For the first time, I’m participating in a monthly event #AuthorToolboxBlogHop that aims at helping authors at each stage of their career, and I’m very excited to be part of this. Thank you Raimey for making this happen! This month I wanted to share the best advice I’ve ever received from a panel of agents on what to do to make sure they’ll be reading your first pages when querying and you don’t end up in the unwanted pile.
You’ve spent hours and hours writing and perfecting your book. You went through numerous edits and now finally ready to take on the next step, the big step, the one that will put your name and work out there. It’s a frightening moment, but, one only persistent writers get to see. If you thought  writing the book wasn’t easy, I fear this next step isn’t going to be either. Undeniably, the competition out there is fierce.
I attended a panel of agents a few months back where writers asked what we should do to make sure our submission doesn’t get dismissed and stands a fair chance. This panel was very informative and helpful, and it also gave us an understanding of what agents have to deal with on a daily basis. Understanding where they’re coming from will help you better prepare for the querying part of the process. I want to say agents must also need tons of coffee in the morning and probably wine at night.
We live and breathe our book for months and sometimes even years. We pour our heart out on paper and sweat to ensure each word earn its place in the story. After countless revisions, the story takes its final form and the book is ready. Celebrate this accomplishment for a moment, because quite frankly you deserve it. If you decide to have your book traditionally published, then the time has come to query the fruit of your labor and seek out Literary Agents.