How do you get an agent? Really...?

Question

I have written several books and never had any of them published.

I have been sending queries to agencies for like six months now and about half answer with "not at this time" form-letter, and the other half don't even bother to answer.

(Yes, I have read all sorts of things on writing a good query letter and tried several different versions thereof...)

Not one agent has ever asked to read my work. Without reading my work, they can't know how good it is or if it will sell...

So what is the magic secret? Bribes or Payola?

Answer 1

u need to be famus to get an agent

Answer 2

Try lulu.com, its a self-publishing site that will sell your stuff on their site...after you have sold a couple or you could even by a few yourself and send them to other publishers...Also, onestly just look up agents on the internet and talk to some of them, send them your manuscript or what not...

Answer 3

Firstly, you can get published without an agent. Most small publishers do accept unsolicited manuscripts.

This website has a section where you get your query letter critiqued, which may be helpful. They should be able to tell you what you are doing wrong or what you can improve. It's password protected so it won't be found on google.

http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/inde...

Oh, and writers digest also has a query letter critique page. I haven't tried it, but it could be good.

http://forum.writersdigest.com/category-...

Also, have you done research on the agents? I persume you have as it's obvious, but a few people I know have sent letters without checking what genre the agents represent. Sending a romance to a agent that specialises in horror isn't going to get you very far.

Not much else you can do really. But I would check out those links, because if you are doing something wrong they'll tell you.

Good luck

Answer 4

You're not going to like this. So be it.

If not one agent has ever asked to read your work, the query letter isn't cutting it. No matter how much you've studied up on writing a good one. No matter how many times you've revised or tweaked it. No matter how many versions have gone out.

So therein lies the problem. If the query letter is really good, at least some agents who represent this type of work will ask to see all or part of it. (You're screening agents for appropriateness, I assume.)

FWIW, AbsoluteWrite has a critique forum dedicated to query letters and synopses. Writers who have no trouble knocking out a good novel struggle with those. Visit at http://absolutewrite.com/forums/index.ph...

I have no books published, although I've sold plenty of short fiction, but I've had requests for my manuscript from literary agents.