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9 Ways to Feel More Confident When You Start Querying Literary Agents
What to do before you submit your novel
You’ve spent months — or even years — writing and editing your novel, and now you’re excited to put your manuscript in a literary agent’s hands. But how do you find the right agent? And how do you convince them to read your work?
Most writers start with a query letter. As a literary agent, I receive thousands every year, and the best ones serve as an engaging introduction— both to the project and its author. But others tell me I probably don’t want to work with that writer. Because they’re pitching a project in a genre I don’t represent. Or they’ve ignored simple submission instructions. Occasionally, they’ve made something up entirely in order to stand out.
Ultimately, an agent needs to fall in love with your manuscript to sign you as a client. But a little research and a well-written query letter will increase the odds of them asking to read your work.
Follow the nine actions below, plus the bonus tip at the end, and make a professional first impression as you start to query literary agents.
