How to Find an Agent

I get a lot of mail, and by and large, I very much enjoy it. I like to hear that people have been enjoying my books, and I particularly like to hear specific things that you've enjoyed about them. And if I occasionally run into a letter like the one from a reader who complained that she didn't enjoy The Outlandish Companion because it read "more like a reference book than a novel"....well, no doubt practicing Christian compassion for those not blessed with brain cells is good for my character.

Beyond mail about the books, mail from old friends, mail from people named Gabaldon who wonder whether I am related to them (I don't know, but the odds are pretty good), mail inviting me to participate in assorted events and conferences (sometimes. I can't go everywhere, but I'll always listen), and mail asking technical questions like whether there are CD versions of the books available (not yet), a noticeable chunk of the mail comes from aspiring writers.

More specifically, from people who a) want to write a book but don't know how and would like me to tell them, b) are in the middle of writing a book and want to know if they're doing it right, c) have written a book and want me to critique it, or d) have written a book and don't care what I think about it but would like me to explain how to get it published. (Interestingly enough, there are a lot of people who have never written a book but still want me to tell them how to get published.).

Now, I like to teach. I also love to discuss writing. The difficulty here, though, is simple. There is one of me. There are (at last count) about 2,500 aspiring writers who've come through my email/mail in the last couple of years. I'm assuming there are probably quite a few more who would like to talk to me or ask questions about writing, but haven't gotten around to it yet..

The thing is, a question like, "how do you go about writing a novel?" may sound deceptively simple, but the answer could easily take days. The Prologue to the Companion explains exactly how I wrote my first book and got it published, and that book also includes several articles that discuss my working methods. But just this week, I've received at least a dozen more email messages that began, "I've read your Outlandish Companion, but I just don't know how to...[start writing/develop characters/plot/find an agent/find a publisher/etc.]." Obviously, the information in the Companion was not quite sufficient to satisfy all the aspiring writers out there..

Fortunately, this is exactly the sort of situation in which Web pages are helpful; i.e., in conveying a body of information to a large number of people who are interested in that information. So what I think I will do--depending both on available time (mine and Rosana's; she has a life, too {g}) and on the way in which this notion is received--is to start a regular feature here on the Web page, called Writer's Corner, in which I can answer the most frequently asked questions about writing. That way, people who aren't particularly interested in writing questions can avoid that section, and just read excerpts, tour-dates, and other news on the site, while those who are interested in writing can perhaps get a little help--or at least hear what I think, which is not necessarily the same thing. {g}.

I'll try to post a new chunk of general advice in this feature about once a month (and do bear in mind that free advice is worth every penny you pay for it), addressing one or more questions that seem to be of interest to the writers who write to me..

For starters:.

Q: I have a novel that involves [time-travel, magic, history, romance, you name it], that reminds me of your work. Would you be able to read it and perhaps give me some helpful comments?

A: No..

Next question...oh, wait. That last answer seems a trifle abrupt and unfeeling. Let me try again..

{ahem} I'd love to read your manuscript and give you comments on it. However, my agent doesn't allow me to read manuscripts (other than a few that come through him), owing to legal constraints. Even if this were not true, I'm not sure how I could justify reading your manuscript and not reading those of the 300 others who asked me. (My husband would also divorce me if I spent all my time reading manuscripts instead of feeding him and kids and writing my own books, but that's a moot point anyway, so we won't worry about it.).

OK, next question..

Q: I have a terrific idea for a story, but I'm no writer. I'd like to have you write it, and would be happy to share in any profits..

A: Well, to be honest, I've never met a writer who suffered from a shortage of ideas. The problem is usually having way more than one can possibly handle..

Most writers are not really interested in writing other people's stories; that's sort of not what we do. If you have a really great story, I'd suggest that you try writing it yourself; you may be pleasantly surprised at what you can do. Besides, if you succeed, then the story will be completely yours, and told as only you could tell it..

Now, there are people who do ghost-writing, but most novelists don't--as I say, we have plenty of our own things to write, and don't really have the time or inclination for distraction by other projects..

Q: Do I need an agent?.

And the fourth is like unto the third:.

Q: How do I find an agent? or How do I find a publisher?.

A: Well, I don't recommend looking in the Yellow Pages. I mention this because I've met any number of writers who do just that. It works for exterminators and Chinese restaurants, but probably not that well for literary agents and publishers..

