Agents

Dear Barbara,

I've heard many horror stories about writers who entrusted their work to agents, only to have the manuscript left sitting on a shelf, or the royalties stolen. In fact, I once signed a contract with an agent who did almost nothing to market my book, and finally she disappeared without a word. She never did return the manuscript to me. After spending years working on my novel, I think it seems unwise to place an unpublished manuscript in the hands of a stranger who doesn't even live in the same state as I do. Since I write genre fiction, I wonder if it would be better to deal directly with publishers. Is an agent really necessary? If so, how can I protect myself from being victimized by an agent who is unscrupulous or just too lazy and disorganized to market my book?

There are only three steps to this:

* Write a great novel
* Research literary agents
* Write a great query letter

Read on for more of Nicholas Sparks' advice.

I keep reading about romance authors who wake up one morning with nothing to read and write their first novel. I hear about folks who, not finding a book that has all the elements they like best, sit down one afternoon and pen a tome with perfect internal and external plot.

I, on the other hand, wrote something like fourteen drafts of a prologue and still was doubtful that I had nailed it. I understand the concept of POV and still find that my hero carries a hand mirror in his hip pocket so that he can admire his face, muscles and luxurious hair. I find that my characters often run away with the story, despite my best intentions. And if certain contest judges are to be believed, I shouldn't quit my day job.

Yet, like all aspiring authors -- those with muses on their shoulders and those with baby drool down their back -- I long for the day when I will be published. And unlike many writers out there, I am just anal enough to plan that day with the precision of a major military offensive. I take the Boy Scout motto literally. Be prepared.

You've finished your first manuscript, or maybe your twentieth. Maybe you're having trouble getting an editor's attention through the slush pile or conference interviews. Maybe you know that an A-list agent can cut through the bureaucratic hurdles and get your book into the hands of a decision maker. For whatever reason, you've decided that your next step is getting an agent.

The question is: how do you find, and "land", an agent who's right for you?