wtorek, 18 października 2011

Finding A Literary Agent You Can Work With

By Carole Ashley


You have finally finished writing the book you've been dreaming about writing for a while, and you have poured your heart into it. And you thought that you have crossed the biggest hurdle? Well now comes the tougher part, which is to get your book printed and making it see the light of the day. To get your book in print, the best thing to do is to get the help of a literary agent. And you don't just need a mediocre agent, but one that can actually sell your book. There are many kinds of literary agents and hence you have to be careful with who you choose to represent you.

First of all, you must inquire about the type of books different agents represent. This is important since some agents work with fiction, some specialize in poetry whereas other love technical titles. Once you identify a list of agents who deal in your area of work, you would need to zero down on someone who can ensure that your interests are protected. This can actually be a tricky step. It's almost like searching for a needle in a haystack. Don't be surprised if you keep bumping into scammers disguised as book agents. Though people like these are available in plenty, they are in it only for themselves and can be really terrible at their job.

Most good agents have learned their skills by working with other agents before. Those previous jobs probably taught them valuable skills necessary to talk to publishers and clients. He would have the gone ahead and set up his own business. These agents work hard and don't ask for any money aside than the standard commission. They will also do things like editing your books free of cost.

If you have hired a scammer, you are probably going to receive a bill even before your book comes out in print. This is something that a genuine agent will not do. Once your book starts selling, he gets his money as a share of the amount you get from the proceeds. his can be a real-time filter of isolating a scammer from a genuine agent. Also, a scammer will make you get your revisions and editing done by a third party though it is supposed to be done by him for free. They are book agents after all and it is imperative that they should have editing skills.

In short, make sure you do extensive research on literary agents. You should feel comfortable with them right through. And if something doesn't strike you right, feel free to switch to a new one as soon as possible. And it is okay for you to switch more than once, since you must always feel comfortable with the people you are working with. Your agent can make or break your literary dreams.




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