The short answer is that first, you write a good book. You don't need a publisher until you have a manuscript, OK? (Yes, it is possible to sell a book before writing it, but not if you've never written one before. Publishers (and agents) would like some evidence that you can write a book before they go handing out contracts.).

Now, we're talking fiction here, because most of the folk who write to me seem to be writing novels. You can sell nonfiction without a complete manuscript and without an agent; in fact, most nonfiction publishers prefer to deal with book proposals, rather than manuscripts, and I spent fifteen years selling nonfiction of all kinds quite successfully without an agent. Fiction is different..

A quick sidenote here: At the risk of being accused of sarcasm (and I'm not being sarcastic, believe me; I wish I were)...Fiction means you are writing a made-up story. All Novels Are Fiction. (You don't want to know how many people come up to my table at a book-signing, pick up one of my books, read "A Novel by Diana Gabaldon," on the cover, then look at me and say carefully, "A...novel. Is that, like, you know...fiction?" Yep. That's what it is, all right.).

Nonfiction is stuff that's factual (A Brief Guide to Owls, for instance), or advice (How to Lose Sixteen Tons by Working in a Coal Mine), or opinion (Why the President is a Jerk), or biography (Betty Crocker: A Life in Boxtops). You know, that sort of thing, but not a story.

OK. Assuming that you are in fact writing or have written book-length fiction (not poetry, not short stories; I don't write these myself, and don't know enough about the markets for them to be giving good advice--but by and large, most literary agents are not interested in handling very short pieces):.

Yes, I think it's a good idea to have an agent for fiction. I also sold my own nonfiction for years, but when I started writing novels, it seemed (from my own research into the subject) that an agent really is--if not absolutely required--certainly a Good Idea for fiction. Having now seen quite a bit of the publishing industry, I can see why..

Most editors get enormous quantities of submissions, and even those houses where editors do read the slush pile (Delacorte is one of them) have so many manuscripts that it can easily take an editor 6-9-12-18 months to work his or her way down to yours, even if s/he loves it on sight..

However, the sorry fact is that 95% of the stuff in the slush pile is illegible, illiterate, unsuitable, or all three. I.e., the competition isn't all that stiff. {g} Ergo, if a manuscript comes in from an established, reputable agent whom the editor knows, said editor is probably going to grab and read that manuscript at once, since s/he has some assurance that it is legible, literate, and quite possibly something he or she wants. (Also, the fact that it comes from an agent increases the probability that other editors are seeing it at the same time--they don't want someone to beat them to the next bestseller.).

So an agent will get you read faster. IF the book sells (and that's up to the book, the editor, and the match between them, not the agent--though it is the agent's business to find the best match possible), then the agent can negotiate a better contract than you can, since he or she knows things (we hope) about what kind of price it's reasonable to ask or accept for this sort of book, whether it's advisable to go for a multi-book contract, whether to withhold foreign rights, etc., etc. Fiction involves lots more commercial possibilities than nonfiction does, and an inexperienced author won't even know what these are, let alone what to do about them..

So yes, I think it's a good idea to have an agent. This leads us to the next question: How do you find an agent?.

Well, there are several paths of exploration. First off, there are reference books that provide lists of literary agents and agencies, with descriptions of the specific interests represented. Writer's Digest books has one, and there's another called Jeff Herman's Insider's Guide to Literary Agents, and probably another one or two besides. These are available in most bookstores or libraries (in the reference section), and are a reasonable place to start. (As a bonus, these books usually provide examples of query letters and explain exactly how to approach literary agencies.).

Now, personally, when I set out to look for an agent, I knew that I wanted one based in New York. I knew how contacts worked in the scientific world (i.e., all real business at conferences is done in the bar), and what I said was, "I want an agent who has lunch with editors." {g} Most (not all, but still most) large publishers are in New York. QED. This does not mean there aren't good agents in other parts of the country; there are (LA, mostly). I just wanted one based in NYC..

In addition to these published lists, you might also browse through a year's back issues of Publisher's Weekly (also available at libraries). Agents are often referred to or quoted in articles, and you can sort of get a feel for who might be "A-list" agents, who represents what sort of author generally, and so on..

