The Complete Guide to Hiring a Literary Agent: Everything You Need to Know to Become Successfully Published

by Cross, Laura

• ISBN13: 9781601384034
• ISBN10: 1601384033
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-12-30
• Publisher: Atlantic Pub Co

Summary

This book will guide you through the process of contacting a literary agent and convincing them that you are in fact the next great bestseller. From formatting a query letter to ensuring your manuscript looks presentable, every step of the process from inception to execution will be laid out in vivid detail for you. You will start by learning exactly what is expected of you by the literary field. You will learn how to research literary agents and what to look for in the right agent. You will learn how to identify genre and subset and how to understand what sells and what doesn¿t. With this in mind, you will be able to start the process of writing query letters, a complete process that is outlined from the first step to the signature line. You will learn what you must include in every successful manuscript and how to avoid ending up in a slush pile where your manuscript will not be read.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. 9
Introduction	p. 11
Preparing to Acquire a Literary Agent	p. 13
Why you Need an Agent	p. 15
What Literary Agents Do	p. 15
The Publishing Industry	p. 16
The Benefits of a Literary Agent	p. 20
How To Know When You Are Ready for an Agent	p. 23
Understanding the Market	p. 27
What Agents Look for	p. 27
Publising Trends and Seasons	p. 30
Understanding Your Genre	p. 33
Establishing your Author Platform and Building Credentials	p. 45
Establishing a Platform	p. 46
Building Credentials	p. 50
Finding and Selecting an Agent	p. 53
How to Find Agents	p. 53
Researching Agents	p. 62
Creating an Agent File	p. 65
Submitting the Pitch	p. 67
The Pitch Package	p. 69
Understanding the Elements of the Pitch Package	p. 70
Approaching Agents	p. 71
The Submission Process	p. 72
Getting to "Yes"	p. 77
Crafting the Query Letter	p. 81
Components of the Query Letter	p. 81
Query Formatting Rules	p. 84
12 Tips for Writing an Effective Nonfiction Query Letter	p. 85
Eight Tips For Creating An Effective Fiction Query Letter	p. 89
Do's and Don'ts of Query Letter Writing	p. 90
Creating the Book Proposal	p. 95
The Purpose of a Book Proposal	p. 95
The Components Of A Book Proposal	p. 96
Formatting and Packaging Your Book Proposal	p. 104
The Top Ten Reasons Book Proposals Are Rejected	p. 106
Writing the Synopsis	p. 109
What An Agent Looks For In A Synopsis	p. 109
How To Write an Effective Synopsis	p. 110
Formatting the Synopsis	p. 113
Preparing and Polishing the Manuscript	p. 117
Editing and Proofreading	p. 117
Writing Critique Groups and Beta Readers	p. 119
Story Checklists	p. 120
The Top Five Reasons a Manuscript is Rejected	p. 122
Formatting Your Manuscript	p. 122
Hiring A Literary Agent	p. 129
Waiting for A Response	p. 131
Use Your Time Wisely	p. 131
When to Follow Up	p. 133
Learning From Rejection	p. 134
Tips For Submitting Additional Requested Material	p. 136
Evaluating an Agent's Offer	p. 141
Questions to Ask the Agent You May Hire	p. 141
Avoiding Scams and Assuring Credibility	p. 147
The Author-Agent Agreement	p. 149
Getting the Book Deal	p. 155
Selling the Book	p. 155
The Publishing Contract	p. 159
Maintaining a Successful Working Relationship with Your Agent	p. 163
When To Consider Ending The Author-Agent Partnership	p. 166
Literary Agents Looking for New Writers	p. 173
National Writer's Organizations	p. 183
National Writer's Conferences	p. 185
Genre Definitions	p. 187
The Six Large Publishing Houses and Their Imprints	p. 195
Glossary of Terms	p. 201
Successful Query Letters and Synopses	p. 205
Successful Query Letter: Narrative Nonfiction	p. 205
Successful Query Letter: Memoir	p. 207
Successful Query Letter: Nonfiction Anthology	p. 208
Successful Query Letter: How-To (Practical) Nonfiction	p. 210
Successful Query Letter: Urban Fantasy	p. 212
Successful Query Letter: Cozy Mystery	p. 213
Successful Query Letter: Christian Literary Fiction	p. 214
Successful Query Letter: Historical Children's Fiction	p. 215
Successful Query Letter: Humorous Paranormal	p. 216
Successful Query Letter: Erotic Romance	p. 217
Successful Synopsis: Modern Romance Novel	p. 218
Successful Synopsis: Chick-Lit Novel	p. 226
Successful Synopsis: Mystery Novel	p. 232
Successful Synopsis: Young Adult Novel	p. 237
Sample Formatted Manuscript Pages	p. 241
Title Page	p. 241
Table of Contents Page	p. 242
First Page of Chapter Format	p. 243
Formatting for Subsequent Chapter Pages	p. 244
Successful Book Proposal	p. 245
Sample Author/Agent Contract	p. 267
Sample Revised Pages	p. 279
Original Draft	p. 279
Revised Draft	p. 280
Bibliography	p. 283
Author Biography	p. 284
Index	p. 285
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