Customer Reviews

2011 Guide To Literary Agents

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In the past, this book has been very useful, but this year's version was a big disappointment. It is not up to date. When I cross-referenced many of these agents online, I discovered that quite a few have left the business. I know that when this book went to press, the information might have been up-to-date, but not this many. I would recommend using this book only as a starting point for online research. In the end, all the active agents I found in this book, I had already found on PublishersMarketplace or AgentQuery.

But most annoying to me was that, in a book that chides writers on every other page of the importance of proofreading your work and ensuring that it is free of typos, misspellings, etc., this book has a typo on nearly every page, and really obvious ones at that. It's as if no one researched or proofed this book.

I purchased this book because I am looking to obtain a literary agent for the first time. I found the articles at the beginning of the book to be very helpful. There were useful articles on how to use the book, what agents do, what agents are looking for, dos and don'ts of writing a query letter and more. The listings are easy to peruse and give information on what the agency is looking for and what types of books they have sold. There are also submission guidelines. Whether I will actually get an agent or not remains to be seen, but if I don't, it won't be the book's fault. This is a must-get for anyone looking for a literary agent.

As I near completion of my first major novel, I've been dreading the next step - researching the hundreds of agents out there, trying to find a good match for my manuscript. I know I need an agent. That's the most important thing I've learned from all the writing conferences I've attended over the last few years. Editors have become so overworked, many are accepting submissions only from agents. I can't really blame them. Agents help weed out the "bad" manuscripts, or help whip them into shape before passing them on.

I am so thankful I discovered the "2011 Guide to Literary Agents." (Okay, I should have known it was out there, but I've been procrastinating this research for a while.) I know there's all kinds of information online, but I really like having something that's easy to tote around (without printing out) and that I can take notes on and highlight and even rip some pages out of.

I love the format, the Specialties Index, and the Glossary - which I wish I had had years ago so I could have done more than nod knowingly when someone mentioned a genre I had actually never heard of. I wish that the Juvenile Fiction section of the Specialties Index had subcategories for Early Readers, Chapter Books and Middle Grade, but I was happy to see that Young Adult and Picture Book were listed separately. (I had no idea there were 29 agencies who handled Picture Books!)

The opening pages of the Guide are packed with helpful information, much of which I already knew, but only because I have spent hundreds of dollars attending conferences and workshops over the last several years. I'm really happy to have that knowledge condensed down for me - and much more legible than my handwritten notes. I will definitely use those pages as a refresher/checklist before sending out my manuscript.

I was happy to see that the Guide also includes a handy list of major conferences throughout the country. Conference fees can add up (as mentioned above), but they are the best thing you can do for your career and craft. Since many are starting to feature agent pitches and/or consultations, I plan to use the Guide as a starting point for my pre-conference research.

All-in-all, I'm extremely pleased with the "2011 Guide to Literary Agents" and highly recommend it for those ready to send out a manuscript, or for anyone interested in learning about the process of getting published.

This is a juicy book. The publishing world is all in a tumult over mergers, layoffs, ebooks and self-publishing, but so much of what seems like "old school" approaches--getting a literary agent to represent your book to traditional publishers--is yet the most solid means to author recognition, deep distribution, rights management and future opportunities for writers. The front-of-book essays are great, from agents answering frequently asked questions (on query problems, genre issues and what's "normal" in agent world) to revising your book, to a great essay on opening lines and how central they are to readers being impelled into your story.

The "Write a Killer Query Letter" piece was great, both for its overview and it displaying good and bad queries, a hands-on look at the sublime and the ridiculous. Speaking of hands-on, that's what this book is really about: taking a practical, informed approach to locating--and securing--good representation for your work. Oh yeah--there are a couple of hundred pages in there all about the agents themselves, what they want and how to make them want it, and conferences too.

I've got a finished novel and a nonfiction proposal going--and now I've got a map to get them going in the right direction.

I decided to buy the 2011 GLA because I like having information in my hands versus just on a screen. Whittling down hundreds of agents to the few handfuls you want to query is an intimidating process, and even though websites like Agent Query were useful, I found myself wanting pages to dog-ear and agencies to highlight, circle, and underline to my heart's content.

Well, I definitely have that now. There are about 200 pages of agency and conference listings, a glossary, and (my favorite) a specialties index that directs you right to the agents who seek your genre.

The 2011 GLA gives great information and is a solid jumping-off point for even more detailed, agent-specific searches online. (Bonus - The book comes with a free year-long subscription to [...] -- looking forward to checking it out.)

