Getting Your Words in Front of the Right Eyes
I was working with a couple of novelists last month who were both eager to find the right agent to represent their work. The two are very different people and write in different genres. Because they had similar expectations—getting their book manuscript in front of someone who was looking for it—I realized the power of doing your homework.
These authors had spent years developing their unique spin on the novel. But you have to take some time to figure out who wants to look at your work. Because there are so many books being published now, agents and publishers are narrowing their fields, just to stay sane. If they become experts at finding writers of certain genres, they’ll remain successful. If the agent or publisher said, “Send us anything!” they would always be spinning their wheels trying to keep up with all the new information.
So the trick is to know who is looking for what. Send them what they’re looking for and your manuscript will at least be considered. You can learn a lot about agents and publishers at Publishers Weekly online or find lists of agents and publishers through a service like authorspublish.com You can Google other sites who will provide lists, sometimes specialized and sometimes for a fee. Check first to make sure the information is current, then follow their guidelines exactly! Have a wonderful and creative 2019.