Customer Reviews

Literary Agents: What They Do, How They Do It, and How to Find and Work with the Right One for You, Revised and Expanded

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An unpublished writer myself, I wish I'd read Michael Larson's book before trying to find an agent for my book! It would've saved me much postage, time, and frustration, and it would've saved the literary agents to whom I wrote a lot of time and frustration, as well. Using healthy dollops of humor and common sense, Mr. Larsen takes the reader through every phase of establishing a relationship with a literary agent, clearly explaining not only what an agent does, but WHY the agent does it. He makes sense out of the publishing jungle for the first-time writer, and he helps novices like me understand that, with talent and perseverance, getting an agent isn't a crapshoot. Mr. Larsen's chapters on how (and how NOT) to write a query letter, how to prepare a manuscript for an agent, and how to maintain a good working relationship with an agent are outstanding, as is his excellent bibliography. This book belongs in every wanna-be published author's library!

Our agency wouldn't be in business if it weren't for the sage and practical advice we've gleaned from Larsen's work in this book and his work in the publishing industry. We specifically recommend that all prospective clients read Larsen's book BEFORE they talk to us. This is a MUST read if you are considering an agent and worthwhile reading even if you are considering going it alone without an agent.

An excellent section in the book focuses on the daunting tasks of the publisher's editor; we like our clients to especially understand this section, to understand WHY the publishing process can be so frustratingly slow, to help mitigate a client's anxiety and impatience.

Another excellent section lists the litany of great authors who persisted after rejection upon yet dozens if not hundreds of more rejections until they finally sold their book. Larsen's best advice, "Failure is the path of least persistence." We use his quote at least once a week.

Lots of talk about what annoys agents. If you are smart enough to not call your prospective agent 5 times a day, and mentally healthy enough not to blow up at the slightest criticism, then you know the contents of this book. You are better off buying "2001 Guide to Literary Agents" and "2002-2003 Writer's Guide to Book Editors, Publishers, and Literary Agents." If you buy those two books, you'll get as much distilled info about lit agents as you need WHILE AT THE SAME TIME getting the contact information you need.

I actually met Mr. Larsen once three years ago at a writers' forum held in the summer at the downtown public library in Sacramento, California. At that time, he gave a presentation which came right out of this book work word for word. Other than his penchant for loud clothing, I found him to be infectious both in person and in written form. Still, he definitely managed to keep my attention from beginning to end both in person, and in his book that I have just finished reading.

Mr. Larsen is without a doubt an excellent writer, and an eternal optimist. That he loves what he does comes through crystal clear in his book. His knowledge of the literary world is definitely broad and comprehensive, and in reading this book, one gets the impression that he really knows what he is talking about. This book actually delivers everything advertised on its jacket, and more. I especially liked the wit and humor related to the publishing industry that he liberally sprinkled throughout the book. Other than what I have just said, this book is the inspiration that finally got me to get serious about being a writer.

Writing can be a lot of fun and sometimes you can even make money doing it, but if you plan on making money writing you will need a Literary Agent. So-called literary agents are a dime a dozen and willing to tell you, you may have a hit on your hands. What you have to watch out for are the scam agents out there and believe me, they're out there just waiting to take your money. Finding the right agent is sometimes very hard to do for a new writer that doesn't have a clue about how the world of writing works. The visions of a bestseller is in every writers mind and before you can even think of a bestseller you will have to build a name for yourself. This is where a good agent comes in; the agent must truly like your work and be sold on it themselves before they can do any good for you. A good agent knows what it takes in a book to sell and they know who to sell your book too. This book can help any new writer, but just remember a good agent will tell you the truth and if you're not ready for the truth then your not ready for an agent. Larry Hobson-Author "The Day Of The Rose"

How to write an inquiry letter to an agent
The kind of questions to ask an agent if you should be so lucky as to get in the door (10% do).
Some criteria for deciding if you can build a long term relationship.
Major features of a typical author/agent contract.
The kinds of things you can do to make the agent's life (and yours) easier.
The kinds of things your agent can do to make an author's life easier.
What services are typical, which are special.
Major clauses of a typical publishing contract
Money, how you get paid and how you can get screwed
Book business in a nutshell.
How you can help sell the book both before and after it's published.

This book contains all the usual suspects. A little background about literary agents would have been helpful. In the 1970's one could buy such a book and lo, sent their manuscript off to an agent and actually get a personal reply. The ratio between clients and agents was much for favorable to the writer in those days. From the 1980's through 1995 one could send in a manuscript and not get nearly the service. (The exception was overseas. England and Germany would take a look at your stuff and actually read it. They took a long time to get back to you but they did read it.) Now, the here-now, is a mess. Too many people are writing and the agents are swamped. Flip through Mr. Larsons' pages and you will discover there are not that many agents that handle the genre you have chosen. Not compared to the mass of upcoming authors. Many agents have in excess of a hundred clients and they spend the day making one to two minute phone calls to editors, publishers and clients. Then the daily flood of unrequested manuscripts they get gives them a sence of immortality. They are no better or smarter than anyone else but they are pursued and that bloats their vanity. They get a lot of fawning, pleading query letters. Since 1995 they have been unable to keep up with the demand on their time so they have had to print up thousands of "no thank-you cards" to slip into your SASE. They don't have time to read. Any agent after a few drinks will admit they are two months behind in their reading their client's stuff. They have readers who are also swamped and a reader is only a person who has his or her likes and dislikes and would you trust their opinion if you didn't have to? And really nobody wants to read an unpublished author's query letter or chapters anyhow. More people want to be read than read. What to do? You must have someone the agent trusts vouch for you. You must make every attempt to meet an agent. You have to make eye contact. If you're stuck in Stark, Alabama, you have to call them and ask if they are handling the genre you are proposing. They do not necessarily handle what they claim. E-mailing is better. You will normally get a response that will insist they are not interested, but you've made the effort and saved all that copying and postage money and the time and the waiting. E-mail the first two pages of your manuscript. An agent will not read more than that anyhow no matter how you get it to them. They all believe they can know the entire contents of a book by the first two pages. But you can call them once. If they don't have time to talk to you they certainly don't have time to read your query letter. Today, published writers have had some sort of in with an agent. Some sort of introduction. If you want to get published, start with a newspaper, a small one that can't afford to pay much and write some cool feature articles while you're trying to get your manuscript read. It will give you hope.

This book has encouraged me to press on and even look into becoming an agent myself. As a writer, I was more prepared to meet the challenge after reading the book. This tool is used constantly on a reference basis. What I appreciated about it the most? Mr. Larsen makes himself available to the reader by listing his address. I am always recommending this book to every writer I know. In Las Vegas we thirst for literary information, this book says it all. I have purchased four books for my friends and co-authors. No one else has done it better Mr. Larsen! NMJ

By a lucky fluke I had a literary agent who wanted to represent me. I needed to understand quickly what the role of a literary agent was in the publishing process and why I needed her. I knew this was the book for me, just by the title. Mr. Larsen saved me from asking some (potentially embarassing) questions, and gave me the information to ask the right ones. Most importantly I realized how lucky I was to have my agent on my side. I recommend this book to anyone interested in being published. Lisa Barnes, author of The Petit Appetit Cookbook.

You must have a literary agent if you want to get published. Michael has been doing this for 300 years- and he shares his secrets. This book can make your career. Buy it- unless of course you want your manuscript to stay in your garage and be read only by your dog. Rick Frishman Pres. Planned TV Arts (NYC) Co-author GUERRILLA PUBLICITY & GUERRILLA MARKETING FOR WRITERS. www.plannedtvarts.com and www.rickfrishman.com