How To Get An Agent (Without Dying of Old Age)

Our Quick Guide on Getting a Literary Agent


You think writing is tough?

Then try getting an agent. The secret of hooking a literary agent is as follows:

(1) Adopt a very professional approach
(2) Make multiple submissions, and
(3) Write a dazzlingly good book

If you haven't yet achieved (3), then you probably need our editorial help. But as for (1) and (2) - here's our Quick Guide to getting a literary agent before osteoporosis sets in. For more info, then try our Getting Published, available from Amazon. Do also take a look at our video tutorial, below - or check out the host of other video advice we have on our YouTube video library.

Step 1. Write an absolutely excellent book

Bear in mind that you are competing against the very best in the business. If you are writing spy thrillers, your books will be competing directly against John Le Carre's - and at the same price, with less publicity and much less uptake from the bookstores. If you are not perfectionist about your work, you are very unlikely to succeed.

Step 1a   Existing WW clients

If you are an existing WW client, you will already have talked over your next steps with your editor. Roughly speaking, if your book is already in shape, we'll help you find an agent without further charge. We know some of the most senior agents in London, and can guarantee that, if we recommend a manuscript, they will read it with close attention. You are always, of course, free to go with agents of your own choosing - we will never force you to accept our suggestions.

Step 1b Other writers

If you are not a client of ours, we are happy to offer you brief free advice on submitting your book to agents. In particular, we are happy to review your covering letter which is an essential part of your sales pitch. We do not charge for this service - just email it over to us. Then just follow the steps below and keep your fingers crossed. Call us if at any stage you get stuck. If you decide later on that your manuscript needs our help, we are here to provide precisely that.

Step 2. Have realistic expectations

Literary agents spend most of their time handling their existing clients. A typical agent might take on just two new authors a year. At the same time, most agencies receive 1000 manuscripts a year. That means they reject the overwhelming majority of submissions.

If that sounds depressing, then you also need to realise that getting an agent is the only way to getting published. Very few publishers have any real interest in unsolicited contributions. Also remember that agents want good books. That's how they earn their money. The rejection rate is high, simply because most manuscripts aren't good enough. If your manuscript is strong, it WILL be taken on.

What does all that mean for you? It means (1) You need to approach the whole business of finding an agent with the utmost professionalism; (2) You need to be realistic about the time it will take and the number of rejections you are likely to receive; and (3) you may want to take some of that chewable calcium just in case the bone decay gets to you first.

Step 3. Prepare your manuscript properly

Agents see hundreds of manuscripts. Don't rule yours out on the silly stuff. Eliminate spelling errors - and don't rely on a computer spell check 'too do this four ewe'. If your spelling is poor, then ask a friend to help. If your punctuation is bad, do the same.

And get the layout right. That means Times Roman font or similar. Font size of 12. Normal margins. Double-spaced, or 1.5 line spacing. Lay your manuscript out like a book, not a business document. That means no space between paragraphs and with the first line slightly indented. Every page should be numbered. Ideally, you should have the title and/or your name as header/footer.

Your title page should contain your title, your name and your contact details. Nothing else. You do not need to say 'copyright by Bloggs' - you already own the copyright by virtue of having written the darn thing. Making a hoo-hah about copyright is a sure way to mark yourself out as an amateur. (That's just what you are, of course, but don't rub it in.)

'And please make sure that dialogue is correctly presented,' fumed the agent. 'It really isn't hard to do.'

If you're in any doubt of how to lay out your manuscript, then read a book. Do it like that. See also our more detailed guide on presentation, the Final Polish.

Step 4. Select your targets2011-11-162011-11-16

In the good old days, when society was still deferential and English bobbies cycled to work whistling Nice One Cyril, it was thought right to submit your manuscript to just one publisher or (later on) agent at a time.

The trouble with that approach is that agents may take 6-8 weeks to read your book (or pretend to read it, anyway) and you may need to apply a fair few agents before you strike lucky. This is where the risk of osteoporosis sets in. We therefore strongly recommend that you make multiple submissions. Do this as follows.

  • Buy the Writers' and Artists' Yearbook, or Writer's Market, if you're American or Canadian). If you are writing for children, get hold of the equivalent children's editions of those books instead.
  • Do not send your stuff to any agency that places ads on the internet. The ones that do are probably fraudulent. If in doubt, get in touch.
  • Select six named agents that you like the look of. That means don't just pick out the XYZ Agency. Send it to Mr X of the XYZ Agency. It's certainly worth doing as much research as you can on which agents enjoy what sort of material. (These days, agents' websites are the best source of info.)  In the end though, you won't know much about whether you like a particular agent, until you've met them - and of course this won't happen until you have an offer of representation, which you are most unlikely to turn down.
  • One useful tip is to mix your submissions - send some out to well-known agents at major agencies, and others to less well-known agents at smaller agencies.
  • Take a deep breath, before moving on to ...

