Leslie Truex's Blog – Member of the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors

Agent Scams: 9 Warning Signs When Seeking Literary Representation

September 13, 2023 Post a comment

Scammers are everywhere, including in the literary fields where they prey on the hopes and dreams of writers. Here are key warning signs to help you recognize and avoid literary representation scams.

1. Lack of Transparency

Reputable literary agents are upfront about their identity, agency, and qualifications. They are easy to research and find information about, including location, contact information, and track record.

Be cautious of agents who hide their true identities, use generic email addresses, or provide limited information about themselves or their agency.

2. Requesting Money Upfront

A common red flag is when an agent asks for money upfront to represent your work as a fee to read or edit your manuscript. Legitimate literary agents earn their income through commissions on book sales. That’s it. They should not charge fees, or any other upfront costs. If an agent insists on payment before representing your manuscript, walk away.

Two things to note are that agents often have in their contracts that fees incurred by them in representing you will be passed along to you. In the past, this was for things like postage or copying. However, in the digital ages, most of these fees are not incurred.

Second, some agents now offer fee-based editing, however, they must be clear that the service isn’t a part of agenting and, in fact, by hiring them to edit ethically removes them from being able to represent your work. For details on what is and isn’t allowed, read the Association of American Literary Agents Canon of Ethics. Section 8 covers editing services by agents.

3. Guaranteed Success

Beware of agents who promise guaranteed success or make grandiose claims about your book’s future. The reality is that publishing isn’t like math, where two plus two is four. There are many factors that go into selling a book to a publisher and while agents have contacts and insight into what publishers want, they can’t predict what will sell or not sell. Reputable agents are honest about the uncertainties and challenges of the publishing world.

4. Lack of Industry Experience

A legitimate literary agent should have a track record of working in the publishing industry. Be cautious of solo-agents who claim to be experts but have no verifiable experience or past successes. Research the agent’s background, agency affiliations, and client history.

Of course, there are new agents who don’t have a track record yet, but if they’re with a reputable agency working with agents who do have a track record, they should be okay. Everyone has to start somewhere. What you need to avoid is the person who presents themself as a successful agent with no proof of that.

5. Pressure to Sign Quickly

Scammers often create a sense of urgency, pressuring authors to sign representation agreements quickly. They may claim that you’ll lose the opportunity if you don’t act immediately.

Reputable agents understand the importance of a well-informed decision. Most will end their phone or Zoom contact with you, asking when you might have a decision for them, anticipating that you’ll need to think things through.

6. No Verifiable References

Legitimate literary agents can provide references from authors they’ve represented or publishers (note, they won’t give out editor names) they’ve worked with. If an agent cannot or will not provide references, it’s a cause for concern. Reach out to authors represented by the agent to inquire about their experiences.

7. Poor Communication

Effective communication is essential between authors and their agents. Scammers may be evasive, unresponsive, or inconsistent in their communication. Reputable agents maintain clear and open lines of communication with their clients. With that said, some agents are better than others in staying in touch with clients. Before you sign, find out how, when, and methods of communication the agent uses and how you can best get in touch when you have questions or concerns.

8. Inadequate or Unprofessional Websites

Examine the agent’s website closely. Legitimate agents typically have professional websites with detailed information about their agency, client testimonials, submission guidelines, and contact information. Be cautious of websites with limited information.

9. Trust Your Instincts

Ultimately, trust your instincts. Like most things in life, if something feels off or too good to be true, it probably is. Seek advice from writing organizations, online communities, and trusted sources to verify an agent’s legitimacy.

Finding a reputable literary agent can help you build your writing career, but you must also protect yourself from scams. By recognizing these warning signs and exercising due diligence, you can increase your chances of finding an agent who genuinely supports your literary ambitions. Remember, a legitimate literary agent is your advocate and partner on the journey to publication.

Building an Author Platform to Attract Literary Agents

August 10, 2023 Post a comment

It’s never too early to market your book or build your author platform, even if your book isn’t written. But what is an author platform?

When I first learned about author platform, I thought it was a tagline, like Bill Nye the Science Guy. The truth is taglines, marketing, and branding are all involved in platform building, but aren’t platform. Defining platform as email, social media or branding is like defining a cake as eggs, sugar and flour. Yes, they’re all ingredients to making a cake, but they aren’t the cake itself.

It wasn’t until I came across Jane Friedman’s definition of platform that I finally understood what it meant and, therefore, could build one. Friedman describes author platform as the representation of your authority, visibility, and reach to a target market. In simpler terms, your author platform represents how much influence you have (authority), the number of people who know and listen to you (visibility and reach), and the most likely reader of your book (target market). Your goal in platform building is to increase your influence and reach to your readers.

