{"id":320,"date":"2020-11-20T10:12:15","date_gmt":"2020-11-20T10:12:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/?p=320"},"modified":"2025-04-23T10:53:27","modified_gmt":"2025-04-23T09:53:27","slug":"9-ways-to-persuade-an-agent-to-take-you-on","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/9-ways-to-persuade-an-agent-to-take-you-on\/","title":{"rendered":"9 Ways To Persuade An Agent To Take You On"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I came across a useful article<\/a> by Rachelle Gardner, an American agent, about how to get literary agents to represent you. She advertised 13 sure fire ways to get representation \u2026 but I have to say that not all of them struck me as realistic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s my edited version of her list, with some comments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The good news is there are perhaps only nine things to worry about, not the thirteen Rachelle mentions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And if nine is still too many for you, the crucial point\u2019s right at the end of this piece.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Good luck and here\u2019s how to get that agent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. A Fresh Idea<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This matters a lot, no matter what genre or market you are writing for. I was once at a crime festival where panellists complained about the glut of serial killers, weird murders and by-the-book procedurals that came out a few years ago. For sure, there are still top ten bestsellers writing exactly those kind of books<\/em>. But they rose to the top, when that kind of writing still felt fresh and new. If you were a debut novelist, writing the exact same material, you would struggle to sell it today. Is that unfair? No! They wrote fresh work for the market as it was at the time. You need to do the same today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

2. Get Your Submission Right<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This matters, too. Look at what an agent asks for on their website and submit that exact material in the exact way specified. Even if that doesn\u2019t seem to suit your plan or your book, you need to comply anyway. For now, you must realise there is absolutely nothing special about your manuscript and you must get in line with everyone else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, and don\u2019t muck up the covering letter or your synopsis. These things are easy to get right. We\u2019ve got a simple query letter and synopsis worksheet<\/a> to guide you through the process, along with a detailed guide to writing your query letter<\/a>, and a guide to writing your novel synopsis<\/a>. Simple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Know Your Audience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you are writing fantasy fiction, you have to be a student of the genre. You have to know the classics. You have to know the modern twists on the classics. You have to know the market the way readers do \u2013 by reading masses and masses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The same goes for any other genre, including non-fiction. If you are writing a book about quantum theory, let\u2019s say, you just have to know what other people have done, what approaches they took \u2013 and ensure that yours is different, new and compelling. All that starts with knowing your area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Have Some Social Media Presence<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s all you need to know about social media presence:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n