Why do you want an agent?

* Capital

* Credibility

* Contacts and Contracts

Do you need one?

When you do

When you don’t

What a good agent can do for you

How agenting has changed over the past 10 years

Career counsel

Contacts

Projects you’d never hear about without them

What an agent can’t do for you

Who is working for who

Shift your attitude

Not every agent is right for you (or you for them)

What books have they repped?

Are they heavy into non-fiction, light on fiction?

When you talk to them, is it about them, or about you?

The harder they are to get, the more likly they’re a good agent

But … there are always good ones just starting out

* Research before you approach

The fee thing …

Blogs, interviews, ask other authors, ask their authors

If you know any editors, ask them what’s it like to work with that agent

AgentQuery.com. About 1,000 agent listings and an excellent community/resource for any writer going through the query process.

QueryTracker.net. About 200 publisher listings and 1,000 agent listings.

WritersMarket.com. About 400 to 600 agent listings. $5.99/month subscription fee.

How to get an agent

Create great writing

Create a great platform

Have a great idea

Learn how to write a killer

Bio

Query letter

Log line

* Be present on their blogs

And remember you’re interviewing them as much as they’re interviewing you

Blind reading conference example

They’re watching you, trust us

You’re marketing yourself as well as your writing

Go to conferences

 

Sponsor:

* My Book Progress