Like the big ranting thread I recently posted shows, I think I have pretty much figured everything out. At least I have got down the “Who, What, When, Where and Why” of life, we just need for all of the scientists, doctors and philosophers to hurry up and get the “How” part down.
Does anyone know where I can find a really good literary agent that is talented enough to con some publishing house into printing my insane rantings? I live near San Francisco so I imagine there should be several good ones congregated there. A list of names I can contact of the very best ones that will be willing to have an appointment with a person that they don’t have any good reason to believe has anything worthwhile beforehand will be appreciated.
No
There are books listing literary agents, locations, preferences, and whether they are accepting unsolicited new clients. There are websites for this, too. But I haven’t had any luck with them.
Do not attempt to visit a literary agent in person. If you have something for them to look at, put it in print. Do a complete package: cover letter, description, synopsis, chapter by chapter outline, and at least one full chapter.
If you can’t put it in print beforehand, you sure won’t be able to do it afterward.
Buy a book on the process, look up agents’ names, and set to work.
Besides the advice already given, think about attending a writers conference. There are a few in the Bay Area. Most have opportunities for you to pitch your work to an agent - and sometimes publishers. The agents who have spoken at these conferences say that when you do send in your package, putting the personal touch of having met the agent gets your package to the top of their very large pile.
Remember this iron-clad rule: Never, under any circumstances whatsoever, pay money to an agent.
That will eliminate the scams. (No, not even if they give you a good reason.)
Once you have a book, you can find literary agents in Fiction Writers Market and Literary Marketplace (most libraries will have one or the other at the reference desk – get the latest version). Then write a query letter and see who’s interested.
This answers one question I had, but why don’t you pay them anything? Even lawyers ask for a retainer… By extention does this mean they’ll only accept you as a client if they think odds are very good they can find a publisher for your work?
If you go to the reference section of your local book store, you can probably find a publication called “The Writer’s Market”. If you’re serious about getting an agent, then this is a good place to start your search. Here’s a link.
Sorry, but no. Writer’s Market is for amateurs and suckers. People and publications actually try not to be listed for fear of the hordes of crayon-scribbling illiterates an address published there brings. They publish annually and yet manage always to be several years out of date, as well. I know nothing about the website. It may help with the out of date material, but probably not unless the markets cooperate.
Go to Amazon and search on literary agents. You’ll find a long list of specialized books on the subject. Sight unseen I would recommend any of them over Writer’s Market.
Exactly. That’s why it’s hard to get a legitimate agent: you have to show that you’ve written a publishable book.
At the same time, the scam agents always ask for money up front. It used to be they asked for a fee to represent you; now they ask for it to cover “expenses.” The thing is, if they’re getting money from you up front, they don’t have to work too hard at selling the book. Even if it’s utterly unpublishable crap, they still can make money on it; their fees will more than cover the cost of sending the book to a couple of publishers.
A legit agent gets nothing unless the book sells. This means she’ll be picky, but once she decides to take you on as a client, she doesn’t get paid unless you do. That’s a major incentive to sell the book.
The writer of the OP happens to be an amatuer. Writer’s Market has some good solid tips for finding an agent or publisher, how to submit, advice from successful writers, even tips on how to handle the taxes on any income one might receive from a published work. Despite your opinions on the accuracy of the listings, it’s a decent place to start.
> Does anyone know where I can find a really good literary agent that is talented
> enough to con some publishing house into printing my insane rantings?
I think the most difficult book to sell to a publisher or a prospective agent would be a collection of rants about life, the universe, and everything by someone with no public recognition whatsoever. Consider the other sorts of books by first-time authors that sometimes sell well. A well-known comedian writes a book of his (supposedly) funny ramblings. A well-known politician writes a book about his (supposed) wise political philosophy. A scientist with good credentials writes a (supposedly) good popular account of his subject for general readers. The comedian and the politician already have presold audiences. The agent and the publisher read their manuscripts and decide that these books will appeal to the fans/supporters of the writer. If the scientist has the proper credentials in his field, the scientist’s popularization will get a reading by someone else qualified in the science to check its accuracy and someone familiar with science popularizations to check if it’s clear enough for a general audience.
But why would a publisher or an agent conceivably want to bother to read a book by some nobody of general rantings. The chances that it will sell are so small that it’s not worth their time even looking at. The only chance you have for ever selling such a book is to become at least slightly well-known as a lecturer or an article writer on the general rantings you do. Otherwise, you have no chance whatsoever to sell the book.
Gaiman’s post is a fine compilation of things people in the f&sf community have been saying for years. It’s odd that the f&sf people, out of all the different writers’ communities, have done the most to share wisdom on the real world of publishing and the traps it holds for would-be writers.
But the OP also has to take especial note of someone Teresa says:
The advice on Gaiman’s page is heavily biased toward becoming a fiction writer, and even more specifically, a genre fiction writer. It is mostly not terribly applicable toward a book of nonfiction rants.
The one thing that should be adapted is:
If the OP can write, then he should have less trouble placing short rants somewhere than an entire book. Write first. Get a portfolio. Get some credentials. Get some praise. Then look to make a book of your work. Don’t put the cart before the horse and all those lovable old adages.
So, you would reccommend writing short stories and attempt to publish them in magazines for feedback, even before attempting to publish your book? I don’t know who to turn to for feedback at the moment and I am currently on a hiatus from college.
Is general fiction considered a genre? I’ve researched and found many communities for specific genre fiction (mystery, action, romance etc) but all of my favorite books and books that might be most similiar to the niche of writing i am trying to achieve all seem to be labeled as “general fiction”. I am having difficulty interpreting this broad world of what exactly general fiction is and how to enter it.
In publishing poetry, are genres generally as important when it comes to submitting? I know sometimes the submission guidlines are asking for a certain length and subject, but is this often the case? Are there many journals which ask for all types?
