WHY CHOOSE A LITERARY AGENT?
At long last you have finished your book and completed its edits, proof reading and polished it as much as possible, so what should you cover next in the grand design of getting published?
Well for some authors finding a literary Agent will be their priority, yes they will take a percentage from you but their knowledge, contacts and insight into the publishing world can make a massive and positive difference. Once an agent can match your work against the right publishing house they will be there to negotiate the best contract for you, an agent who does their job well will become the in-between for both you and the publisher, they will be able to extend any deadlines, create marketing options and push for a better contract if needed.
Well for some authors finding a literary Agent will be their priority, yes they will take a percentage from you but their knowledge, contacts and insight into the publishing world can make a massive and positive difference. Once an agent can match your work against the right publishing house they will be there to negotiate the best contract for you, an agent who does their job well will become the in-between for both you and the publisher, they will be able to extend any deadlines, create marketing options and push for a better contract if needed.
But working with one is a two-way street, it pays to invest time in developing your relationship with your agent as they are there to be in your corner. But how do you find one and what should you look out for before you sign a contract? Here we look at some ideas with the design of helping you get the best from an agent.
1) Have a clear understanding of your genre and style of writing, could you match your book to another popular author if an agent asks you what your style is? I’m not saying you have to be an exact copy (far from it) but knowing your specific genre and audience will help you.
2) Know where you are but still remain original, has your book got an individual edge which will make you stand out within your genre or are you trying to cover too wide an audience?
3) Research, go to your nearest book store and even read the inside pages of the books on Kindle (in your own genre again), you want to look at authors who pay thanks to their own agents and make a note of who they are.
4) Invest in the current edition of the writers and artists year book, this will also list agents for you along with further advice on how to contact and then work with an agent.
5) When you have decided upon an agent or you’ve narrowed it down to several that you want to contact you should check out where they’re based and how large they are, will you be working with several people or will it be just you and a one-man-band (which offers a more personal touch). Also how much will their fees be? (15% is the current industry standard).
6) Before signing any contract with them have questions ready to ask, all with the design of getting a better understanding of the way they operate, what you should expect from them and visa-versa.
I – How do they communicate with you, email, phone, Skype or face to face meetings?
II – Ask to see their client agreement contact and find out what are the terms should you
want or need to walk away in the future.
III – Are they currently members of The Association of Author Representatives?
IV – Who do they work with currently and what is their track record with titles published to date?
V – What edits do they think you could make to your work to ensure it’s successful?
VI – What would happen if the book itself doesn’t sell?
II – Ask to see their client agreement contact and find out what are the terms should you
want or need to walk away in the future.
III – Are they currently members of The Association of Author Representatives?
IV – Who do they work with currently and what is their track record with titles published to date?
V – What edits do they think you could make to your work to ensure it’s successful?
VI – What would happen if the book itself doesn’t sell?
Hopefully these tips should give you some food for thought when looking to publish your book, an agent can make a big difference in bringing your work to the attention of the publishers and a great one will see that your work gets every chance that it deserves.
