How To Find A Literary Agent

The right literary agent will often be the deciding factor in the success or failure of your book. It is very important that you approach an agent wisely and this article will hopefully give you a few pointers to show you how to find a literary agent.

How do you find a literary agent? Here are some important steps to consider:

• Submit strong work – Finish your work and do not submit incomplete work. Have it proof read by hiring a professional editor. If you are editing it yourself, be sure to proof read it at least twice. Make sure that the first 20 pages or so are very strong as that is what will get reviewed by the literary agent. If they lose interest in the first few pages, there is a very poor chance of your work seeing the light of day in the form of a published book.

• Build up your credibility – Literary agents like to work with people who have already had some success with published work. If not for published work, they will at least want writers who have some established credibility. If you have a following online or if your work has been published in magazines, let the literary agent know about it.

• Do your homework on literary agents – Just like you search for an employer who will be a fit with your skills, you will need to spend time researching a literary agent to make sure that they will be the right fit for you. It is preferred that you approach literary agents who have already taken on work that is similar to what you are coming up with as it will be very difficult to convince a literary agent with content that he has not worked with before.

• Prepare a strong cover letter – Some literary agents might toss your query without reading a single page of your manuscript as the cover letter sent by you might have been enough to turn them off. Create a very strong and interestingly written summary or synopsis of your work and yourself. If the literary agent is impressed with your cover letter, there is more of a chance of him or her spending a lot of time reviewing your work. This will in turn increase your overall chances a lot more.

• Be prepared for rejections – Literary agents are busy and are often burdened with several writers seeking their services. Some might reject you very quickly while some might not even get back to you. Keep your chin up and be persistent with your search for a literary agent.

Is a literary agent critical to your success in writing? Maybe not immediately, but eventually you will need one.