How Platform Building Can Help You Get an Agent

It’s important to understand how agents decide on the books and authors to represent. Sure, quality is important, but agents also need to determine if the book is sellable to a publisher. Publishers decide books on what they can sell to a bookstore. Publishers are a business, so their focus is on making money. Authors who can show they have a following—a built in market to buy the book, have a stronger chance of getting a publishing contract. E.L. James, author of Fifty Shades of Grey, is a perfect example of this. She had a huge reader base for her work, and publishers took notice.

Note that if you’re a nonfiction author, you absolutely need a platform to get a traditional book deal.

Here are the steps to building your author platform.

Laying the Foundation

Before you can build your platform, you need to know yourself as an author, the value of your book to a reader, and identify your target reader market. Here’s how:

1) Define yourself as an author. This is where branding comes in. A brand is a promise of an experience to a reader. For example, if I say “Nora Roberts,” readers know they’ll get a romance. John Grisham’s brand is legal thriller. Martha Stewart’s is home decorating and cooking. Some authors write in multiple genres, which makes things tougher because it requires branding oneself in each, and recognizing that there are multiple target reader groups.

2) Identify your ideal reader. Who reads the type of book you’ve written? What is their demographic? What are they wanting in their reading experience that your book provides?

3) Where can your ideal reader be found? This is crucial because there are too many strategies to build your platform and market your book to do them all. Instead, you want to focus on those tactics that will reach your market where they’re at. If you write romance, where do romance readers hang out? What blogs do they read? Do they use the library to borrow books? Are they on Twitter, Facebook and/or Pinterest? If you write self-help, where do those readers look for self-help information?

Building Your Platform

Once you’ve determined who you are as a writer and your target market, it’s time to start implementing strategies to reach them. As a visual person, I like to view platform as having a center hub with five radiating spokes of activity, all working together to build influence, visibility and reach to the reader market.

1) The hub. The center of this platform wheel is your blog or website. All authors need a central single place from which to market their books. It’s also the place to include author bio, media kit, scheduled events and appearances, social media profiles, and anything else your target reader would expect to find. All marketing you do should include a link to your hub.

The spokes:

2) Your books. Whether you’re self-published or traditionally published, include your hub website URL in your books. This makes it easy for readers to find your other books, as well as to learn more about you, your events, and engage with you on social media.

3) Social/Community. Today, consumers prefer to know and interact with those they do business with, including authors. Members of your community will not only buy your books, but if they like them, will leave reviews and tell others about them, increasing your authority, and expanding your reach and influence. Methods for assembling a community include engaging in social media, building an email list, and organizing a street team.

4) Media/PR. Appearing in the media increases your authority, as well as expands your visibility and reach. Your website (hub) should include a media kit with your bio and information about your books. When your book is ready to launch or has a tie-in to news, send press releases to media outlets that target your reader market and include a link to your online media kit. Consider signing up to receive the HARO report (Help A Reporter Out), which emails media requests for guests, experts, and interviewees on a variety of topics.

5) Outreach. Authors can’t rely on Amazon or sending a press release to generate interest in their books. Instead, it’s crucial that they reach out to resources that target their reader market. The advantage of outreach is that it’s free and effective at building authority, while also expanding your reach. Methods of outreach include contacting bloggers about running an article or doing an author interview, appearing as a guest on a podcast, and participating in groups and forums. Outreach can be done offline by submitting articles for print media, and attending groups or meetings targeting your reader market.

6) Events. Writing is a solitary activity, but success as an author requires getting out and mingling with other writers and readers. Every author should attend workshops, seminars or conferences geared toward writers and readers each year. While you can go as a participant, ideally, you should apply to be a speaker or panelist, or pay to have a table from which to sell and sign your books. Other places to set up events include libraries and organizations that target your ideal reader. Consider participating in online events, such as a blog or podcast tours, or hosting or being an author guest at a Facebook book party.

Putting It All Together

While it might seem overwhelming to maintain a hub and manage the various activities of each spoke, they actually all work together. Integrating your platform building strategies is more efficient and effective than haphazard marketing techniques. Readers can find your hub through your book, or your book through your hub. They may learn about you in a social media share of a friend, follow you, and discover your book. Maybe a reader doesn’t buy your book at an event, but she signs up for your email list, giving you the opportunity to sell it to her later.

As you do the activities involved in building your platform, keep in mind that your goal is to increase your authority, visibility and reach to your ideal reader. The most effective and affordable platform building tactics are focused and strategic. Each marketing task whether it’s a Tweet, blog post, or press release, should have an end-goal of improving your authority, and/or expanding your visibility or reach.

