For many aspiring authors, the path to obtaining representation by a literary agent feels elusive and shrouded in mystery. What makes an agent ask for a proposal, and after that, a full manuscript? Why would an agent stop reading all together and move on to the next submission? This week I will give you a peek into the mind of a new agent working to build her client list (Spoiler Alert: that’s me!).
The Three P’s
There are three things I look for specifically in a query or proposal that help me decide to move forward with or move on from a project. There are many variables I use to assess whether a writer and their book will be a fit for representation, but ultimately, they all fall into each of these categories.
1. Project
The first thing I consider is whether the book concept is intriguing or exciting. I’ll ask myself a few questions as I read. For nonfiction, is the book based on a common felt-need written about from a new or unique angle? Does the writer have the necessary credentials to present themselves as an authority on the topic? Do they provide information and data with warmth and relatability? Will the reader feel seen, interested, and invested?
If the project is fiction, I look for common tropes used in an unexpected way. Are the characters well-developed and relatable? Does the plot move at a satisfying pace and hold my interest? Can I move on from the sample chapters—or do I need to know to how this book ends, because I’m already so invested in the characters? I represent books that I love enough to champion them (and their writers) enthusiastically to editors.
What Makes Me Stop Reading
I can tell from a query if a writer is struggling to know their project well enough to understand what makes it shine. Perhaps they have written a book that has a good felt-need, but they’ve written it in a predictable or repetitive way. Sometimes, their characters are well-developed, but nothing very exciting happens in the plot. Readers have so little time in their busy lives to devote to books, writers must make the moments they do have count. Educate them, inspire them, move them—but don’t waste their time.
2. Platform
Ahh yes, the second P is the dreaded “platform.” As much as I would love to say this doesn’t have much bearing on an agent’s decision-making, I cannot. Platform matters a great deal, especially if you’re writing nonfiction. Not only do publishers want to see that you have people already listening to you when you write or speak about your topic, they want to see that you already have an audience hungry for the book you want to write. A platform offers you some credibility in that sense, that others know you and are interested in what you have to say.
A platform is more than social media, by the way. As I peruse your proposal I look for all the spheres of influence you have access to. These include: a growing email list, speaking engagements, teaching opportunities, and well-known friends and acquaintances in your circle willing to share about your book. Most writers feel a bit squeamish about social media. They feel like it’s putting themselves out there a little too much. I’d like you to think of it in a different way. Building a platform on social media is a useful way to show more aspects of your personality as a writer than the static pages of a book. It’s an ever-changing and vibrant media where you can showcase yourself in relatable, fun ways. Readers today are looking for connection with their favorite writers. Why not connect with them in a way that feels undeniably and uniquely you?
What Makes Me Stop Reading
If a writer has no presence online, this is a red flag for me as an agent. After all, if I can’t find them online, how will readers or publishers? Ideally, a writer will:
- be present across the main social media sites
- have a website (with a domain name that reads their name dot com)
- have a growing email list
- have a good social circle in their every day lives where they may be able to share about their book
If a few of these things are present and growing, and the concept is strong enough, I’ll consider this project more seriously.
3. Probability
The last P is one that runs through the background of my mind from the start to finish of reading a query or proposal. What is the probability that I can sell this to a publisher? Sometimes a project is well-written and unique, the platform is good, but the probability of selling the book to a publisher is low for a multitude of reasons. Perhaps many books on the subject have recently been released and the market is oversaturated. You would be surprised how often writers all feel the need to write on the same topic at the same time. Or, similar books have been written and published in the past and they didn’t sell well enough for publishers to revisit the concept. If I don’t feel the probability of selling a book is high enough to move forward with a project, it’s better for me to let the writer know now than to give false hope.
I hope this has been helpful for you!
Which of the three P’s do you feel strongest in, and where could you use some work? Let me know in the comments!
Andrew Budek-Schmeisser
Don’t know what’s in an agent’s mind,
it truly is a mystery,
but given access I might find
a dread and fearsome alchemy
of Evaluation at the boil
and Probabilities set loose
from mortal email-listing coil
to dance the world in Platform shoes.
If my Project comes to call,
will its welcome take its breath,
pin it sobbing to the wall,
seeing Act 1, Scene 1 from Macbeth,
or will its greeting be a smile
and a warm cup of chamomile?
Bella Raine
Super helpful things to consider! Thanks so much Ms. Jen!
Jen Babakhan
I’m so happy you found it helpful, Bella!