The Second Mouse Goes Digital does not have much
to say about literary agents, except for a brief mention of how many agents
didn’t reply when I was hunting representation during the early months of my
writing career. I soon learned that agents weren’t necessary in the
self-publishing business. Still, some writers find them useful, so here’s some
good advice if you decide to seek someone to represent you and your writing. It
comes from the Authors Community website, which you can fine here: https://authorscommunity.net/d How
to find a reputable agent from "Writer Beware" Abridged by Gina Burgess Finding an agent is difficult because there are a lot of really
great agents, but there are hundreds of amateurs, and agents who are here today
and gone tomorrow. There are probably just as many who are borderline or
downright dishonest. Those are the ones that urge you to get your manuscript
edited before submitting it, or who charge an upfront fee. The key is never
assume all agents expressing an interest in your manuscript are reputable. I know this because a watchdog group called Writer
Beware has a list of
more than 300 dishonest agents, maybe more by now. Yes, it is part of the
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers group, but it is definitely a great
resource when you are a writer. If you decide to go the tradition publishing route, then you
really need to beware. For instance, traditional publishers do not require a
proofread manuscript, or line editing. (It is a good idea to get some
developmental editing, because family and friends do not have the professional
eye a developmental editor has. This kind of editing will help you keep your own
voice and style, but just make it better. But remember, it isn’t required.) Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to break into one of the
big five publishers without an agent when you are a debut author. If you’ve got
lots of sales under your belt, and a large, solid platform, it isn’t as
difficult, but it is best to have a reputable agent represent you regardless.
Your agent is the one who will make sure the contract is good for you and will
explain the small print. So study and research agents, what they do, how they do it, and
search out their reputations. To get a good list of agents who work with your genre, go to
your library and research Literary Marketplace (US based).
Other books to search include: Writer’s Guide to Book Editors,
Publishers, and Literary Agents, and Guide to Literary Agents. I’m
really not sure about Australia and the United Kingdom, so search and research.
Look for complaints and reviews online about every agent you put on your list. Make sure the agents on your list work in the same genre you
write. This is an
extremely important key that a lot of writers ignore. Without the right key the
publishing door remains locked. Make sure the agents are members of Association
of Authors’ Representatives and
in the UK Association of Authors’ Agents. Do a bit of extra research on agents that
are not members. Reputable agents don’t have to be members, but you should check
out the reputations of those that are not. Here is a partial list of abusive practices of un-reputable
agents from the complete list at Writer Beware:
You can read a lot more advice at Writer Beware Literary Agents |
