On another thread I mentioned I had an agent interested in a novel I'm working on, and someone emailed me asking how to go about getting an agent. I thought I'd reply in a new thread as it might interest a few of you.

I don't have a contract with an agent ... yet!!! I wrote a novel, and met an agent at a writing conference. After we talked about my novel and myself, she asked me to send her a synopsis and three chapters. I did. She liked it and asked to see the full manuscript. She ummed and aahed over it for few weeks, then said she couldn't take that particular novel on, but liked my writing and wanted to see my next novel. That next novel is now well under way and she's agreed to take a look at it before it's finished.

The advice doled out on writing courses, in writing mags, etc. is to send a synopsis and first three chapters to several agents. This is what's known as an unsolicited submission. (I.e. the agent doesn't know you and hasn't asked you to send it.) About 1 in something like 10,000 get chosen via this method! Agents read unsolicited manuscripts expecting them not to be good enough, and approach them with that thought in mind. So to be picked from the 'slush pile' you really have to have written something stunningingly original and brilliantly crafted.

I know a few published novelists and not one of them got an agent that way. They all manouvred their way into developing an 'ongoing dialogue' with an agent (as I've done) and eventually, after a lot of persistance, writing and rewriting, got themselves a contract.

Hope this helps someone.

Regards
Daisy2004

I can see Katie getting a lot of "chatty" emails from here on.




Anyway Daisy, great attitude, pressing on with something new, but does that mean you are going to ditch all of that work on a single opinion, or are you going to continue to pitch your completed novel around? Loyalty is a nice thing, but it doesn't pay the bills.

Colin M.

I've found an excellent article on this which I thought I'd share with everyone

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/getwriting/agentstale

Thank you Traveller, it was an informative article.

Hi Daisy, I found your piece very interesting. I'm now on my second attempt at writing after a break of about seven years. The first time around though, I got an agent via a published author who was the colleague of a friend. After my letter beginning 'X suggested that I contact you,' I was invited to a meeting in which I was told that the book I had sent showed every sign that I could write, but wasn't really publishable. The agent suggested though that I start again and write a financial thriller (I have a City background) with a female protangonist. I wrote three drafts of that for him, but it was not the right style of book for me, and it didn't work out. So the agent and I parted company.

Then I wrote a novel that was more general fiction and sent out three chapters of that, unsolicted, to agents one at a time (as the books all advised). A couple of people asked to read the whole thing, and one, with great speed invited me in for a meeting. Several weeks later, after that particular agent had actually read my book, I then got the thumbs down. In the end I ran out of money, didn't get a deal, and went back to a very time-consuming job.

This time around I'm going down the unsolicited route again as I no longer know anyone in publishing. I have had no success yet. However, unless the business has changed completely in the last seven years (and this is certainly possible) my previous experiences tell me that some agents at least do read their slush piles. And after Ms Rowling's enormous success, I would have thought that they should be paying this source of new writing more attention than ever.

Adele.

Yes, Colin, I most certainly have pitched it elsewhere, sadly to no avail. Quite a few sent 'good' rejections that showed they'd actually read it and considered it. However, I've been through this process a couple of times now, with different novels, and have been 'in dialogue' with several agents, so I'm focussing on the one who's shown the most interest .. which also happens to be the one I like best.

To Adele. Not sure whether to congratulate you or commisserate! To get so close must be so frustrating. I know how it feels. But at least you know you can write in a way that makes agents sit up and take a good look.The slush pile no doubt does produce the occasional success, but the odds are against it, that's all. If you can bypass it in any way you increase the odds. Good luck. It sounds as if you'll make it one day soon.

By the way, the Winchester Conference provides ten minute slots for you to meet with an agent face to face. Worth it if you can afford to go.

Regards
Daisy 2004

Hello again Daisy, just back from seeing a good new American indie film, The Station Agent, which was quite unlike anything I've seen recently, and which I'd definitely recommend. I am intrigued by the sound of your Winchester Conference, could you please tell us more?

Thanks,

Adele.

I'm also grateful to Daisy for mentioning the opportunity to meet agents at the Winchester Conference (especially in view of her earlier comments about establishing a dialogue with an agent!) I've just looked on the WW diary and got the following info: this year's conference takes place 27June to 4th July. Info on 01962 712307 or WriterConf@aol.com See you there! - Simon

Adele,

I went to Winchester last year and can really recommend it. Here’s a link…

http://www.gmp.co.uk/writers/conference

Cheers,

Dee.

Dee and Pondle, many thanks for the info. I'll definitely look into it.

Wow, how incredibly annoying and frustrating for you.

I've wanted to be a writer since about birth, so I know what it feels like to want to get published. I did some research on the net, and just like you, all the sites gave the same advive: send your letter with three chapters and your heart and soul and first born and and maybe just maybe we'll look it over. I did no such thing. I found Publish America (you can check out their website). Their royalties aren't crazy high, but they give only unknown writers the chances they deserve. They took my book and sent me a contract within a month. And no, I don't have to pay for a damn thing. Trust me, I've even written to other authors asking for advice as to whether or not I should go with them and they all said the same thing; getting the first one published is the hardest, so take what you can get for now.

I don't know, but it sounds like you've really got talent, and passion to boot. Maybe you should give them a try?

I hope this wasn't the most useless email in the history of the internet.

Have a jolly good day

Bibi

Hi Bibi, thanks for your posting. I'm up late as I've been watching Bertolucci's The Last Emperor, and although it's a beautiful film, I kept falling asleep and then having to rewind. Have you seen the movie? It's about Pu Li, who had a far worse fate than having and losing an agent and not getting a publishing deal. He became Emperor of China at the age of three, was kept in splendid isolation in the Forbidden City, and later ended up, after World War II, in a real jail as a political prisoner for ten years. It seems also that everyone he ever loved abandoned him in some way. It is a very touching story.

I hope I still have a chance of becoming a published author, whereas he had no chance of regaining the life he wanted.

Many thanks for your advice, and good jolly luck with your work.

Adele.

<Added>

Oops, important typo there - his name was Pu Yi

You might wish to check out Publish America listing and comments on:

http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/

before you rush in.
Best
Sion

Hi Sion, and thanks for that. I had no plans to rush in as I've currently got a submission out with an agent, and would much prefer to go down the conventional road. It is though useful to know as many options as possible, even if not all of them are equally alluring...

Thanks again,

Adele.