How To Get Your Novel Published

Caitlin Kittredge is the author of the Nocturne City series and the forthcoming Black London adventures (2009). She writes full time and lives in Olympia, Washington.

First of all, thanks to David for giving me his little corner of the web to ramble in for a day.  I don’t think he quite knew what he was getting into, but now the blog is mine…all mine!

Er, yes.  What I meant was, The topic today is literary agents.

There’s a plethora of agent-getting advice on the web, and I’m not going to re-hash it for you.  What I would like to do is offer a practical A-Z thumb guide for querying, securing and maintaining a relationship with your agent, from initial contact to book deal. It’s an area that I often see defined in nebulous, general terms, but here are a few practical points to keep in mind that will greatly increase your chances.

1. First impressions matter
Be it a query letter or a face-to-face pitch at a conference, your first impression absolutely matters to an agent.  Yes, good writing can overcome a sloppy pitch or dud query, but it makes it very tough for the agent if they don’t feel grabbed.  They have finite time and only the most attention-getting pitches are going to pass to the next stage.  Unfair?  Maybe. Fact?  Yes.

2. Constructing a query letter isn’t really that hard–really
Queries are your resume.  Yours should contain–in order–the title of your work, the genre, the wordcount (between 80 and 120,000 words for fantasy, please) a one or two paragraph synopsis of the major characters, their problem, how their problem moves the plot, and the resolution or crux question of said plot.  It should close with your publishing credits and/or any information relevant to the work, such as a career as a medical examiner if your protagonist is also a medical examiner.  Don’t forget your contact info.

Now, no one is expecting you to synopsize your book perfectly on the first try.  If you don’t have a second pair of eyes to go over the plot summary, try to mimick DVD box copy.  That’s about the right number of words, summarizes major characters and events, and packs a punch.  Avoid hyperbole.

A query letter is hard work–it should be at least as hard as the book, if a lot shorter.  No one expects you to be a marketing wizard, but they do expect you to be punchy, coherent and convey the main thrust of your book without needless meandering or tangential plot and characters.  Make it clean, simple and concise.  Let your sample pages speak for themselves.

3. Always send a sample of the work if allowable
Remember when you made a crummy first impression by having a query letter that was five pages long or spilling yogurt on the agent during a pitch?  This is your chance to redeem yourself.  Send the FIRST five pages of the FIRST chapter of your work (not the prologue.)  Make sure they are flawless, beautiful, perfect as you can make them.  If your query letter is also good, this will be the finishing move that allows the agent to request your work and still respect themselves the next morning.

4. Handle requests professionally–even if it means saying no
So, if you’ve done it right up to this point, this is when you start getting requests for material. Unless an agent requests an exclusive, it’s protocol to send partials/fulls to all requesting agents.  If they ask “Is this out with anyone else?”, be honest.  If you have an exclusive with one agent, you’re going to have to prepare yourself to say no to all other comers for the term of the exclusive–even, perhaps, your Dream Agent.  If this isn’t something you can handle without a meltdown, don’t agree to an exclusive.  This, again, may mean turning down your Dream Agent.

5. Make sure your Dream Agent is really your Dream Agent
Why is your DA The One?  Because you connect with their client list and their philosophy of publishing or because they’ve netted huge advances for other clients?  Neither is the right answer, necessarily–if you’re looking for a one-off money deal, then Big Advance Agent is probably a fine choice.  If you’re looking for a lasting professional relationship, you need to find an agent who at least meshes with the way you view your career and is willing to work with you to shape it rather than only considering the book in hand.

6. Accept your offer of representation professionally
First off, when you’re sure that the agent making the offer is the one, let everyone else considering the manuscript that it’s off the market in a timely and professional manner. This means no hate mail and no notifications that come in response to ANOTHER offer for representation.  Let the other agents know within 24 hours.

Get an agency agreement in writing.  Handshakes are how some agencies work, but they can come back to bite you if you and the agent get into litigation.

Read the agency agreement carefully.  If something seems fishy or you don’t understand it, ask your shiny new agent.  They should be eager and willing to clarify any point for you.  If you get a bad feeling at this point, walk away.  See step one.  Needless to say, never give your agent money up front.  Those aren’t agents.  Those are scam artists.  A standard agency commission is 15% domestic and 20% foreign and film rights.

7. Be patient and receptive during the initial phase of representation
Before your manuscript goes on submission, your agent will have edits.  Don’t throw a fit–if there’s something you don’t agree with, discuss it with your agent.  When your book goes on submission, there will be a waiting period.  Set up a time to talk with your agent each week for updates on the process (and of course, make it clear that they are to call no matter what upon receipt of an offer.)  Make sure your agent knows not to accept an offer without the okay from you first–this is important so that you know the pros and cons of the publisher who’s offering, what sort of support you’re getting, and whether the agent can leverage a better offer after the initial one.

If your book requires several rounds of edits or takes a few months to sell, this is not a danger sign.  After six months, it’s common for an agent to re-evaluate and see if there’s another book of yours better suited to the market.  If you feel like things are dragging on without end, talk to your agent about it frankly.

This brings me to my final point.

8. Communicate with your agent
If you have a problem that is industry-related, ALWAYS speak to your agent before your family, your friends or your clergy.  The agent is the one who can solve it most effectively.

If you have a problem with your agent, you still need to speak to them about it first, directly and firmly.  This may run contrary to your nature.  It still needs to happen.  Agents aren’t meant to be handholders or mind readers–they’re meant to be your advocates in the publishing world.  If they’re not aware that you’re dissatisfied or they read you as hysterical or overreacting, you’re not going to get a resolution.

Communication is the key to a healthy, long-lasting agent relationship.  All professional correspondence should go through your agent.  You need to be open and honest with him or her.  Above all, professionalism must rule the day.

Follow these points and you and your agent will be on the way to a lasting partnership. Best of luck to everyone currently on the hunt.

Book 2 in Caitlin’s Nocturne City series, PURE BLOOD, is released this week.