On the book's other content: I've been researching the ins and outs of getting agented and published for over a year now (as I've written and revised my first novel), so the first 100 or so pages of the GLA -- which cover FAQs, the ABCs of agents and query letters, and then some -- are more of a refresher for me. But for anyone who's less familiar with the business and the agenting process, the information is comprehensive and easy to understand. And I know that I'll be flipping back to the "Sealing the Deal" section when an agent offers representation! (Fingers crossed.)

Anyway, if you're looking for an agent for fiction or nonfiction, if you're a beginner on the topic or a know-it-all like me, I'd definitely recommend you pick this up. Doing as much research as possible can only help you get agented, right?

The 20th Anniversary Edition of the 2011 Guide to Literary Agents is a well-organized and easy-to-read resource I'll be utilizing on a regular basis throughout the next year (until the 2012 edition comes out). The updated agent listings alone make this book one I need on my office shelf, so the 20 or so excellent articles penned by different industry experts within are just icing on my sweet little GLA cake!

I've been searching for concise tips for crafting a proposal about my most recent manuscript, so the article "Nonfiction Book Proposals: Why You Need One and How to Write It" by Rachelle Gardner was a wonderful surprise and now practically glows in my GLA copy thanks to all the portions I highlighted! I also found Chuck Sambuchino and Brian A. Klems' piece "Copyrights and Wrongs: Know the Lingo of Legalese" full of details I thought I would've learned by this point in my writing career, but somehow hadn't yet. "Improve Your Book Contract: Nine Negotiating Tips" by The Authors Guild is an article I look forward to revisiting to when I'm eagerly dissecting my next book contract.

The articles included in this edition provide excellent tips, suggestions and details that make this book one I am thankful to have. If you're seeking an agent, this book is certainly one to put on your shelf!

With over 500 literary agency listings and its easy-to-navigate setup, the 2011 edition of Chuck Sambuchino's GUIDE TO LITERARY AGENTS is the best resource out there for finding and landing your dream agent.

I might be *slightly* biased, being that my article on how to make the most of a writers' conference adorns its pages--but that's not the *only* awesome thing about this edition.

In addition to updating last year's listings, Sambuchino also includes a horde of new agencies that have arrived on the publishing scene. Likewise, the volume includes articles on everything from crafting query letters to what agents want. Hope Clark's piece on researching agents is a must-read as well.

We all know getting an agent is tough--so why not make it easier on yourself by picking up this book?

The 2oth anniversity edition of this Writer's Digest Book seems a bit leaner than in previous years; despite new articles, hundreds of listings for writers' conferences, and fresh material on this rapidly changing business. Nearly a third of the book is dedicated to how-to and background information for authors on finding the right agent for your work. The second third of the reference guide offers 550 updated listings for literary agents. The last third is a specialty index for those who use it as a business tool for handy reference.

Chuck Sambuchino is the editor of this 20th edition of 2011 Guide to Literary Agents. He's built a career on helping authors find the right agent.

What I like about this book is how useful it is to someone just dreaming of becoming an author and to veteran professional writers. It lets novices know what to expect of an agent, and what is expected of writers to prepare for literary representation.

Most publishers now only accept manuscripts from agents. (The exceptions to this generalization are found largely in non-fiction trade small and independent publishers.) No unsolicited manuscripts is a constant refrain new writers hear. This guidebook offers an author the necessary background to understand the role of an agent and what they will do for an author.

The Softcover price of the book includes acess to a free online seminar on how to use the tools in this book to get an agent, a searchable online database of the listings in the book, and a free digital download of Writer's Yearbook 2011 which I read cover to cover.

As a book development editor with Swenson Book Development LLC, this reference guide is always within arm's reach.

As an author currently searching for an agent, I've found the 2011 GUIDE TO LITERARY AGENTS very helpful. This year's GUIDE is packed with articles, tips, and up-to-date agent listings, as well as honest advice from industry professionals. It includes information that is helpful to newer writers ("Do I Need an Agent?" and "Write a Killer Query Letter"), but also includes information that is beneficial to writers who have been "in the trenches" for awhile ("Improve Your Book Contract" and "10 Hidden Gifts of Rejection Letters"). The GUIDE also includes a free one-year subscription to [...], an online market research tool for writers.

This year's GUIDE is much more than just a list of literary agents; it truly IS a comprehensive "guide" that leads writers through each step of the agent-hunting process--from researching agents to signing a contract. If you are currently searching for an agent (or will be soon), this book is definitely worth every penny. Be sure to check out Mr. Sambuchino's GLA blog, as well!

Bought this book in conjuction with my writers Market. What a great addition! I am in the process of attemtping to be published on the bigger market and this book gives answers to questions most people would have. It gives you step by step on finding an agent as well as the writers market does finding publishers. Well written, easy to read, but you also have the benefit of being able to jump around when you need to. Clear instructions and offers key tips. I would highly recommend this book!