Guide to Literary Agents

A few people were talking copyright today, so I figured I would blog about the subject, as it's something that writers are very interested in. (Not surpringly, no one wants to get their work stolen.) Here are some common copyright Q&As.

Q. If you mail yourself a copy of your manuscript and then never open the package, is that the equivalent of an official copyright?

A. No. What you're talking about is called "poor man's copyright." I don't know who first perpetuated this myth, but it is indeed a myth.

Q. Are there different kinds of copyright?

A. Two kinds, basically. To put this simply, there is the "guaranteed copyright" you get whenever you write anything down, and there is the official copyright (think of it as a "super copyright") you get when you register with the national office in DC. The difference between the two is that having a "super copyright" (which will cost you approx. $45/work) will allow you to sue for more money and damages should you ever have to sue.

Q. Should I include the copyright symbol on my work?

A. If you're submitting to agents and editors, no. They know that the material is owned by you, so including the mark is the sign of an amateur. However, if you are giving your work to fellow writers or putting it online, yes yes yes.
Agents and editors don't steal work; writers steal work.

Q. In general, what can I do to protect myself?

A. Don't put your work online unless there is a good reason to do so. If you post a short story online so people can get a taste of your skill and voice, you are letting your idea out there. People cannot cut and paste paragraphs of your work, that's for sure, but they can take your concept or idea and give their own spin on it.

Contracts and Copyrights and Money

Friday, October 31, 2008 3:23:56 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [6]

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Looking for Agent/Editor Feedback
Posted by Chuck

Here at Writer’s Digest Books, we’re in the process of updating our popular title, Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript, and are looking for insight from agents/editors on how the industry is changing. Here are a few things we’re interested in knowing.

How have queries and submissions changed for you in recent years? Do you request different information? Do you accept email queries? If so, do you prefer electronic or paper queries? How important is format and formality in electronic communication?
What are your pet peeves and turnoffs?
What are your dos and don'ts for writers?
Have you changed how you select authors? How many of your authors are found through queries, and how many through other means? Do you want to hear about an author's platform?
What recent changes in your market do you want writers to know about?

Writers are also welcome to comment and offer tips.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008 9:22:49 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [3]

Friday, October 24, 2008

When an Agent Loses Your Pages...
Posted by Chuck

Q. Perhaps it is the influence of the instant age of communication, but I would have assumed sending a synopsis and pages to an agent who says they want your work (at least to consider it), I must confess I am rather surprised it takes as long as it used to back in the days of snail mail and sending an entire manuscript in terms of hearing a response.
        Worse still, this agent (who shall not be named) in question seems to act as if she can't find said pages. I understand it is possible to receive hundreds of writers' pages, but I would think there would be some plan in action for keeping track.
        Am I expecting more than I should? I don't wish to flood the agent's inbox with more questions than necessary about my pages, but I am at a place - having held on to some of my writing for decades - where I just want to get on with it! And to be honest, your (28 Agents) article gave me hope. It released the fear and made the choice small enough for me to navigate and decide then act upon. Am I being ridiculous? Be honest.
        - Teresa

A. Yeah, it's a slow process, Teresa. Let me try to answer all your questions.
       Concerning how quickly you can hear a response, the age of electronic communication is helping for quicker replies, but does not guarantee one, if that makes sense. Plenty of agents still request 6-8 weeks before you even hear back on a query. Now, concerning how this agent can't find the pages you sent, you have two options. You can simply resubmit the pages and say "Here they are again - it's no big deal to resubmit them." Or you can ditch this agent and simply move on. Yes, she should have a system in place to track queries and pages - but if you've ever seen an editor's desk or an agent's desk, it's never pretty.
       My best advice to you is not to flood her inbox with questions about your pages, but to just write and say "No problem, let me just resubmit," and then do so.

