This is a public-interest archive. Personal data is pseudonymized and retained under GDPR Article 89.

[GWL]: Recommending agents

Occasionally someone asks for recommendations about agents on the gwl.  
Usually, few of us with agents respond.  The reason is, we know our 
agents would not especially want to be mentioned in an open forum.  Such 
a mention usually means your agent gets deluged with queries, often all 
useless.  Our agents would not appreciate it.  

Many established agents get nearly all of their new clients from direct 
personal referrals.  Some agents are listed in various organizations and 
can be found in books on literary agents or in Writer's Market.  Some go 
to writers meetings as a way to "drum up" business, especially the 
younger and/or less experienced agents with nearly empty lists.  But 
very many of the best and most experienced agents cannot be found at all 
in the public eye and are almost secretive.  They seem to do everything 
they can to avoid being found very easily without some specific referral 
as a screening device.  It saves a whole lot of work.

You can find agents active in the garden-writing field by looking at the 
acknowledgement sections of recently published gardening books.  If the 
author has an agent and likes the agent, that agent will usually be 
mentioned and thanked in the acknowledgements.

The right time to approach an agent is when you have written a proposal 
for a book that is likely to command an advance of $10,000 or more.  If 
you are thinking about writing a proposal, you aren't ready for an 
agent. Write the proposal first.  Even if you have already published 
books, or are established with magazines, wait until you've written your 
proposal.  Most ideas for books never happen, experienced author or no.  
An agent sells books, and you will be viewed as wasting her time unless 
you have a book to sell.  Armed with a first-rate proposal, however, you 
will get friendly consideration from most agents interested in the 
field.   

Most New York agents, by the way, don't garden.  So if you would like 
your agent to know and care about gardening herself, you might well end 
up with an agent located somewhere where people garden.  These days, 
however, it doesn't usually matter where your agent is.  There is no 
particular advantage in having your agent located in your own state, 
either.
    

Carol Deppe
Author of BREED YOUR OWN VEGETABLE VARIETIES:  THE GARDENER'S AND 
FARMER'S GUIDE TO PLANT BREEDING AND SEED SAVING (See table of contents, 
excerpts, & reviews at http://www.chelseagreen.com.)  

============================================================
NO MORE PAYROLL HEADACHES FOR SMALL BUSINESS WITH PAYCYCLE!
Instant calculations, pre-filled tax forms, email
reminders, To Dos. Click to get your FREE How To Avoid
Payroll Pitfalls guide.
http://click.topica.com/caaafumbUrGSSbVSZwBf/Paycycle
============================================================

Pass the word to garden writers, editors publishers, horticultural businesses about our list.

==^================================================================
This email was sent to: topica.com@spamfodder.com

EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?bUrGSS.bVSZwB
Or send an email to: Gardenwriters-unsubscribe@topica.com

T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail!
http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register
==^================================================================
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index