't think the AAR holds much sway.  If an agent is a member, all the better, but don't limit yourself to AAR agents.  Look for legitimacy in sales and clients.

Not in NY: 

I've seen writers limiting themselves to agents in NY.  I think the thought process is that agents in NY are bound to be chummier with editors and publishers.

Not necessarily true.  This digital age we live in is quite amazing.  Near or far, agents are in constant contact with editors and publishing professionals, and many of them make several trips to NY a year.  What matters is that the agent is making sales.  If they are making sales, they obviously have perfectly good contacts with NY acquisitions editors.  Again, there are AMAZING agents outside of NY.  Don't shoot yourself in the foot by trying to "suss out" which agents are second tier.  Location is not the way to determine this. 

Now, if location matters because you want to live near your agent, that's a different matter, and that's perfectly reasonable.

Never Heard of Em': 

Some writers seem entirely too focused on the agents with a lot of years in the business and/or big word of mouth.

Again (again, again, again), what matters the most is that they are legit and making sales.  So what if they don't have a big name around the Interwebs?   Maybe they've been in the publishing business for a long time, and you don't hear much about them because they aren't putting themselves out there.  If that's the case, they probably have some amazing clients and contacts in the industry.  Another lost chance, if you don't query. 

Maybe it's a newer agent that hasn't made a name yet.  If that's the case, they are going to be looking for new clients.  There are a couple bonuses to this, 1) you have a better chance with them, and 2) they might very well be a "big name" in just a few years.  As long as they are working for a respectable agency, they should be perfectly legit.  Someone has deemed them worthy, why not give them a chance?

Or maybe, maybe you're just out of the loop.  Just because you haven't heard of them, doesn't necessarily mean they aren't "somebody."

***

Okay, so I'm not saying to throw your research and sharpened assessment tools to the wind, I'm just reminding you to keep things in perspective.  During the submissions process we're kind of in a corner, staring at a large wall.  It's easy to get caught up studying all the cracks and crevices in that wall, and to forget what really matters.  But the thing is, there's a whole lot more on the other side (what we're striving for, after all), and those cracks and crevices will be pretty darn inconsequential once you're actually there. 

Focus on legitimacy.  Focus on sales and clients.  Take all the time you might spend assessing details and create a really rockin' list of questions to ask an agent if they offer.  Because that's where it's at.  THAT is where you can get the low-down, from the source, and make a truly informed decision.  You're not bound to accept an offer when you query an agent.  Use that to your advantage.  Query all the agents that MIGHT be a good match and then slow down, interview them, and find out for sure.

Literary Agent Dos and Don'ts.

There are so many rules, guidelines, preferences, and pet-peeves that you hear about in regards to literary agents and submissions.  Perhaps it's no wonder a lot of writers say "to heck with it all" and proceed how they think best.  Understandable, sure, but maybe not the best choice. 

I thought it would be fun if we put our collective heads together to list out the Dos and Don'ts.  I'm anticipating a great and rather long list, but please keep in mind the subjective nature of the topic as you give and take away from it.

I'll start...

DO research prospective agents and make informed decisions.

DO follow submission guidelines to a T, as best you can.

DO personalize your queries.

DON'T mass e-mail agents one general "Dear Agent" query.

DON'T send "goodies" or "research material" to prospective agents.

DON'T use unusual fonts or colors.

Your turn!  There are so many more... What will you add? 

Links! Agent Research

Here are a few more links I'd like to share regarding lit agents and representation.

Agent Rachelle Gardner did a post awhile ago on what questions you might ask when you get THE CALL (really great stuff), a fab post on author-agent agreements, and what happens after you accept representation.

Fran Caldwell (who recently landed a lovely London agent) wrote a post on researching literary agents and why it's never too soon, and then followed it up with a post on what happens after you get a literary agent.  One thing I love about Fran is how much she respects herself.  By reading her posts, you can tell she knew what she wanted in an agent and wasn't afraid to cross agents off her list if she didn't think they'd be a good match. 

And today, author Lauren Barnholdt has an excellent post on why "dream agents" shouldn't be, well, dream agents.  Something I'd like to point out: she admits she's on her third agent, and you know what?  She's in good company.  A lot of writers go through two or more to find a good match. 

Do the best research you can, absolutely, and take advantage of THE CALL (or e-mail, as it may be) by asking as many questions as needed, but don't be too disheartened if you sign with an agent and it doesn't work out.  There is only so much you can learn beforehand, and if you did all the research you could, you know you gave yourself and the agent the best chance of working out. It's okay, rally up your self-respect and put your research smarts to use again - there's a better agent-author match out there for you. 

Have you read any other great posts recently on researching agents or the umbrella of?  Leave em' in the comments. 

Researching Literary Agents Part III

This weekend I realized I never put up Part III in my Agent Research series. So here it is!  If you're just tuning in, you may want to read Part I & Part II.

***

By now you should have a pretty good handle on your list of agents.  You know who you can potentially query and who's worth your time.  Now it's time to get down to the nitty gritty stuff, i.e. submission guidelines and personalizing queries. 

