What to send an agent? - Writers Forum

wilconut · 04-28-2005, 11:17 AM

I know that they want a query letter and a synopsis, and a little about me, but is there anything else they want? By the way, what is the difference between a query and a synopsis? I am about half-way through my second novel, and this time i am going to get an agent, or at least i hope so. any help with these questions would be great.

p.s. anybody know any good agents out there who are looking for talent?

Novicewriter · 04-28-2005, 11:21 AM

I've often wondered that myself....Personally I don't write novels as a general rule.....do mostly screenplays

Still though, I too want to know what the difference is.

NW

mammamaia · 04-29-2005, 08:52 AM

Quote:

"By the way, what is the difference between a query and a synopsis?"

...put simply, the first is a letter asking if you can submit your ms... the second is a rundown of the material you want to submit...

...a query letter should be no more than 1 page...

...for a screenplay, a synopsis should be no more than 1 page, single-spaced... for a book, it can be almost any number of pages and you should check with each agent [or their guidelines] to see how long/short they want it...

...both query and synopsis will show the agents how well [or not] you write... if the letter isn't well written, usually nothing more will be read... if the letter's ok, but the synopsis isn't well-done, most won't bother reading the ms...

love and hugs, maia

wilconut · 04-29-2005, 09:20 AM

thanks so much for all your great adivce. I will take it and try to put it to good use.

Nick

NigelWalks · 07-11-2005, 03:39 PM

Include any of your previous publishing history, the market for the book, similar books to yours that have been published. You want to sell your work. But, you want to keep it to the point and short. Agents receive tons of queries and don't want to read paragraph after paragraph about the intricacies of your novel. Queries are hard to master, but once you have a winner, you'll get an agent's attention. Good luck!

Creative Mind · 07-18-2005, 08:55 PM

Invest in the "Writer's Market 2005" book. It lists agents who are currently searching for new clients. It gives a detailed listing of what they do and do not accept, how they can be contacted, and what they want sent to them.
For instance, some say query, some say send first chapter, etc.
The book is well worth the money... it's how I landed my agent.

mammamaia · 07-19-2005, 08:10 AM

better yet, is another publication by the same press [writer's digest]... their 'Guide to Literary Agents' has all that and more... has in-depth listings on all agents cross-referenced by genre, which ones take on newbies, which accept email, etc....

mammamaia · 07-20-2005, 07:57 AM

you say you're joking, starrwriter, but i wouldn't want new writers to get the wrong idea from your 'joke'... so...

for the record:
hollywood's venal agent stereotype is the exception... professional writers cherish their agents... they get them more money for their work and get it sold more quickly than they could on their own... and do much more, in most cases...

having bad luck with agents usually has more to do with one's choices than with the character of agents in general... there are so many pseudo-agents out there these days that one needs to be very careful about signing with anyone... checking them out at preditors and editors is a must 'first' and doing more checking on one's own is always advised before making a commitment... a simple google search and look at the agent/agency's site can quickly separate the real from the scam...

and, even among the legit agents, there will always be some who just aren't very good at their job... but again, a bit of pre-signing investigation will almost always save the writer from a bad experience...

signing with an agent is akin to getting married... before you take those contractual vows, you need to be sure that the two of you get along well, have the same goals for your work, and believe in the sanctity of the institution... a good agent/client partnership is just as rewarding as a good marriage... and much more lucrative!

mammamaia · 07-21-2005, 09:21 AM

your poor response results may be due to having emailed your queries... most of the most successful agents don't do email and still want real letters by post...

another reason may be that you didn't check first to see if all you queried were open to an approach by new writers at the time... those are things that a writer is wise to research before blitzing agents blindly, with emails...

as for the expenses thing, some agents are now adding certain out-of-pocket costs to their standard commission... but no legit agent will charge a penny before the work is sold... those expenses are only recouped from the payment made to the author by the publisher...

and good agents will negotiate a far better deal than the writers can on their own, so the benefit to the writer is still substantial, even after those costs are subtracted...

the best way to get the best results is to do your homework before sending out any queries... send only to agents who are currently accepting new writers' work, and who handle the type of work you have to offer...

and sending your query by post is still better than an email... why?...because it's there in physical form to be passed around to other agents in the agency, if the one you sent it to isn't interested... also, it can be reread, and not easily deleted when it arrives in a long list of email that can be dumped with a single click...