Anyone know how to secure an Agent (writer agent)

[lucafen4]

I'm in the throws of writing a book... Fiction.
I'm at the point I need to start researching Agents so that I can have my ducks in a row to promote to publishers.

anyone have experience/info? or happen to be an Agent and throw and poor man a bone (half kidding)?

post or PM either way I appreciate any/all help.

thanks

[RizzeeDizzee]

In most cases it you know somebody who knows somebody. Are you on LinkedIn? If so, look for literary agents or writers and see if any are 2nd or 3rd connections and try to use the connection(s) to liaise you.

[Jerrodedson99]

Hey man,
Alex asked if I can help you out. I’m a small press author (five novels, and another coming in the new year) and I’ve been in this biz for over twenty years.

My advice: You don’t need an agent, especially starting out. First off, if you have no fiction published elsewhere, like in lit journals, an agent likely isn’t going to give you the time of day. Second, there are lots of presses you can submit to on your own. Find a press, go to their submission guidelines, and do exactly what they ask.

Big presses like Random House etc will be inaccessible without an agent, and so focus on the many who are. If you’re in Canada, simply Google “Canadian publishers” and you’ll find a slew of presses and their websites with their submission guidelines.

Congrats on finishing a novel—that in itself is a great achievement.

[Jerrodedson99]

I’m not on Dobber all that much, but feel free to email me anytime at [email protected] and I’ll try my best to help you any way I can.

[Jerrodedson99]

All I ask in return is advice on how to beat Alex in fantasy. 😁

[Eskimo Brother]

Ahaha, I'm best at just beating myself.

[RizzeeDizzee]

Hey man,
Alex asked if I can help you out. I’m a small press author (five novels, and another coming in the new year) and I’ve been in this biz for over twenty years.

My advice: You don’t need an agent, especially starting out. First off, if you have no fiction published elsewhere, like in lit journals, an agent likely isn’t going to give you the time of day. Second, there are lots of presses you can submit to on your own. Find a press, go to their submission guidelines, and do exactly what they ask.

Big presses like Random House etc will be inaccessible without an agent, and so focus on the many who are. If you’re in Canada, simply Google “Canadian publishers” and you’ll find a slew of presses and their websites with their submission guidelines.

Congrats on finishing a novel—that in itself is a great achievement.

Wow - I wouldn't have guessed most of this. Excellent and helpful advice.

[Jerrodedson99]

Yeah, you’ve got to do a lot of the work yourself when starting out. But it’s fun work researching presses to see what might be a fit.

I’m lucky to have made a few contacts over the years with editors, writers, and a few presses.

Most often, if a press is accepting submissions, they’ll ask for maybe the first three chapters, along with your writing cv. It’s a slow process. My last novel was published in 2016 and that press didn’t work out for me (I lost trust), and it’s been until now that I’ve found another.

I had three novels from 2005-2010 with one of the top literary small presses in the country—Oberon Press out of Ottawa. That legitimized me as a novelist. My hockey novel The Goon was shortlisted for the Relit Award—my only national short list. Oberon has started the careers of some of Canada’s best novelists, including David Adams Richards, and WP Kinsella (Field of Dreams began as an Oberon short story). But after 55 years in the business, they decided to close shop, and I was left to find another. And even still, with a small body of work, it’s still difficult to find a press. The truth is, unless you’re Margaret Atwood, nobody cares. You may think you’ve just written the next best thing since Shakespeare, but nobody else does. But that’s the game. And it’s all worth it in the end when you hold your book in your hands.

I haven’t sought an agent. At best, even for me, with five books, it might take a lot to land one—a decent one at least. That’s why you’re better off going about it yourself. There are plenty of quality small presses in Canada.

[lucafen4]

Yeah, you’ve got to do a lot of the work yourself when starting out. But it’s fun work researching presses to see what might be a fit.

I’m lucky to have made a few contacts over the years with editors, writers, and a few presses.

Most often, if a press is accepting submissions, they’ll ask for maybe the first three chapters, along with your writing cv. It’s a slow process. My last novel was published in 2016 and that press didn’t work out for me (I lost trust), and it’s been until now that I’ve found another.

I had three novels from 2005-2010 with one of the top literary small presses in the country—Oberon Press out of Ottawa. That legitimized me as a novelist. My hockey novel The Goon was shortlisted for the Relit Award—my only national short list. Oberon has started the careers of some of Canada’s best novelists, including David Adams Richards, and WP Kinsella (Field of Dreams began as an Oberon short story). But after 55 years in the business, they decided to close shop, and I was left to find another. And even still, with a small body of work, it’s still difficult to find a press. The truth is, unless you’re Margaret Atwood, nobody cares. You may think you’ve just written the next best thing since Shakespeare, but nobody else does. But that’s the game. And it’s all worth it in the end when you hold your book in your hands.

I haven’t sought an agent. At best, even for me, with five books, it might take a lot to land one—a decent one at least. That’s why you’re better off going about it yourself. There are plenty of quality small presses in Canada.

Thank-you. You've really given a lot of good info. Lots to consider. T

he Agent route - I was thinking because I am under the impression you can only submit one manuscript at a time - wait for the publisher/press to reject and move to the next.

I know it's a long process to get anywhere. I haven't completely finished the draft yet but my mind needs to sort the process out ahead of time.

I have no disillusions about being Shakespeare... but I've read worse that I've written (insert disillusionment here). Really appreciate the tips/advice. I will be reaching out in the new year.

[lucafen4]

In most cases it you know somebody who knows somebody. Are you on LinkedIn? If so, look for literary agents or writers and see if any are 2nd or 3rd connections and try to use the connection(s) to liaise you.

A lot of things come down to who you know. I'm not on LinkedIn. That'll be a step down the road.

[Jerrodedson99]

Most presses are fine with simultaneous submissions. Some may ask that you let them know youÂ’ve also submitted elsewhere. Those who are not okay with it will say so, but really, that shouldnÂ’t stop you; it would be a good problem to have to piss off a press and withdraw because youÂ’ve had an offer to publish elsewhere.

Presses can take anywhere from six months to a year to get back to you. Sometimes even longer. They canÂ’t expect you to sit and do nothing until then, and most agree with that.