Sharing Your Platform in Your Query

Your query letter will include an overview of how you plan to market your book. This is where you share your platform. Be sure to include data such as the number of email subscribers or followers. Check out the example below. I’ve bolded the areas that let the agent know about the author’s platform:

For example:

My name is Sally Sue and I’m a writing instructor at Acme College and run my own online writing community (www. website .com) where I teach, coach, and support emerging authors. I’ve written articles for magazines and online writer resources (note, name any publications you’ve been published in). I’m active on Instagram and TikTok where I share regular tidbits on writing, and host weekly live events. When I’m not teaching or coaching, I enjoy baking and gardening.

I’ve already started talking about Write Your Book with the 5,000 members of my online community and 7,000 email subscribers. I will continue to promote the book to them and on social media, through in-person and online writing events, and reaching out to podcasters for interviews.

If you’re a nonfiction author, you’ll have an entire section of your book proposal to share your platform, as well.

If you write fiction, you may not have all the pieces a nonfiction author has, but you can still start building your platform before your book is done. Doing so lets the agent and publisher know you understand your efforts are needed to successfully sell the book. Here’s an example:

I plan to market The Day Sally Died through a website and email list and using Tik-Tok, although my dancing skills still need work. I’m currently researching the market more to develop a comprehensive marketing plan.

Author’s Guide to the Elevator Pitch: Crafting a Succinct and Intriguing Book Pitch

July 13, 2023 Post a comment

Sending a written query is nerve-racking enough. But imagine being face to face with an agent with only a few minutes to wow them with your book concept. While an elevator pitch won’t alleviate all your nerves, it can prepare you to deliver a concise and captivating book description that could intrigue the agent.

What is an Elevator Pitch?

At its essence, an elevator pitch is a concise and compelling summary of your book or manuscript that can be delivered within the span of an elevator ride. An elevator pitch typically includes key elements of your book, such as the protagonist, central conflict, stakes, genre, and a hook that grabs the listener’s attention. For nonfiction it would include the topic, unique hook, and brief summary of the core message of, target audience and benefits to the target audience, and why you’re the one to deliver the message (your expertise/platform). Its purpose is to generate interest and curiosity in your book and entice the agent to want to learn more and potentially explore further opportunities for representation.

Why should you have an elevator pitch?

The obvious reason to have an elevator pitch is to use it at a pitch session offered by many writer conferences. Especially in this case, in which nerves can get to you, having a crafted and well-practiced pitch can make the session go smoothly.

But other places you can use your pitch are at networking events with people in the publishing industry and at book events talking to readers.

Elements of your Elevator Pitch

If you thought whittling down your book into a synopsis or blurb was hard, you’ll enjoy the challenge of the ultrashort elevator pitch. You have very little time (30 to 50 words or 30-60 seconds) to deliver all the elements to intrigue an agent, so you need to make each word count and only deliver the most important elements of your book. Think short and snappy.

This is what I look for when taking pitches. We’ll start with the elements and then how to put the pitch together.

Fiction Elevator Pitch

Hook: Capture attention with a captivating hook. It could be an intriguing twist, a shocking revelation, a unique concept, or a tantalizing mystery that sets your story apart.

Protagonist: Introduce the main character or characters of your story including their goal.

Setting: Where and when does your story occur?

Central Conflict: What is the core conflict or challenge that the protagonist faces?

Stakes: What’s at stake if the protagonist fails or succeeds?

Genre and Word Count: State the genre and subgenre, and word count.

Nonfiction Elevator Pitch

Hook: Provide your unique selling proposition or compelling hook.

Brief summary of the core message and wordcount: What is your book trying to say, especially how is it saying it differently from other books in that topic?

Target Audience: Who is the book geared for and how will your book benefit them?

Why are you the person to write this book?: Share your expertise and/or experience in the topic. Also include information about your platform, an important requirement in pitching nonfiction.

Crafting Your Elevator Pitch

Now we’ll take the elements above and put together a 30-to-50-word, or a 30-60 second to a minute elevator pitch.

Fiction Pitch

To create your pitch, you have a few structure options:

Answer who, what, when, where, when, why, and how?
Use your premise: character>goal>conflict.
Use inciting event>character>action>stakes.

For example, here are pitches for Pride and Prejudice

Who? Elizabeth Bennet, a spirited and outgoing woman
What? Overcomes preconceptions and judgements
Where? English countryside
When? Regency period
Why? Social norms dictate she is of marriage age, and without marriage, her family is at risk losing their home as women can’t inherit.
How? Through her interactions with the proud Mr. Darcy.

