I need to write a letter to send out to literary agents so I can take my book publishing to the next level… which I guess would be being picked up by an actual publishing house, followed soon after by huge sums of cash, movie deals, and international fame.
But every time I sit down to follow the guidelines set forth in: ‘The Complete Idiot’s Guide To Getting Published’, given to me by my lovely wife a few years ago, I just seize up like an old, frozen engine. I don’t know what it is… fear of success or just plain being overwhelmed because I am all art-side-of-the-brain and have no real life skills like marketing myself… but I can’t get past it.
In the first place, my children’s book, I Like Monkeys, with the illustrations I did, is, according to all the people who have read my stuff, the most likely to get published. But I am not giving up on my action/adventure/humor science fiction series, The Otherwhere Chronicles. They would make awesome movies, and I already have ideas for who will play the loveable and irreverent scamp who is the hero in the books… and who also happens to be me! Besides, I already have two of them self-published, the third being edited, and the fourth is already written. And by the end of book four our hero has the ability to travel to any other reality I can imagine, and a lot of cool alien friends and technology to mess around with. On the other hand, if the kid’s books can keep me from having to go back to working some sucky minimum wage job, I will make more of them.
So do I send multiple letters about the kid’s book to agents who specialize in that, and write another letter to Sci-fi agents? And how the hell do I explain, in a one page letter, what my science fiction books are about??? If you have read any of them, you know what I mean.
So, and I hate to ask, can anybody help a brother out? I’m not even sure exactly what I’m asking. Help, advice, resources I can check out? I just suck at all this stuff. So… yeah… let me know if you have any ideas.
Thanks, friends.
Pouring My Art Out 
Ugh. NOW you decide to get an agent? I thought getting lots of WordPress views was the secret to attracting attention? But it ain’t. Just ask an agent or a publisher, they don’t care whit one about this stuff. You need an online presence, but they want to know that you have a BUYING audience, not just a casual one. Most importantly, they want to know that you can write.
My suggestion is that you market the kids’ book first – get that one out there and published and then build on that with the other stuff. There’s some good books out there on writer’s markets, target some agents who rep this type of stuff. It’s bloody hard getting an agent. A personal connection of some kind helps so much. But an agent really helps. Most of the publishers look on agents as pre-screening; because the agents get paid commission on books they sell to publishers, the publishers assume that the agents wouldn’t put something forward that wasn’t commercially viable.
Query letters, never written one, but there are some good guides to it and you have to write it yourself. Follow a template and do your best on one of your properties. Send that to me and I’ll give you some decent advice – and yes, I will actually do it, reviewing a letter is a lot less time consuming than a whole book yo!
I appreciate all of that… thanks buddy!!!
I self-published a book 4 years ago, a collection of my gardening articles. It hasn’t done very well. I’m writing a fiction piece now, a first attempt. I can’t offer much advice on how you should proceed, but I have a feeling you’ll do just what needs to be done and things will turn out great.
I have always relied on blind faith… it has worked out so well for me so far…
I follow a publisher on WordPress. I think maybe it could be an idea to have a look through their blog. I think it is a UK based company but it could be a source of information. Here is a link to their Publishers And Wrapping Papers post from March this year
Hope it helps at a least a little
I will check it out, thanks.
🙂
wheeeeeeeeee
I knew you’d like that. I was going to put lol as well
sigh
I have been querying agents for the better part of two years. It is a difficult process admittedly. I would go to WritersandPoets.com and research agents who are interested in your genre. The query letter writing skill is a must! I took a query letter writing four day workshop and it improved my letter immensely. Agents want you to follow a very specific protocol and format, otherwise they will hit delete without even reading the first line. After the workshop, I began to get traction and some requests for partial and even full manuscripts. No book deals yet and I’ve even somewhat scrapped Novel #1 in favor of working on #2.
Thank you…. I will look into taking a class. I noticed you sad they ‘hit delete’… does that mean I can email my letter???
99% of agents only accept electronic queries. There are a few agencies that will accept snail mail but the vast majority want email, embedded with no attachments and no fluff. Each of their websites gives a VERY specific set of instructions on how to query that particular agent. And of course, no two agents are alike so you will find yourself tailoring your query letter/bio/synopsis with spoilers/synopsis without spoilers combinations to suit the needs of what each agent likes to see.
oh boy… and me being a computer moron too…
Here is the link to the resource I used to figure out how to write a book synopsis. I hope it helps.
Hey… thanks…
Never done one — sorry. (Never written a book, either, come to think of it …)
If you get a draft letter done, I will be glad to edit it, though. I wield a wicked red pen.
HA!
I think you should target as many as possible, and be specific. And keep trying. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and I will be willing to bet ___________ (fill in the blank with your favorite author) didn’t get snapped up and published instantly either. Anyway you look at it, it’s still work. So I agree with you. Send to childrens publishers and to sci fi publishers. Your alien series could also be young adult don’t you think?? Maybe you will have to do some under a psudonym. Just don’t use Richard Bachman cause that belongs to someone else.
I am already unknown, so I don’t know if a pseudonym would help… and I guess I was hoping someone would give me advice on how to write the letters… I know I need to send out a lot of them.
Well, that shouldn’t be so hard either. “Enclosed for your consideration is a copy of ‘I Like Monkeys’ an interactive childrens book that opens the doors of communication, thought and imagination in a fun, creative and entertaining format.” You might want to mention how much fun it is for the children you have read it to as well.
I thought of that, but sending a bunch of copies takes a bunch of money.
and I meant that maybe your weird alien books should be distanced from your childrens books. Not that I have a problem with it, but the rest of the world isn’t always as laid back as I am. (we are)
They are certainly not a matching set, that’s for sure.
I think you should include a picture of you where you have Photoshopped some shark’s teeth where your mouth should be. Then the letter to the publishers can read, “Publish me or get bit.”
well I just did that picture of me with great white teeth the other day…
So you are all set. You’re welcome.
but my dentist now refuses to see me.
That’s not nice, Doobster – the poor guy’s asking for advice.
(Not that my own thoughts didn’t run along pretty much the same lines as yours.)
I am not above threatening people if it will help… will it help?
Hasn’t worked for me, but maybe you’ll do better.
It goes against my nature.
Between the narley sunglasses and the sharks teeth, I’d be scared.
yeah you would
You mean, against your nature to threaten? I find that a bit hard to believe.
I can, but it isn’t really like me.
Good to know. I think it makes me respect you a little more.
I am good at it if I need to be, but I hate it
Me, too.
good