Your First Novel

  As you developed your list of agents' names, you came across more data about them than their contact information. If you didn't dive into it then, now's the time. Do any or all of the agents on your list have Web sites? Go to them and read every page. If not, read their profiles in the directories listed above. Do an Internet search using Google or Answers.com and see what you can find out. Don't just click through the first reference—go to live or ten at the very least. If you find a message board where other aspiring and/or published writers discuss the agent in question, you've hit pay dirt because you'll be able to post your own questions and get feedback from those other writers.

  Here's what you're going to be looking for at this stage of your research:

  1. Are they members of or recommended by any trade organizations?

  The only professional membership organization for literary agents in the U.S. is the Association of Authors' Representatives (see the sidebar on page 204 for more about the AAR). But here are some other organizations that can vouch for an agent's credibility or warn you away from those who have exhibited unethical behavior:

  • Romance Writers of America (http://www.rwanational.org/). The

  RWA is an incredibly well-run organization that holds annual conferences and has an active membership. On their Web site, under "Industry Resources," you'll find a list of "RWA Recognized Agents."

  • Preditors & Editors (www.anotherealm.com/pre deditors). This site not only lists agents, it will rate an agent as "Not Recommended" if the agent meets certain negative criteria. As a result, some agents refuse to be listed here. Such a refusal might or might not in itself be a warning sign—you'd do well to dig deeper if you don't find the name on this list.

  • Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, Inc. (www. sfwa.org). Another excellent site with extensive resources for writers—not only science fiction and fantasy writers—this site has a section about literary agents and what they should and should not do.

  2. Has the agent sold books to well-known or reputable publishing houses? If every book on an agent's list is published by an obscure publisher—defined as a publisher you've never heard of or one whose books you can't find in any bookstore—that agent might not be very effective. The SFWA Web site, in the section mentioned earlier called "Writer Beware," describes the "Amateur, Incompetent, and Marginal" agent (www.sfwa.org/beware/agents.html). While the article doesn't name names, it gives you a good feel of what to avoid, such as agents who charge up-front fees or have a poor sales record.

  3. Can you get a referral? Now is the time to call or e-mail all your writer friends and try to find someone who might know one or more of the agents on your list. You may have stumbled on such a connection in your research, in which case it's time to ask if you can use that person's name when writing to the agent. But try (diplomatically, of course) to pin down the depth of the relationship, because agents get a surprising number of letters that start "So-and-so suggested I write you about my novel"—and they have no idea who So-and-so is!

  FINALIZING YOUR QUERY LETTER

  Remember the statistic in the last chapter, that 80 percent of first-novel query letters should never have been sent? Some of those letters shouldn't have been sent because the novels they described weren't ready, by a long shot, to be published. And some were misdirected. In this day and age, there is simply no excuse for misdirecting your query letter. By misdirecting, I mean:

  • not bothering to find out if the agent is taking on new clients or considering unpublished writers

  • not researching the agent's areas of interest or specialty

  • not paying attention to the agent's submission guidelines

  • writing to an old address

  In addition to the names, addresses, and track records of your ten target agents, you're going to study their sales records and submission guidelines as if your life depended on it. Then you're going to write ten query letters. While they'll be substantially the same, each will be tailored to the person to whom it's addressed so it sounds as if you are writing to someone you know or have met.

  Through the course of your agent research, you've had a chance to think a bit about each of the names on your list. Agents aren't public people—ideally, we stand in the shadows behind the author—so it may be difficult to picture those on your list or to get an exact idea of who they are and what makes them tick. But if you've written a novel, you've imagined and brought to life whole characters from a few traits or a few words. Apply your imaginative novelist's mind to what you know about each agent and see what you come up with.

  Just as the letter isn't about you—it's about the book—it's not about the agent, either. Yet while you shouldn't say in your letter what you think the person you're writing to is like—the recipient will find that disconcerting, if not creepy—thinking of the agent as a person or a character will make it easier for you to write a letter that sounds like you at your most comfortable and confident. In other words, you'll write a letter that will sound like a writer an agent would be thrilled to represent.

  NEATNESS COUNTS

  To make sure your query letter is putting its best foot forward, check it against this list:

  • Is the letter free of typos?

  • Is the recipient's name spelled correctly?

  • Are you sure the address is correct? If you only looked in one place for the address, you can't be sure. Don't call the agency to verify the address—we get too many of those calls, and they eat up our time—but look through several directories and Web pages for confirmation.

  • Do you have good quality paper for the letters? It doesn't need to be fancy. Just good.

  • Do you have access to a laser printer or a printer that's not running out of ink?

  • Is the letter no more than one page long?

  THE (IN)FAMOUS SYNOPSIS_

  It seems that every article, guide, or Web site about getting published suggests that you prepare a synopsis of your novel. And that many agents (and publishers) ask that you send a synopsis of your novel when making your query. There just doesn't seem to be any way to get around the necessity of the synopsis. But I have to admit that I almost never read them, and neither do many of the fiction editors at the big mainstream publishing houses.