Elizabeth Bennet, an intelligent and spirited young woman from Regency era England, crosses paths with the proud Mr. Darcy in a dance of wit, attraction, and misunderstandings. (27 words)

Or using the premise

Elizabeth Bennett, an intelligent and spirited young woman from Regency era England, navigates the societal expectations of her time when she crosses paths with the enigmatic and proud Mr. Darcy in a dance of wit, attraction, and misunderstandings. (38 words)

Or Inciting Event, character, action, stakes (catastrophe)

When two eligible bachelors come to Elizabeth Bennet’s small regency era English village, she must overcome her prejudice against the proud Mr. Darcy to secure happiness for herself and security for her family. (33 words)

You also need to include genre/subgenre and word count. You can put it up front or the end, but many agents prefer up front.

Pride and Prejudice is a 122,000-word historical regency-era romance in which Elizabeth Bennet, an intelligent and spirited young woman from England, crosses paths with the proud Mr. Darcy in a dance of wit, attraction, and misunderstandings. (36 words)

Elizabeth Bennett, an intelligent and spirited young woman from regency era England, navigates the societal expectations of her time when she crosses paths with the enigmatic and proud Mr. Darcy in a dance of wit, attraction, and misunderstandings, in Pride and Prejudice, a 122,000 word historical romance novel. (47 words)

Nonfiction Pitch

When structuring your nonfiction pitch, the goal is to show the book’s benefits to the reader and that there is a market for the book. Using a basic business elevator pitch is a great way to do this.

What is the problem your book will solve?
What is the solution (the message your book)
How will this benefit the reader?
Why are you different from all the other books on the same topic?

You know how people feel trapped by their habits and routines that keep them from living their best lives? Get Yourself Sorted is an 80,000-word how-to productivity book that gives readers tangible, doable tips on breaking out of a rut and doing more of what they love, without using fancy planners, block scheduling or the other same old tools that don’t work for many. I’ve used these techniques to run five business, work only 20 hours a week so I can be with my family of five, and play in a band in my spare time, plus I’ve helped others through my blog, my 50,000-subscriber email list, and one-million social media followers.

Note that this sample is longer than 50 words, but it covers all the points and doesn’t take long to say.

Here’s another sample:

Did you know that 81% of people say they have a book in them, but most of them never write it? Most report that time is what keeps them from getting butt-in-chair. Write Now is an 80,000-word motivational and productivity book that helps would-be authors find the time, space, and inspiration to write. I have used these techniques to write over fifty books in four years and have helped 50,000 others get their books written through my Substack newsletter and over 1,000 workshops.

Tips for Your Elevator Pitch

Capture the mood and style of your book in your pitch. If your book is light or humorous, your pitch should be do. If it’s serious or dark, your pitch should match that.
Practice your pitch until you have memorized it
Be enthusiastic about the work, but don’t expect emotional appeals to sway an agent
At a pitch event, if you’re practicing, let the agent know. That way they know to give you tips instead of requesting or rejecting the book.
Avoid rambling, vague descriptions, and excessive jargon. Keep it focused and clear.

You’ve Given Your Pitch, Now What?

If you’re in an elevator, the next step would hopefully be that the agent shows interest, and you can hand over your card and let them know you’ll be submitting.

If you’re at a pitch event, you have 3 to 10 minutes with an agent. After your elevator pitch, the agent will likely ask questions which could be anything from:

Is the book finished?
Have you written or been published before?
Are you working with or have you worked with an agent before?
Why did you decide to write this book?
Tell me about you.
What are your writing goals?
Do you have an author platform?
What questions do you have for me?

Understanding Literary Agency Agreements: Key Contract Terms to Know

June 12, 2023

Getting an agent is exciting. You now have a critique partner, editor, and advocate to help you build your author career. While you can become “friends” with your agent, the relationship between an author and agent is a legal one. When you and an agent decide to work together, you’ll be asked to sign an agency agreement.

Understanding the ins and outs of this contract is vital to safeguarding your interests and building a strong partnership with your agent. Here’s what you need to know regarding agency agreements.

The Basics of Agency Agreements

Think of an agency agreement as the formal handshake between you, the author, and your literary agent, the broker of your work. The agency agreement outlines the terms and conditions that will govern your collaboration. The author and agent are embarking on a joint adventure, where both parties have rights, responsibilities, and expectations.

The agreement defines the scope and duration of your partnership, so you know how long you’ll be working together and the specific areas in which your agent will represent you. Be sure to pay attention to the termination clauses as well. While you always hope for a successful, lifelong partnership, it’s essential to have a clear understanding of the conditions under which the agreement can be ended.

Don’t let the excitement of getting an agent lead you to skim through the agreement. Read it and if there’s anything you don’t understand, ask the agent or a lawyer.

Representation and Exclusive Rights

One crucial aspect of agency agreements is understanding the concept of exclusive representation. When you grant your agent exclusive rights, it means they are the sole representative of your work within specific territories or markets. This exclusivity ensures that your agent can wholeheartedly dedicate their time and efforts to advocating for your masterpiece.

