Getting a Literary Agent
I decided I needed an agent for my second book. I know—it sounds pretentious.
But apparently these days it’s a requirement for getting a book published by one of the larger publishers where a writer has a greater chance for success. At least this is true for fiction. (For non-fiction there’s a 50/50% chance of success without an agent.) 
Agents are the gate keepers publishers rely on to sort through the gazillions of manuscripts people send in every week, only a few of worthy of consideration. Most manuscripts that hit their desks aren’t:
polished enough—just not ready for prime time (Hence the need for Feed Back Buddies post haste.)
the genre or category a publisher handles
what the reading public is in the mood for (Right now it’s vampires, so I might be in trouble here.)
Most larger publishers will throw out without reading any un-agented manuscript that reaches them. But it’s also to the writer’s advantage to have an agent because
they already have built relationships with publishers and can get the writer in the door,
they fight to get writers the best, most lucrative contract, because they get paid a % of sales,
they make sure writers get paid and on time, and
they sometimes offer additional services like minor editing.
And so I’ve been pondering the need for an agent for months now. But I forced myself to keep my nose to the grindstone and finish the book first, because should an agent show interest in your work, you’ve got to have the manuscript finished and polished to a high gloss. (Hence the need for Feed Back Buddies post haste.)
So with the manuscript of Honor at Stake essentially finished, I’ve turned my attention to getting an agent. The first step is to consult books like Guide to Literary Agents and Writer’s Market for the agents most suited to my work. Agents, like publishers, specialize in certain types of books, so you might as well not waste your time and effort contacting ones that won’t be interested. Many of the agencies exhort authors to do their homework before submitting. So that’s what I’m doing this week. You can learn a lot by carefully reading the listings. Many agencies will tell you outright what they do NOT want to receive. Here are two examples:
Does not want: Does not want to receive category romance, erotica, inspirational, historical, sci-fi/fantasy, horror/dark thrillers, short stories/novella, children's picture books, poetry, screenplays.
Does not want: Does not want to receive poetry, screenplays, short stories, westerns, horror, new age, religion, crafts, cookbooks, gift books.
Since these agencies don’t want “inspirational” or “religion” I’m assuming they would disapprove of the biblical themes in my book. Other agencies list what they do specifically want. For example:
Actively Seeking: "BookEnds is currently accepting queries from published and unpublished writers in the areas of romance (and all its sub-genres), erotica, mystery, suspense, women's fiction, and literary fiction. We also do a great deal of nonfiction in the areas of self-help, business, finance, health, pop science, psychology, relationships, parenting, pop culture, true crime, and general nonfiction."
I got excited about the fact they’re interested in "unpublished writers", but lost interest when I saw they’re actively seeking “erotica.” It doesn’t sound like the kind of agency I’d want to do business with.
The following agency interests me, however. CBA stands for Christian Booksellers Association, which means this agency definitely is geared to my type of work. And they’re looking for YA, that is, Young Adult, which is another step in the right direction. The fact that they want “literary” YA is a plus, since my novel is definitely not about shallow topics like the high school clique scene. The only downer is they want fiction by “established authors,” and I don’t know if I qualify as that.
Represents: nonfiction books, most genres of commercial adult fiction and nonfiction, as well as select young adult projects
Actively Seeking: "We are most interested in commercial women's fiction, especially elegantly crafted, sweeping historicals, edgy, fresh teen/chick/mom/lady lit, and CBA women's fiction by established authors. We are also very keen on literary historical mysteries and literary YA novels. Topical, timely nonfiction projects in a variety of subject areas are also of interest, especially prescriptive how-to, self-help, sports, humor, and pop culture."
Here is what a complete listing from Writer’s Market looks like:
HARTLINE LITERARY AGENCY
123 Queenston Dr.
Pittsburgh PA 15235-5429
Phone: (412)829-2483
Fax: (412)829-2432
E-mail: joyce@hartlineliterary.com
Website: www.hartlineliterary.com
Contact
Contact: Joyce A. Hart.
Member Agents: Joyce A. Hart, principal agent, Terry Burns: terry@hartlineliterary.com, Tamela Hancock Murray: tamela@hartlineliterary.com, Diana Flegal: diana@hartlineliterary.com
Specialties: "This agency specializes in the Christian bookseller market."
Agent receives 15% commission on domestic sales.
Freelance Facts
Member of AAR: False
Member of WGA: False
Simultaneous Submissions: Yes
Current Handles: nonfiction books 40%,novels 60%
Number of clients: 40
Submissions: Submit summary/outline, author bio, 3 sample chapters.
Responds in 2 months to queries. Responds in 3 months to mss.
Obtains most new clients through recommendations from others.
Offers written contract.
20% new writers.
Needs
Represents: nonfiction books, novels
Actively Seeking: Actively seeking adult fiction, self-help, nutritional books, devotional, and business.
Does not want: Does not want to receive erotica, gay/lesbian, fantasy, horror, etc.
Nonfiction
Needs: business,child guidance,cooking,diet/nutrition,economics,foods,inspirational,money,parenting,religious,self-help,women's issues,women's studies
Fiction
Represents: action,adventure,contemporary issues,family saga,historical,inspirational,literary,mystery,regional,religious,suspense,thriller amateur sleuth, cozy, contemporary, gothic, historical, and regency romances
It sounds like it might be a great match for me! And they do take new writers! Oh, but wait. They don’t mention Young Adult one time. Sigh.
So I’ll keep searching. It’s obviously not going to be easy to find just the right agent.
