How to Pitch an Agent

by C. Patrick Schulze 

Listen to a PODCAST of this article.

You know what's more difficult than writing a NOVEL? Selling your novel to an AGENT. It's one of the more daunting aspects we writers face.

By nature we writers live in world more solitary than most. We sit alone and clack on a keyboard for hours on end. And welcome the opportunity. It's this aspect of our collective personalities that tend to ensure our strengths lie in areas other than finding an agent to represent us.

However, there's not as much to landing an agent as you might think. All you have to do is sell them on your book. And all that takes is ninety seconds. You can do anything for ninety seconds, right? In four words I'll tell you how you do that.

Fill the agent's needs.

Not enough? Okay. Allow me to outline the agents needs for you. This get a bit deep, so hang on. They need good authors to represent.

Now that I've done the hard part for you, how might you fulfill their needs?

One secret, after you've written that high quality novel of course, is your book pitch. It's that ninety second synopsis of your novel.

Keep in mind a pitch has only one function. To make and agents think, That's interesting.

To convince anyone something is "interesting," you've got to be able to tell them about it. In our world of writing, we explain our books and novels with a book pitch.

With an effective pitch, I'll bet you're eighty percent or more on your way to publication.

So, how to put our ninety seconds of fame to good use? Here's a simple way to do that.

Think of your pitch as your verbal sales brochure. If you've ever studied brochures, you know they say very little but feel very good. That tells us our verbal brochure, our pitch, should be infused with an emotional tug of some sort.

Remember our old friend, CONFLICT? Yep. He comes into play here, too. The secret to your book pitch is conflict.

That is to say, if you want to pitch an agent, just give them a short summary of your PLOT. Mention first what the protagonist desires, why he wants it what keeps him from it. If you get nothing else in, it's okay. It is nice if you give them word count, genre, target audience, etc. If you don't have the time, they'll ask if they're interested.

Now for a couple of other things to keep in mind.

First and foremost, nothing happens until you make it happen. Go to the writers' conferences and set appointments with agents. Pay a reasonable fee if you must.

Keep your pitch itself short. Think three sentences and ninety seconds, tops.

Can you read your pitch to them? Sure. It answers their questions whether you recite or read it. Tell them before you pull out your cue cards, though.

Be sure to point out any connection you have with the agent, no matter how small and to let them know why you chose to speak with them.

If you're not sure how to write your pitch, begin your first sentence with the word, "when" and your second sentence with the word, "can." That'll usually put you on the right track.

Of course, you know this is a business meeting, so treat it as such. Be polite, professional and considerate.

And for my final recommendation, always remember, my friends, fortune favors the bold.

By the way, I've got a joke for you.

How do you pitch an agent?

Why, you wind up and toss 'em.

Until we meet again, know I wish for you only best-sellers.

C. Patrick Schulze

Author of the now-at-the-editors novel, "Born to be Brothers"

The Secrets of the Dreaded Synopsis

I’ve yet to meet an author who looked forward to writing their novel synopsis. In fact, many believe it’s more difficult to write than the novel itself. Not to say it’s easy, but a few simple tenets can get you started.

Let’s first ask if a synopsis is even necessary these days. From reading the submission guidelines of agents, I see many don’t request one and that leads me to believe it has lost much of its influence. However, some still do, and as an aspiring author never knows which agent will represent them, it’s a good idea to have it ready.

The second question is why would an agent would feel a synopsis necessary. The critical reason I found in researching this article is it can be THE pivotal item that gets an editor to read your manuscript. That’s enough for me right there. However, if you need more, consider the following. A well-crafted synopsis can assist the author in finding weak plot points and point you toward ways to polish your story arc. It also assists in improving characterization, plot and setting. Further, it is often utilized by various departments of a publishing house once they accept your novel.

We now know the if and why, but what about the what? What, after all, is a synopsis? Many confuse it with an outline which describes what occurs in the storyline, to whom it happens and when it happens. In contrast, a synopsis portrays the “why” of your story. The novel outline describes the action or what happens, whereas the synopsis offers the conflict or how your characters react to that action.

The essential components to a novel synopsis are:

1. The Opening Hook
2. Character Sketches
3. Plot Highlights
4. The Core Conflict
5. The Conclusion

If you think about what the synopsis is supposed to accomplish, these five aspects make perfect sense. It will give the various readers a good feel for everything they might need to know about your story. Let’s look at each of these components.

The Opening Hook: Start strong. Remember this is about conflict, how and why your characters react the way they do. It is not about action, what happens to them. For example, you would not open with the first line following for it speaks of the action in the story, whereas the second tells the reader about the characters’ REactions.

