I sent out my first round of query letters today. I'm guessing my easily distracted mind will make it impossible to write tomorrow morning without checking my email for responses every 3-5 seconds.
I have enough trouble staying away from the internet when I'm not waiting for something like this.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
The Agent Search ... First Steps
Where I’m at: Done writing, read by several critiquers, and rewritten several times. I’d like to think it’s done.
Next step: An agent
For the past few weeks, I’ve been researching agents. I have a copy of Guide to Literary Agents and for several hours over several days, I read through each listing, making notations next to ones that seemed to fit my needs. I’m still not sure what genre Bob’s Two Hour Day is, which as far as I can tell is bad (that’s a whole ‘nother blog), so on my first pass through the Guide I marked any agent listing who represents comedy, because I know for sure Bob’s is supposed to be funny. In fact, I hope that all my books will be funny, so an agent that accepts comedy is paramount. That narrowed it down to 50 or so.
On my second pass I noted which of these accepted sci-fi/fantasy, because the book clearly has these elements, and also which took mainstream, because that’s where Christopher Moore books land. (I read a suggestion somewhere to find the author or authors closest to my style and perhaps that’s my genre.)
And you have to start somewhere.
I divided my list into three: first, all the listings that represented all three categories, then two and then one. It seemed to make sense.
I took that first list and looked up each on the internet, checking philosophy, sales, experience, and news. I put most of my stock in recent sales and how comfortable I felt reading the websites. Were these people I could have a relationship with? Do they seem to have a sense of humor mixed with their professionalism? Do they sell and are they accepting manuscripts? But I added a couple personal lesser qualities to my research in order to weed out ties.
I took my second list and did the same. I eliminated several agencies and other’s moved to the top.
I listed my top 5, second 5 and next 10.
That was my process.
Now, I am in the process of crafting letters to the first 10, checking to see if they accept email queries (because why waste paper?) and which want a synopsis or sample chapters or only accept submissions through online forms.
It’s a process, but one I don’t want to rush through, even though I am getting anxious to put my book out there and see what kind of reaction it gets. I want to make sure I am as professional as possible. Go about the process the right way. I’ve read extensively on line, in magazines and books about the query process, and I’m trying to follow that process as best I can.
The hardest thing? Explaining why I chose this particular agency and sounding sincere in saying I think we’d be a great fit, you, me and my book, but knowing they know I’m sending that same message to 10 other people.
Next step: An agent
For the past few weeks, I’ve been researching agents. I have a copy of Guide to Literary Agents and for several hours over several days, I read through each listing, making notations next to ones that seemed to fit my needs. I’m still not sure what genre Bob’s Two Hour Day is, which as far as I can tell is bad (that’s a whole ‘nother blog), so on my first pass through the Guide I marked any agent listing who represents comedy, because I know for sure Bob’s is supposed to be funny. In fact, I hope that all my books will be funny, so an agent that accepts comedy is paramount. That narrowed it down to 50 or so.
On my second pass I noted which of these accepted sci-fi/fantasy, because the book clearly has these elements, and also which took mainstream, because that’s where Christopher Moore books land. (I read a suggestion somewhere to find the author or authors closest to my style and perhaps that’s my genre.)
And you have to start somewhere.
I divided my list into three: first, all the listings that represented all three categories, then two and then one. It seemed to make sense.
I took that first list and looked up each on the internet, checking philosophy, sales, experience, and news. I put most of my stock in recent sales and how comfortable I felt reading the websites. Were these people I could have a relationship with? Do they seem to have a sense of humor mixed with their professionalism? Do they sell and are they accepting manuscripts? But I added a couple personal lesser qualities to my research in order to weed out ties.
I took my second list and did the same. I eliminated several agencies and other’s moved to the top.
I listed my top 5, second 5 and next 10.
That was my process.
Now, I am in the process of crafting letters to the first 10, checking to see if they accept email queries (because why waste paper?) and which want a synopsis or sample chapters or only accept submissions through online forms.
It’s a process, but one I don’t want to rush through, even though I am getting anxious to put my book out there and see what kind of reaction it gets. I want to make sure I am as professional as possible. Go about the process the right way. I’ve read extensively on line, in magazines and books about the query process, and I’m trying to follow that process as best I can.
The hardest thing? Explaining why I chose this particular agency and sounding sincere in saying I think we’d be a great fit, you, me and my book, but knowing they know I’m sending that same message to 10 other people.
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