Chuck Sambuchino - Guide to Literary Agents 2017: The Most Trusted Guide to Getting Published

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PHOTO: Al Parrish

A wonderful part of my job is helping writers answer their questions. And one of the most important questions any writer has regarding submissions is why an agent may stop considering their work. In other words: What makes an agent say no? What makes an agent stop reading? I sought answers to these questions in this edition of the Guide to Literary Agents with a new Agents Evaluate First Pages articlean incredible chance to read how four agents judge and analyze writers unpublished first manuscript pages in real time. I hope you find the article as informative and eye-opening as I did.

Agents are still as hungry as ever for excellent manuscripts and book ideas, so if you want to find a helpful and enthusiastic advocate, youve come to the right place. Welcome to the 26th edition of GLA. As always, we have plenty of great instruction in these pages to help you get published: spotlights on new agents actively building their lists, query letter examples, synopsis writing tips, lists of writers conferences, and much more. Inside this resource is your future agent. Now start researching and find that perfect match.

Please stay in touch with me through my blogwww.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blogor on Twitter (@chucksambuchino) and continue to pass along feedback and success stories. Until we next meet, good luck on your writing journey. (And dont forget to access your free webinar download at www.writersmarket.com/gla17-webinar.)

Chuck Sambuchino

Editor, Guide to Literary Agents/Childrens Writers & Illustrators Market

Author, Get a Literary Agent (2015); Create Your Writer Platform (2012)

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 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 organized into three sections: Getting Started, Contacting Agents, and Perspectives. These articles explain how to prepare for representation, offer strategies for contacting agents, and provide perspectives on the author/agent relationship. You may want to start by reading through each one 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. 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 both what type of work the agency represents and 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 identify each section so they are easier to flip to as you conduct your search.

Finallyand perhaps most importantlyare the Indexes in the back of the book. These can serve as an incredibly helpful way to start your search because they categorize the listings according to different criteria. For example, you can look for literary agents according to their specialties (fiction/nonfiction genres).