  Let me rephrase that: We don't like to read them because we would rather read the real thing—the novel itself. If we've read the first chapter or the first fifty pages or the first three chapters, and we've been charmed by the voice or gripped by the story or gotten obsessed with the main character, we're going to want to read on, so we will ask for the remainder of the manuscript if we don't have it.

  But synopses serve several purposes. If an agent's guidelines ask that you send a synopsis of your novel with the query, it might be because that agent routinely uses plot synopses to determine whether he'll find the book salable. I suspect this is more common in the traditional reaches of genres like science fiction, romance, or mystery, especially where the agent is selling to houses that have fairly strict writing guidelines.

  On eHarlequin.com, the Web site of the big romance publisher, an author who wishes to submit a manuscript is asked to submit "a synopsis of your story that gives a clear idea of both your plot and characters and is no more than two single-spaced pages"; the site further states: "Stories that contain scenes or plotlines that bear a striking resemblance to previously published work are in breach of copyright law and are not acceptable." It's clear that the editors at a house that publishes so many books in a similar vein need to see a synopsis to avoid plot and character overlap as much as possible—and to make sure no one's plagiarizing anyone else.

  KEEP IT SIMPLE

  Note that in the Harlequin example above, the synopsis should be "no more than two single-spaced pages." And there's the rub with the synopses most of us see: They are far too long. In fact, most people try to cram the two-page version into their query letter, making the letter far too long, and then enclose an additional synopsis of five or
ten or twenty pages.

  Most editors would be happy with a page, or a paragraph. Jackie Cantor, an executive editor at Berkley who was Diana Gabaldon's editor for years, told me she never reads synopses: "I'd rather read the book. It's the writing I'm interested in." Claire Wachtel, an executive editor at HarperCollins who does read synopses as long as they're accompanied by part of the manuscript, signed Anita Shreve's first novel based on one hundred very well-written pages followed by a synopsis. Claire told me, "It was the writing in those first hundred pages that got me, not the synopsis. If the writing's there, you can fix anything. If I don't like the writing, I don't care what the plot is."

  And yet there are all those submission guidelines asking for a synopsis. Earlier we discussed the one-line hook, as well as the necessity of keeping your query letter to no more than a page, which requires keeping the description of your novel down to no more than three or four sentences—the one-line hook and a couple of sentences to flesh it out and leave us wanting more. Expand the short pitch from your query letter into a two-page synopsis. Hit the high points, include only the top characters, skip some of the subplots, and wrap it up. And stick to the story—don't go off on a tangent in the synopsis by comparing your work to that of other writers or discussing marketing. Try writing the synopsis as if you were relating the plot to an avid reader, the kind of person who says, "What happens next?" Write the synopsis now and save it in your computer or keep a copy so it's ready when you need it.

  THINKING INSIDE THE BOX: FOLLOWING SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

  Each agency has different submission guidelines, and it's essential that you follow them strictly. For instance, my agency's listing in Literary Market Place (LMP), a huge directory covering publishers, printers, agents, and any other business connected to publishing, says, "Query letter & first chapter with SASE; no e-mail queries." That means the following:

  • You must send a query letter before being invited to send the entire manuscript.

  • You don't have to include the first chapter, but you can. However, pay attention: It doesn't say "first three chapters."

  • You must include a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) or you will not receive a reply.

  • You must not send your query by e-mail.

  Here's another agency's requirements: "No unsol mss, query first with SASE. Submit letter or three chapters via mail." And here's what that means:

  • "No unsol mss" means no unsolicited manuscripts. An unsolicited manuscript is one that the author sends without first writing and asking if the agent would like to read it.

  • "Query first with SASE" means you must send a query letter with a self-addressed, stamped envelope and ask whether the agent would like to read your manuscript.

  • "Submit letter or three chapters via mail." This is a little confusing. You're told to "query first," then told to "submit three chapters" or a letter. What to do? Luckily, this agency's listing also says: "See Web site for guidelines," then provides a link to the site, where the guidelines are more detailed and much clearer.

  Here's one other agency's submission guidelines as listed in LMP shorthand: "Fiction: query, bio, synopsis & first fifty pages of completed novel. No reading fee or other fees; query first with SASE. Do not send downloads unless requested." And here's the translation:

  • If you wish to solicit their interest in a novel, you need to send a query letter with your biographical information, curriculum vitae, or resume; a synopsis; and the first fifty pages of your book. However, note that they say "completed novel." That means they don't want to be solicited about novels that aren't yet finished.

  • "Query first with SASE." Didn't they just say that you were supposed to send a letter, a bio, a synopsis, and the first fifty pages? What do they mean? What they mean is that the query should consist of the query letter, the bio, the synopsis, and the pages. It should not consist of the entire manuscript.

  • "No reading fee or other fees." That means they're a reputable agency because they won't charge any upfront fees.

