How to Get a Literary Agent [Paperback]

Michael Larsen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2006 | ISBN-10: 1402205600 | ISBN-13: 978-1402205606

Written by a top literary agent who gives writers an insider's view of how to find and work with an agent throughout the process of getting published. Includes:

-- How to know that you're ready for an agent
-- 7 ways to find an agent
-- Writing a cover letter that grabs attention
-- What to do with an agent once you've got one
-- What you can expect and what you'd better not hope for
-- Making sure this is the right agent for you
-- Congratulations, now you have an agent AND an editor
-- How to avoid the 7 worst pitfalls for aspiring writers
-- And much, much more.

In today's highly competitive publishing industry, literary agents are more important than ever. Whether you write fiction or non-fiction, reference or children's books, here is everything you need to know about using an agent to launch and sustain your literary career.a

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Michael Larsen, PhD is the co-founder of the Larsen/Pomada Literary Agency in San Francisco, California. He speaks and teaches around the country on writing, agenting and the publishing industry. Larsen is the author or co-author of eleven books and has represented dozens of successful authors in their literary careers. He lives in San Francisco, California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc. (April 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402205600
• ISBN-13: 978-1402205606
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 0.9 x 7.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #104,405 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

94 of 95 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A New Vision July 31, 2006

By Scott Kenan

Format:Paperback

Added 9/27/07:
I posted this review 8/1/06 and then stopped looking for an agent until 6/15/07 when I had written 2 more drafts and implemented many of Michael's ideas. The next agent I contacted signed me 3 weeks after that. Thanks Michael!

From 8/1/06:
Reading Michael Larsen's HOW TO GET A LITERARY AGENT scoured the last remaining romantic notions about publishing from my head and replaced them with a clear idea of how the publishing industry works. I have read several books on crafting query letters, proposals, finding agents, etc. This is the only one that tells the story of the whole industry and has taken me from butting my head against a dense citadel to seeing inside and not just understanding how all the very human parts work, but seeing the bigger picture and my important place as a writer.

Perhaps the best thing about Mr. Larsen's book is the great love he has for his work as an agent and the respect and love he has for everyone involved in writing and publishing books. While he is relentless in telling the sobering truth about the industry, his infectious enthusiasm for every aspect of it: the creative process, the editing and selling, the making of careers, and especially the books, comes through on every page. Every myth dispelled is replaced by a vision of new possibilities.

As a writer (and no, I do not know Mr. Larsen, nor have I ever attempted to contact him), I am grateful for the tools he gives, but more importantly, for the encouragement such a well conceived and well written book gives. So far, I've spent a few years on my first book, and at a moment when my energy was flagging, this book re-energized me and expanded my vision, reminding me of all the best reasons I am writing.

42 of 42 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Need a Literary Agent? Here's Your Bible! April 4, 2007

By Trisha A. Howell VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

For a comprehensive, highly informative, and often humorous guide to getting your book published, you cannot do better than Michael Larsen's terrific How to Get a Literary Agent. A successful literary agent for the past 35 years, Larsen knows exactly what he's talking about. His book is encouraging and empowering to the writer while also revealing the often harsh realities and complexities of the publishing world.

Not only does Larsen describe in detail what an agent actually does, how to find the right agent for your work, and the best way to approach and create a successful ongoing relationship with that person, but he also gives a crash course in how the whole book industry works. This is invaluable because the savvy writer who really understands the publishing industry is much better able to write, package, and position her books for maximal success.

Larsen also helps you clarify your publishing and life goals in order to focus and revitalize your work. With the addition of a friendly tone and an easy to read text, How to Get a Literary Agent is the perfect book to motivate and guide the would-be professional writer as well as anyone interested in the publishing process.

37 of 38 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for finding an agent February 23, 2007

By Tuvan Uner VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

For all of you prospective writers out there here is a handy little book that explains step by step on how to go about finding a literary agent.

What I liked most about this book was the encouraging tone it was written in. Mr. Larsen explains the right and wrong way to locate and the right type of agent that can help you sell your work.

The index includes some helpful sample contracts between writers and agents.

Overall a great book to purchase if you are an unpublished fiction/non-fiction writer.