Topic of the Week: How Did You Get Your Agent?

[anywherebeyond]

Recently, carrie_ryan attended a convention, and wrote up her reaction to some of the advice for fledging writers here. If I may quote:

One thing that really stuck out to me: a few people (and some of them well published authors) said that the best was to get an agent was to go to cons. Now, while I agree that you can make some great connections at

Comments

[anywherebeyond]

Dude, this is an excellent, comprehensive response. You should totally repost it to your LJ for general consumption!!

[anywherebeyond]

Always happy to help you repurpose content. :D

[anywherebeyond]

The elevator pitch terrifies me. I'm so glad you managed to make it work for you, though! What a great sideways way to make contact, though!

[rj_anderson]

I went to two conventions before I was agented, and the connections I made there enabled me to send a partial to one agent and a full to another. Both turned the book down

[anywherebeyond]

Dude the attitude makes SUCH a difference. You've read those horror stories about people who write back to argue with agents who have rejected them. Look how much further you can go with a professional and upbeat approach!

[megancrewe]

How I got my agent

[anywherebeyond]

Dude, I think I mentioned this before, but I was querying about a year before you were, and I wanted to query Kristin sooooooooooooo much, but she hadn't really branched into YA at all at that point. I am delighted with Wonder Agent Sara, but "you never know if you don't ask" is an excellent mantra for people in the query stage!

[anywherebeyond]

I got my agent the new-fashioned way: e-query. Between Absolute Write, Editors & Preditors, and Publisher's Marketplace, you can get a really good idea of who's legitimate, who represents what and who has a great track record right online