When writers start to pull together their writing samples for an agent, they get weird. Okay, I mean we get weird. Writing is one thing. Submitting your work to an agent is something else — it freaks us out.
I read a post today about querying an agent that made me shake my head. Someone asked this agent about how to query with the first 50 pages of her manuscript when the agent really needed to read through page 53. If she read through page 53, she’d GET it. This person asked if it was okay if she fiddled with the font and made it 11.5 instead of 12 . . . I’ll let you read agent Janet Reid’s response.
Here are 5 things to keep in mind when sending an agent your work:
1. Pick your very best writing that falls within what they represent. If your very best piece is a novel and this agent wants picture books, find an agent who wants novels.
2. Start with page 1 . . . If they want 10 pages or 50 pages, start with page 1. Don’t send them your exciting climax instead. The agent, like any reader, needs to start from the beginning.
3. Don’t send attachments if they want it in the body of the message. This is a tough one for a lot of writers becuase submitting your work in the body of an e-mail just looks so messy. It does. But if the agent doesn’t want attachments, follow instructions. She isn’t going to read an attachment.
4. Keep your formatting normal. If they do accept attachments, keep your formatting normal. Don’t get cute with the font or the margins. Times New Roman. 12 point. Double space. One inch margins.
5. Hit send and then get busy. Not fussing. Not worrying. Not checking your inbox. Go work on something else. Seriously. If the guidelines say that the agent takes 3 weeks to reply, give her 5. Don’t e-mail her at 3. Get your mind off it by working on something else.
When you draw attention to your self, you want the agent to be impressed with your amazing writing, not the fact that you can be a tad neurotic.
–SueBE
One Writer's Journey 