Fiction

Literary Agent Fees

Literary agents are salesmen and saleswomen – there to sell your manuscript to publishers. And, as with any sales driven game, you pay them on commission. Good literary agents are massively helpful to new authors, so you shouldn’t resent paying them. Here are the things you really need to know:

How To Write A Perfect Literary Agent Query Letter

Query letters matter massively. A typical literary agent in New York or London will see approximately 2000 manuscripts a year, and may take on just 1-2 new authors. Of the 2000 manuscripts submitted, the majority – let’s say at least 1750 – will be rejected very quickly, because of errors in the query letter or synopsis. So here’s a checklist for how to write the perfect query letter.

A Sample Literary Agent Query Letter

You want to know what a query letter should look like? Well, here’s an sample one below.

Just before we look at it, I should say that I am a real author describing a real book – and I already have an agent. So the letter which follows simply pretends that this book is a first novel and I have no track record in the industry.

How to Choose a Literary Consultant

Literary consultants are a fairly new phenomenon – they first came onto the scene about fifteen years ago – but they’ve radically altered the landscape for new writers. You certainly don’t need to use one … but at the same time, your manuscript is likely to improve if you do.

Tips for Writing Crime Fiction and Thrillers

Here are my top ten tips for writing crime fiction and thrillers that will please the reader and make publishers start groping for their chequebooks.

Getting a Novel Assessment

Getting a novel assessment can be the best thing you’ve ever done – or a hideous waste of money. This article looks at how to get the most from your assessment, and how to avoid you don’t fall into any obvious traps.

What to Expect From a Manuscript Evaluation

Manuscript evaluation is the art and science of giving tough, constructive advice on a draft manuscript (typically, but not always, a novel). What you should expect is:

Do I Need a Literary Agent?

This is a common question for all new writers – and the answer, almost always, is yes. But let’s start by reviewing what agents are there to do. They have several main roles:

How Do You Find A Literary Agent?

Finding a literary agent is easy – it’s writing the book that’s hard. So here’s what you need to know.

1) Figure out if you need an agent
You probably do, but you may not. Roughly speaking, if your book is written for a mainstream audience (ie: might sit at the front of the shop or be a bestseller) then you need an agent. If your book is very niche, then you don’t.

Novel Writing Tips – How to Write Fictional Stories

Writing a novel can be something fulfilling especially if you have a flair in writing and you have that passion to become a bestselling novelist someday. Of course, going for your interest and passion is one thing that can give you greater happiness and fulfillment in life, thus it is just one good thing to pursue what you desire.