Q&A from Blog Readers

Friday, October 24, 2008 9:52:04 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [4]

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Breaking Down the Query Letter
Posted by Chuck

I talk to a lot of writers about how to compose a good query letter. Make no mistake - it's no easy task, and it will take a lot of work. But what I can tell you right off the bat is that a good query has a distinct structure, and I can show you it right here below.

Think of a query as a three-part monster, broken down into three paragraphs. At the top of the page, you will have your contact info, as well as the mailing address info for the agency and the date. After that, you have your three paragraphs:

Paragraph One:

        1. Explain what the work is. So - what are you writing? What is the genre? The length? The title? Is it complete? State all the basic info upfront so the agent will immediately know if this is a type of work that she represents.

        2. Explain why you're contacting this agent. Did you meet them at a conference? Were they recommended by a friend? Did you see an interview online where they said they were looking for steamy romances and you're writing one such steamy romance? Show them why you picked them out of the big pile, so they have a reason to pick you out of a big pile.

Paragraph Two:

        1. Pitch Your Work. This is the most difficult part. You have to boil your book down to about 3-6 sentences and explain what makes the story interesting. You've got to get to the hook. What is the irony - the catch - that makes this story interesting? If your story is simply about a police officer who retires and adjusts to a new lifestyle, that has no hook. But if you say that this newly retired police officer decides to get a sex change, and finds that the police union wants to cancel his pension, and his old friends won't speak to him - then you've got a hook. You've got a unique, interesting idea for a story.

Paragraph Three:

        1. Explain who you are and why you're qualified to write this work. Do you have publishing credits? Are you a journalist? Have you won any awards? Have you had short stories published? If you're pitching nonfiction, this becomes the most important section of the query because you will have to prove that you are the ideal person to write this particular book.
       Keep in mind that if you don't have anything to say or brag about, you can just keep this section short. Tout your accomplishments quickly and humbly. You want to say "I'm not brand new and I take writing seriously." You don't want to say "Yoo-hoo! Look at my accolades! I'm the man, if you didn't know it, sucka."

        2. Thank them. Thank the agent for considering your project. Ask them if you can send more. "Can I send you the first few chapters or some pages?" "Can I send you the full book proposal?"

Guest Columns | Queries and Synopses and Proposals

Thursday, October 16, 2008 11:23:31 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [6]

Literary Agent Offers Strategies for Success
Posted by Chuck

Therese Walsh of Writer Unboxed recently alerted me to a fantastic free resource online for writers.

Literary agent Donald Maass, who is a contributor to WU, has a free download available online to whomever wants it.

It's called The Career Novelist: A Literary Agent Offers Strategies for Success.

Check it out!

Thursday, October 16, 2008 10:46:42 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [2]

Monday, October 13, 2008

Agent Advice: Abigail Koons of The Park Literary Group
Posted by Chuck

"Agent Advice" is a series of quick interviews with literary and script agents who talk with Guide to Literary Agents about their thoughts on writing, publishing, and just about anything else.

This installment features Abigail Koons, of Park Literary Group, LLC.

GLA: How did you become an agent?

AK: After working for EF Education, a large Swedish company specializing in educational travel, I decided to make the switch to publishing. I attended the NYU Summer Publishing Institute and started working as the foreign rights assistant with agent Nicholas Ellison the week after I finished the program. That job eventually morphed into an agent’s assistant position and here I am, six years later, an agent and the director of foreign rights at The Park Literary Group.

GLA: What's the most recent thing you've sold?

AK: Actually, the most recent sale for me was just this week. After many years of trying to find a publisher for Nicholas Sparks (author of The Notebook and most recently, The Lucky One) in Korea, I concluded a four-book deal with Magic House Publishing.

GLA: Your bio says you seek "travel narrative nonfiction." Can you help define this category for writers? What are some examples of this category?

