Guide to Literary Agents [Paperback]

Rachel Vater (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Guide to Literary Agents | Publication Date: November 2002

2003 Guide to Literary Agents helps you find an agent to sell what you've written with listings for more than 600 agents. Using easy, quick-reference symbols and indexes, readers will find agents who specialize in handling their type of work who are open to taking on new clients. 2003 Guide to Literary Agents also includes articles and tips from successful agents, editors, and writers on how to find and work with an agent. Don't miss the listings of conferences throughout the United States where you can meet agents face-to-face and a special section of publicists who can help you promote your book. For screenwriters, this year we've also added a section of producers open to accepting work from newer writers, advice on how to find and work with entertainment attorneys, and a section of screenplay contests to help you gain the recognition and credentials to impress an agent. Most of the larger publishing houses and production companies are closed to unagented submissions. An agent can instantly get your book or script through the doors, help you plan your writing career, and negotiate your contracts. So if you've been wishing for a top-notch agent who can sell your writing to the best publishers or producers, the 2003 Guide to Literary Agents is the resource you can't do without!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Aspiring writers who aren't lucky enough to have a relative in the business should find this book enormously beneficial. There's no lack of writing how-tos out there, but this one, in its 12th edition, delivers the practical goods: in addition to detailed listings of reputable literary agents, there are guides to script agents, independent production companies and independent publicists. An agent specialties index ensures that aspiring John Grishams don't waste their time sending manuscripts to an agent who focuses on historical nonfiction. In addition to the listings, there are informative articles and interviews that offer, for instance, advice from real, live agents (e.g., don't sell yourself too hard, because it's the manuscript that counts). Other tips include how to know when you're being scammed, how to find the right agent and how to assess what fees you should be charged. Perhaps most helpful are the examples of actual query letters-for fiction and nonfiction-that either work (the ones that "tell it like it is") or don't (the ones that read like ad copy, e.g. "Corporate espionage. Now. A field alive with ex-agents, remnants of the Cold War...A race against the clock"). This volume won't teach aspiring scribes diligence or craft, but if they've got that part down, they might want to reach for this next.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 393 pages
• Publisher: Writer's Digest Books; Revised edition (November 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582971463
• ISBN-13: 978-1582971469
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #506,492 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars For writers who have finished a book manuscript, November 15, 2002

By 

Debbie Lee Wesselmann (the Lehigh Valley, PA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Guide to Literary Agents (Paperback)

Writer's Digest puts out a number of books, including this one, designed to guide the beginning writer through the labyrinth of publishing. While by no means comprehensive (many agents don't want to be listed because they prefer to acquire clients by referrals only), this book includes an impressive list of agents. Writers should heed the advice of the individual listings. Some agents demand to be contacted first by a query letter while others prefer the initial package to contain the first few chapters. Also pay attention to the individual specialties - you don't want to spend the time and money sending your romance novel to an agent who handles only literary fiction.

Beginning writers will appreciate the guidance about how to select and submit to an agent as well as insider views of the publishing industry. More established writers will want to get to the meat: the listings themselves. Probably the least helpful section is the list of publicists - unless you already have a contract in hand and have the money to hire one.

I highly recommend this book for writers who do not yet have an agent and who have finished a book length manuscript.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't Search for an Agent Without This Guide, November 25, 2002

By 

FictionAddiction.NET - See all my reviews

This review is from: Guide to Literary Agents (Paperback)

You know you need an agent to shop your work, negotiate your contracts and get your manuscript into doors closed to unrepresented authors. Your next step is to add the "2003 Guide to Literary Agents" to your writer's toolbox.

Articles from industry professionals address the most common issues writers face: do you need an agent, how do you find the right agent and how to avoid bad agents. But these articles also walk you through the entire process of getting an agent - from what to do before you begin your search, all the way to knowing your rights before you sign a contract.

The heart of this book lies within the agent listings. Every year contact information, current needs, submission guidelines and contract details are 100 percent updated.

Besides agents who represent fiction and nonfiction work, you'll also find sections on script agents, independent production companies and independent publicists. Most agent listings also specify which writing conferences the agents attend so be sure to look in the writing conferences section to find the details on a variety of writers' conferences in the U.S. and Canada.

Your search for an agent is crippled without this guide in your arsenal. If you're serious about getting an agent to represent your work, the yearly "Guide to Literary Agents" is an absolute must.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A solid resource but not the best guide to agents, April 28, 2002

By 

WordLover (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Guide to Literary Agents (Paperback)

As a literary agent [URL], I want writers to have lots of information so they can focus their queries to the agents that are most likely to be a match for them. This guide is a useful tool to help writers hone their search for the right representative.

Another great guide to consider, though, is Jeff Herman's "Writer's Guide to Book Editors, Publishers, and Literary Agents," which features in-depth interviews with many agents and thus gives a fuller picture of their interests and working style.