The Only Writing Series You'll Ever Need by Lesley Bolton & Lea Wait

Author:Lesley Bolton & Lea Wait
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook, book
Publisher: Adams Media, Inc.
Published: 2007-07-15T00:00:00+00:00

An Agent’s Job

A literary agent works as a go-between for writers and publishers. This includes sending the manuscript to editors, negotiating contracts, and handling payments and royalty statements. Both aspiring and seasoned writers find the aid of an agent quite helpful. They do in fact take quite a load of responsibility from the writer and can get your manuscript into the hands of editors you may not otherwise have had the means to reach.

It is an agent’s job to know the ins and outs of the publishing industry. Agents are up-to-date on current market information. They know what publishers are currently publishing. They know what publishers are looking for. They know who to contact and most likely already have established relationships with these contacts. Bottom line: It is an agent’s job to represent you and sell your work.

There are some publishing companies that do not accept unsolicited manuscripts. On your own, you would not be able to get the attention of an editor working there. Agents normally can. Agented manuscripts are able to find their way into the hands of the editor who would best be able to give your manuscript the consideration it deserves.

Helpful Hints

Advice varies from agent to agent. Sometimes you will find an agent who is willing to sit down with the manuscript and edit it himor herself, but since time is money, such agents are few and far between.

Unsolicited manuscripts normally find their way to the slush pile, and an editorial assistant is given the task of wading through it. Keep in mind that a high number of those manuscripts in the slush pile will either be inappropriate for that particular publisher or just flat-out terrible. Having yours mixed in with all the others doesn’t always bode well. For one, you are relying on the opinion of an editorial assistant for your manuscript even to reach the desk of an editor. Second, you could be waiting several months for your manuscript to go through the needed channels, all the while wondering if you should send your manuscript elsewhere or hold out this particular publisher.

Agents can get your manuscript in the door and on the desk of an editor quickly. Agents also know just the right buttons to push with editors. It is their job to sell your manuscript. Therefore, they know what phrases and statistics to use; they know what aspects of the manuscript should be addressed; and they know how to build excitement and enthusiasm. In short, they are experts in the art of the sales pitch.

In some cases, an agent will go above and beyond the call of duty. Whereas a publishing company may simply send you a rejection letter without explaining exactly why the manuscript was unsuitable, an agent may decline the manuscript as is, but recognize the promise in your abilities and work with you to create a publishable manuscript. Agents are always looking to build the careers of writers. After all, if an agent’s writer builds a successful career, the agent will also build a successful career.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.