I have two questions -

1) Is it necessary to send work by registered post to agents? I live abroad and the cost of the international reply coupons and specially registered letters is phenomenal (around £6 a pop!)

2) letter to the agent - I have two versions - one quite standard, the other is much punchier, but also more sales-y and ends with this:

I love writing and have already had success as a journalist - (might not put that in) However, I will not hide the fact that my current aim is to become a successful commercial author. I do believe that BOOK NAME would appeal to a wide audience, and I hope it will prove of interest to you.

Does the end sound too cheesy and smarmy? (Pitchfork-bearers please be gentle in your replies - I am but a lowly chick-lit author....)

Feedback much appreciated.

Hi Swiss Miss, I'm afraid I can't help you with question one, but on the letter, I think it should be as 'salesy' as possible. An agent wants to know what makes you stand out from the crowd, they want to know that you are committed to what you do, and that you are a marketable individual with a marketable book. I would also leave in your reference to journalism as it shows that you have some kind of track record as a writer.

By the way, you are very lucky to be in the world's most beautiful country! Best of luck,

Al.

I have read NOT to send things registered post as, if there is no one there to receive it, they have to schlepp down to to Post Office to pick it up. I think Katie (Elspeth) may have posted something on the subject if you trawl the forums.

Elspeth

Swiss,

Agents/publishers don't like registered mail as they have to sign for it and that's timewasting, so just send by usual post, but perhaps put in a small SAE so they can notify you when it arrives safely. (As well as the large brown envelope for the return of the ms.)

In answer to the second part of your question; no, that doesn't sound smarmy - and you do have to sell yourself as well as the book, so put the first bit in too. If you don't list your successes no one else will, so go for it, and good luck!

Romilly,

Cool name by the way.

You could maybe call them and ask if it would be ok to email your work due to your unique circumstance.

Failing that you could always save on half the postage by popping it in the post at work!

Geoff

Romilly,

Definitely definitely definitely tell them of any success you have had with your writing. You are selling yourself, not just one novel.

I've heard that some agents will accept email submissions from overseas but it would be best, as Geoff said, to ask them first. DON'T send anything registered post. If the agent has to go to the post office to collect it they'll be well pissed off with you before they even open your envelope. All you need to do is enclose a stamped addressed postcard. If you're sending out multiple submissions you'll need to write something on the message side to give you a clue who it's coming back from without giving them the impression that another thirty agents have got the same material.

Good luck

Dee.

You know as a novice to this writing game - I find all this agent stuff really absurd - why should we write a letter saying how great our work is and how marketable we are? Surely the job of an agent is to FIND talent - in my mind, an agent is a parasite seeking to latch on to a writer - rather like the mosquito I describe in one of my uploaded pieces - the agent has no talent but their livelihood depends on someone who does..us, the writer...to sum up, they are a necessary evil (although perhaps one day, they will be cut out completely as technology progresses and writers can publish without going through the filter of cash register eyes)..there, got that off my chest...

Perhaps,

Often I harbour such thoughts myself, buut ever the devils advocate I would ask how ell you know the market.

Do you know which publisher is looking for what and when? Do you know how to get a publisher to even look at your manuscript when there are thousands of others out there? Do you know how to negoiate royalties, overseas deals, options for films? Do you know how to really pitch your book? Do you know who to turn to to get the right publicity? Is your contacts list extensive?

Maybe they're not so useless afterall.

Geoff

Yes!!! Well said, Geoff!

Traveller, you really have to understand the people you are dealing with if you want to see your work published – and be professional about them… don;t just slag them off - see them for the professionals they are...

Dee

I'm sorry that's bull**** Yes, they have contacts, knowledge of the industry, the ability to negotiate royalty rates as Geoff rather helpfully pointed out (despite it being blindingly obvious)..but they are NOT professionals - in the same way that estate agents are NOT professionals - you don't need any particular expertise to be a literary agent I don't think - perhaps you could both enlighten me as to how one joins this so-called "profession" and what the rigorous criteria are for joining it.

Enlighten you? I can’t spare that much time.

Dee.

Hi Swiss Miss,

Have you tried Piatkus Publishers. They still support Chick-Lit and take on new authors. It may be worth a shot. This is their website.
http://www.piatkus.co.uk/

Check out the FAQ. How to get Published.
Good luck,
Dawn,x

Professional?

What's professional? A rigorous set of exams leading to qualifications? Does that make you any better, more worthy? Harold Shipman was a professional, Nick Leeson too, and any other number of criminals you care to mention. There are also many worthy and capable people who are not classed as professionals, does this mean they are worth any less?

How about professional writers, what rigorous framework must they put themselves through? The answer is scrutiny. A professional writer is a person who makes a living through writing. If people do not like what they write then it will not be read. If no-one wants to read it they can hardly support themselves, and so would not be considered professional. The have undergone scrutiny and been deemed worthy of reading.

And so to agents. I would hate to have to guess how many manuscripts are turned out on an annual basis, millions probably. Work sent to agents is subjected to scrutiny. Is it any good? Will it sell? Does this person have what it takes? The agents in turn are subject to the scrutiny of the publishing houses. Do they bring credible, well crafted, profit turning scripts? Pubishers will soon weed out those that waste their time.

Agents typically take between 10 and 20 percent. Ten to twenty percent of nothing is still nothing. Agents who cannot sell work will earn nothing. If you earn nothing you cannot sustain yourself as an agent. Therefore those that do manage to earn a living from it must be credible (at least in the ability to sell work) and that is the rigoroud framework which they must put themselves through on a daily basis.

I could go on, but I think I have proven the usefulness of agents and how they are qualified as professional.

Now lets get back to the point at hand and give useful suggestions to Romilly regarding her book.

Geoff

Hi Dawn

Spot on! Piatkus are one of the few publishers I'm trying as they have quite a strong commerical catalogue.

Thanks to everyone for their helpful comments and thank god I asked, I obviously narrowly escaped annoying a whole bunch of agents and scuppering my chances before my manuscript even reached their desk!

I have to agree with Geoff and Dee, I simply haven't got the negotiating skills and contacts that my agent has. He's got me more money in deals than I ever could have got for myself. He's out there day in day out meeting and greeting the sort of people I wouldn't know how to say Boo too, and I value his experience very much. Enough said, I guess, but good luck to anyone who doesn't agree.