Hello Everyone,

I'm new to the forum (free trial month) but old to writing. I'm on my third attempt at a novel and it's going well so far. My first attempt was when i was twenty-two, my second mid twenties, and now i reach my third.

I had some great feedback on my second novel and had a full ms request from a very established editor/publishing house. They passed in the end, but it gave me encouragement.

Now, as i approach the finish line on my current novel i am just wondering what is the best way to find an agent? I've done the send letters to them via the Writers' and Artists' Yearbook.

Anyone know of any good websites or online submissions for the UK? Or anyway that i might be able to email an editor or agent an inquiry? I travel a lot so it's difficult to send letters.

Thanks!

Hello Dem, and welcome to WW.

More and more agents do seem to accept electronic submissions, although you may need to check their website to know if they do or not. And the physical WAAYB is still the most complete listing that I know of - I don't think there's an online setup that's equally comprehensive.

I know that writers who live abroad have often emailed to ask if they can submit by email even if the agency doesn't normally, and been told it's fine, so you could try that.

But there aren't any shortcuts, really; no way of doing blanket approaches. You just have to do the legwork of researching which agencies you want to approach, researching how they like to be approached, and then doing it that way.

Thanks!

Being abroad is frustrating as all my books, including WAAYB are in the loft. Guess it's time to hunt through the web and see if i can find a list of decent agents in the UK. Anyone know of good fiction (commercial and literary) agents? Say, a top 10?

Actually I found the website authoradvance better in some ways than the WAAYB. The WAAYB is more comprehensive and authoritative but author advance us better on individual agents and their quirks, as oppose to the agency as a whole.

Authoradvance also covers the US though (I think) so you do have to filter out those results and adjust for some if the US quirks - such as listing agents who accept "MG" which is a solely US term.

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I wouldn't ever use an online query service though. They do exist but I think that particular shortcut us a false economy. Research the agents online, check their website to see if they accept online submissions, by all means. But make the actual submission yourself.

Great, do you have a link?

I'm on my phone which makes cutting and pasting a pain but just google authoradvance, all one word. If you can't find it let me know and I'll check when um at my PC

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Clearly that was meant to be I'm! Bloody phone...

Thank you! anymore sites or agents for fiction that can be recommended is greatly appreciated!

Hm... I just had a look on authoradvance which I haven't checked since I was subbing my own novel, and there are a few out of date listings in the handful I checked - eg out of date addresses, a deceased agent still listed, etc etc.

So I would say check anything you find against the agency's own website very carefully! But it's still a good resource to get names and ideas to research further.

I don't think any "top ten" would be worth the paper it's written on, to be honest. The top ten for what? Measured how?

Ultimately you want the right personal fit for your book and you, and you're only going to find that by wading through a lot of info.

Good luck!

Dem, your story sounds so much like mine! Wrote a rubbish first novel. Got a request for the full on the second. Wrote another couple that got nowhere, got more than one request for the full on another one... and finally managed to find an agent, ten years down the line!

Best thing is to get the Yearbook, check out the ones that publish your kind of novel and get online to have a look at their websites. You can then find out what sort of tastes individual agents have, and target your submissions accordingly. Write the best letter you can (obviously you can already do that, since you've experience of subbing before) and maybe think about uploading your synopsis on the group here for feedback.

Then whack off a few and see what happens!

And keep us posted as to how you get on

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a lot of the children's agents take e-mail subs but I think the others vary. It's certainly becoming a lot more common.

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also meant to say, check out the directory here on WW. It lists a lot of agents and there's feedback from people that have recently subbed to them. Can be most useful

Thanks Freebird, great advice. I'm just trying to get it out there and snag an agent. How did you manage to find yours? Was it tricky or did they read, love and take it on quickly?

It's one of those things aye, you spend years (literally) crafting and having near misses, then one day it just happens. I remember when the publishing house people said they liked my opening chapters, it was like a lightning bolt.

Will keep you posted!

The agent that took me on eventually was one that I sent my chapters to almost by accident. Not targeted or researched, but I happened to discover that she accepted e-mail subs and my package was all there on the computer, so I thought 'What the heck?' and sent it!

She loved it enough to meet me, say that it sagged in the middle and needed quite a big rewrite, but that if I did it to her satisfaction, she would take me on. So I did, and she did.

It hasn't sold yet, mind you (although there is a sniff of interest just this week), but no matter. I've just cracked on with the next book, made it stronger in response to editor's comments on the last one, and all the way my agent has believed in me even though I haven't earnt her a penny yet!

I hope you get a good response for this book. If you got a request for the full last time, it's a sure sign that you're on the right track and you must continue to write until you get there

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P.S where abroad are you? There are some agencies who are more accommodating in that respect than others, I think. But a fair proportion of the writers on WW live out of the UK, so they would be better placed to advise on that

Hey Freebird,

I'm off to Asia very soon, not much of a market for UK writer's there!

Electronic submissions or sympathetic agents is the only way I'll realistically get my work read while out there. Going to send emails explaining my situation so hopefully they'll take a few submissions via email.

Really feel that once this one is done i have a real shot. It's such a better plot and faster pace, and if honest, more interesting, ha ha!

Great news for you Freebird, you excited to have a full ms request and agent?? I'd be unbelievably chuffed.

Maybe not much of a market, but keep a diary - you could get a novel out of the trip later

Yes! So true, so many inspiring moments are had when traveling. I pretty much live on the road, really gives my stories a sense of motion. I hope.

Anymore wise advice about agents? I'm almost at editing point. Which in reality will takes months, but in my dreams means i am nearing the finishing line of a very progressive, but also incredibly draining step in the world of scribble.

D

I think there really isn't a short cut, or even a clever one. You just have to submit widely but individually, get on with the next novel, and pray.