Ways to make an agent stop reading….
Last night, I did an event at Blackwell’s Oxford with my literary agent, Judith Murray of Greene & Heaton. We wanted to demystify the process of getting your book published. I feel really strongly about this because, ten years ago when I was starting out (writing non-fiction) I found the world of literary agents and editors intimidating. It all seemed like a closed shop – a private member’s club – and I had no idea how to ‘get in’. So, to save others this paranoid ordeal, Judith and I sat down in a beautiful Oxford bookshop and busted some myths:
Myth 1: ‘I don’t need a literary agent, I’ll just go straight to the editor/publisher’. Reality: You could, but your chances of getting an editor to actually read your book let alone buy it are teeny (unless they are a small publisher actively seeking submissions, which is rare). Agents save overburdened editors time. Editors trust good literary agents – they take their submissions seriously: ie. they read them!
Myth 2: ‘Agents get too many submissions, they don’t want mine too’. Reality: Agents are indeed inundated – Judith gets 30 submissions a day – but they do WANT to hear from you. Agents are always looking for the next talented, marketable writer.
Myth 3: ‘Even if I do send it to an agent it’ll probably go on a slush pile’. Reality: Judith looks at every single one of those 30 daily submissions. Every single one.
Myth 4: ‘Only people with literary connections get published, there’s no hope for an unknown like me even though my book is a work of genius’. Reality: Agents take on unknown writers all the time. It’s their job to spot talented writers. The key is how you approach them – if you put them off through an inept first approach you’re in the bin. As Judith says: ‘In some ways we’re looking for a reason to stop reading…’ Don’t give them that reason!
Five quickest ways to make Judith stop reading your emailed submission:
Make spelling or grammatical errors
Write more than a paragraph or two in a waffly or clumsy style.
Use emoticons, different fonts or colours in your email.
Make inflated comparisons ‘I’m the next JK Rowling/Proust/Salman Rushdie’
Send a ten page synopsis or otherwise ignore the guidelines for submissions set out clearly on the agency website.
And…five ways to catch Judith’s attention:
Avoid all the pitfalls above
Be succinct, polite, clear and articulate
Mention any professional writing you’ve done – journalism, screenplays, documentary film making (that piece in the Church Gazette in 1998 doesn’t count)
Mention any prizes, awards, or competitions you have won or been shortlisted for (again, the Parish council short story comp isn’t quite enough, but the Bridport or another big short story prize would make her read on)
Briefly – one sentence – describe your novel, and mention where you think it fits the market without being inflated or mad (for instance, say something like ‘I’d probably put myself in a similar bracket to…’)
In short literary agents WANT to hear from you. You are not inconveniencing them by sending them your work. But they are extremely busy. If you make their job as easy as possible, by approaching them professionally and sticking to their submissions guidelines, then you’ll significantly raise the chances that your submission will be read and taken seriously.