AK: Travel and adventure narrative nonfiction is the type of book that takes you away to another place. It is often a memoir, but can be a journalistic story of a particular event or even a collection of essays. The key here is that it tells an interesting and engaging story. It is also very important these days that the story is fresh and new—you’d be surprised at how many people have had the exact same experience with the rickshaw in Bangkok that you had. Some recent successful examples of this genre are Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air, Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love, and most things by Paul Theroux and Bill Bryson.

GLA: When you get a query for a commercial fiction novel such as a thriller, do you want the author to have a series in mind? Should they mention this? Or just pitch it as one book?

AK: The author doesn’t have to have a series in mind to pique my interest because frankly, not all thrillers are meant to be series. If the do intend for the novel to be the first in a series, it helps to know, but it’s not necessary. The most important thing is to pitch the strengths of your project—don’t just say what you think the agent wants to hear.

GLA: What are you looking for right now and not getting?

AK: To be honest, I’m not seeing great thrillers! I’d love to find a political or military thriller set today that addresses the very real issues that we’re facing. An intelligent and exciting novel set among the Iraq War or covert missions in Pakistan (we’re talking fiction, here). I’d also like to see more funny novels that aren’t completely over-the-top. I love outlandish characters but I still want them to be believable. I am seeing too many memoirs, however, and I’m taking on very, very few.

GLA: Let's say you're looking through the slush pile at query letters. What are common things/elements you see in a query letter that don't need to be in there?

AK: If your query letter is more than one page long, there are things in there that are superfluous. The most common unnecessary addition is a description of the writer’s family/personal life if the book is not a memoir. Some personal background is good, but I would much prefer to know about the amazing novel you wrote. The personal information can come later. The other most common misstep is listing weak qualifications for writing the book. What I mean by that is when someone says “I have a daughter so I am qualified to write this very general book about how to raise daughters.” In today’s very crowded book market, you must have a strong platform to write nonfiction.

GLA: Will you be at any conferences in the future where writers can meet and
pitch you?

AK: I will be in Austin, TX the weekend of Nov. 14 leading a workshop about query letters.

GLA: Best piece(s) of advice concerning something we haven't discussed?

AK: Keep it professional. Although many agents and editors are in publishing for the love of books, it’s still a business. It’s hard not to take rejections personally, especially at the beginning, but responding to a rejection with an angry e-mail, letter or phone call will not serve you well.

"Eager to work with emerging and established talent, Abigail Koons is currently looking to add to her list of diverse and engaging authors. Her passion for travel makes her a natural fit for adventure and travel narrative nonfiction, and she is also seeking projects about popular science, history, politics, current events and art. She is also interested in working with commercial fiction, especially superb thrillers and mysteries." See her agency web page here.

Agent Advice (Agent Interviews) | Nonfiction

Monday, October 13, 2008 2:30:26 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [137]

Friday, October 10, 2008

Turning Off an Agent
Posted by Chuck

The new issue of Writer's Digest (Nov/Dec 2008) has a fiction column by novelist Steve Almond, where he talks about Anton Chekov's theory that new writers need to start their book later in the story so the opening is more interesting.

This goes along somewhat with the "agent pet peeves" we've been talking about recently. Check out what Almond has to say:

"If you're wondering whether you should cut the first three pages of your most recent draft, consider the following questions:
       1. Is your protagonist alone for these pages?
       2. Is he in bed or in a bathtub?
       3. Is he imbued with an indeterminate sense of malaise?
       4. Does the 'action' consist of your protagonist thinking while carrying out activities that demonstrate his malaise?"

If you say yes to any of these questions, you have an opening that will likely turn off an agent. Beware.

Friday, October 10, 2008 11:41:12 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [10]

Monday, October 06, 2008

Agent Advice: Scott Eagan of Greyhaus Literary
Posted by Chuck

"Agent Advice" is a series of quick interviews with literary and script agents who talk with Guide to Literary Agents about their thoughts on writing, publishing, and just about anything else.

This installment features Scott Eagan, founder of Greyhaus Literary Agency near Seattle.