Beyond the published sources, there are personal or group recommendations. Some writing groups--the RWA (Romance Writers of America), for example--keep lists of agents who specialize in whatever genre the group deals with. These lists benefit from the experience of the members, since if someone has a poor experience with an agent and reports that to the group, chances are the agent will be removed from the list. I don't know whether SFFWA or MWA, Sisters in Crime or the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers keep similar lists, but I wouldn't be surprised. If you belong to a writers organization, ask..

You can also go to writers conferences, many of which invite agents, who are available either to speak, or for one-on-one appointments with writers; you can "pitch" a manuscript to an agent under these circumstances (that just means you sit and describe the book briefly--tell about the genre, premise, and general shape of the story), if you're ready to do that, or you can just chat with agents (and editors) and learn a little more about potential prospects and personalities..

And of course, you can always look for online groups of writers- -there are quite a few, but since they change and move often, I won't list any specific ones here--and ask for personal recommendations. Mind you, just popping up out of nowhere and asking for an agent recommendation rarely works, but if you've been associating with a group for awhile and get to know various writers socially, so to speak, people are generally very helpful about telling you what they may know regarding agents..

OK. Once you've picked one or several agents to approach, you do this generally by query (unless you're doing it face-to-face, at a conference). A query letter is a brief letter--usually a page or two, at most--describing your fictional work, very briefly..

A query letter basically tells the agent whether you can write (if you can't write a coherent query letter, the chances of you writing an interesting novel are drastically decreased), and describes the general shape of your novel--genre, premise, approach. You don't need to do a detailed plot summary at this point; you're just describing the book, not recounting it..

I might add here that it is generally not really necessary (and often counter-productive) to tell an agent that you have a 450,000 word manuscript which is the first book in a projected trilogy. {cough} Ditto, it's not really advisable to tell them it's a bold cross between spy thriller/Western/New Age and romantic suspense, even if it is. I.e., the publishing industry as a whole does not like huge books (very expensive to produce) or weird books (difficult to market)..

This does not by any means mean that you can't sell a Big, Weird book (obviously {g}); but there's no point in discouraging them right off the bat. Tell 'em what the book is, and wait until they decide it's something they want, before you reveal the gory details. All I said to my (putative) agent about Outlander in my query letter was "It's a rather long historical novel." {g}.

If the agent likes your query, he or she will normally ask to see a complete manuscript (editors will sometimes want to see a synopsis and sample chapters, or sometimes a complete manuscript), so it's a good idea to have one. (I didn't, but then I sort of tend not to do things the way one is supposed to, anyway.).

If you're interested in an particular agent, and vice-versa, you can check them out by writing to the AAR (Association of Authors Representatives), which is sort of an agents' guild (they probably also have a website, though I'm afraid I don't know the URL). They have ethical guidelines, to which the members theoretically all subscribe, and an agent has to have been in business for two years in order to join--which weeds out a lot of fly-by-nights and people who think they'll try agenting because they couldn't sell one of their own books..

Anyway, the AAR will tell you if the agent you're interested in is a member (good if they are, bad if they aren't), and whether there have been any complaints lodged against this agent (good if there aren't, bad if there are)..

It is also perfectly kosher to ask an agent--once he or she has expressed an interest in representing your work--who he or she represents; a legitimate agent a) has clients {g}, and b) is more than willing to tell you about them. You can also ask the agent to put you in touch with one or more of the extant clients, so you can ask further questions; any reputable agent will be happy to do this. If an agent won't name any of his clients or won't put you in touch with one, this is a Bad Sign..

And thus endeth Today's Lesson. {g} Next month, God willing and the creek don't rise, I'll try to address a few more of the commonly-asked writing questions, like "How do you start writing a novel?" and "How do you keep writing a novel?".

If you have any specific writing-related questions you would like answered, do feel free to email me with them. I may not be able to reply to you with a personal explanation--as I said, these tend to be kind of detailed--but chances are that you're not the only one who wants to know, so I'll try to answer here, for the benefit of anyone who may be interested..

I am gathering material for a how-to-write book (which is a trifle hypocritical of me, given that I've never read one and mostly don't believe in them--but many people do find them helpful, and who am I to deny the force of popular demand?), but since I do have all these novels to write, it may be awhile before I turn my attention fully to that particular enterprise..

Meanwhile, I'll do what I can here.