Ted Huntington asked Morgan Shamy:

Hi Morgan - Congrats on the new book! Question: what is the best way to get a literary agent to represent you?

Morgan Shamy I just saw this! My apologies! This is a fantastic question. I've had three agents, so I know the process pretty well. Obviously the first thing is to write the best book you know how. Don't be afraid to ask for advice and apply criticism where needed. (Be wary of having too many beta readers though, because a jumble of thoughts can mess up your book!) Next, is writing a solid query letter, with a strong hook. You want the letter to be tight and clear, with solid knowledge of what the book is about, what are the stakes, and what makes it different. You also want to make sure your first chapter is as polished as it can be. Be as professional as possible. Then you research! I think Querytracker is the best way to find agents. Twitter too. Don't query agents that don't represent your genre. Be strategic with the way you query--only send out ten at a time to see if your query works before you ruin your chances. If agents aren't responding well, then definitely take another look at your query letter and first pages. Then when you start getting good response, it's only a matter of time until an agent falls in love with your project and takes you on!

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