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63
If you charge ahead without
an agent, be sure you have
something worth selling.
Yes, it’s really hard to get published without an agent.
But yes, it does happen. For it to happen to you, you will
have to do the following:
1. Write a novel that will knock the socks off an
editor. You will need feedback for this. You
will need an excellent freelance editor (or two
or three) and you’ll have to have confi rmation
somehow that your novel meets the knocks-the-
socks-off criterion. You are probably not the
best judge of this.
2. Write a killer query letter and story synopsis
(see “Your weapon for pursuing publication is
the killer proposal.” on page 219).
3. Find the right editors for your manuscript. You
must absolutely be sure that the editor is inter-
ested in manuscripts of your type.
4. Have an irresistible pitch.
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209
5. Get the pitch to the right editor via a query or
face time. Face time happens at writers’ confer-
ences and events. If you can get yourself to a
good writers’ conference with that killer pro-
posal and meet an editor and impress that edi-
tor, you may get an invitation to submit.
Sometimes lightning strikes and you get an offer.
So, should you look for an agent, then? You will need
an experienced eye to help you go over your contract.
Publishing contracts are ever more complex.
You can always hire a lawyer to do this. Not just any
lawyer, by the way. Even if cousin Frank works for a big
fi rm, that means nothing, because publishing contracts
are a specialty.
If you have been in contact with an agent that you
want to work with, share the happy news. If you already
bring a deal to the table, agents are more inclined to want
to work with you.
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