Literary Agents
There's no doubt about it. Being a successful writer requires more of you than simply stringing words together. Even the greatest of writers have to do more than write. Unless you can persuade someone to publish the words you slave over, your writing will remain unknown and unread and your writing efforts will drain, rather than fill, your bank account. That's where a Literary Agent comes in. Your literary agent is the book-marketing expert who can sell your crafted words to the most jaded of publishing professionals. He or she can turn a manuscript gathering dust in your desk drawer into a published book paying the bills (and isn't that the goal of every writer in the world?). A reputable agent will go to work for you to make sure that your writing pays what it should. An agent does many things for the 15% he collects from sales of your work. Among them is getting your writing before an editor in the first place. More and more often, publishers are adopting a policy of reading "only agent-represented authors." An agent gives your work a much better chance of escaping the slush piles that threaten to overwelm the office space of all successful publishers. Your job, which isn't easy, is to produce writing that an agent can believe in and can sell. The following are some literary agents that have listings in various places. Some are actively seeking new clients; others are buried beneath work and can't take on anyone else. Before signing with a new agent, make sure you investigate that agent fully and have all details of your relationship spelled out in a written contract or agreement. In the Spotlight Ruth Nathan Literary Agency, 53 E.
34th St., New York, NY 10016, 212-481-1185. Contact: Ruth Nathan. Seeking
show-biz, historical fiction (medieval), decorative arts. Not interested in male
adventure, romance, children's books, science fiction, fantasy, technothrillers, political
material. Nathan is a former theatrical producer, trade-book publishers, and story
editor for film studios and independent producers. Her personal interests and
hobbies are the theater, film, history, cooking, and travel. No reading fee.
Commission: 15%. Query with brief bio and book outline. Some recently sold
titles include King of Comedy (a biography of Jerry Lewis) by Shawn Levy (St. Martin's
Press), No Goo9d Deed and Protocal for Murder (mystery novels) by Paul Nathan, and Book of
Days by Stephen Rivelle (Carroll & Graf USA, Macmillan UK). TIPS:
"Cover letter should be well written and include a detailed synopsis (if fiction) or
proposal (if nonfiction) and author bio. Appropriate SASE required."
Writers are expected to be professional, patient, and cooperative. Agency Listings Since most literary agencies are filled to capacity with clients or--at best--have room for a very limited number of new authors to take under wing, it's wise to e-mail the agents you're interested in, asking if they are presently accepting new clients. Include a brief synopsis of your literary experience, published works, and whether or not you have been agency-represented in the past. As we receive new agency listings, we'll post them here. New listings for December 2001: ehbos@aol.com ,Zachary Shuster Agency ursalaholmes@hotmail.com, Ursala Holmes Agency williamsagency@geocities.com, Williams'
Literary Agency deuce@itexas.net, Chadd Stevens Literary Agency jmkagent@aol.com, Graybill and English producedby@aol.com, Eddie Kritzer Productions ron@authenticcreations.com, iterary Agency
Authentic Creations pslevine@ix.netcom.com, Paul S. Levine Literary
Agency Info@Lukeman.com, Lukeman Literary Agency info@luster-literary.com, Luster LIterary
Agency agent@abs-book.com, ABS Literary Agency justwrite4me@aol.com, Soaring Spirits layton@prontomail.com, American Literary Agents hhlagroup@sscg.net, The HHLA Group Aimee@eBooks2Go.com, eBooks 2 Go larbre@sccoast.net, B. Bailey Literary Agency pacificliterary@yahoo.com, Pacific NW Literary
Associates brbotm19@skypoint.com, Otitis Media Literary
Agency tripwithj5@aol.com, National Writers Literary Agency angelof7@home.com, FLA Finesse Literary Agency angel@mvp.net, Finesse Literary Agency literary@powerup.com.au, Strictly Literary authorandbook@authorandbook.com, Author
and Book review@magnum-one.com, The Magnum Group sedgeband@aol.com, Sedgeband Literary Associates steverett1@netscape.net, SE Literary Properties eribooks@netcrafters.net, Erica Books Literary
Agency midwestlit@aol.com, The Midwest Literary and
Entertainment Mgmt. Group
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in this list, or if you are a literary agent
who would like to be included, type in the agency name and e-mail address and click
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