Agents can vary on what they ask for when representing you. My agency signs agreements with authors on the single book pitched or the series if it is multiple connected books. Once those agreements are completed, the we can still work with the author, but we sign a new agreement for the next book or series. However, other agents might ask for all your books within your genre or topic.

You’ll also want to understand subsidiary rights. These are the additional rights beyond your book’s publication, such as alternative publications, film adaptations, audiobooks, and foreign translations. These rights can be a goldmine of opportunities, and negotiating how they will be handled is a critical part of the agency agreement. Your agent can work to hold onto these rights from publishers, which allows you through your agent to sell them separately. With that said, many publishers ask for these rights, but it’s possible they’re negotiable.

Commission and Payment Terms

Sometimes agents are looked up online Realtors. There’s a question about what do they do to earn their commission. And like Realtors, much of what authors pay for is editing, prepping docs, networking with editors, understanding contracts and rights, submission and follow-up, negotiating, communicating, providing moral support, keeping you on track with your editor, mediating with the publisher if necessary, and more. And remember, agents don’t get paid until you do, which means an agent is going to invest months, if not years, in you and your career before they receive any pay.

The commission structure in the agency agreement outlines how your agent will be compensated for helping you sell your book. Typical industry standards hover around the 15% mark, and while theoretically, this is negotiable, few editors will budge on this.

The commission comes from advances (if there is one) and royalties (if the author earns any). An advance is an upfront payment from the publisher against future royalties. Many publishers don’t pay an advance or a low one. Royalties are a percentage of your book’s sales income paid once you’ve exceeded the advance. Most publishers pay quarterly or twice a year. These payments are sent to your agent, who then pays them to you, minus their commission.

Contract Length and Renewal

Agency agreements, especially those that aren’t tied to a specific book or series, have an expiration date. The initial contract length is an important consideration. How long are you comfortable committing to this particular agent? Does the term align with your career goals? At the same time, is it realistic. It can take six months to a year to sell a book.

There could be situations in which the agent decides to terminate the relationship. This could happen for a multitude of reasons, including the agent decides to leave the industry or maybe the book doesn’t sell to a publisher or if it does, it doesn’t sell in the marketplace.

Keep in mind that an agency agreement often includes options for renewal and renegotiation. You may choose to extend your contract based on your positive experiences or decide to explore other representation avenues. Remember, flexibility and honest communication are essential when considering the future of your partnership.

By familiarizing yourself with the key contract terms, you’ll equip yourself with the knowledge necessary to protect your interests and build a successful author-agent relationship. While the author-agent relationship is a legal one, once the agreement is signed, the focus is on you and the book. Your agent wants you to succeed so follow through on what your agent requests from you and ask questions if you don’t understand anything.

How to Write a Query Letter to Get an Agent

April 23, 2023

Your first chance to make a great impression on an agent is through your query letter. Whether you’re submitting a novel or non-fiction book, the query letter is more than a note telling the agent what you’re offering. It’s a marketing letter that needs to grab the agent’s attention right out of the gate and make them want to know more about your book.

Many books are rejected at the query level for a multitude of reasons. Here are tips to help you write a query that has an agent opening your synopsis, proposal and/or sample chapters.

Before we cover writing your query letter, I want to point out two important aspects of querying that you must get right:

Make sure the agent represents the book you’re selling. The first thing the agent is going to look for is whether or not your book is in their wheelhouse. I mentioned in my post on rejections, that having an element of a genre doesn’t mean your book can be sold in the genre. A love interest doesn’t make a romance.
Check that you’ve followed the submission guidelines. Not following the instructions for submission tells the agent you don’t know how to follow directions or that you don’t care about following directions. Both are bad impressions to give an agent.

Writing a Query Letter

If you’ve found the right agent and have read the guidelines, you’re now ready to write your query.

Hook Agent Immediately

First, start with their name.

Dear Mr. Smith or Dear Ms. Smith.

Next, wow the agent. The first few sentences of the query letter are crucial in grabbing the attention of agents or editors. The hook should be intriguing and engaging, making the reader want to know more about the book. The hook could be a tagline, a logline, a question, a quote, an anecdote, a factoid, or a short statement that highlights the uniqueness of the book.

Accountant Sally Sue never imagined her day would end in death…her own.

Eight-one percent of people say they have a book in them, but only a small percentage ever sit down to write it.

Provide a BRIEF Plot or Book Summary

Start by telling the agent about the genre and word count, then give a short summary that reads like a blurb. It needs to have the elements of the story or topic told in the same voice and tone as the book. But keep this short. It’s not your synopsis or proposal.