He is seeking: Scott Eagan represents writers of romance and women's fiction. See more online at his website. In his words: "I am ACTIVELY (can I make that any louder?) looking for Hot and Steamy contemporary romances for the Mills and Boon Modern Heat Line."

GLA: How did you become an agent?

SE: I had been teaching English for more than 10 years and had just moved from the K-12 system to the collegiate level. At that time I had also done some work with my own writing (I write poetry on the side). I was looking for a change of career and everything sort of fell into place at the right time. With my background in English, degrees in English Literature, Creative writing and Literacy, this seemed to be the right move.

GLA: What is the most recent thing you've sold?

SE: I have been doing a lot of work recently with both SourceBooks and with Harlequin Mills and Boon. In both cases, the work has been primarily in the historical romance market. Right now, my top two writers are Michele Young from Toronto and Bronwyn Scott from the US. Michele has come out with No Regrets and The Lady Flees Her Lord, both stories with unconventional but very real heroines. The men fall in love with them for who they are not what they look like. As for Bronwyn Scott, she has been active with the new Harlequin Historical undone line releasing Pickpocket Countess and Notorious Rake, Innocent Lady. She is also part of the new e-book line they are releasing.

GLA: Your specialties are romance and women's fiction. What attracted you to these areas?

SE: First of all, I have to say, I just love these stories. Both romance and good women’s fiction tend to make you feel pretty good when you finish a great book. Business-wise, I chose these lines simply due to supply and demand. Although a lot of agencies represent these genres, few only focus on the genre. I believe it is important to focus on one area and do it well.

GLA: How does a writer know she's writing women's fiction, as opposed to literary fiction?

SE: I think I have a fairly good definition of women’s fiction. These are not simply stories with female characters but stories that tell us the female journey. Women’s fiction is a way for women to learn and grow and to relate to others what it is to be a woman. When I think of literary fiction, the emphasis is placed more on the telling of a good story instead of making the female journey the centerpiece.

GLA: There is a lot of romance out there. What can set a story apart from the many bad ones?

SE: What I find separates the good from the bad is the depth I which the stories go to be unique and real. There are a lot of stories out there that are just copying a template. Sure the story is a fun read, but I just wouldn’t put it up there with the “good” stories. When I find an author that does that, I just can’t put the book down. I really hear the voice of the author coming right off the page.

GLA: Let's talk queries. Specifically - the pitch paragraph. What must be in there for you to be interested?

SE: The pitch is simple. I want to know not only the basics (the genre, word count and title) but I want to really know what makes this story unique and different from everything else out there. Anymore, it is not so much a matter of being a good writer, you have to have a story that makes us stand up and take notice. Along the same lines, I want an author to show me he or she understands the business and their place in the world.

GLA: When pitching a romance, should a writer have more books lined up or planned out? I know that romance writers usually pen multiple books (and sometimes even have multiple series). From a career standpoint, what must a writer know if they want to write romance? On this note, if a writer came to you and said "I have one book and don't plan to write another," would you take it on if it was good?

SE: As an agent, I am looking for someone to be in it for the long haul. Unless the story is such a breakout novel (which you really don’t find very often), a writer will need to have more books ready to go. Now, does this mean the author should have the books written? Not necessarily. The author may simply have an idea of how they are going to become a “brand.”

GLA: From that career standpoint, a writer needs to have a clear picture of where they want to be in the next 5 years and even in the next 10. This needs to be a realistic picture and not the belief that she will retire immediately from all the proceeds of the book.

SE: As far as the writer with one book. The odds are, I would pass on it. Again, since I am working with the romance and women’s fiction genre, they will not make enough money off that one book to make it worth our time.

GLA: Will you be at any upcoming conferences or events where writers can meet you?

SE: I have very little things on my agenda right now. I’m tentatively heading to the Silicon Valley RWA chapter in May and will be at the RWA national conference in Washington D.C. in 2009. When it comes to conferences, I go to where I am invited.
Another great place to meet me would be via my blog or even taking my online Marketing Your Fiction Novel Class (information on my website).

