Reading time: Less than 1 minute
This is my weekly installment of “writing about writing,” in which I scan the world to find websites, books and articles to help other writers. Today I discuss a blog post about how to find an agent…
I’m a big believer in self-publishing. But if you don’t share my enthusiasm, or if the whole idea of going on your own just seems too overwhelming, you may be wondering how to find an agent.
Many people pursue agents badly. They spell names incorrectly, they fill their pitch with typos. They don’t provide enough technical detail about their books.
Worse (and I had no idea this was even a thing), some people apparently do things like write the pitch letter from their character’s point of view. Weird, eh?
If you have always wondered how to approach an agent professionally, let me direct you to a short and succinct blog post by Jessica Faust, coowner of BookEnds Literary agency.
Running under the headline Top Ten Query Tips, Jessica’s post spells out 10 pieces of advice for agent seekers. They include:
- Know who you are querying
- Personalize the query
- Check for typos
- Keep it concise
- Stick to the facts
- Use the third person only
- Give us the specs
- Tell us about you
- Don’t be weird
- Master the blurb
I’ve also prepared a video on the art of finding an agent so if that’s a topic that interests you, be sure to check it out.