Two men fight over a woman.
Two brothers lose their friendship when a woman comes between them.

As with any reader, the agent looks for something that will engage them. If your story doesn’t’ sound interesting right away, they’ll probably not read further. You’ve got ninety seconds, so power your way through them.

Character Sketches: This does not mean you describe your characters but rather get to their individual core conflict and the conflict between your two or three main characters. What makes your hero undertake his great quest? Why is your villain working with such diligence to thwart your protagonist? Think motivation rather than descriptions.

Plot Highlights: Give some detail to the first and the climactic scenes and a couple of those in the middle of your story. Use only those scenes that highlight the emotional action and conflict within your story. Make sure whoever reads your synopsis knows just how much trouble befalls your hero.

Core Conflict: Your Opening Hook will probably introduce your core conflict, but make sure you enhance it here. Don’t allow anyone to misunderstand the “why” of your story. If you have multiple conflicts, highlight the premier point then maybe the next couple of levels.

The Conclusion: Show the agent your novel is worked to its completion and flesh out the ending. They want to know the entire story. If they don’t know the ending, they’ll assume it doesn’t work. Tie together any major loose strings and point to a sequel if your novel is one of a planned series.

That’s all there is to it. With things spelled out like this, it doesn’t seem quite so onerous, does it? Use your writer’s voice as you did with your novel and the agent will have a good idea of what it is you’re offering for him to sell.

Best of luck and know I wish you only best-sellers.

C. Patrick Schulze

Tips on How to Find an Agent for Your Novel

Can a novel writer achieve success without an agent? Of course. All you require are strong marketing skills, a firm grasp of specific technologies, appropriate contacts, a few bucks, a bit of luck, time and perseverance. As you might expect, most of us mere mortals don’t have more than one or two of these, let alone all of them. So, it remains true for most of us, the best route toward success as an author is to place our novel in the capable hands of an agent.

So, how does one go about finding one of these elusive beings? Truth be told? Its difficult. It’s very difficult. However, if you can find that bit of luck, or better yet create your own, there are some things you can do to enhance your prospects.

First and foremost, write that saleable, excellent manuscript to its completion. No exceptions, no excuses. Without a marketable product, the agent has nothing to sell for you and everything else is mute. You may have a magnificent product, but if there is no market to buy it, agents can’t help you. You may have the perfect market, but a substandard novel will never sell. Writing is a business, so deliver a quality product first.

Next, understand two things. Agents are looking for new authors. Every agent wants to land the next Tolstoy or King or Koontz. If you’re not up to the status of these authors, agents will work with you, if you can help make them a living. (No, it’s not all about you and your book.) An agent’s goal is to sell books and they’ll sell your book if you have that marketable product.

The next concept to understand is agents are people too. They’re real people like you and I with children, bosses, vacations, illnesses, bills and all the rest. They’re not horned wild-eyed creatures looking for souls to crush. They actually want you to thrive, for your success breeds their success.

Next, narrow your search to those agents looking for your genre of writing. Consider this. If you’re looking to purchase a new automobile and some guy tries to sell you a table, what are the odds you’ll bite? They’re about the same as an agent who sells children’s books buying your horror story. Don’t waste your time or theirs.

There are any number of avenues by which you might filter the agents to find those who are receptive to your genre. You can start, of course, with the current “Guide to Literary Agents” at your local bookstore or on the web. You might also consider the Association of Authors' Representatives Web site at aar-online.org. There is no limit to the resources available to determine which agent will consider your work. Jump on the Internet and get to work.

Next, research the books the appropriate agents have published. This secret just might be one of your most important aspects to landing an agent, by the way. By knowing the agent’s published works, you can compare your manuscript to those they’ve already sold. When you query them later, compare your work to one or more of theirs. As an example, if your novel has exceptionally strong characters, then compare your characters to one or more books the agent has already represented that also have similar characterizations. This gives the agent a handle on what you have to offer and two additional pieces of information. One, you’ve done your research and are knowledgeable about the industry, and two, they already know how to sell your book to their publishers.

In tomorrow’s post, I’ll continue with this idea and give you more tips on how to influence an agent to represent you.

Until then, I wish you best-sellers.

C. Patrick Schulze

12 Ways an Agents Considers Your Query

I am not an agent, I’ve never had an agent, nor have I ever personally known an agent. Why then, am I the one to write this article? Well, I’m probably not. Still, I’ve been walking this path for a while now and I have learned to use those senses located around my face. This article is what I’ve learned as I’ve traversed my chosen trail.

