By The Way...

Speaking of Neil Gaiman (as I did two posts back), one of Gaiman's many fans asked him about the secret to finding an agent -- which, for you folks not interested in being a writer, mean the person you hire to try to get publishers to buy your work. Since many publishers won't look at books unless they are agented, getting an agent is a pretty significant step in the publishing process. Neil passed the question on to Teresa Nielsen Hayden, a well-known and well-respected editor (and I'm not just saying that because I know her personally) and she came back with a whole stock of really useful info, which Gaiman's posted here. If you're looking to get published, this is stuff worth knowing.

My own experience getting agents is somewhat unconventional -- my non-fiction agent approached me, which is generally not a good thing (lots of scam artists work this way), but he was definitely on the up and up, and we've done several books together. I approached my fiction agent after I had already sold my novel to a publisher; I negotiated that particular contract but decided doing that once was enough. Agents are extremely useful, especially when you have good ones as I've been fortunate to get. But I also recognize a lot of luck was involved in my case, and I suggest a more methodical approach for the rest of y'all. This where Teresa's fabulous information comes in.

|  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this

• #4 Comment from visionarydiva1 
  1/12/05 8:15 PM | Permalink

  Thanks sooo much John!!! I really need this seeing as how I am working on my book already. This is a question I have been asking for help with for a long time.
  
  Amy
  http://journals.aol.com/visionarydiva1/ABookClubforJLanders/
  http://journals.aol.com/visionarydiva1/AVisionaryDiva/
• #3 Comment from rubyslipers4me 
  1/12/05 6:19 PM | Permalink

  That's fab info. But John would you happen to know of a playwrite?  I have been working with a very good friend here on a playwrite whose uncle wrote "Bus Stop" if you know who that is, and we are pondering and reseaching on our own.  We've been working on this for two years and it's coming along very well.  Any info that the writers, under your BLOG, that might have a few or at lest one individual with a good reputaion.  Your acknoledement will be most appreciated.
  sincer...Rebecca
• #2 Comment from sistercdr 
  1/12/05 4:09 PM | Permalink

  Thank you.  One of these days I'll need this information. (OK, that falls into the "I do believe, I do believe..." category.)
• #1 Comment from lrttklly 
  1/12/05 10:51 AM | Permalink

  Thank so much for the information! :) Loretta