...getting a new job. It’s all in who you know. I got my current job because someone I knew got me in. Then a year later I got another one of my friends into the company. That’s how it works. Sending a resume out to a job posting or classified ad will get you nowhere except into a big pile with other job seekers that have no chance because they don’t know anyone on the inside.
Same with finding an agent.
I mean, I’m not sending query letters out to every agent in the book. I’m actually still doing my research, trying to find the agents that would be a good fit for the novel I’m shopping. I spend a lot of time researching, finding out who the agents represent, what books they’ve sold, etc.
It’s getting me nowhere, fast.
Some assistant, or intern, is screening out these queries, deleting them before the agent can even lay eyes on it. Or just firing off the standard “not for us” rejection. There’s got to be a better way.
And just like with a job hunt, you need someone on the inside. Somebody to say “Take a look at this author.” Someone to get your email query out of the trash and onto the agent’s browser window.
I need a referral. Anyone?
2 comments:
Wish I could help you, Don. I'm in the exact same sitch though. It blows.
I spent this past weekend researching agents. May of them now state in their submission guidelines "No unsolicited queries. Referrals only." I understand that agents are inundated with query letters, many of them probably horribly written, or pitching novels that aren't even completed. But, still, where does that leave the new writer? How do you get your foot in the door without having a connection? It's tiring...
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