Submission guidelines:

Hopefully most of your agents have web sites.  It's likely some of them don't.  For those that do, I'd highly recommend reading everything, but particularly their submission guidelines, what they are and aren't looking for, and their FAQ if they have them.  If they don't have a web site, I'm assuming you've located their submission guidelines via your market book, an online database, or Publisher's Marketplace.  All respectable agents have submission guidelines.  If you haven't found them - there's probably a reason for that.  Keep researching.   

Think of submission guidelines as one of your (many) keys to success.  They're important.  If you can't follow submission guidelines, you're inviting agents to assume any number of things about you.  Examples include but are not limited to:  You did not do your research, you don't know how the business works, you can't follow simple instructions, you're not from this planet, you think you are beyond respectful compliance, you want to waste their time, you do not respect them, you're sub-intelligent, etc. 

So, if they're asking for query only, seriously, only send a query.  If they want a query and the first three chapters, don't send more than that.  Even if things start to get really good in chapter four.  If they want a proposal.  Well, that's what you send.  Whatever it is - do it.  It's not a matter of bowing down to agents because they're almighty beings that rule the literary earth.  It's a matter of respect.  They're telling you want they want in order to assess what you're trying to sell.  It's a simple as that.  Would you walk into a job interview with your resume, all of your references in person, and an autobiography to boot?  No.  At least I hope not.  Don't lessen your chance for an offer by disagreeing with an agent's submission guidelines.  If you really don't agree - maybe you shouldn't be querying that agent at all.  Remember, you want the best agent for you and your work.  It's not just about getting your book published.  It's a long-term relationship that will only work well with communication, respect, and partnership. 

There are always exceptions, right?  If you've had a direct request from an agent to do so, feel free to disregard their guidelines.  Perhaps you met the agent at a conference and they requested that you send them a full rather than their stated five pages (or whatever).  If that's the case, them by golly, send them the full, but you should remind them of the conference in your query letter so they know who you are and why you're possibly straying from their usual guidelines.

Personalizing Queries:

The most basic personalization you can and should do is to address the agent properly by last name. 

Dear Mr. Bransford:

Dear Ms. Reamer:

A comma does nicely as well.  It takes very little time and it's a truly simple courtesy used it nearly all business correspondence. 

Other personalizations can include: Mentioning you met them at a conference, mentioning you read their blog, mentioning something they said in an interview or market guide, mentioning a book they represent that you liked or that's similar to yours, etc.  Just don't go overboard.  There's almost an art to this - do your research.

Agents Who Blog:

If the agent has a blog, you've got veritable a gold mine at your disposal.  Take the time to read it.  And don't just read the three most recent posts.  DIG.  Look in the archives.  Try to find posts where they've specified preferences, pet-peeves, detailed what they like in a query letter, etc.  If you've already been reading their blog regularly, all the better.  And even if the agent rarely talks about the business and what they're looking for, you're still getting an invaluable look at their character.  Is this someone you'd want to work with?  Finding a good match personality-wise is just as important as anything else. 

Books They Rep:

Another great way to get a feel for what an agent represents and to personalize your query is to read books they already rep.  This can obviously become very time consuming, especially if it just means adding one personalized sentence to your query.  However, it may set you apart, if you do it well, so you may want to consider reading something that each of your top agents represent, particularly if it's similar to yours.

Random Tips:

• You can find an agent's gender on LitMatch.
• You can occasionally find font/type preferences on AgentQuery.
• QueryTracker is a fabulous tool for research and, well, tracking queries, or course.  
• Never ever query multiple agents in one e-mail.
• Never use a general salutation such as "Dear Agent."
• Don't knock yourself down by saying things like "If you have time," or "I know you're busy," etc.
• Do not use fancy paper. 
• Do NOT send THINGS to agents.  Even if they have a professed love of Godiva chocolates.  Resist.  You can send them Godiva when they're officially your agent, they've sold your book, and they're not concerned that you're psycho.
• Have a list of questions ready or know what you're going to say if/when you get "the call."  Seriously, use this opportunity to find out everything you couldn't during your research.
• Prioritize your list and query small batches at a time.  You can learn a lot from rejection, but that's a post for another day. 

And finally, don't just take my word for all this.  What did I say about not trusting any single source of information?  Gosh, get out there and research researching!  Google "researching literary agents," "literary agent scams," "personalizing queries," and so on and so forth.

Best to everyone preparing to query.  If there is something else you'd like me to cover or expand on, let me know in the comments!  I'll do a more thorough post on personalizing queries one of these days.

Preparing to Query

Samantha Clark, who chimed in on yesterday's conversation, wrote a fabulous post today called "Preparation is Key."  She reminds writers that we generally only have one shot with each agent (or agency as it may be) for each project (an intimidating notion if you have a short list of agents), and gives great advice on making sure your manuscript is ready and that you've done the proper research. 

