What has luck got to do with it?
In a word, everything. I could have kept copies and lists of all my paper and on-line submissions, but in the end, I decided that would be too depressing and weigh me down; so I cannot give you an exact count the number of submissions I sent out; though by the time I had written round prospective publishers and agents, the total number must have been around sixty. Luckily, I found my darling agent in the right place at the right time and on the lookout for a book like mine. I call that lucky. The success I had so long hoped for, came along -as is so often the case – when I least expected it.
Everyone can help luck to smile on them by researching the market with care. It takes courage to send out submissions, but even so, we always have time to make sure that our enquiries are word perfect, grammatically accurate, polite and to the point. There are always ways in which we can refine our searches, and be clear that we have made an attempt to assess whether our work and the agent we have in mind are a good match.
Are you thinking about trying your luck with the larger agencies? Then find out who in the most likely agencies is looking for work of your genre and actively hoping to expand their lists. Search for agents who are interested in new writers or emerging talent or for agents who are looking to build their lists. Address your submission to them by name.
The Writers’ Workshop has a comprehensive list of agents which you can select from, according to your genre and preferences. For example, you may want to search for small agencies who are looking for science fiction only, are interested in new writers and actively seeking manuscripts. I found my agent by working through the list there; and I have found The Writers’ Workshop to be a mine of useful information and ideas, and their lists and articles are updated regularly.
The best of luck, and thanks for reading!
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June 22, 2016
What agents can do for us
Fran Macilvey 'Trapped: My Life with Cerebral Palsy', Fran Macilvey, Path To Publication 0 Comments
What agents can do for us
Just because we have secured the services of an agent, does not mean s/he will manage to sell our work to a commissioning editor.
Most agents are good sales people, confident, very capable and ahead of the field. If they cannot secure a sale, it does not mean they have failed, or that we have failed. It only means it is not the right time or place. Agents will hold on to material they like, and keep trying for it, if they believe in it enough. If they spot an opportunity, they will make the most of it, since that is what they do for a living.
Find something else to do in the meantime, or the waiting to hear whether your book has found a publisher will drive you slowly crazy. Get out into the real world, relax, write another book, visit friends, go for a job interview, but don’t obsess about your book. Let your agent do that.
At the start of any business or legal relationship, before we sign any contract or undertaking, it is essential that we are clear what services a particular agency provides – and, more importantly, those they do not. When new writers think of agency services, we may assume these include not only securing a deal and collecting royalties, but also support for publicity and promotion, leads and so on. But post-publication services such as these are more often offered by other agencies that specialise in marketing and promotion.
A writer new to the world of business, contracts and negotiation is very often living in a state of suspended belief, and most unlikely to put an agent offering their services through their paces with a series of searching questions….We have to take our chances where we can, and we cannot know all there is to know, before taking up business opportunities. Even so, it pays to be aware of the limits of agency services, or else, what I call the ‘expectation gap’ can yawn wide, setting us up for disappointment.
Agents live by earning commission from sales to publishers. Typically, their commission is 15% of any fees or royalties they negotiate on your behalf. So, understanding that we are happy with an agent’s services, have we the confidence to trust them, and let them do their jobs in peace? I do hope so. If we want to help our agent, it is useful to deliver what they ask for as soon as we can, be clear and with our communications, and trust them to do their best.
Thanks for reading!
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