An agent is in the business of selling books to publishers. They are business people like every other business person out there. They contend with P&L’s, customers, contacts, inventory control, and all the rest. They are looking for authors, even aspiring authors, for without us they are unemployed.

We, the authors clacking away at our keyboards until the dawn lights the morning sky, are their inventory. It is their job and profession to see their inventory put into the hands of their clients, the publishers. The secret, as with any business, is to choose the correct inventory to sell to the correct client. The query letter is one method they use to locate that inventory.

Though not necessarily presented in the order of their thought processes, this is my understanding of when they receive your query, how they look at it.

Is the story within one they can sell? If their contacts weigh heavily toward romance publishers, sending a query touting a nonfiction book on the weaknesses in the Theory of Relativity is wasted on them. They may have no background in selling this type of book and they’ll most likely pass.

If they’ve just sold a similar book, they’ll probably not try to do it again as they’ve already pitched their contacts on the storyline.

If the story within is not interesting, they’ll pass. If this is your storyline is dull, overused, out of date, etc., the agent knows none of their contacts will buy the book from them.

If the story within is not unique, they'll probably pass. If your hero is named Luke and he’s an orphan living on a farm in some far, far away galaxy and he will soon discover he has the power to summon the forces of nature to his aid and… Well, it’s been done. You may have a slight chance if your work has a unique aspect to it, but save yourself the trouble and write a new story.

If your query is not professional in nature, it tells them you are not a professional. These guys are pros, and they want to surround themselves with like-minded individuals. Learn what each agents wishes to receive and give them that.

Their time is valuable and limited. Assuming your query even reaches their desk, you have maybe twenty seconds of their time available to you. If your query starts with, “I am so important to you,” or some such nonsense, you don’t even get the twenty. However, if you start with a good hook that catches their interest, you’ll get the extra ten seconds that previous blowhard squandered.

They look to the quality of your writing. They consider your query a sample of your writing skills and seek those who are well versed in the craft. Why would they try to sell inferior inventory? That is what you are if you have yet to learn how to write.

They do consider your provenance, if you will. Why are you the one to write this work? If you’ve not stepped into a classroom since you quit school in the seventh grade, they will not consider you the best source for recommending how to alter the educational landscape. If you write spy novels but have never seen the thin end of a pair of binoculars, you’ve probably chosen an incorrect genre. Write what you know. No, you need not have a writer’s pedigree, but you do need to exhibit knowledge of your subject matter, be it fiction or nonfiction.

They want to know why you chose them. If you’re querying every agent in the known universe, that’s fine from your perspective, but to them it’s a sure sign of your lack of professionalism. Query them for a reason and tell them why you did.

They do respect the recommendations from within their sphere. Wouldn’t you? They have clients and contacts they trust to know their desires and markets, and a confidant is their most efficient method of finding a new author. Try to get a recommendation. As difficult as that may be, it is your truest path to publication.

They want to know you’re in this as a career. They don’t earn as much money off a single book as they do a number of books. If they have your book published and twenty thousand copies are sold, how man dollars get into their pocket? How much do they earn if they sell twenty of your books at twenty thousand copies per? This is a business for them, even if it is not for you.

This is a subjective business and they will often pass on a manuscript for a reason as simple as it does not “call” to them. Sorry, guys, but life is unfair and so is the publishing world. That is why you query multiple agents.

If your query does not exemplify these qualities, I recommend you keep trying to improve your writing and querying skills.

I’d love for an agent to comment on this as to any errors in my thinking or omission in the list.

Until my next posting, kind readers, may all your books be best-sellers.

C. Patrick Schulze

A New Editing Method?

Good day, Writers,

As many of you know, I’m in the process of sending my manuscript Born to be Brothers to agents for representation. What this means is there have been three people editing this thing a total of ten times from first word to last – my agent twice, my wife twice and me six times. Further, six others did a beta review! (Whew…) That’s sixteen edits!

My wife Kate has supported my writing without hesitation from the first minute and is by far my best cheerleader. (I’ve ordered pom-poms but they’ve yet to arrive.). As I began sending “Born to be Brothers” to agents for representation, Kate made a suggestion. She asked if she shouldn’t read it aloud to me to see if that might improve it even more. After so much editing, even reading it aloud to myself three times, (complete with character accents), I assumed her idea would be of little value. Still, it might be interesting to hear it, after reading it so many times. But edit it again? Nah… It’s been edited to death! Right?

Wrong!

Well, we’re at page forty-two, of four hundred plus, and I’ve already altered the ms thirty seven times! Some alterations were simple synonym insertions while with others entire paragraphs were rewritten.