The Day Sally Died is an 80,000-word magical realism novel in which Sally unexpectedly dies while eating a TV dinner and watching Live or Die, the new reality show in which contestants compete in dangerous tasks such as lion taming or swimming with sharks. Upon her death, Sally is sucked into the show and discovers in her death a life that is more thrilling than when she was living.

Write Your Book is a 80,000-word how-to guide and workbook to help would-be authors get their book written. Readers will learn how to
* Find time and space to write
* Tips on getting motivated to write
* How to organize ideas
* How to write more in less time

Indicate the Target Market

Don’t simply state general genre or topic readers (e.g. romance readers will love… or emerging authors will love). Do your research and get specific. List similar books to help the agent understand who the ideal reader is.

The Day Sally Died will appeal to readers of TJ Klune’s Under the Whispering Door.

Similar books to Write Your Book include Finding Your Voice by Angie Thomas and The Author’s Novel Organizer: Organize Your Novel from Concept to Bestseller by Jenna Harte.

Tell the Agent about You

The good news for fiction authors is that you don’t need previous writing experience to get an agent. Of course, if you have it, even if it’s in a different genre or non-fiction, tell the agent. This will let the agent know that you understand deadlines, editing, and the publication process. But if you don’t have writing experience, share about you and why you wrote this book. Also let the agent know if you plan to use a pen name.

For non-fiction, you don’t need to have writing experience, but you do need a platform. You’ll need to show an agent that you’re not only the expert in what you’re writing, but that you’re known as an expert. If you don’t have a platform promoting you as a go-to person in the topic, you’ll need to build it first.

If you’ve done that, use the about you paragraph to share your expertise and your platform (social following, email list subscriber count, etc).

(See below for samples of this section of query)

Offer Brief Overview on How You’ll Market

Today, authors must be involved in selling their book. In fiction, you don’t have to have your platform set up yet (although it doesn’t hurt), but you do need to show that you understand that you’re a part of the sales team. Share a few things you plan to do to market your book such as social media, events, book clubs, etc.

In non-fiction, you should already have a platform and a base of people to market too. Let the agent know how you’ll do that such as social media, email, speaking, etc.

(See below for samples of this section of query)

Let the Agent Know What You’ve Attached

This is where reading the submission guidelines is crucial! Whether you’re emailing and attaching, or submitting through Query Manager and uploading, only send what the agent asked for. It could be just a synopsis. I could be the synopsis and three chapters. In non-fiction, you’ll likely be asked to submit a proposal. (See below for samples of this section of query)

End with a Thank You and Closing

Let the agent know you appreciate their time and consideration, then close with your name.

Read and Re-Read Before Hitting Send

Check and re-check your submission for errors before hitting the “Send” button. Having grammar or spelling mistakes will make you look unprofessional. Consider asking a friend to proof the pitch for you, including your synopsis, proposal, and/or sample chapters.

Sample Query Letters to An Agent

The samples below are completely made up for this article. They provide a basic template from which you can craft your query letter.

Sample Query Fiction

In this sample, note that the author not only has humor in her blurb, but in her bio as well. However, if your novel is serious or dark, you’ll want your query to reflect that. You’re query should fit the voice and style of your book.

Dear Ms. Smith,

Accountant Sally Sue never imagined her day would end in death…her own.

The Day Sally Died is an 80,000-word magical realism novel in which Sally unexpectedly dies while eating a TV dinner and watching Live or Die, the new reality show in which contestants compete in dangerous tasks such as lion taming or swimming with sharks. Upon her death, Sally is sucked into the show and discovers in her death a life that is more thrilling than when she was living.

The Day Sally Died will appeal to readers who enjoy the humor and humanity of TJ Klune’s Under the Whispering Door.

I’m Sally Sue, a freelance accountant who’s obsessed with the TV shows Survivor and Naked and Afraid, which inspired me to write The Day Sally Died. When I’m not working or watching reality TV, I live with my dog George in a tiny southern town that has one stop light but three roundabouts.

I plan to market The Day Sally Died through a website and email list and using Tik-Tok, although my dancing skills still need work. I’m currently researching the market more to develop a comprehensive marketing plan.

I’ve attached the synopsis and first three chapters of The Day Sally Died.

Thank you for your consideration.

Have a wonderful day.

Sally Sue
Email

Sample Query Non-fiction

This doesn’t have humor like above, but it’s clear on what readers will get from the book, and why this author is right person to write it. Note, that if you have humor in your non-fiction, use it in your query as well. You’re query should fit the voice and style of your book.

Dear Ms. Smith

Eight-one percent of people say they have a book in them, but only a small percentage ever sit down to write it.