GLA: Best piece(s) of advice concerning something we haven't discussed?

SE: I would simply tell writers to do their research and don’t rush into the publishing. Be ready to make the move both with your manuscripts and mentally. Know exactly who you are sending your works to and why. The more you know, the better off you will be.

Want more on this subject?

See all agent interviews here.

Confused about formatting? Check out Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript.

Read about What Agents Hate: Chapter 1 Pet Peeves.

Want the most complete database of agents and what genres they're looking for? Buy the 2010 Guide to Literary Agents today!

Interested in romance? Dorchester editor Leah Hultenschmidt gace a great interview on this blog. See Part I and Part II.

Interested in romance? Check out our online course: "Essentials of Romance Writing."

Agent Advice (Agent Interviews) | Genre Writing | Romance | Women's Fiction

Monday, October 06, 2008 7:39:06 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [3]

Friday, October 03, 2008

How Does Formatting in E-Queries Work?
Posted by Chuck

Q. I have a question regarding the formatting of a synopsis and/or sample pages within the text of an e-mail query. It sacrifices formatting, and since agents do not want attachments which preserve the original formatting, is there some way to paste the contents into an e-mail which keeps it intact? Am I overlooking a handy computer function? Or do agents understand the nature of the condition and focus strictly on the text in these cases? I'm all for paperless transactions, but when my sample writing is jumbled together in a mess in an e-mail, it makes me feel uneasy and unprofessional.
        - Kristin

A. I think agents know what they're getting into, so you don't have to worry much.
       Do your best with indents and you can even have a paragraph break (a blank line) to show changes in paragraphs if you're really that worried. I don't know about you, but my e-mail has the ability to itacilize words, so you may want to look over your submission and italicize anything that needs it - if the text got messed up in your cut & paste.
       Much more worrisome than the formatting changes, at least in agents' minds, is how writers use e-queries as an excuse to write really long queries. Just because it's electronic doesn't mean you get to skip the "one-page rule." Keep it short and sweet, because a long query is a long query on paper or in e-mail.

Q&A from Blog Readers

Friday, October 03, 2008 9:30:26 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [5]

Thursday, October 02, 2008

Around the WD Properties: 10-2-2008
Posted by Chuck

WD Editor Maria Schneider Leaving

The wonderful editor of Writer's Digest, Maria Schneider, is leaving the magazine after several years of service. She will be greatly missed. You can leave a parting message for her on her blog.

Articles Wanted!

Alice Pope, who will be editing the 2010 edition of Novel & Short Story Writer's Market, welcomes submissions for the next edition of NSSWM. Alice would like pitches for articles and interviews that fit the following sections in the book: The Writing Life, Craft & Technique, Getting Published, For Mystery Writers, For Romance Writers, and For Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Writers.

To get an even better idea of what is wanted, you should check out a copy of the 2009 Novel & Short Story Writer's Market at your local bookstore or library. Queries can be sent to Alice's attention at nsswm@fwpubs.com.

Looking for a Writers' Conference?

As of now, I'm speaking at seven conferences in 2009, so, if you have a moment, check them off if you live nearby and see if you're interested in dropping by! There are some really good gatherings in this list.

Reno Writers Conference at Truckee Meadows Community College
March 14, 2009
Reno, NV

Las Vegas Writers Conference
April 16-18, 2009
Las Vegas, NV

Muse and the Marketplace: Grub Street Writers
April 24-26, 2009
Boston, MA

Writers Digest Books Writers Conference / Book Expo America
May 27, 2009
New York, NY

Southeastern Writers Conference
June 21-25, 2009
St. Simons Island, GA

Jackson Hole Writers Conference
June 25-27, 2009
Jackson Hole, WY

Around the Properties | Genre Writing | Writers' Conferences

Thursday, October 02, 2008 1:41:57 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [2]

Full 'Agent Pet Peeves' Article Online at WD.com
Posted by Chuck

Over the past month, I've thrown out some agent pet peeves that I collected for an article for Writer's Digest. The entire article is now online, so check-check-check it out!

