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culled from our June 11, 2011 Meet the Agent
with Literary Agent Janet Silver of Zachary Shuster Harmsworth
based in Boston and New York

Build your publishing record, so that agents will take you seriously. Fiction writers: look through annual best short stories collections: in the back, they list periodicals they drew their selections from. Google "small literary journals" and "literary agents" and "[your genre or region]" and look at the acknowledgments page in books you admire. Peruse your library's Literary Marketplace and various books on agents.

Literary agencies' guidelines for query submissions differ: check each website and follow their submissions guidelines. Also check out what kinds of books agents represent. Silver, for instance, does not represent young adult books.

It may help to sending up to 15 pages of your manuscript (unless agent guidelines say not to) by email attachment. If you send a query and are asked to send "a sample of your work," send no more than 50 pages. An interested agent may then ask to see more. For novels, the agent might want to see the full manuscript. For non-fiction, the agent will want a full proposal (detailed synopsis, why the work is new and important, how it compares to other books but is different in significant ways, how you are an authority on the subject.) Some agents want a chapter outline plus a sample chapter or two consecutive chapters.

Note: Queries these days are submitted via email, not mail. If an agent wants to see a sample, send it as a pdf file or Word document. Most agents want manuscripts to be emailed, not printed out and mailed. If you submit queries to multiple agents, you needn't mention this in your query letter, but if more than one agent expresses interest, you should let each know (but do not mention them by name!)

Submit to a particular agent, addressing your query to that person even if you go through the agency's general email address. Do not send queries to agencies that specify on their websites that they do not accept unsolicited manuscripts. Do your homework; target an agent who represents the kind of work you do, and say why you are submitting to that particular agent. Agency websites often profile their agents and what kind of work they represent. If you've met an agent (eg at our Meet the Editor event), or have been referred from an author the agent knows or represents, refer to that in the subject line, which can increase the chance that the agent will open your email.

Silver prefers queries that start with a direct ask, along the lines of: "I'm writing to inquire about representation for my book ...." Then briefly mention your credentials (general statement that you have published work or hold relevant degrees). Be professional and matter-of-fact. "My book will be the next bestseller" is a turnoff that undermines your credibility. Give a brief summary of the plot (if fiction) or narrative line (if memoir or other non-fiction). Next, give a more detailed account of where you've been published (journals, anthologies, online). End with a simple "If you'd be interested in seeing a sample of my work, I can be reached at..." A query letter should be no more than one page long.

If you reach the stage where you are ready to sign on with an agent, ask questions about what to expect. Some (like Silver) will help you put together your proposal or work editorially over time. Recognize that no agent can guarantee s/he will sell your work, or get you a particular advance, but since contracts are very complicated, an agent can help you avoid conflicts and protect you from unknowingly giving away all your rights.

Be aware that it may take several months or more for an agent to sell a book. If you at some point decide to no longer work together, you do have to pay for expenses (copying and mailing) so far incurred. Your agent continues to receive 15% of any income (advance, royalties, etc.) from any rights that the agent has successfully negotiated for you.

Tidbits:

• Best time to submit: Silver recommends early summer but not the week AFTER Labor Day, when agents are inundated. Unwise to submit between Christmas and New Year's Day.
• Novelists: What's going on in the world that relates to your novel? Name any non-fiction hook that could make your fiction more marketable.
• OK to resubmit a novel to the same agent IF it's changed considerably. Ask the agent first if you may resubmit.
• Older writers: age is not a factor, can mean depth of wisdom and research.
• You can submit a self-published book IF it has sold well.
• If you write fiction based on personal experience, or if your work of nonfiction includes living persons, make sure your agent is experienced in such books, and can help you avoid libel or invasion of privacy suits.
• Some agents will check out writers' blogs: helps to have Web presence.
• Finally: always have a written contract with an agent.