Don’t assume that if a literary agent expresses interest in your work that they are trustworthy. The old standard, ‘Let the Buyer Beware’ holds true for services offered in a variety of professions. How to protect yourself? The best way is to find information sources regarding a particular agency.

Are they a member of the AAR (Association of Artist’s Representatives)? Do they belong to the National Writer’s Union? The Internet makes finding the answers to these and other questions quite simple. In addition to accessing these various resources, there are several points and questions that need to be considered.

Such things as experience are important, but many new authors will find that getting such an agent or agency to represent them is difficult. Most already have a full clientele list or will only take references from published authors. Past sales records should also be considered. Is the agent or agency new to the business? If so, they will not have accrued a hefty listing of published works, and may not have the industry clout that more experienced agents or agencies have.

Still, that’s not to say they won’t, someday.

Another question to consider is fees. Most literary agents make a living by receiving a portion of the profits from a sold work; they won’t charge you to represent your literary masterpiece. They may, however, charge for office operating fees in regard to photocopies, postage and telephone expenses.

Each agent or agency has different guidelines; so make sure you’re aware of them before you sign anything. The same goes for critique fees. It’s up to the author to research and decide what is appropriate for them. In addition to these guidelines, there are several others that should be considered.

These, however, are warning signs and should alert potential clients that perhaps everything isn’t as above board as it should be.

·        If responses from an agent or agency are riddled with typos or faulty grammar, you can assume that they are not the right agent for you.

·        If a literary agent promises to get you published, step away. No agent has the power to predict a promise of publication, not matter how great your manuscript is.

·        Never, never, never pay money up front.

·        Examine the contract carefully. Have someone knowledgeable about such contracts read through it if possible. The contract should be a professional, straightforward document that covers all the bases, not just some of them.

·        Watch out for the ‘Form Letter Acceptance’. If an agent or agency agrees to represent you, the letter will not be a generic form letter that has fill-in-the-blank tendencies. More often than not, an agent will send you a personal note or even telephone you.

·        If you ask questions and get no answers, avoid that agent or agency. No legitimate agent or agency is offended by questions from their clients. They are never rude when asked to explain certain clauses or answer questions.

Whatever you do, don’t remain idle, watching for the mailman every day to bring an impatiently awaited response from a literary agent. Be proactive and remember; never give up. If your current work can’t seem to find a home, that doesn’t mean your next one won’t.

No writer hasn't been rejected at least once, and many writers have enough of those lovely form letter slips to wallpaper entire rooms. How do you deal with that awful term, rejection, without taking it personally? How to maintain a modicum of dignity and confidence in your abilities when you get one, or horrible to contemplate, more(!) of those awful letters in your mailbox?

Take every bit of information stated in that letter, whether a form letter, a form letter with slight notations, or, even better yet, a rejection written personally by an editor, and put it to good use. Now, one may wonder what’s to cheer about when reading a personally penned rejection letter.

Well, you’ve succeeded in capturing an editor’s attention, enough so that he or she felt compelled to offer you either advice or encouragement or criticism personally. More often than not, those preprinted form letters with snippets of handwritten info on them are to be hoarded and gone over with a figurative magnifying glass, for they may provide you with a bevy of helpful information.

Like what? Well, for starters, a comment like, “While your writing style captured our interest, the topic of this piece is not right for us”, tells you that your work is professional enough to be considered, but that your query or proposal didn’t pique their interest. You just need to keep seeking the right agent/editor/publishing house to grab it. Take that as encouragement! 

On the other hand, a comment like, “While your story idea seemed intriguing, your writing style needs work”, may lay you low for a day or two. Still, look at what was said and analyze it. Okay, your story is appealing, there’s a plus. But your writing needs work… hmmm, what did they mean by that? Check your manuscript or query for spelling errors. Read your work aloud to see how it sounds to your own ear. Are your sentences short and choppy, or do you tend to go the ‘run-on sentence’ route? Do your POV’s switch back and forth so fast your head starts spinning? Take an objective look at your work and read it like you’ve never seen it before. Never be satisfied with what you’ve written. Always lean towards improvement.

What about a comment like, “While we liked your idea, we just don’t feel this is something we can market at this time”? Do you toss the manuscript into a cupboard and forget it? No way! Send it on to the next publishing house or agent on your list. Remember the old adage, “Different strokes for different folks”.

Are rejections something to get angry about? No. Do they sting? Of course. Can you maintain your dignity after receiving rejection after rejection? Definitely. How? By maintaining your determination to become published. Don’t get swell headed and think that your manuscript is perfect and that everybody else doesn’t know a good book when they see one. They do. Don’t ever think your book can’t stand another edit or proofing, because if you do, you won’t grow as a writer.