I have also included in this PDF for free my two books HOW TO LAND (AND KEEP) A LITERARY AGENT and HOW TO WRITE A GREAT QUERY LETTER. This file has over 400 pages of invaluable information. Please read it before posting questions here.
Below is the table of contents of questions asked. All are answered in this file.
Enjoy!
Table of Contents
* Should my agent let me know which
publishers/editors have read my work, and provide me with copies of the
rejection letters?
* I am just starting out and have never been
published. What should I put in my bio?
* My agent is unwilling to sell world rights to
my book. What should I do?
* How does one land a job as a literary agent?
* Should I revise my work for a prospective
agent?
* Can I fire my agent mid-submission?
* Should I query an agent with several books at
once?
* Once I land an agent, how long does it take
to land a book deal?
* What is the ideal page count for a first
novel?
* How many agents should I approach?
* If my agent doesn’t like my next book, should
I fire him?
* Why won’t publishers respond?
* How long should I wait to hear back about my
manuscript?
* How many copies must a book sell to be
considered a success?
* Will being published by a small press help my
career?
* Can self-publishing damage your career?
* Is there a market for literary fiction set in
a country outside of the United States?
* Can I be represented by two literary agents?
* Should I finish the manuscript of my novel
before submitting to agents?
* Do agents really read the first five pages?
Or just the first five sentences?
* What do you look for in a logline?
* How do I find out what agent represents a
novel in my genre?
* Is my agent (even if fired) entitled to
commission my option book?
* Do some agents give up if a manuscript
doesn't sell in the first round of submissions?
*
Is it normal to have different agents
for U.S. and international publication?
* Is it detrimental to have your book published
as a trade paperback original?
* Is editor turnaround so high that you can
re-submit in just a few years?
* Should I pay a fee to have my work published?
* Should I pay to have my work published?
* Can I self-publish my ebook while pursuing a
print deal?
* My agent is not responding. What should I do?
* Is my age a problem?
* Does my novel have to be set in America?
* Should I use a pseudonym?
* Should I serialize my entire novel on my
blog?
* How many revisions?
* How long should I wait for my agent?
* Was I correct to accept a deal directly from
a publisher?
* How should I handle my sales history?
* Will an agent represent me just for one genre
of fiction?
* How do I switch agents?
* Can I post excerpts of my work online?
* Can I re-submit after revision?
* Will my location affect my ability to land a
deal?
* Should I submit to magazines first?
* Do I need photographs?
* Which publishers should I submit to?
* Can I submit requested material via email?
* Can I submit to multiple agents
simultaneously?
* How to phrase my query letter?
* Should memoir be treated as fiction?
* Should I add anything extra in my query
letter?
* Is it more important for the story to be well
done or marketable?
* If I self-publish first, will it hurt my
chances?
Hi Noah - I have a question for you. Would an agent be annoyed if I submitted an ms to her under a pen name? The reason I ask is because I am a published writer but my books haven't taken off the way it was expected. At this moment in time, I would like to move on from my present agent, but I feel that if I go seeking another agent under my real name, my back list will be examined and I will be turned down because I failed to 'make' it. I just want to be judged on my work and not on past disasters:)Would an agent understand this? Thanks.
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