Curious on your take about getting an agent not necessarily for the Big 5 but to level up in presses/career. There's a lot of "bigger" small indie presses that you still can't get to without an agent. I've struggled with how to target these agents. I used to think I had to target the junior/new agents because they might be more likely to look at me versus someone well established in their list, but the person more established in their list is more likely to take risks on new writers because they have more financial room? Writing the query letter is awful all the time, but narrowing in on the right agent feels like a science I don't understand. I do scan Publisher's Marketplace and look at the agents who are making these deals with places like FSG but then those people are always closed and/or unreachable without a referral. Sorry this is long! Thank you!
From what I've observed, most agents won't submit to the bigger (or smaller) indies until they've tried the corporate presses. As you doubtless know, advances are usually much smaller from an indie press, and since an agent's cut is 15%, they don't want to submit to the indies unless they have to. In your query, I wouldn't mention that you hope they'll try Graywolf, Milkweed, Coffee House, Two Dollar Radio, Small Beer Press, etc. in lieu of the big 5. Agents also hate being told by their clients how to submit (some will ask for suggestions when they're putting together a submission list, but that's one of the only times most are truly amenable to clients' suggestions. This can vary, of course, but I once had an agent who seemed to have smoke coming out of his ears when I asked if he'd try a few of the smaller presses. He's been very successful with some of his clients and I think his ego was tied to selling to big presses for as much money as possible [I get it! but it wasn't a good thing ultimately for my situation]. Needless to say, he did not sell the book he went out for me with, but he also had to contend with my midlist status, which I knew would be a problem, just not as big of a problem as it was.)
The agony of contests. If you were a young short story writer back in the day, there was the Iowa Short Fiction prize--they'd publish the winner's collection. One year they told me I was among the top five, so I submitted again--and of course you start fresh each year, new judge--and I came in second. Yay me. For all practical purposes it was the same as coming in last.
These contests are for sure a gamble, and like any true gamble, its outcome often maddening. Iowa gives two of these prizes now each year for story collections, incidentally.
Now there are recipes, too! Love it!
I aim to please 🤓
Curious on your take about getting an agent not necessarily for the Big 5 but to level up in presses/career. There's a lot of "bigger" small indie presses that you still can't get to without an agent. I've struggled with how to target these agents. I used to think I had to target the junior/new agents because they might be more likely to look at me versus someone well established in their list, but the person more established in their list is more likely to take risks on new writers because they have more financial room? Writing the query letter is awful all the time, but narrowing in on the right agent feels like a science I don't understand. I do scan Publisher's Marketplace and look at the agents who are making these deals with places like FSG but then those people are always closed and/or unreachable without a referral. Sorry this is long! Thank you!
From what I've observed, most agents won't submit to the bigger (or smaller) indies until they've tried the corporate presses. As you doubtless know, advances are usually much smaller from an indie press, and since an agent's cut is 15%, they don't want to submit to the indies unless they have to. In your query, I wouldn't mention that you hope they'll try Graywolf, Milkweed, Coffee House, Two Dollar Radio, Small Beer Press, etc. in lieu of the big 5. Agents also hate being told by their clients how to submit (some will ask for suggestions when they're putting together a submission list, but that's one of the only times most are truly amenable to clients' suggestions. This can vary, of course, but I once had an agent who seemed to have smoke coming out of his ears when I asked if he'd try a few of the smaller presses. He's been very successful with some of his clients and I think his ego was tied to selling to big presses for as much money as possible [I get it! but it wasn't a good thing ultimately for my situation]. Needless to say, he did not sell the book he went out for me with, but he also had to contend with my midlist status, which I knew would be a problem, just not as big of a problem as it was.)
That makes sense!
The agony of contests. If you were a young short story writer back in the day, there was the Iowa Short Fiction prize--they'd publish the winner's collection. One year they told me I was among the top five, so I submitted again--and of course you start fresh each year, new judge--and I came in second. Yay me. For all practical purposes it was the same as coming in last.
These contests are for sure a gamble, and like any true gamble, its outcome often maddening. Iowa gives two of these prizes now each year for story collections, incidentally.
Informative and yummy!
It really is a good recipe!