LATMFA Part Four: Securing an Agent
In this installment of the Life After the MFA series, we’ll tackle how to snag a literary agent.
Deciding Whether you Need an Agent
Depending on what and where you are submitting, you may or may not need an agent at this time. Consider Cris Freese’s advice in “When to Search for a Literary Agent” published by Writer’s Digest. Freese breaks down what agents can do for their clients, such as managing relationships with publishers and editors, offering career advice, and more. He also lists which types of projects need an agent, and which do not (typically, full-length books aimed at a large audience need an agent, while individual stories, poems, or essays do not).
Poets & Writers offers a detailed overview of the start-to-finish process of “Publishing Your Book,” where you’ll find information on small presses versus large publishers, the ins and outs of the submission process, how to craft book proposals, the contents of a standard book contract, and much more. P&W’s guide suggests starting your search with small presses and university presses, which do not always require an agent.
On the other hand, if you are interested in your work reaching a wider audience, an agent is a crucial part of the publication process as most major publishing houses do not consider unagented manuscripts. We’ll cover more on the different routes of publishing in part five of this series, but for now, if you have determined that you do need an agent for your current project, keep reading.
Finding an Agent
How do you get your work in the hands of an agent so they can get it in the hands of publishers? Let’s dig in:
- Jane Friedman offers compelling advice on both locating agents and presenting your work to potential agents in "How to Find a Literary Agent for Your Book" on her blog.
- Mike Shatzkin, from The Idea Logical Company, points out in "Advice for an Author Looking for a Literary Agent" that after locating potential agents and submitting your work along with query letters and synopses, deciding on which agent to work with might boil down to chemistry. Do your research, he argues, and “learn to use the tools at Publishers Marketplace to zero in on the agents who sell stuff like yours.”
In our Writer to Agent Webinar Series, agents from Folio Literary Management, along with guest agents, editors, and authors, talk publishing. Find these episodes and more on the AWP website:
Over the years, many panels at the annual AWP Conference have focused on the process of finding a home for writers’ completed manuscripts. We have included three from our Podcast Series here that speak specifically to the relationships between agents, editors, and writers:
- "Author & Editor: The Relationship that Builds a Book" presents writers Jess Walter, Chuck Palahniuk, and Monica Drake, alongside editor Calvert Morgan of HarperCollins, who “discuss the alchemy behind creating such great works of fiction as Beautiful Ruins and Doomed. More than just a conversation on the nuts and bolts of getting a book published, they will look at how the author/editor relationship affects the novel on the shelf.”
- "How to Begin after ‘The End’: Publishing Pros on Turning Your Manuscript into a Book" presents a panel of agents and editors discussing “practical advice for literary writers whose novels, memoirs, and collections are ready to meet the world.
- In "Agents Without Borders," West Coast agents Betsy Amster, Elise Capron, Rebecca Friedman, Aimee Liu, and Angela Rinaldi discuss the benefits of finding literary representation based outside of New York.
That’s plenty for now! Remember to check out our next installment when you’re looking for some publishing advice.
Warm Wishes,
Your Membership Team
