Finding a Literary Agent

It’s that time of the week – Tuesday Discussion.

From those who are new, each week I post a topic (relevant to my WIP) and try to unravel the mysteries and perspectives of it. Last weeks post was Plotters and Pantsers and this week is:

Finding a Literary Agent.

I am nearly at the submission stage for my novel but first I need a literary agent if I want to traditional publish my novel. A literary agent can be an author’s key to the publishing world. In today’s ever-evolving literary landscape, there are plenty of different ways to get your work out there. So does every writer seeking publication need a literary agent?

You need a literary agent if:

• You are writing a novel
• You want to traditionally publish
• You are writing commercial non-fiction (popular fiction)
• You are writing fiction for children or YA; or
• You are writing a ‘how to’ book in a major category.

You do not need a literary agent if:

• You intend to self-publish
• You are writing poetry
• You are writing one-off short stories
• You are writing journalism; or
• You are writing specialist or academic non-fiction.

I have read many stories of how authors have found a literary agent and helped them get published.

Do you have an agent?

Or, are you looking for an agent?

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I do not have an agent and I am looking for one but I am stumped at how to find one. I have searched the internet for ones that specialize in my genre but it’s difficult to find one that would be suitable.

Does anyone have any suggestions to find a literary agent for fantasy within Australia?

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