  • "Do not send downloads unless requested." Although this agency accepts queries via e-mail, the queries should not contain large attachments that need to be downloaded.

  When guidelines ask for "three sample chapters," you should send the first three—not, say, chapters twelve, thirty-seven, and fifty-three. You would be surprised how often people do this, usually with a note explaining, "My best writing is found in these chapters." Think about it: When you recommend a book to a friend, do you say, "You're going to love chapters twelve, thirty-seven, and fifty-three"? Or do you say, "You're going to love this book"?

  Read the guidelines and follow them slavishly. Everyone's overwhelmed with submissions, so if you ignore the guidelines, you only make it easy to say no to your query.

  INSTANT TURNDOWN: FOUR STEPS TO THE FASTEST REJECTION POSSIBLE

  1. Send in a complete manuscript without being asked.

  2. Make sure it's a first draft.

  3. And single-spaced.

  4. And bound with steel rivets.

  DON'T PHONE IT IN ...

  Some people don't bother doing any research or following any submission guidelines at all—they call instead of writing. We get a couple of varieties of this call, such as:

  "Is this a literary agency?" "Yes, it is."

  "I've written a book and I don't know how to get it published. Can you tell me what to do?"

  We usually direct them to the library with the suggestion that they look for directories and guides to getting published. Then there are the callers who know what a literary agent is but haven't done any research to determine whether our agency is likely to be interested in the kind of book they've written. These conversations are not very comfortable for either party:

  "What kind of book is it?" "It's a fiction novel."

  Or:

  "It's a novel about extraterrestrials in the White House." Or:

  "It's a five-hundred-page poem."

  Or worse, they launch into along—if not endless—plot description. I will never know if these descriptions have an end because in almost every case I conclude the conversation quickly by saying, "I'm sorry, but it doesn't sound like the kind of book I represent."

  ... BUT IF YOU DO, MEMORIZE YOUR LINES

  Although I don't recommend making a query call, you may have decided that's the most comfortable or efficient approach for you. If so, try not to be an "almost." These are callers who have researched the agency they're calling, yet when they get the agent they've targeted on the phone, they're so surprised they become tongue-tied. They stumble around, saying things like, "Wow, I didn't expect to get you on the phone," and "I forgot what I was going to say." This is perfectly understandable, but they had one shot, and they just blew it.

  There is something they could have done to save themselves: They could have written a script of their pitch and rehearsed it before calling. The pitch should cover a few points:

  • State whether or not you've been referred to the agency you're calling.

  • Be specific about what you have written. "I've written a book" just isn't specific enough. Neither is "I've written a novel." Name the category. Don't force the agent to drag it out of you.

  • Ask if the agent would like to read the manuscript.

  • If the agent says yes, say thank you. If you're speaking to an agent who is somewhat senior, do not at this point ask for the agency's mailing address. If you have to say anything, just say you'll send it soon. Don't get overexcited and say you'll overnight it for morning delivery, unless the agent has asked you to.

  • Have a little something in reserve about your writing background in case the agent asks. Don't try to squeeze it in if the agent sounds busy. If the agent says yes to your request to read the manuscript,

  he's not asking for anything else at that moment. You will, of course, include the pertinent information in your query letter.

  • Hang up the phone. Don't call back a minute later and ask t
he assistant for the mailing address. If you've done your research thoroughly, you won't have to waste time—yours and theirs—in this way.

  • When you send the manuscript, you still have to enclose a complete query letter—not a note that says, "As discussed." The letter will of course have something in it about the conversation, but other than that it should have all the information you would have written if you hadn't called.

  RECOMMENDED READING

  Handsome Is: Adventures With Saul Bellow, by Harriet Wasserman. This memoir by long-time literary agent Harriet Wasserman sketches her professional and personal relationship with the Nobel Laureate.

  The Publishing Game: Publish a Book in 30 Days, by Fern Reiss. Fern is not only practical, organized, and energetic, she's the ultimate cheerleader. You should not try to self-publish without the help of her book.

  RECOMMENDED WEB SITES

  Persist and Publish (www.freewebs.com/alabamaworley). A self-described "study group of novelists who are committed to getting published," this site offers a wealth of helpful information, such as articles on "Etiquette in Contacting Agents" and "The Steps in Finding an Agent," as well as links to articles on writing cover letters and synopses. An excellent and frequently updated resource.

  Absolute Write Water Cooler (www.absolutewrite.com/forums). If you're thinking of self-publishing, you might want to look here before you dive in or sign anything. Check out the New Never-Ending Publish America Thread (NEPAT) under "Bewares and Background Check."

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN:

  becoming an agented author

  You've mailed a query letter to an agent. Better yet, you've mailed ten query letters to ten different agents. Each letter was slightly different from the others because in your research you discovered different things about each agent and tailored each letter accordingly. You also discovered that each agent has his own style, has represented different kinds of books, has a different depth of experience, and seems to require a unique approach.