Writing Stack Exchange
Writing Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [agent]

Someone who represents a writer to publishers.

Someone who represents a writer to publishers. Questions about how to find one, whether to employ one, what an agent does.

80 questions
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How do I find an agent?

I finished my novel, and everyone I've talked to says I need an agent. How do I find one?
Elizabeth Schechter
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When do you stop "pushing" a book?

Let's suppose you have finished your novel, through all the appropriate stages of drafting and editing needed. You begin submitting the book to various agents and/or publishing companies, but none of your queries gets answers. I'm talking about a…
Liquid
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How do I write a synopsis?

I have to write a synopsis to submit to an agent. Are there any guidelines for writing a good synopsis?
Elizabeth Schechter
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4 answers

Are agents too busy for new clients? What should I do next?

Most publishers insist that first-time writers approach via a literary agent. However, all the literary agents I have contacted claim to be too busy to take on new clients, as they receive hundreds or thousands of submissions every year. I used the…
user3517
18
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5 answers

Can I shop an unfinished novel?

I've been writing a novel that addresses some very current themes. My belief is that if I can get it out there quickly, it will succeed well. I'm working on it frantically, but will agents consider representing a work in progress? At what point is…
Lynn Beighley
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How to figure out if an agent is "on the straight" or "shady"?

Are there any specific signs (singular or groups of) that I should pay attention to when it comes to agents? I have read about agents who work for less reputable publishing houses, charging fees for representation and then just passing the submitted…
Vatine
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2 answers

Is it posssible to find a literary agent if I'm Egyptian but write in English?

Here is my situation: I am Egyptian, my native language is Arabic but I don't want to write in Arabic I want to write in English. Would a literary agent from an English speaking country agree to work with me? especially that I live in Egypt? I don't…
Yostina
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How does one go about successfully getting their movie script, or screen play, into the right hands?

How does one go about successfully getting their movie script, or screen play, into the hands of top level Hollywood producers? Does one need a literary agent? If so where does one find one that will get the job done? How much can one expect to…
classer
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How do collaborating authors choose an agent?

If two authors collaborate, and each of them already has an agent - then who handles the collaborative work? Do the authors decide to be jointly represented under one of their two agents? If that's the case, doesn't that "cut out" the other agent -…
Standback
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I cannot figure out the exact genre (and target audience) of my book

For more than three years, I've been writing and re-writing my novel involving immortal characters. Now I'm finally gathering courage to write a query letter and begin searching for agents. My problem is that I don't know what kind of agents to…
undecided
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Waiting for response to full MS

About three months ago, an agent that I had queried responded with a request for the full manuscript of the novel that I had written to her about. It's now been nearly three months, and I haven't heard anything back. What's a reasonable amount of…
JSBձոգչ
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How to convey a concept without illustrations when submitting?

Everything I have read or been told, and every guideline I have seen regarding submitting a picture book manuscript to a publisher has indicated that illustrations should not be included in the submission. This makes sense to me for the commonly…
SolStack
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Submitting a partially complete draft?

I'm 50,000 words into my first book. Based on my plot and roadmap, that's about 25% of the way into it, so about 200k. I have roughly 110 pages in a good place, as I've already re-drafted three or four times, polishing it up to get it ready for…
kmunky
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How to find the right literary agent in the USA?

I want to publish an English language book in the USA as a foreigner. Someone told me that the USA is mainly interested in American subjects, so anything else is quite hard to sell. Besides the fact of what America does towards non-American books…
user38951
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Would a full service print-on-demand (PoD) company include a literary agent?

I have been communicating with three PoD companies. I was considering the first, it has been in business for years and provides a certain number of copies to the author, the rest are sold from their site. I have since discovered a company that, for…
Rasdashan
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