Got a decent collection of agents and/or companies? Good, let’s get to work.
Obviously your most efficient tool will be the internet, that holy database of…data. You’re going to want to double check your leads on professional places like LinkedIn. Generally, if a published author is putting an agent’s name in his or her acknowledgments, it’s a good indication that the agent is legit, but it’s always a good idea to check them out on multiple platforms. Don’t ever message these people on Facebook, Twitter, or other social media sites. Social media is their personal time. No one wants to be pestered with work on their personal time.
As you begin your career as a writer, you want to remain professional. If dressing up in a business suit or closed-toe heels makes you feel more professional while you browse the internet, do it.
Now pay careful attention to the method in which the agent chooses to be contacted. Whether it be email or snail-mail, you’re going to want to comply to their wishes to the letter. Dot your i’s and cross your t’s and all that. Grab your little notebook/phone/etc and create separate lists for each agent that you investigate. Don’t contact anyone yet, just accumulate information. We’ll talk about etiquette and decorum next week as well as the right and wrong way to contact an agent.
Until next time!
Fanny T. Crispin
Series Title:
*Literary Agents – Where Are They Hiding???
Subtitle:
*Week Three; Investigating Leads
Written Things