Friday, September 5, 2008

The dead end

I'm trying to aquire a Literary Agent, but its just not happening. I'm following all the rules, reading up on their Websites, my Query Letter and Synopsis is of standard. My question is what happens when you have already contacted all the Agents that accept your Genre of Novel.

My blunt answer is that you have nowhere to go apart from self-publishing, either in print or online. But you should also have a close look at your manuscript and try to work out what's going on. Simply following the rules does not get an agent or publisher - you need to have an outstanding manuscript. Are you submitting a first draft? What is the standard of your manuscript like compared to published books in that genre? If you're writing crime, for example, you face a lot of competition. Have you ever tried entering a competition, or applied for a mentorship? Published writers have usually put quite a lot of time into the process of creating their novel - especially their first novel - and there is a lot of help available. Try the Australian Society of Authors and the Australian Writers Marketplace.

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