Great Resources for Writers
8:05 pm - by anitamumm
Two questions agents frequently are asked via the slush pile are “Could you give me some feedback on my query letter/sample pages?” and “Sorry my project wasn’t right for you, but could you recommend another agent?”
Unfortunately, agencies receive such a high volume of submissions that they can’t give personalized feedback on every query letter, and only limited feedback on partials. Although they will occasionally do a referral, in general agents aren’t comfortable referring unfamiliar work to a colleague (that is, when they’ve seen only the author’s query letter).
So, since I hate being unhelpful, I keep a handy list of resources to send to authors looking for advice. Here, a handful of my favorites:
www.writers.net
A great one-stop spot with a directory of agents, editors, and helpful resources by topic.
www.agentquery.com
An agent directory that you can search by genre—use this to make sure you’re not getting turned down for targeting the wrong agents.
www.queryshark.blogspot.com
A site containing hundreds of critiqued queries—find one that resembles yours and take the advice to heart. Or if you’re lucky, your query could be chosen for a free critique.
www.critiquecircle.com
A free online critique group. You earn credits by critiquing others’ work, and then use your credits for the opportunity to submit your own work.
www.chicagomanualofstyle.org
If you think your query problems might have to do with grammar or style errors, this online version of the Chicago Manual of Style is a great investment at $30 for a one-year subscription. Or you can buy a hard copy of the 16th edition in bookstores or online.
Do you have favorite websites to add to this list? I welcome your comments and suggestions!
5 COMMENTS:
<a href="http://cymberle.wordpress.com" class="url" rel="ugc external nofollow">cymberle</a>
Thanks for the great information! I'm a fan of the Absolute Write Water Cooler. It's a great forum with lots of information and an area where you can post material for critiques. It's also a good place to find beta readers. www.absolutewrite.com/forums
February 10, 2013
<a href="http://wordcafeblog.wordpress.com" class="url" rel="ugc external nofollow">Anita Mumm</a>
Fabulous! Thank you!
February 22, 2013
<a href="http://disregardtheprologue.wordpress.com" class="url" rel="ugc external nofollow">katemsparkes</a>
Oh, lovely advice! Scribophile.com is another great critique site; I got some really helpful feedback on a few pieces and "met" someone who's now my off-site critique partner. We're doing full novel critiques for each other, no "karma points" needed. There's a free option and a paid one; I wouldn't recommend paying unless you really plan on doing a LOT of critiquing (personal experience speaking, there!) Query Shark is amazing. I've submitted to her, but the odds of actually being chosen are something like 100 to 1. Just reading through the archives (which you have to do before submitting, anyway) is a wonderful learning experience.
February 11, 2013
<a href="http://wordcafeblog.wordpress.com" class="url" rel="ugc external nofollow">Anita Mumm</a>
Many thanks! I'll check out Scribophile--sounds very useful.
February 22, 2013
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/natalie.aguirre.56" class="url" rel="ugc external nofollow">Natalie Aguirre</a>
I'm going to check out writers.net. I hadn't heard of them. Guide to Literary Agents (http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agent) is a great place to find newer agents and for agent interviews. Also at Literary Rambles (http://literaryrambles.com), my blog partner Casey McCormick posts agent spotlights who represent authors who write picture books, middle grade, and YA. A lot of people visit to research agents. I'm using it right now and it's really helpful.
February 11, 2013