Home » How to Get a Literary Agent For Your Novel - 3 Surefire Steps to Publishing Success

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Let's face it, every writer serious about publishing needs to find out how to get a literary agent. These book professionals, considered the "gatekeepers" of the publishing industry, can be critical to your success as a novelist. But how do you get one?

In this article, we'll cover three steps you can follow to get a literary agent for your novel. Keep in mind that the steps I'm going to present are just one effective way to go about this process. I discuss various others in my weekly writers' newsletter on my web site.

1) Write a marketable novel.

This is one tip that will never change. Before you have any chance of landing a reputable agent, you have to write a marketable manuscript. It literally opens the door.

Don't make the mistake of contacting agents before you've finished your book (unless you are a celebrity or veteran writer, in which case, few of these rules apply to you). Complete your novel first.

A writer with a top-notch novel will be able to pick and choose quality representation. It's the key to everything, and should be your first priority.

2) Use listings in directories.

You may be familiar with these guides. Typically, these directories feature hundreds of listings of literary agents, and includes their location, contact info, preferred markets, recent sales, and submission guidelines.

Pay close attention to these listings, because they contain just about everything you need to know in order to get serious consideration from a particular agency. Don't query them about a horror novel if they say they don't represent horror. Don't email them if they say they want snail mail submissions only.

Just follow the query guidelines to the letter, and you'll have a real shot.

3) While submitting, start working on a new novel.

I can't stress enough how important it is for you to get busy on a new manuscript while your other novel makes the rounds of the agencies. It's a key tip, for several reasons.

First, writing a new novel will keep your mind occupied, and will minimize your obsession over the status of your book currently on submission. Second, it can take several months to secure representation, and it's always a good idea to keep new books in the pipeline. Third, if all of the agencies you query reject your first manuscript, you'll have something else to shop, allowing you to maintain positive momentum.

Now that you've picked up these tips about how to get a literary agent, it's time for the next step. Get more free fiction writing and publishing tips that will help you succeed. Visit my web site now.