7 Fat Rules for Landing an Agent
Frequently, new writers ask me, "Can you help me find an agent?" The answer is, "No, and yes."
As an editor, I won't refer you to a particular agent or pull any weight to convince an agent to sign you on as a client. Still, I can increase your odds of landing an agent by way of helping you create a great manuscript and query. I've read every blog I could locate on finding success with agents. I've discussed the agent pursuit with authors, editors, agents, book marketers, and publishers. I've laughed, cried, and read "How to Get an Agent" blogs until my eyesight blurred, all to compile a cheat sheet for you on landing the right literary agent for you.
Here's your one-stop guide that doesn't circumvent the truth but, instead, brings the reality of pleasing the publishing world gatekeepers into sharp focus. Here are my Seven Fat Rules for securing agent representation for your next manuscript.
Rule Number One: Get Your Shit Together
There is no need to prepare a query for an unfinished manuscript. Before you attempt to contact an agent, in any way, have a completed story to pitch. No need to worry about how you'll market a manuscript that doesn't exist outside your head. It may be beautiful in that noggin of yours, but it's worthless out here until fully executed in text. You need a beginning, middle, and a surprising but inevitable end that meets the conventions of your genre. The whole manuscript needs to have gone through significant self-editing and multiple drafts. Need help with this? I highly recommend The Story Grid methodology. Everything you ever wanted to know and more on editing is FREE at The Story Grid site.
Rule Number Two: See Rule Number One
An agent should never be your first reader. If you want to create an editing group of other writers, here is a link to make the best possible experience. After self-editing, hire a developmental or content editor for your manuscript. Every professional writer has at least one editor. Every pro writer recognizes the value of an investment in a good editor, their story, and in themselves. A content or development editor will assist you in streamlining your overall story structure and scene work. Re-work your story according to the advice the editor gave that resonated with you. Don't do everything they suggest, only what you believe they got right. You're the boss. You control your story. No editor is right about everything. But what they do get right is worth its weight in gold. If you think you can't hire an editor, consider sourcing the funds through social media or fundraising campaigns, or saving a little extra each month. Don't skip this step.
Rule Number Three: See Rule Number One
After self-editing, hiring a content or developmental editor, and redrafting your story according to the editor's advice, hire a proofreader or copy-editor to review your grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and to eliminate typos. Even the writer with a Ph.D. in English will miss many mistakes in their writing. Blame our brains. We simply don't see the errors like we do the dust bunnies under our beds. With dust bunnies, unless you are unfortunately blind, you can find them if you look. You can stick your vacuum under the cushions and suck up what you can't see. With problems in text, you need to hire help. You don't have to spend big on this one. Any college English major can do this for you. If you get a good referral, you might even be able to hire a high school student. It's not tough work, but it does require a solid education, attention to detail, and fresh eyes. As the writer, sorry, your eyes are no longer fresh.
Rule Number Four: Get the Agent's Shit Straight
Research agents to the best of your ability and do everything you can to keep them straight. Target your manuscript queries only to agents looking for stories like yours. Do not send your Sci-Fi Horror Story to an agent who states she is exclusively representing Romance. Don't waste your time or hers. There is no Sci-Fi Horror Story, even if it represents the pinnacle of perfection in its genre, that will convince a Romance agent to request a full manuscript for review. In fact, if you piss that Romance agent off she might badmouth you to the Horror agent you later send it to who would have been your ideal fit. Select and perfect and be sure and tell the agent why you are targeting THEM. Example: "I'm writing to you because you represented and found success for Knitting With Cat Hair, and I wrote a book similar to Knitting With Cat Hair." (Yes, your story IS like someone else's; nothing is new). Want to know which agent represented the book like yours? Go to publishersmarketplace.com and search for a fee, or read the acknowledgments in similar books. Writers often thank their agents.
Rule Number Five: See Rule Number Four
If an agent has specific criteria for submissions, follow it closer than the Ten Commandments. If their website reads that you should submit a one-page query with an emphasis on your platform, don't send a two-page synopsis plus your ideal marketing plan for the book. (Don't know what a platform is? I recommend contacting Sue Campbell, book launch coach) Pay attention to word count limits. You will not be the agent's exception to her rules. If your desired agent is nit-picky (most of us are) and wants specific margins, fonts, and files, pay attention to those details. If she asks for a pdf, don't send a doc. She'll write you off as unprofessional and won't read it.
Rule Number Six: Follow Rules One through Five for Your Query Letter
The best manuscript won't get read if your query letter doesn't sell the best story AND the best writer. Follow your desired agent on social media. Read your website and all posts from the past year. Look for her style, her preferences, and get a sense of what her pet peeves are. Tailor your query accordingly and hire a developmental editor for your query.
Be specific with your language in your query. The protagonist isn't a teen in high school; she's Amelia, who hates Sweet Valley High. Her love interest isn't the guy next door; it's Derek, the reluctant quarterback who steals from the team to supply medication for his mother. Language like "things get in their way" doesn't work. "Amelia's dad, the town police chief and retired football star, is out to get the thief and hang him from the nearest tree" does work. You get the idea. Show the inciting incident, a complication, a progressive complication that turns the story over into the crisis, the climax, and (unless otherwise specified by the agent guidelines) leave out the resolution. Make the agent ask for more pages to know how your story ends.
Have several friends (or better yet, strangers) read your query and ask them, "Is this interesting? What could be improved? What should stay in the query?" Edit only according to the feedback that resonates with you. Sorry folks, you're going to have to write multiple versions of your query. Get the final document proofread.
Rule Number Seven: Don't let the process of chasing agents lead you into emotional darkness.
Know that you're not alone in this nail-biting climb toward your goal of securing an agent and getting published. Rejection and delays suck, but they aren't personal. If an agent doesn't want to represent your work, it doesn't mean you suck. Get back to your writing. If that's a challenge, work with a developmental editor who can help you along. Remember, a reputable agent, like a spouse, is worth all the work you might have to do to find the right one.
There you have it—Seven Fat Rules for gaining agent representation for your manuscript.
Agents want to acquire manuscripts they can sell. They judge whether or not they can sell your manuscript on the quality of the writing, the story structure, your professionalism (as represented in your query), and your platform (how big your potential audience is).
If you'd like to read more about getting an agent or if you'd like help with your manuscript, query, book proposal, or synopsis, please visit me at rachelleramirez.com. If you need help building your platform, Sue Campbell has many resources here at Pages and Platforms.
Don't underestimate the power of having a well-written story AND an audience waiting to purchase it to increase your chances of finding an agent.