Previously published

If literary agents don't represent writers who aren't already published... how would they get new clients?

Maybe some of the upper-crust agents are more picky, but I see a lot of debut novelists who also have agents - which they couldn't have landed if those agents wouldn't represent someone who wasn't already published.

It feels like they won't take on debut writers. The best I've managed so far are a few personalised rejections*. However, like the bright one said, the industry would die out if they didn't take on fresh meat.

*Rather disappointing (or heartening?) that they stated they passed because of the genre, not writing ability.

No, it's not true. All you have to do is write a book they think they can sell - or failing that a book that they fall in love with, even knowing it prolly won't sell.

Easy-peasy

Agents take on debut authors all the time. You need no publishing credits at all. You just need a great book.

Where do these rumours start?

Anyway, while I had a couple of small press books under my belt that was neither here nor there. My agent liked this book, thought he could sell this book.

And there's plenty of people around who sold their first book (or first published book) to the Big Five. Granted most of them I know in SFF -- Brent Weeks, Daniel Polansky, Mark Lawrence, Joe Abercrombie, Scott Lynch, Patrick Rothfuss, Emma Newman, Ann Leckie, Wes Chu, Laura Lam...(these are all IIRC but I'm pretty sure about most of them) These are not small names in the industry, which is why pubs love debuts!

Orbit has several newbies coming up for publishing, Gollancz had several debuts out in the last year.

How else would they fill those "best newcomer" awards with novels?

Write a good book. Then write a good query. Then your chance is as great as anyone's -- better in fact because you have a good book and that puts you ahead of 95% or more of the slush. As Brightdreamer said, maybe some agents are more picky, but most are eager to find the Next Big Thing. And a new name is great.

Dunno how the hell I got my agent then...

Mr Flibble said:

Where do these rumours start?

Click to expand...

Kindle boards?

These myths usually come from people who can't accept their book isn't being published because it's not good enough. For whatever values of 'good' and 'enough'.

gothicangel said:

Kindle boards?

Click to expand...

*snort*

Where is the like button?
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/

celticroots said:

I read that literary agents won't represent you if you don't have a previous book published. I know it's ok if you don't have any short stories published previously, but is what I read true? I am asking because I prefer to write novels.

Click to expand...

Where on earth did you read that? It can't be true because we all start out having no books previously published.

This is so silly - it's like saying no employers will hire anybody who hasn't already had a job somewhere.

I know at least a dozen, maybe more, writers who have signed with agents with NO previous publishing history. All you need is an amazing book that's right for the current market.... which is a lot easier said than done.

Agents are HARD to come by. I've also known some very talented authors who were unable to find an agent. That has nothing to do with having published something before. It has to do with luck, their current manuscript being wrong for the market or just not *quite* good enough to compete in a crazy crowded marketplace (I write YA so most of my writing friends also write YA).

I read one agent comment recently that in order to take on a new client their book has to be as good or better than their existing clients. If you think about that... its quite a high bar.

Is it hard? Maybe even unlikely? Yes. Impossible? No. Not at all.

If you think about it logically, and if that were the case, this would happen

Agent: OMG, I LOVE this manuscript! I can see it selling millions! Oh, wait. No previous credits. I'll have to reject Such a shame, it could have been a phenomenon...


Not only would they reject a great book they love and could sell, they'd end up going out of business.
Not going to happen.

Agents and editors are always looking for the next big thing. ALWAYS. If they love your book and think it will sell they'll take you on. If not, they won't

It is really that simple (and hard because you have to write that great book)

celticroots said:

I read that literary agents won't represent you if you don't have a previous book published. I know it's ok if you don't have any short stories published previously, but is what I read true? I am asking because I prefer to write novels.

Click to expand...

No, it's not true at all.

Mr Flibble said:

And there's plenty of people around who sold their first book (or first published book) to the Big Five. Granted most of them I know in SFF -- Brent Weeks, Daniel Polansky, Mark Lawrence, Joe Abercrombie, Scott Lynch, Patrick Rothfuss, Emma Newman, Ann Leckie, Wes Chu, Laura Lam...(these are all IIRC but I'm pretty sure about most of them) These are not small names in the industry, which is why pubs love debuts!

Click to expand...

Well, me and Wes didn't sell our first books to a Big 5, but to Angry Robot, but then we both ended up selling our 3rd/4th books to Tor . My new book is in a totally different genre & age group, so it's sort of like I'm debuting again, even if I'm using the same name.

Yeah, debuts can be big money sometimes, as people like to find the "next new thing." Agents will always be mining the slush for new gold nugget manuscripts.

Unfortunately there is a lot of bad and just plain wrong information out there, and most of it comes from people who don't know enough about the industry. Sadly, it then gets read by other people who are angry at their own lack of success and they then use it as a reason or excuse and then spread it further and so on and so forth.

It can be very hard to tell the truth from all the misleading information out there. But you've come to the right place for accurate info.

lauralam said:

Well, me and Wes didn't sell our first books to a Big 5, but to Angry Robot, but then we both ended up selling our 3rd/4th books to Tor .

Click to expand...

Ah, my bad! You debuted with a respectable house though, without previous credits?*.




* I always think they are part of a larger house than they actually are!