Write Your Book is a 80,000-word how-to guide and workbook to help would-be authors get their book written. Readers will learn how to

* Find time and space to write
* Tips on getting motivated to write
* How to organize ideas
* How to write more in less time
* How to manage writers block
* And More

Similar books to Write Your Book include Finding Your Voice by Angie Thomas and The Author’s Novel Organizer: Organize Your Novel from Concept to Bestseller by Jenna Harte.

My name is Sally Sue and I’m a writing instructor at Acme College and run my own online writing community (www. website .com) where I teach, coach, and support emerging authors. I’ve written articles for magazines and online writer resources (note, name any publications you’ve been published in). I’m active on Instagram and TikTok where I share regular tidbits on writing, and host weekly live events. When I’m not teaching or coaching, I enjoy baking and gardening.

I’ve already started talking about Write Your Book with the 5,000 members of my online community and 7,000 email subscribers. I will continue to promote the book to them and on social media, through in-person and online writing events, and reaching out to podcasters for interviews.

I’ve attached the full book proposal per your submission guidelines.

Thank you for your consideration.

All the best,

Sally Sue
Email

Don’t underestimate the power of your query. A basic, blah query won’t do the trick. Use the tips above to write a query that has an agent taking notice and an interest in your book.

Five Reasons Your Book is Being Rejected by an Agent

March 8, 2023

Becoming a writer isn’t for the faint at heart or thin-skinned. Rejection is a given on the path to becoming an author.

What many would-be authors don’t know is that rejection happens for many reasons, several of which don’t include poor writing or a boring story.

While rejection at some point in your writing career is a given, there are actions you can take to minimize it. Here are five reasons agents reject submissions so you can work to improve your work:

Poor quality submission

This includes everything from typos and grammar errors to weak writing, wordiness, and disorganization. Don’t submit anything without revising to fix errors, remove weak words, and check for clarity and flow.

This also includes problems with the premise of your story or topic and/or poor execution of your idea. I can’t tell you how many queries I’ve received in which the premise has intrigued me, only to be disappointed at the quality and execution of the writing.

Pitching the Wrong Agent

One of the biggest mistakes writers make is sending their book query to an agent that doesn’t represent the book’s topic or genre. It’s an automatic rejection if the agent doesn’t work with the topic or genre you’re pitching. They can love your book, if they don’t have the contacts, it doesn’t do you any good. All you do is waste your and the agent’s time.

Do your research. Visit the agent’s website online and read the submission guidelines.

Don’t think you can squeeze your genre into another genre either. Just because your book includes a love story doesn’t make it a romance.

The same is true in nonfiction. If you have a book on leadership, submitting to an agent that represents small business and marketing might not work.

If you’re uncertain about expectations of genre fiction or nonfiction topics, do research on that. Join writers’ groups and attending writer conferences to get help in understanding the various genres.

Poor fit

Sometimes the agent covers the topic you’ve written about, but your work still isn’t a good fit for them and what they’re looking for. I regularly get queries that are good and are in a genre I represent, but the premise or something else about the story doesn’t resonate with me. There’s nothing wrong with it, it just doesn’t fit with what I want to represent. That might sound bad, but think of it this way; wouldn’t you rather work with an agent that was excited about your work?

Didn’t follow directions

This is similar to pitching the wrong agent. But even if you find the right place/person to submit to, you still have to send what the submission guidelines ask for. Failure to do what the submission guidelines tell you to do only shows you don’t know how to read or follow directions. If you can’t do what’s needed on the submission, what does that say about your ability to work with the agent and eventually a publisher? It’s a long process to get a book published and if right out of the gate, you’re not able to meet the guidelines, agents are worried how difficult it will be to get what they need or publishers need from you. Most agents I know reject without reading anything if the material doesn’t meet the submission guidelines.

Read the guidelines carefully as some are very specific in their requirements, such as what needs to go in the subject line of your email submission, what information you put in the headers of the document, and the type of document file (.doc, .pdf, etc). Think of it as your first chance to make a good impression.

Overly Self Confident (Cocky)

You may be a fantastic writer, but selling yourself through boasting is a sure way to get a rejection. First, the odds that you’ve written the greatest piece ever written are low. Second, even if it is the greatest piece of writing ever, people still won’t want to work with you if come off cocky. If your work is so great, let the writing speak for itself (show, don’t tell)!

Getting a piece from submission to print is a long process that requires authors and agents to work together in peace and harmony. Arrogance will make you appear difficult to work with.

If you get a rejection, don’t lash out at the agent via email or online (e.g. social media). The agent won’t care that you think they’re passing up on the next Harry Potter. You’re not going to change their minds, so you’re better off accepting the rejection and finding a new place to pitch.

Further, responding with anger or snark could do you more harm than good because agents and editors talk to each other. You don’t want your named passed on as someone who is rude.