A quick sample:

"In romance, I can't stand this scenario: A woman is awakened to find a strange man in her bedroom - and then automatically finds him attractive. I'm sorry, but if I awoke to a strange man in my bedroom, I'd be reaching for a weapon, not admiring the view."
       - Kristin Nelson, Nelson Literary Agency

"I don't like descriptions of the characters where writers make them too perfect. Heroines (and heroes) who are described physically as being virtually unflawed come across as unrelatable and boring. No 'flowing, wind-swept golden locks'; no 'eyes as blue as the sky'; no 'willowy, perfect figures.' "
       - Laura Bradford, Bradford Literary Agency

"I dislike endless 'laundry list' character descriptions. For example: 'She had eyes the color of a summer sky and long blonde hair that fell in ringlets past her shoulders. Her petite nose was the perfect size for her heart-shaped face. Her azure dress—with the empire waist and long, tight sleeves—sported tiny pearl buttons down the bodice. Ivory lace peeked out of the hem in front, blah, blah.' Who cares! Work it into the story."
        - Laurie McLean, Larsen-Pomada Literary Agents

Thursday, October 02, 2008 1:23:06 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [1]

My Adventures in Italy ... (Part II)
Posted by Chuck

I am finally back in America after 10 days abroad for an international writers' conference in Italy. Everything was a blast, but I am jet lagged and struggling.

Getting back home after the conference ended was a little nightmare. I went through Naples, which is not a great place to be, to get to Rome and fly home. At one point in Naples, I was driven around by a crazy cab driver who knew about four English phrases, one of which was "I'm crazy!" Not joking. He had some trance (techno) music playing in the cab as he whizzed through city streets, and at one point he saw me kinda bobbing my head along with the music, so he jacked the volume up to super-loud and was like "Dance, Carlo! DANCE!" (Over there, I went by Carlo a lot, and my Italian last name had a lot of people asking where my ancestors were from. Napoli and Isernia, if you were wondering.) When he dropped me off in the heart of Naples in rush hour, he came to me and gave me the kiss-kiss on both cheeks. Quite an experience.

Some cliffs in Ischia. I like the
cool little thing on the cliff,
although I'm not sure if it is a
lighthouse or a church.

PANELS:

I spoke on three panels. Producer/director Doug McKeon and I spoke on screenwriting and playwriting. Several editors and myself talked about how blockbusters are sucking all the air out of the room. I didn't add too much on this panel, but I did mention how the term "blockbuster" is often thought of with fiction, but also translates to nonfiction. It seems like the same nonfiction blockbusters are always on the bestseller lists, such as the high-profile inspirational books, the next great diet book, the latest 10-step business book, and memoirs/autobiographies by celebrities and politicians.
My advice for breaking through all these blockbusters is to be either 1) controversial; or 2) entertainingly informative. Two examples of controversial books that broke through and did well are On Bullshit by Harry Frankfurt, and God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything by Christopher Hitchens. Two examples of entertainingly informative books are Why Do Men Have Nipples? by Mark Leyner and Billy Goldberg, and Freakonomics by Stephen Dubner and Steven Levitt.
My last panel had editors talking what is hot now and what will be hot in five years. Everyone on the panel was kind of hesitant because it isn't wise to talk about trends like this. Also - as far as what will be hot in five years, who knows!? Writers will create the trends when they create something brilliant. Period. So, with nothing to lose, I predicted "war" would be big in the next five years because of the Civil War's 150th anniversary, and more books looking back at the Iraq conflict. Time will prove me right or wrong.

The man on the right is
super-author Nick Hornby, writer
of books such as High Fidelity.
He was talking on how to craft
a young adult novel.

Writers' Conferences

Thursday, October 02, 2008 1:18:00 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [8]

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