Customer Reviews

Guide to Literary Agents

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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.

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.

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.

Put the odds of publication in your favor! shouts the subtitle and adds, The #1 source for reaching more than 600 agents who sell what you write. Unpublished writers who have sent out book proposals and query letters and have collected reams of rejections will look askance at that claim! That said, this book does have a great deal to offer.

It begins with a guide to using it, suggesting that you first read the articles and decide what you want from the book. Then it describes how to read the listings. That includes a key to reference icons that identify features unique to each listing. Like whether the agency is international, a new listing, Canadian, sells to e-publishers, or charges fees. Theres also an icon for agencies that handle only certain types of work, new agencies or those who are seeking new writers, or even those that accept only established writers.

Articles cover topics like Polishing Tips, Is Your Book Ready? Understanding Fees, Targeting and Hooking an Agent, Scam Alert, Outline and Synopsis Workshop, How To Find The Right Agent, Location vs. Representation: Is NY All That? and more. Theres an example of a successful query letter and a short article by the writer who sent it that is particularly illuminating. The sample of a novel synopsis, only one page long, provides a useful model of how to produce one of those!

Script agents are listed here along with literary agents and theres an index devoted to Agencies Indexed by Openness to Submissions. Note the questions for agents and for authors in the section titled What To Ask  And Not Ask  An Agent. Those are particularly useful.

This is a volume that should be on every writers bookshelf when he or she is ready to begin a serious search for an agent. This is definitely the place to learn about the world of agents and publishing houses.

An agent can use inside contacts to turn your manuscript into a published novel. And there's no better way to search for an agent than through the "2002 Guide to Literary Agents."

Each agency listing details exactly what they're looking for, contact information and submission guidelines. In addition, you can review the agency's contract terms and even see how many of their clients are new/unpublished writers.

Plus, you'll also find how-to articles to help you get an agent's attention. Everything from outlines, synopses and killer query letters to new opportunities for writers and how to work with agents is included in this yearly guide.

If you're a screenwriter, check the special section filled with agents specifically looking for your scripts. Or perhaps you'd rather search for an independent publicist to promote your work. Everything you need to increase your chances of publication and promotion is covered here.

Writer's Digest Books produces this guide every year to make sure each listing is accurate and up-to-date. It's a completely non-biased publication, featuring articles about agent scam alerts, how to find the right agent for your own individual needs and questions you should ask before you sign with an agent. If you want an agent to represent your work, you need the "2002 Guide to Literary Agents" by your side.

If you need an agent, this is a great place to start. The book cross references agnets which are looking for new clients, established writers etc. They'll tell you each agents specialty, (fiction, non-fiction and types of each) their names, address, and how you can querie them. Every agent listed does not charge for reading etc., thus eliminating possible scam artists. A tremendous tool....the rest is up to the author.

I did a TON of research on my own to attempt to find an agent. I picked up this book, hoping to add to my knowledge and list of available agents. I discovered I had wasted some of my precious writing time. Some of the agents I wrote are not accepting queries in 2003! This book would have saved me time, money and efforts had I bought it first.

If you are a writer, or an aspiring one, you NEED this book. 90+% of publishers don't take unagented material. This book will help you to find an agent, and help you to get that manuscript you've worked so hard on published.

Although I have purchased several resource books of this type, I place this one at the top of the list. It is up-to-date and, not only provides the names of agents, but gives valuable and practical tips to aspiring writers in regard to submitting their manuscripts. If you are serious about being represented by an agent, buy this book.

I liked this book because it not only lists hundreds of agents but because of its info and suggestions for getting published. "Targeting and Hooking An Agent" is just one example. It also has info on ethics, queries, and writing a synopsis. This was a good find!
Anne Jones