You can’t always avoid rejection, but you can work to improve your odds of acceptance by heeding the above advise. Give your writing a fighting chance by submitting quality work to the right agent in a professional manner.

Get a Literary Agent Checklist

January 30, 2023

You’ve finished your book. Congratulations! You’ve already achieved more than most others who say they have a book in them.

Now you might be wondering, “What next?” It’s no secret that you have many options when it comes to getting your book out into the world. For many authors, finding an agent and getting traditionally published is their first option. If it’s your first option, here is a checklist for you to follow to prepare and submit your book to an agent. Trust me on this, following the list below will increase your odds of success in getting an agent.

Finish your book. By finish, I don’t just mean you’ve completed your first draft. I mean you’ve revised it, had it critiqued or beta read, and revised again.
Edit your book. Ideally, you should hire someone to edit, but short of that, get a paid subscription to one of the online editing tools (Grammarly, ProWriting Aid, Autocrit), and use it to find spelling and grammar errors, overused words, fluff words (that, really, very, pretty, just, etc), adverbs that can be turned into verbs (walked quietly >> tiptoed), cliches, and all the other items that bog down your writing.
Determine the genre of your book. Just because a book has a romantic couple, doesn’t make it a romance. A murder doesn’t make it a mystery. Knowing your genre is key to finding the right agent. I can’t tell you how many books pitched to me as a romance that aren’t a romance. Note that you don’t just want your overarching genre (e.g. romance, mystery, sci-fi, horror, etc). You want to identify the subcategory(s) your book fits into as well. For example, if your book is a romance, is it contemporary or historical? Does it have vampires (paranormal) or magic (fantasy)? Is it for readers under 18 years old (young adult) or specifically for readers who are 18 to 26 years old (new adult)? Same for mystery. Is it cozy or noir or police procedural or private eye? All the major genres have subcategories. And if you’re book doesn’t fit a genre, look for the categories in literary fiction (women’s fiction, suspense, coming of age, etc).
Prepare your book for submission. While there is no set standard for submission to agents, in general, for fiction you’re going to need a synopsis that tells the WHOLE story, three chapters, and a query letter. Your synopsis is single spaced, Times New Roman 12pt, written in third person present tense (even if the book is first person and/or past tense). Your manuscript should be double-spaced, Times New Roman 12 pt. with page breaks for chapters. For your query, you’ll want to write an intriguing blurb (description of your book). A tagline to hook the agent wouldn’t hurt either. The query will also be where you give the agent the word count of your book, so you’ll want to check that your word count fits your genre. Note: Don’t tell the agent that your book is the greatest book ever written, or that no book like it has ever been written, or anything else that smacks of conceit. Let your writing prove your most excellent storytelling gift. In other words, show don’t tell your writing greatness.
Research agents who represent your genre AND subgenre of book. Agents will list what they represent on agency or agent websites, agent books resources, and agent databases. If you find an agent in a resource, go to the agent’s website to verify they’re still agenting and still accepting the same types of books (sometimes agents change what they represent). Be honest about your book. Trying to squeak your book in as a romance when it doesn’t meet the criteria wastes your and the agent’s time, not to mention the ouch that comes from getting a rejection. Visit Manuscript Wish List at which agents who are actively seeking books will tell you what they want. You can also get a subscription to Publisher’s Marketplace to find out what agents are currently making sales and to whom in your genre.
READ THE AGENT’S GUIDELINES. I hate to yell like that, but I’m shocked at how many submissions I receive in which the writer didn’t bother to read my guidelines. While I told you that in general you’ll need a synopsis, three chapters, and a query, guidelines can vary. Some agents will want the full manuscript upon submission. Others just want the synopsis and no chapters. Whatever the agent says to do for submission, that’s what you need to do. There are reasons why agents request the information they want, including the format they want to receive it. Failing to follow the guidelines tells the agent you don’t care about rules or don’t know how to follow them. Getting a book sold and published is a long process involving many tasks on your end. Most agents will think twice about working with someone who doesn’t bother to do what they’re told as it will make their job harder.
Submit and wait. Most agents try to respond in a reasonable amount of time (2 weeks to 2 months), but it will always seem like a long time for you. The best way to wait is to write your next book. In terms of follow up, wait until the response period has passed (if the agent says they respond in 3 weeks, follow up in 4 weeks). Your email should be professional. Ask if the agent received the manuscript and if they have a time frame for responding. Don’t be demanding or terse.

Bonus: If you receive rejections, keep submitting. Agents reject books all that time that are good, but for whatever reason aren’t good for them. If you’ve been at it for a bit and are still getting rejections, go through the checklist again to see where you can improve. Can you beef up the book? Improve your synopsis? etc.