so, i just finished editing my rough draft into a first draft (120k-ish words, high fantasy) that satisfies my standards. I've decided to do some research in publishers and agents, and there's simply too many to choose from. also, i don't really know where to start. I've looked through the stickies, and while they help with finding said publishers and agents, i'm still a little shakey on how i'm supposed to go about submitting my work. I assume it's wise to check with multiple agents, and i know that they'll have their own submission instructions, but i guess my biggest questions are; -how many agents should be looking to submit to? -should i pitch it to publishers and agents at the same time, or is this ill-advised? -are more genre-focused agents better, due to specific interests? -if i give you 20 bucks, will you do everything for me?
I just wanted to say congrats on completing your first draft! I am not familiar with dealing with agents/publishers, so I can't really give you any advice. Sorry. Good luck to you. I think you forgot a zero on your offer, by the way.
-- I've heard of agents specifying they want to be queried exclusively, but for the most part, you can submit to multiple agents at once. Worry about submitting multiple manuscripts when you get to that point; right now you just want one agent to respond positively to your query letter, and that's difficult enough. -- I wouldn't even bother submitting to publishers. You'll want to secure an agent. -- Simply look for an agent who is accepting manuscripts for the appropriate genre. All listings for agents I've seen do specify. -- Lol. Congrats on finishing.
Makes me kind of glad things work in a different way where I live. Here we query the publishers directly. As far as I know lots of writers here doesn't even have an agent. Or they get one once their published. I don't know which way is most effective, really.
I've read over and over in several writing magazine that most publisher don't accept cold queries. Yet in the back of some of the magzines they list publishers like you would use that information to query them so I assume some publishers have a slush pile they will dig through. As far as submitting to agents you can submit to as many different agents as you like. Once in a while an agent will want to be the only agent you are submitting to but generally that doesn't make sense because it can take weeks/months for them to get back with you (if they even reply). When you find an agency that you like, I'd look up their website and read the agent bio's to see which agent you think would be best suited for your book (meaning their interests lie in your genre). Then I'd see if that agent had a blog or other things that would give you tips on the best way to query them. Also check the agency guidelines for what to send with your query (some want first chapter, some want only the query, some want...) Queryshark.com is a good spot for information on how to write a good query letter.
thanks everyone for the replies! one last question; if multiple agents i'm considering all work at the same company, is it redundant to submit it to each one? I understand that each agent may have a different opinion, but i can't help but get the feeling it's like asking one parent if you can do something, then asking the other if you don't get the answer you want. edit: never mind, found the answer i was looking for on another site. thanks, everyone!
a) You can send it to as many agents as you want, as many as it takes. Just not all at the same time. b) I would start with an agent since most of the larger publishing houses don't take unsolicited manuscripts. (Start at the top and work your way down.) c) I would try to find an agent that represents similar work, yes. d) I'll do it for $10.
after trying to write a catchy query letter, i'm seriously considering this. argh, frustration! i guess it's a good thing to be stressed about though.
you should not be submitting, only querying... and you can query as many agents at a time as you want to, as long as they handle the kind of book you have to offer... most seasoned writers keep the number down to 'several' of their first choices, then work their way down the list, if none of those bite... for fiction, it's always wisest to try to snag an agent first, since the top publishers won't accept unagented submissions... but for fantasy, you may want to consider also going directly to some of the smaller presses that do, if your first slew of agent queries get you nowhere... virtually all agents are genre-focused... i doubt you'll find any good agents who take on anything and everything... no, but i might consider doing it for a couple more zeros! ;-)
