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At the moment I am trying to research UK agents for submission, and I have to say it is a PITA!!!! Last year I researched US agents and it is far easier and also more enjoyable. So many of them have blogs or try in other ways to be helpful to querying authors. Not so over here!
It's as if UK agents deliberately hide behind a high wall of obscurity. Google a particular agent, and all you find is a listing somewhere with the kinds of books they represent, or a client list. Hardly anywhere a personal declaration so you can get to know that agent even a little bit. On the agent websites, usually simply a list of their agents with their background and history. This tells me nothing as to which one might like my novel. In some cases, not even a photo! Photos tell me a great deal. Sure, you cold read some of each agent's repped books to get a feeling for their taste, but how long would that take? As it is, I scan their author lists to see if I know and like any of their authors. Often, though, I only recognize one or two of the authors.
I've been in the agent research business for at least three years now, and the only UK agents I could tell you anything at all about are the two that I have personally had, and two others: Darley Anderson, who is the agent of a bestselling author who once gave me a referral, saying he was great. And he IS great. He rejected me, but actually called me up and spoke to me for a whole hour giving me advice!
And the other is Simon Trevin, who has written a couple of articles which are on the internet.
Everyone else: nada. Just names. On the agency websites, they tell you to Submit to the Submissions Department. So that means you have to address your submission to "Dear Agents", or what? Or just pick one at random, one who deals with your kind of stuff?
Occasionally, as in the case of small, one agent agencies, they do talk a bit about themselves; this agent (edited for non-googability), for instance. But for the most part they are books with seven seals!
Anyway, I started by picking two from big agencies who handle my genre and whose photos speak to me. But those two criteria are mighty thin.
The good thing is that in the UK you send in a whole submission package in the first instance so you don't have to torture yourself with a great query; the first paragraph and page is more important. But who to send that package to?
As an example, look at these submissions guidelines for the agency Conville and Walsh. Look at their agent list, how little is said. In this case, I would probably submit to the only woman, as my book is women's fiction. But so little is said about that woman, and what she likes!
Or David Higham Associates. They have several female agents (assuming I do choose according to gender, having little more to go on!) But apart from the photos all they do is list authors.
OK, rant over!
It's as if UK agents deliberately hide behind a high wall of obscurity. Google a particular agent, and all you find is a listing somewhere with the kinds of books they represent, or a client list. Hardly anywhere a personal declaration so you can get to know that agent even a little bit. On the agent websites, usually simply a list of their agents with their background and history. This tells me nothing as to which one might like my novel. In some cases, not even a photo! Photos tell me a great deal. Sure, you cold read some of each agent's repped books to get a feeling for their taste, but how long would that take? As it is, I scan their author lists to see if I know and like any of their authors. Often, though, I only recognize one or two of the authors.
I've been in the agent research business for at least three years now, and the only UK agents I could tell you anything at all about are the two that I have personally had, and two others: Darley Anderson, who is the agent of a bestselling author who once gave me a referral, saying he was great. And he IS great. He rejected me, but actually called me up and spoke to me for a whole hour giving me advice!
And the other is Simon Trevin, who has written a couple of articles which are on the internet.
Everyone else: nada. Just names. On the agency websites, they tell you to Submit to the Submissions Department. So that means you have to address your submission to "Dear Agents", or what? Or just pick one at random, one who deals with your kind of stuff?
Occasionally, as in the case of small, one agent agencies, they do talk a bit about themselves; this agent (edited for non-googability), for instance. But for the most part they are books with seven seals!
Anyway, I started by picking two from big agencies who handle my genre and whose photos speak to me. But those two criteria are mighty thin.
The good thing is that in the UK you send in a whole submission package in the first instance so you don't have to torture yourself with a great query; the first paragraph and page is more important. But who to send that package to?
As an example, look at these submissions guidelines for the agency Conville and Walsh. Look at their agent list, how little is said. In this case, I would probably submit to the only woman, as my book is women's fiction. But so little is said about that woman, and what she likes!
Or David Higham Associates. They have several female agents (assuming I do choose according to gender, having little more to go on!) But apart from the photos all they do is list authors.
OK, rant over!
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