Towards the bottom of the post, Samantha admits she previously sent out work that wasn't ready and was "roundly rejected."  This happens to A LOT of writers, and for many, that's the way they learn to write a better book, to take the process seriously, and to do the research they didn't do before.

I can't guarantee you'll get published by following "the rules" - this business is subjective and relies on writing a publishable book, after all - and I can't guarantee you won't have to write another book (or three) to develop the required skills to do so, but you might be able to save yourself some time, rejection, and grief by stepping up your game and removing any and all avoidable mistakes from your journey to publication.  Like querying before you're really ready.

Check out Samantha's blog, Day By Day Writer, and make sure to wish her the best on her newly well-prepared-for search for representation.

Reseaching Literary Agents

Elanja Johnson did a fabulous post on researching literary agents by utilizing QueryTracker on the QueryTracker blog today. There's also a bit about personalizing queries.

Something I'd like to reiterate is that you owe it to yourself (and it's a courtesy to the agents you're querying) to try to find a good match.

I realize that it's hard to find information on some agents. If you feel you must give these agents a shot, I'd recommend you know (at least) what genres they represent (yours?) and whether or not they have legitimate sales and/or a respectable seat in publishing. If you can't find even this information, why are they on your list? And if you're going to query an agent with this amount of information, do yourself a favor, have a prepared list of questions in case THE CALL does come.

I constantly see writers out there cold-firing queries, doing little-to-no research, and/or accepting the first offer they receive without question, and it just doesn't make sense to me. I can understand the desire to obtain representation and to get published but not the desire to get published no matter what. Personally, I want the best for myself, my books, and my expected career as an author. You should too. The goal is not to be a one-hit wonder, it's to build a career, and you're going to need strong, lasting relationships to make the most of it.

My closing advice: If you query all your great, good, and decent matches and still don't have representation, don't query everyone else under the publishing sun, write a new book or extensively rewrite.

Whether you agree or disagree, feel free to open up a friendly discussion in the comments.

And thank you, Elanja, for the great post!

Personalizing Queries

As you know, I'm all about promoting agent research and personalizing queries, but there are good ways of doing it and bad ways of doing it.  I've been meaning to do a post on this, but until then, check out this post.  Jennifer Jackson addresses mentioning a book from an agent's list in your query at her blog, Et in arcaedia, ego. 

On Researching and Dealing with Agents

A few days ago I received a query. This morning I had a tweet from someone wanting Jodi Reamer's e-mail and/or web site address. As someone trying to promote agent research, I find these incidences somewhat alarming. Let's have a closer look shall we?

The e-mail:

My first and foremost concern is that this person has an obvious disregard or ignorance of the following: publishing history, previous sales, scams. If said person had done any research, they would have realized I am NOT a literary agent. However, let's say there was a misunderstanding since I do happen to have an e-mail address with the word "agent" in it and do the Agent Spotlights. Even if someone had mistook me for an agent, a quick Google search would have revealed the following: no web site, no Publisher's Marketplace page, not on Preditors and Editors, AAR, or any query-tracking web site, and most importantly, I have ZERO sales to my name. Red flags, people. Huge red flags.

Beyond this, I must assume the author is also disregarding submission requirements. If the writer was following submission requirements, it seems likely he/she would have noticed I have none and am not an agent. On top of this, the query was addressed to "Dear Sir." I may have a gender-neutral name, but again, research would have revealed my name and, I'd like to think, my gender. But don't worry, I did not take offense because we have already deduced there was zero research involved. Tip: You can find an agent's gender on LitMatch.

The tweet:

My first thought was as follows: Google!? My second thought: Maybe this is someone I know and they want some quick information. Though, even that would have been alarming. Shall I repeat myself here? Research the agents you want to query, please! But, on realizing I did not know this person, I clicked over to their profile. What did I find? They are tweeting everyone under the sun (including John Green and Stephanie Meyers) trying to get Jodi Reamer's e-mail address. We must note, if the writer does not even know what web site Jodi Reamer can be found at, we can assume he/she a) does not know Jodi Reamer is with Writer's House, and b) he/she is planning on firing off a cold query with complete disregard to Ms. Reamers submission requirements. Alas, there is more. The writer was tweeting agents asking, "are you an agent?" and tweeting "e-mail me at X if you're interested in X kind of manuscript." Shall I continue? The writer also spelled query wrong in all of his/her tweets and was promoting their novel as "epic" and "fabulous." Can we get a tally on the mistakes here? Anyone?

Honestly, I'm not writing this to poke fun at either person. I would love to see them succeed. However, I am concerned, and I'm feeling an increasing amount of pity for literary agents. I took the time to e-mail both of these writers to suggest they use Querytracker.net, at least, and gave the tweeter a rundown on what he/she was doing that was unprofessional.

Where do we go from here? Look forward to a series of posts on researching and dealing with agents. I know most of my readers know what's what, but maybe we can field a few of these unknowing aspirees and help them. Feel free to put your 2 cents in on the upcoming posts.