by Betsy Amster, Los Angeles, CA
Finding Agents
1. Best source of names: Personal referral.
2. Writers' conferences or classes where agents speak.
3. The acknowledgments section of books you admire.
4. Published directories:
- JEFF HERMAN'S GUIDE TO BOOK PUBLISHERS, EDITORS, AD LITERARY AGENTS (Three Dog Press). An annual directory based n a clever, highly revealing questionnaire. Herman gives a good sense of each lis ed agent's taste, track record, and personality.
- GUIDE TO LITERARY AGENTS. Writers' Digest. An informative annual directory that divides agents into non-fee-charging and fee-charging and lists agents' recent deals.
- LITERARY MARKET PLACE (LMP) – a database widely available in libraries
5. Web sites
- Publishers Marketplace: An enormously informative subscription web site that tracks almost every aspect of publishing agents, editorial consultants, deals, reviews and bestseller lists, Amazon rankings, publishing news. You can view member pages (which give agents' contact information, areas of interest, recent sales, etc.) without subscribing to the site.
- Association of Authors' Representatives web site: Check whether a particular agent is a member of AAR, browse FAQs, and read the AAR's Canon of Ethics, which all members must subscribe to.
- Agent Query – Another excellent site. Be sure to click on "full profile" to get the agent's complete submission requirements.
- Google any agent you're interested in – you'll often find articles or interviews that go well beyond the directory or web site listings.
Sizing Up Agents
Areas to investigate (via directory or website research) or discuss:
1. Commission. Most book agents charge 15% for domestic sales and 20% for foreign sales (because they team up other agents abroad). Occasionally the foreign percentage is higher because the sub-agent's percentage is more than 10%. Any deviation from these amounts would be cause for concern.
2. Expenses. Agents commonly charge clients for overseas postage, photocopying, messengers, galleys, and similar costs involved in submitting proposals and manuscripts. These costs are considerably less than they used to be because of e-mail.
3. Fees. Certain agents charge reading fees, but this is a highly controversial area. (See Writers' Digest's GUIDE TO LITERARY AGENTS for more information including detailed information on the fees each listed agent charges, if any.) Some agents charge a blanket "marketing fee" instead of itemizing expenses. This, too, is controversial.
4. Representation agreement. Some agents rely on a verbal agreement. Other agents prefer a written agreement. Agents tend to offer one of two types: agreements that cover individual books (often with an option to handle the next book if the current project is placed), or term agreements that cover a specific length of time.
5. Track record. Ideally, you will know something about an agent's background and which writers she or he represents before you make your approach. If an agent is brand new, it's reasonable to ask something about his or her background. The agent's access to editors and knowledge of how the publishing business works are obviously key.
6. Help with your proposal. Does the agent feel your proposal is ready to go? If not, how much help will he or she be able to give you on it? (Many agents will offer you a certain amount of free editorial advice, but if your proposal or manuscript needs a great deal of work, don't be surprised if your agent refers you to an editorial consultant.)
7. Use of sub-agents. Agents commonly use sub-agents to handle foreign rights and film rights. Does the agent you're considering have a network of foreign sub-agents? How does he or she handle film rights?
8. Working style. An agent should discuss her strategy (one round of submissions? More than one?), share the list of editors she plans to approach, give you copies of rejection letters, and otherwise make her process completely transparent to you. Be sure to ask any prospective agent how he or she likes to work.
9. Royalty reports. Make sure any agent you sign with will send you royalty reports whether or not any money is due.
Components of a Book Proposal
- Overview: 3 – 8 pages.
- Function: To introduce the subject and make a strong case for why you should write this book. Writing style is extremely important here.
- Competition: 1/2 – 3 pages
- An analysis of competing books. Function: To define succinctly how your book is different from the competition and to show you know who your competitors are. Be thorough, but don't nit pick. The differences you cite must be substantial.
- Audience: 1/2 – 2 pages
- Function: To back up any claims you make in the overview with statistics or any other evidence of trends that you can muster. To help the publisher visualize your reader in some detail.
- Marketing Plan: 1-4 pages
- Function: To show the publisher that you are in a position to help publicize and sell your book. This section of the proposal has become increasingly elaborate as publishers put more and more of the responsibility for publicity and promotion on authors.
- About the Author: 1/2 – I page
- Usually written in the third person. Function: To convince the publisher that you're the right – perhaps even the only – person to write the book. Very formulaic – a brisk, casually confident tone is best. Do not include irrelevant detail (such as the year you graduated from college!).
- Table of Contents: 1 page
- Chapter Summaries: 1/2 – 3 pp. for each chapter or
- Sample entries (if you're writing a directory, guidebook, or other highly formatted book)
- Sample chapter: optional (depends on situation)
- Also useful to include: Newspaper and/or magazine clips to show where you've been previously published or cited; video clips if you've been on TV; your speaking schedule if you speak frequently.
