Chuck Sambuchino - 2013 Guide to Literary Agents

Searching for a literary agent can be overwhelming, whether youve just finished your first book or you have several publishing credits on your rsum. More than likely, youre eager to start pursuing agents and anxious to see your name on the spine of a book. But before you go directly to the listings of agencies in this book, take time to familiarize yourself with the way agents work and how you should approach them. By doing so, you will be more prepared for your search, and ultimately save yourself effort and unnecessary grief.

This book begins with feature articles that explain how to prepare for representation, offer strategies for contacting agents, and provide perspectives on the author/agent relationship. The articles are organized into three sections appropriate for each stage of the search process: Getting Started and Contacting Agents. You may want to start by reading through each article, and then refer back to relevant articles during each stage of your search.

Because there are many ways to make that initial contact with an agent, weve also provided a section called Perspectives. These personal accounts from agents and published authors offer information and inspiration for any writer hoping to find representation.

A literary agent will present your work directly to editors or producers. Its the agents job to get her clients work published or sold, and to negotiate a fair contract. In the Literary Agents section, we list each agents contact information and explain what type of work the agency represents as well as how to submit your work for consideration.

For face-to-face contact, many writers prefer to meet agents at Conferences. By doing so, writers can assess an agents personality, attend workshops and have the chance to get more feedback on their work than they get by mailing submissions and waiting for a response. The conferences section lists conferences agents and/or editors attend. In many cases, private consultations are available, and agents attend with the hope of finding new clients to represent.

Aside from the articles and listings, this book offers a section of Resources. If you come across a term with which you arent familiar, check out the Resources section for a quick explanation. Also, note the gray tabs along the edge of each page. The tabs block off each section so they are easier to flip to as you conduct your search.