How to get a literary agent–a literary agent shares the 4 things that most impress agents and publishers. Learn how to get a literary agent directly from a literary agent!
I started out in publishing as an editor at a book publisher. And about once a week, I would get rejected. Our acquisitions meetings were on Thursday afternoon, and I’d spend much of that morning preparing a pitch for why everyone should get excited about the book I was excited about.
The meetings would go something like this:
Me: !!!!
Everyone Else: …..
Me: !!!!!!!
Everyone Else: ????
Me: !!!!?
Everyone Else: No.
Doesn’t it suck to have your excitement be met with apathy? I know it’s something writers struggle with every day, and it’s a thing agents and editors have to battle through, too.
But after some comically sad flops, I finally figured out what I needed to say so that the publishing executives would pay attention to the books I wanted to acquire. And now that I’m a literary agent, I’ve realized that the same key elements make me excited about representing an author. So when aspiring authors ask about how to get a literary agent, here’s what I tell them: