Unpublished writers are always lamenting that Literary Agents are the enemy, intercepting their gifted pieces and preventing exposure to a major publisher. They are the Evil Empire of the Literary agents (EEL for short), absorbing power from the dark side. Maybe that is why we print manuscript on white paper, to counter the effects of the literary dark side.
While in today’s publishing market the literary agent is the gatekeeper for most publishers, any writer who thinks the problem through realizes that the gatekeeper is on his side.The economics is a simple problem with an obvious solution. A literary agent makes money when he sells literature to a publisher. He receives a percentage of the royalties due the author. If he sells nothing, he makes nothing. If he sells a best selling book, he’s in the money ala Dan Brown and his agent. So it behooves him to FIND SALEABLE works. That is in fact what he lives for, works that are so superior they could sell themselves with little effort from him. That is a rare gem in deed, but he or she will settle for a work that can be marketed to a publisher with a reasonable expectation that it will sell successfully to the public, making all three money. Money makes publishing happen, period. A few years ago a book on identifying road kill in its native form, completely flattened, became a best seller. The subject is not important, the market is.
The alliance of the dollar creates bedfellows out of the writer, the publisher and the literary agent. Has there ever been a stranger ménage a trois?
Because the agent is the first step toward publication, it might be helpful to understand what makes an agent think that a manuscript is good/great. The first sale of the manuscript is between the writer and the agent. The sale involves both the manuscript and the writer (your personality could prevent a sale, make sure the agent has no reason to be annoyed with you). When a literary agent represents your manuscript, it is both your and his reputation that is on the line. To paraphrase an Indiana Jones movie: he will choose wisely and carefully.
The choice starts with submission to the right type of literary agent. While some agents are generalists, most have a special interest and thereby, specific contacts with editors who favor certain types of stories and genres. You should research your target literary agents and not waste the time of those that would not be interested in the next Hemmingway because they specialize in Slasher fiction. You must also research the format of submitting the query. Does the agent take e-mail queries? They are easier to send and delete. Do they accept unsolicited submissions? Do they only accept snail mail query letters? Is the agent not accepting new clients at this time? If you send the manuscript via e-mail attachment, what format (RFT, Doc, Docx, etc.) is acceptable to the agent? REMEMBER, pleasing the agent is paramount, they have the keys to the kingdom of publishing, you cannot enter without them as an escort. In the past that was not true, but today that rule is written in permanent marker and signed in blood.
You should make sure there is not a mistake in your query letter, whether they be typo’s or factual errors, ie address Francis Bacon as Ms. Bacon. One mistake and the agent might toss the letter. You must be docile and accept that their rule is absolute, do nothing to piss them off.
Write the query letter as a representative of the book, which might include using the same tone and voice or explaining the premise in such exciting terms that the agent can’t help but be interested. REMEMBER, you are marketing and selling your novel, no one can know how great it is if you do not tell him or her.
The second and smaller part of the query letter should state why you have the special ability to tell the story. What qualifies you above all others for this manuscript? Sell yourself. I meant that in the nicest way. You’re not a hooker.
Make sure the manuscript lives up to the hyperbole of the letter. Is that an oxymoron or a paradox, either way “x” marks the spot. If the manuscript is probably not going to find an audience (sell the hell out of the first printing) then it probably will never make it off the slush pile. The numbers are simple for a hardcover 20,000 copies makes it a mild success, and for paperbacks 50,000 copies, the more the better.
And remember that publishing a manuscript is a never-ending effort. Even when the publisher accepts it, there will be re-writes, editing decisions, choices concerning the cover, and an all out effort to publicize the book in any manner legally allowed (monetary constraints not withstanding).
So after writing a manuscript that the agent thinks meets the standard to allow it to be published with a happy monetary result, the work has only begun and the writer transforms into the publicist. That is the Happy Ending.
