How can a new writer get an agent?
Agents are great, but they are also hard to come by. The most important thing to keep in mind is that agents generally don’t want to talk to non-famous writers until that writer has a complete book manuscript in hand. This makes sense: many people start books; it takes something special to finish one. Short stories when published look great on a writer’s record, but few agents will represent someone whose only work is in short stories and articles, because there isn’t all that much money involved. Don’t forget, agents have expenses of their own that have to be covered by their commissions: it’s hard to pay a secretary when all you get is forty or sixty or a hundred dollars per short story sales!If you think an agent is the way to go, the best way to find one is to track down THE WRITER’S MARKET (for the current year; these books come out with updated information every year in November) FOR AUTHORS’ AND ARTISTS’ AGENTS. Try the library first–these books cost about $25 each. If you can’
