How do you get an agent?

I will definitely write a blog post about this in the future! But the traditional way to get an agent is by writing a manuscript, revising it until your eyes bleed, and then creating a query letter. You email that query letter and requested sample pages to an agent, then cross your fingers and hope for the best. A great way to find information out about agents is by visiting agency sites, and MSWL to see what books they’re looking for. Also, a great way to start is by looking in the acknowledgments of similar books to yours and seeing who the author’s agent is.

What is a query?

A query is the one page teaser about your book that you send to agents! I wrote a blog post about them here. I also recommend checking out Susan Dennard’s advice (she gives some of the best and most detailed advice about all parts of the writing process), as well as Query Shark.

The one piece of advice I find myself giving over and over about queries are to make sure the stakes are there. Unlike a synopsis, you’re not telling everything that happens. The info you want is: who is your mc (main character), what do they want, who/what is stopping them from getting it, and what doesn’t happen if they get it?

What is your book about?

ALL THE STARS AND TEETH is about a vicious princess who must team up with a pirate in order to save her kingdom from a dangerous magic.

It’s an upper YA Fantasy featuring swashbuckling action scenes, bad ass women who get the job done, and fantastical magic and monsters.

Is it a series?

Yes 🙂

What is Pitch Wars?

It is an amazing contest created by fairy godmother Brenda Drake. I was selected for in 2016, and though I did not get my agent from that manuscript, that contest changed my life. It’s a competitive contest, but I HIGHLY suggest all querying writers enter it. You can read more about it here and here.

This contest has helped many writers find their agents, and it has also produced millions of dollars in book deals.

Is ALL THE STARS AND TEETH the first book you wrote?

It’s the 4th book I ever wrote, but is my first to be published.

Do you have any advice for writers?

Just keep going, seriously. Learn as much as you can. Read as much as you can. Find critique partners and betas you trust, build your community, and just keep going.