Step 5. Send out your book

Send out your manuscript with (i) a very short covering letter, (ii) a one page synopsis, and (iii) a self-addressed envelope with enough postage for the return of your manuscript. If you don't want it back, then say so in your cover letter. Most agents say that they only want 2-3 chapters or around 50 pages plus a synopsis as a first submission. It's probably best to do as they ask, unless your book is unusually short (a kids' book, for instance) in which case you can send the whole thing.

For guidance on what length a manuscript should be, please check out our guide to the numbers. (You'd be surprised, but some people try to sell books that are either vastly too long or vastly too short). Do also check out our guide to the perfect synopsis.

Your covering letter should be very short. The following example is a good one:

 

Dear Mr Redintooth,

I am currently seeking an agent for my first novel, A Farewell to Legs. The novel (of about 70,000 words) tells a love story, set against the background of a busy amputation clinic in Bangalore. I have enclosed the first three chapters plus a brief synopsis with this submission. I am a thirty year old accountant.

The book was based on my own experiences during a recent trip to Bangalore. The book attempts to deal with themes of loss and suffering in an accessible, moving, and uplifting way.

I have submitted the book to a small handful of selected agents, but will of course inform you immediately if I get any interest elsewhere [you don't have to admit that you're making multiple submissions, by the way. It's good manners to do so, but manners don't always get the fastest results. Up to you.] I enclose a stamped addressed envelope for the return of my manuscript.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours,

Ms Mildasmilk

  

If you have completed a well-recognised creative writing course, such as the famous East Anglian one, then say so . If you are a professional writer in any other capacity (in journalism, TV, radio, etc), then say so. Ditto, if you've won any prize that has real merit. If you have a recommendation from ourselves or any other person or organisation likely to command respect, then you can say so too - but expect to be checked up on. Do not write a covering letter which looks anything like the following.

 

Dear Ms Redinclaw,

Allow me to present my first novel, an epic tale of love and cannibalism set against the sweeping backdrop of the Hackney Road Cleansing Services department. My style combines the sassy, street-smart writing of Martin Amis with the philosophical scope and ambition of a George Orwell / Ben Elton. I've attached a five page synopsis, blurb for the rear cover, a short three page bio and photograph, and a sketch marketing plan for the Hackney / Barnet / North American areas.

I have sent the book to a number of agents and expect to be ready to interview my shortlist in the last week of December. I have enclosed inadequate postage and I have chosen to print my novel in a flattering and distinctive green ink.

Yours in expectation

Mr Littlelamb

  

When you're ready send out your first wave of letters.

Step 6. Prepare for heartbreak & rejection

It doesn't matter how good your book is, it'll be rejected. That's the nature of this business. So don't take it personally. Just wait 3 weeks from your first batch of submissions and send out another batch. Then wait another 3 weeks and send out another batch.

If you have sent the book to Mr Jones at XYZ agency, then it is OK to send the book to Ms Smith at the same agency - and unless you're very purist you won't feel the need to mention your earlier rejection. (By the way, this tip was given to us by an agent, so you don't need to feel especially naughty doing it).

Step 7. Review progress

If you've received fewer than 10 rejections, then keep going. If you've had more than 12 (or perhaps 15-18 for fantasy), then there's something wrong with your book. If you're a Writers' Workshop client, then you won't be in this situation - we won't let you send out a book that's below standard; and if you still get rejections, we'll be on hand to sort the problem out.

Remember that there are only two reasons why manuscripts fail:

  1. They're not good enough! This is overwhelmingly the most common reason.
  2. You've made a mess of approaching agents.

If you follow the advice on this page, then you won't have made a mess of approaching agents ... in which case, your manuscript is not yet strong enough to sell. However much positive feedback you get from your mother / your mate / your mate's mate's window-cleaner, that feedback is not the same as getting a tough, honest & expert critical evaluation from grizzled old professionals.

Giving you that feedback is what we do. You can read about our services here. We are excellent at our jobs and have a remarkable string of successes to our name. So do make use of our skills.

Finally, this website can't contain all the lovely, useful information we have to offer, so do think about buying Harry Bingham's definitive guide to Getting Published - it's the leading work on the subject. And if you want to hear from agents directly, then check out our beautifully stocked YouTube video library.