OK, a little while ago I started a thread about how to find an agent. Now I have a variation on that theme – what to do when you find the names.
Here is the situation I have found: I have contradictory information and wanted to get the thoughts of those of you here who already have one.
Basically, I’ve been referred to a book on how to write a nonfiction book proposal (written by an agent). It says the proposal should run 35-70 pages long. Yet what I’ve seen in writing magazines indicates you should write a short and to-the-point letter of no more than a single page. Oh, and at least one article was written by an agent.
Huh?!
So, for those of you who managed to snare an agent – what do you think? Long proposal or short letter?
I think you should write a convincing to the point short letter. I’m not sure why you would waste your time writing a 35 page letter trying to convince them to join up with you. Your novel should do the talking for you. Why would they waste their time hearing a business proposal when what they really want to know is “how many books is this guy gonna sell?” If it’s good, they should work through a proposal with you.
Ah, but that’s just it – with nonfiction, you generally don’t write the book before you try to sell it. That’s what the proposal is all about. And “how many books is this gonna sell” is one of the sections suggested for the larger proposal (along with a BUNCH of other stuff).
True, but I’ve been told you do submit about three or so chapters with an outline as to where the rest of the novel is going. Is that what you’re talking about for a proposal? If so, I can see it.
70 pages on selling a novel before you even hit page one OF the novel? I’ve seen shorter applications for corporate buyouts.
What I did was to write a Book Proposal and bind it in a snazzy, eye-catching binder. Then I wrote a short, one-page letter describing me and what I intended to do. I put them in the same envelope and sent them off to the agent. If he was interested by the letter, I figured, he’d look at the proposal.
I got it back and sent it off to the next one on the list. I did this lot of times. Eventually I realized that no agent anted my book, so I sold it directly to the publishers.
Both. You first contact the agent with a short letter indicating your proposal. Then, if he says yes, you send a proposal. The proposal should outline the book and give some samples of your writing style – usually the first three chapters.
For nonfiction, you can get the contract on that basis, though with fiction, you need to have the completed novel.
Each time, the routine was the same. I wrote out a complete proposal for the book I wanted to write. The proposal form varied somewhat from time to time, but basically contained an overview, my credentials, and a detailed outline (either chapter by chapter or sectional) of what the book was going to contain. None of my proposals have been as long as 35 pages and none of my agents ever told me to lengthen them.
Then I sent it out to a selected batch of names. Each time, at least one of the names wrote back with interest.
Remember, credentials count heavily. Even for my first book I had a list of shorter works to claim to show that I had done professional work and I also had some special knowledge of the subject I wanted to write about. It helped that no previous books had been written on that subject. If you’re planning on writing about something already covered by others, be sure to justify why you and how yours is going to be different (i.e. saleable).
I don’t recommend sending just a letter. A proposal doesn’t really take any longer to read and the agent can judge whether or not you know what you’re talking about. All a letter does is add months onto the process.
Enderw24, the non-fiction world is completely different from the fiction world. You can’t apply one to the other.
Never, never, never. “Snazzy, eye-catching binders” are the signal marks of the hopeless amateur, at least in the eyes of agents.
Proposal. Use a paper clip. Really thick proposal. Use a binder clip. Full manuscript. Place in box or wrap with rubber band.
Plain white paper. Name and title in header on every page. You can use a good proportional font these days, but courier will never go out of style. Cover letter telling who and why in one or two short paragraphs. Let the proposal do the talking.
Remember, the publishing industry never grew out of the 1920s.
Thanks! As I thought about this some more (and also, coincidentally, saw a new book on Amazon about writing nonfiction book proposals, where the summary said 10-50 pages), I began to realize that I was comparing apples and oranges. The letter is one thing, the proposal another. They go together, but are not the same (yes, the light finally dawned on me).
CalMeacham – you had luck going directly to publishers? Which ones? And on what topics?
A letter is easy, but agents know that, so have the 35 pages ready to mail and offer to send it by return email. (Yes, agents all have computers, just like people.)
If 35 pages seems like a lot, you’ll never finish anyway.
Real writers do 35 pages for practice.
Every single agent I have had told me to write my proposals different. They tend to know what certain companies want and guided me through it. Most of the time it was a sample chapter, a letter of credentials, and a proposal letter.
Warning, however. If you are considered new to the literary world I would not recommend getting an agent. There will end up being tons of smoke blown up your ass and very little work being done. Get published in literary journals and magazines so you can get some weight to your name.
I’d disagree. But you need to make sure you get a legitimate agent. Since they make their living selling books, if they take you on, it will be to sell your book. See Searching for a Literary Agent for details.
Possibly why I didn’t get the agent – but by “eye-catching” what I meant was my use of a photo of the subject matter (which was itself eye-catching. In fact, that’s the point of the book), not hot pink plastic binders.
I got picked up by Oxford University Press, which had published a book on a similar topic (astronomy and mythology) and has a reputation for publishing scholarly books by previously unpublished authors. It was, I guess, a good fit.
I am just speak from my experience. Most of which is in the screenwriting field. I cant tell you how many lunches I went to with my various agents talking me up only to suddenly not hear from them for months at a time. Novels are another story. If you have a good idea you can sell it. Television and theater is very different.
Yes, it is different in TV and film. But book agents don’t waste their time jerking you around; if they don’t think they can sell your book, they’ll tell you so.
Also, you need more than an idea to sell a book. You need to actually write the novel. Once you sell a few, you may then be able to sell on just an outline, but in the beginning, you need the entire book.
RealityChuck: I think we’re confusing novels and nonfiction here again. I’m talking about nonfiction. Everything I’ve heard indicates you don’t have to write the whole book ahead of time.
OK, time for me to start working on my proposal. Um, just as soon as I have time. Ugh.
Yes, fiction is different from non-fiction. Screenwriting is fifty times more different.
From what I’ve heard, most editors don’t want to see a whole non-fiction book. They want to be able to shape it if necessary before it is writen. (And by shape it, I mean guide the writer as to how to present the material so as to be the most sellable. There are few times that the editor will have a heavy hand in it. Although there are stories…)
