Real Resources to Getting Rep'd

Alright, so I've been thinking about writing this post since I signed with an agent (HOLLA!) and have been talking with a friend about the road to getting representation.  So, basically, without any dilly dally, here's what I've found useful while I was seeking representation.  FYI, I was looking for a literary agent that represents YA fiction across a variety of genres, and had a finished YA historical fiction manuscript of 55,000 words.

• How much word count matters. Find out more about this here. The link includes info on non-YA writing as well.


• Follow #askagent. Not kidding!  This topic on Twitter is one of the most outrageously helpful things I've ever encountered in all the publishing-advice world.  You also get to ask random questions in the vain hope that when an agent replies to you they will suddenly become deeply interested in you and offer you representation.  NOT what happened to me, but I did follow up questions with queries and got interest.


• Read agents' blogs. My faves are Nathan Bransford (though it's WAY popular so the comments are super overwhelming and I don't even bother), and Kristin Nelson.


• Back it up by reading MORE! Like reading about the editing side, such as Editorial Ass, Editorial Anonymous, and more about authors in your genre (for me this would include Enchanted Inkpot, Mitali Perkins, Angie Frazier, the Five Randoms and Sarah Rees Brennan)


• And don't forget the Agents themselves. For this, I use agentquery.com and then Google the crap out of them.  This includes double checking Preditors and Editors, for starters.


• Finally, remember that there are rules, but there are no rules. You are and you are absolutely not special.  On the one hand, yes, you are one of thousands of blind queries in a large, faceless stack.  But on the other hand, all these agents and editors say that when a manuscript works, it works, and when it speaks to them, they'll move heaven and earth to get it published.  So, yeah--there are rules, and there are no rules.

Honestly, a big part of me feels like it's dumb luck that I ever got an agent, and an awesome one at that.  Here's hoping dumb luck carries me through a publishing contract, and maybe, just maybe, I'll get to keep on writing!

Off to a writing retreat for the weekend.  Not sure at ALL what I'm going to be working on yet, but we'll see.

kiss kiss!

Comments

[Marjorie Light]

GREAT POST! Already bookmarked it. Enjoyed meeting you at the conference!