My point, of course, is Kate enlightened me to an entirely new methodology of editing which is proving invaluable. The upshot in my case was to immediately cease sending Born to be Brothers for agenting. You can bet I’ll be working on it another week or two before I start that oppressive undertaking again.

I do, have a question, though. How among of you knew this and why didn’t anyone tell me?

I do hope my experience has given you yet another tool to improve your writing.

Until my next posting, good writing.

Patrick

How to Find Representation after Self-Publishing

This question was recently asked of me, “any suggestions for new writers looking for representation after self-publishing? Finding representation is hard!”

Her last four words put the entire process in perspective. It is difficult and is not getting any easier. I was at a writers’ seminar last night where three outstanding, published women were on the panel of speakers. They told of their initial forays into the agented world and two of the three told a story of serendipity. Not where I wish to place my future, to be honest. After their initial and fortunate encounter with agentry, (hey! A new word!) it was easy, as you might expect.

Another of the speakers, with an insider’s connections, mentioned the NY times receives around seven hundred fifty submissions for reviews on a weekly basic, of which maybe fifteen or so would be accepted. Tough competition, indeed! I don’t remember the source, but an article I read the other day says there are about one million manuscripts submitted to the industry for publication annually. About fifteen percent are actually published.

What these examples show is competition for publication is not only tough, but fierce. Our individual chances of being published are minuscule, at best.

This compels one to ask, how is agentry, (there’s that word!), ever accomplished.

There are some basics in the industry that cannot be avoided. For example, if you’re famous, your odds increase exponentially. Alas, most of us are not. If you’ve already produced a highly successful work, again, your odds increase in geometric fashion. Alas, most of us have not.

So, what choices do we have?

First and foremost, learn the craft of writing. Learn it well. Without this, you’ll never sell. Immerse yourself as much as reasonable possible in the writers’ world. (Join groups and surround yourself with those more accomplished, continue writing, read other works in your genre, etc, etc, etc.) And as important as all else, learn the business of writing.

Secondly, one may self-publish. The stigma of this is quickly diminishing, but without knowing the business of writing, it will not lead to sales.

Now, to the first part of her question, how does one find representation after self-publishing?

Well, it is my understanding, it makes things more difficult.

Some years, yes – years, after writing my first manuscript, an agent to whom I had submitted the book called out of the blue. During the course of what was to me an exciting conversation, I mentioned I had finally self-published the novel we were discussing. Before the sentence was out of my mouth, his attitude shifted from interest to disinterest. I asked him why the sudden lack of curiosity and he mentioned once a book has a UPC code, it’s DOA as to publishers. It just created issues, he said. These issues went undefined because I didn’t think to ask. Lesson learned.

So, if you have a self-published novel, don’t mention it to people. Though the stigma of POD is diminishing, attitudes with some hold fast for a long time.

Since then, I’ve decided what I will do with that first novel should I ever be picked up for representation on something else. I’d first, rename it then rewrite it. I’d not change the entire manuscript, but rename characters, change some events in the story line, that sort of thing. I’d also rename the book. Then, I’d resubmit.

Further, I’d not tell anyone, who doesn’t ask, I’d rewritten my manuscript. Keep in mind I don’t encourage dishonesty with agents as they are your partner, but I simply would not answer questions that were not asked. Besides, once you’re successful, they’ll tell you to do this anyway for it translates to more sales for you, and thus commissions for them.

So, assuming you have a viable manuscript, I’d recommend you rewrite, rename and try it again.

Now for some good news.

The publishing industry is changing at breakneck speed and yesterday’s publisher is losing his control over distribution, which was his only real trump card. The Internet, POD, social networking and the like are opening the distribution channels to anyone who understand the BUSINESS of writing. (Was that enough emphasis?)

In the very near future you, as a writer, will not need representation. You’ll need a publicist, a production partner, a distribution partner and a good editor. As a writer, these people will work, as independent contractors, for you and respond to you rather than the other way around. Oh yeah… you’ll also keep a MUCH larger portion of the profits.

Best of luck to you all.

Patrick

Author of “Born to be Brothers”
Twitter.com/CPatrickSchulze

The Secret to His Success? A Platform.

Good day, Writers,

I'm working the Internet this morning, trying to continue my self-education on how to find a new agent and ran across this web page:

http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/How+I+Got+My+Agent+Billy+Coffey.aspx

Thought some of you might find it interesting.

Patrick

In Need of a Good Agent

Started looking for a new agent today. Way lot of things to consider! Do they accept your type of work? Do they have a track record of substance? If not, what sort of promise do they hold? Are they looking for new authors? What type of books have they sold and do those sales represent your work? Seems like more time on this than the manuscript. I will forge ahead, however, and slay this beast!