Submitting a novel to literary agents

A few weeks ago I decided I was ready to send my novel KEPT to agents. I had read all the blogs and guidelines and taken heed of the warnings not to send until it was COMPLETE and EDITED and EDITED AGAIN. It was time.

Who to approach?

I had already put together a list of authors that my novel is similar too. Kate Morton, Lucinda Riley, Rachel Hore, Santa Montefiore, Katherine Webb. I used the Amazon ‘Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought’ to find more authors writing in similar genres. Then I googled their agents.

It was perhaps unsurprising that many were represented by the same agencies (and you should never submit to multiple agents at the same agency)! It left me with a list of 11 potential agents to target.

How to submit?

I reviewed each agent’s submission guidelines. The last thing you want to do is fall at the final hurdle when you’ve written a stonking book, just because you didn’t double space, print on one side only and use Times New Roman.

Most agents ask for a synopsis, covering letter, and a specified portion of your novel.

The email submissions were simple to send off, but I was surprised that half the agents would only accept postal submissions. I resolved to come back to these when I had access to a printer.

It was at this point that Carole Blake (from the Blake Friedmann Literary Agency) retweeted her blog ‘29 Ways NOT To Submit To An Agent’.

I read with bated breath.

‘Do not slip your synopsis under the door of the ladies loo I am occupying.’

Phew, I didn’t do that.

Next step, the postal submissions

Despite Carole’s warnings for ‘no gimmicks’ I bought a cute lighthouse stamp and ink pad, ready to adorn my envelopes and build my brand.

 

They hit the post box on Saturday!

Waiting for a reply…

Most agents say they will get back to with within 6-8 weeks.

One day after sending my email submissions, I got a response from Ed at Johnson and Alcock: “Sounds intriguing, Rachael – I’m very much pro-Lighthouse, so will take a look asap.”

I was excited. THIS IS IT! I thought. My moment has come!

That was 3 weeks ago.

I’m still waiting…

Still, I can take heart in the fact that J K Rowling sent Harry Potter to ‘loads’ of agents, and was rejected by 12 publishers before Bloomsbury picked it up. I think it’s called resilience.