Writing & Publishing Tips: How To Get a Top Literary Agent & Sign That Coveted 6 Figure Deal
Author: Susan Harrow
Top literary agents get about 400-1000 unsolicited queries every month from hopeful book authors. Publishing houses sometimes juggle 5000. Most of my private clients and participants in my seminar, How To Get A Six-Figure Book Advance, ask me 'how is an author supposed to get an agents attention when there is so much competition?'
First of all, don't write a book -- write a book proposal. Publishers buy ideas not books. To capture a reputable literary agents attention you'll need to show that you're a media star, or a star in the making. Good writing can be bought but star power cant.
Here are 5 more tips to landing a top literary agent and a six-figure advance:
1. Do your research.
Literary agents specialize in very specific interests. For example, my agent loves tearjerkers but wont take on books that involve children in peril. You want an agent who has represented books similar to yours, who sells books on a regular basis, who is devoted to you, and has the time to give you a little guidance through the literary labyrinth.
Sometimes a newer, less experienced literary agent who is hungry for business is more dedicated and has more time to spend with you than an established one with a reputable cadre of authors. I recommend 2 ways to find the literary agent right for you:
* Look in the acknowledgements of books similar to your topic. A happy author always thanks his literary agent. Once you've located your ideal agents become familiar with their tastes, learn everything you can about their interests, pet peeves and preferences, and review their websites for submission guidelines. Show that knowledge in your query letter or initial phone conversation.
* Read Publishers Weekly, Publishers Lunch, and Variety to see who sold what and for how much. You will get a sense of an agents sensibility and be able to speak knowledgeably about the types of books they prefer when you know what's happening in the industry in general and in your area of expertise in particular. You'll know more than most people who submit proposals as you'll be apprised of books that aren't even published yet and movie deals in the making. And you'll get a sense of market trends.
2. Write a book proposal that reads like a thriller.
After you've located the agents you want to approach, the next step is to complete your book proposal. Once interested by your call or query letter the very best literary agents move at hyper speed. They'll want to see your book proposal--now. They'll either ask you to Fed Ex or email it.
There is a real art to writing a best-selling book proposal that makes the literary agent you've chosen say, 'I want this person as a client'. To make your book proposal read in one sitting you'll want to write in short paragraphs with strong headlines. Be sure to give the chosen agent an immediate impression of how your book will read by writing the proposal in the same style as your book.
Find unusual, quirky, provocative tidbits about your subject that will entice the literary agent to say, 'Wow, I never knew this.' Imagine the kind of tips that a terrific magazine article would include. When an editor at a top New York publishing house is reading your book proposal they are thinking, what kind of media exposure will we be able to get for this book? Can we get magazine feature articles, newspaper pieces, radio shows? Will the subject matter and the author interest the producers of Good Morning America, the Today Show, CNN, or Oprah?
Practical Rules for Finding a Literary Agent [ Part 2]
