In this blog post, we will be looking at what you need to do to get an agent and how you can improve your chances of being accepted by one. For example, what do you need to have ready for the agent? How should you pitch your book? What should you bear in mind before getting an agent?
Do You Need an Agent?
Of course, the very first thing to consider is whether you need an agent. The answer to this will depend on both you and your book, as well as what you are hoping to get out the publishing process. I have blog posts on both the advantages and disadvantages of having an agent if you would like to read about this in more detail.
Essentially, if you intend to treat your book as a business endeavour and it is a novel, children’s book or general non-fiction, you need an agent. If your book is specialist non-fiction, a picture book or a short children’s book, whether you need an agent depends on what sort of sales you are expecting and whether you are familiar with publishing. If it is your first book, it might be best to have an agent to help guide you.
On the other hand, you are unlikely to need an agent for poetry, flash fiction or niche works. You won’t need an agent if you are self-publishing unless you need help with rights issues or foreign sales.
What Do You Need Before Contacting an Agent?
The very first thing to do before submitting to an agent is to make sure you have finished your book! It may sound obvious, but agents will not be happy with an unfinished manuscript and will expect you to have finished it. In addition, take the time to go over your manuscript, correct any errors you can see and polish your writing. Preparing your manuscript can make all the difference and it certainly won’t do any harm!
In addition to finishing your book, you also need to prepare a number of things to go with it, such as a synopsis and covering or query letter. Make sure you check individual agent guidelines to see what they require, as well as how many chapters they would like – most agents want the first three chapters, a synopsis of around 500 to 600 words and a covering letter.
How to Write a Synopsis for Your Book
Your synopsis should be a clear summary of all of your book, including all plot points and any twists. It is not like a blurb, where you leave the reader asking questions so that they want to read more. A synopsis should instead inform the agent of why they would want to take your book on and what is interesting about it that will make it stand out to publishers.
However, your synopsis should not be written like a sales pitch; this part of your application should be in neutral language and follow the structure of your novel. If you have flashbacks or multiple timelines, still follow the order of events as they are written in your novel, rather than trying to rearrange it for the synopsis. The required length may vary, so do check individual agent’s requirements.
The first thing to do when writing your synopsis is to re-read your book yourself, taking notes if it helps. This is vital to make sure you include all of the relevant information. Make sure you pick up all the major plot points, sub-plots and character arcs running through your book and write in the third person.
There are a few different ways you can approach writing the synopsis. You may want to try both and see what works best for you. The first way is to start from your basic structure and work up from there, embellishing with plot and character details as necessary. This method works well if you think that you will have difficulty staying within the word count, as you should be starting from the absolute basics and just building on it.
The other option is to work through your book chapter by chapter, writing a couple of sentences summarising each one. You should expect to have a few more sentences for opening chapters, as these will introduce the characters and background for your book. Once you have all of the chapters summarised, try to link them all together in a way that flows. You will then need to focus on editing it to keep it within the word count.
How to Write a Covering Letter
There are a few things you should include in your covering letter. You should explain why you want to work with this agent. Do your research here and make sure you personalise this for the agent you are addressing. You are much more likely to be accepted if you have put the effort into your covering letter.
Another thing to include is the pitch for your book, which should not be the same as your synopsis. Instead, it should aim to make the reader want to know more, similar to a blurb. It should be very short, only a few sentences.
Finally, include a little bit about yourself. Again, keep this short – a single sentence giving your job and where you live.
Wrapping Up
I hope that this helps you find an agent and that you now know more about the process. Come back in two weeks for another self-publishing blog post about researching agents and how to pitch to them. Good luck!
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