If you are reading this, it means that you have written your manuscript or are about to achieve this feeling of satisfaction. Now, the only significant step that remains between your dreams and a sense of achievement is finding a literary agent,
An experienced literary agent can help you publish your book and jumpstart your career as an author. If you are not sure how to find the right literary agent, here are some of the best tips to consider.
- Start with Research
Finding a literary agent is not as complicated as you may think. Just like seeking the services of any other professional, you must also start looking for a literary agent through research. With just one click, you will come across countless literary agents seeking submissions.
Looking at so many options all of a sudden can overwhelm you. The best way to deal with this pressure is to narrow down your options. What helps the most is to specifically look for literary agents with proven experience in your genre. This way, you can feel confident about the choice you make down the line.
- Write a Query Letter
Once you come across some suitable literary agents you think are worth your time and energy, the next step is to send them query letters. You will be sending out many of these, and each one will be a tool for you to make a memorable first impression on your literary agent.
Since query letters hold great importance, it is always a good idea to look at query letter templates for authors for guidance. Learning from the best samples is your first step to crafting a compelling query letter.
Once you feel ready to start, make sure that your letter demonstrates your abilities as a writer. You must write concisely and clearly. In addition, make sure to personalize your letters and tailor a query to the agent’s specific interests.
- Follow the Submission Guidelines
Book publishers are not the only ones who take their guidelines very seriously. Literary agents also share submission guidelines for authors to follow. Authors who take these guidelines lightly often end up with a rejection or no response at all.
Following a literary agent’s submission guidelines shows them that you took your time to read their guidelines. Every literary agent has different submission guidelines, so make sure that you read and follow them carefully. This way, you can increase your chances of hearing back from the literary agent you aspire to work with.
- Improve Your Manuscript
Reaching out to different literary agents can be a daunting and often exhausting task. Authors often find themselves waiting for weeks and even months to hear back from the literary agents they have reached out to. In the meantime, you do not have to sit idly and wait.
Smart authors often dedicate this time to revising their manuscripts and improving them in every possible way. Whether there is room for your characters to be improved or formatting to be corrected, spending time revising your manuscript is always worth it.
If you are unable to see any more room for improvement or are busy with other endeavors, you can ask other professionals, such as developmental editors or proofreaders, for help. Every step taken to improve your manuscript can help you get closer to successfully publishing your book.
- Monitor their Credentials
If you have started hearing back from the literary agents at this point, the next important thing to do is to check their credentials. Just because the literary agent you are considering claims to be the best in the field does not mean you take their word for it. Instead, you must take proactive steps to secure the best talent for yourself.
The most important thing you must do is to ask the literary agent you are considering to hire about their credentials. Since a proud literary agent has nothing to hide, you can rely on them to be honest and maintain transparency with you.
- Personalize Your Submissions
Another important thing to remember while reaching out to a literary agent and making a good impression is to personalize your query letters. It is an important aspect that increases your chances of being noticed by the literary agent you want to work with.
Start your query letter with the right titles and spell the recipient’s name correctly. Do not hold back from telling the literary agent why you want to work with them. This way, you can show them that you have spent time and energy researching their interests.
- Attend the Right Gatherings
Whether you are from New York or Sydney, there may be several local and international literary festivals being held around you. These events are ideal gatherings for you to get in touch with some of the most brilliant literary agents.
Even if you are unable to meet a literary agent directly, you can meet other published authors with a vast network. Simply exchanging contact information with a few professionals at such a gathering can make a huge difference in helping you find the best literary agent to represent your book.
In addition, you do not have to hold back from asking your friends and colleagues for recommendations either. Your right match can be found anywhere to guide you on the path to publish your book.
- Build a Strong Online Presence
Lastly, authors should not wait for their deal to be finalized with their publisher before they start building their online presence. A strong online presence plays a significant role in ensuring your success in your endeavor to become a published author.
A strong online presence is a medium for a literary agent to learn more about you as an author. Someone who has a website and a strong online presence will have more potential to market and promote their work. Hence, the publishing agent will feel more confident in getting back to the author and working with them.
Establish your online presence by creating an author’s website, launching a blog, and setting up publicly accessible social media accounts.
