How to: get a book deal (part one)

It is a truth universally acknowledged that most journalists have a secret or not-so-secret hankering to write a book. Maybe there's a desire to produce the definitive non-fiction work on a topic you're passionate about or to haul out that half-finished novel from your bottom drawer and turn it into a bestseller.

But how do you go about getting a book deal when, as everyone knows, publishing is a highly competitive industry? Well, the good news is that as a journalist you've already got a head start.

Agents and publishers will know: you'll have excellent writing skills; are used to being edited; see a deadline as something to take seriously as opposed to 'a nice idea'; and are going to be media-savvy when it comes to publicising your book.

Do I need an agent?
Having an agent definitely puts you at an advantage. They'll know which editors are most likely to be interested in your work, understand the complexities of the legal and business sides of publishing and will almost certainly be able to negotiate a better advance than you could yourself.

A good agent will also advise you on your career and stand up for you in any disputes - say, over your book cover or problems with the editorial process - with your publisher. In return, they take a 10-15 per cent commission from your book-related earnings. 

However, there are certain sectors of publishing where agents tend not to be used – such as academic publishing or where advances are likely to be small. For example, if a book looks likely to only attract an advance of £1,000, then unless they felt it was going to generate significant royalties or had faith in your long-term career, many agents wouldn't feel it financially viable to take the book on.

How do you find the right agent?
The standard advice is to get a copy of the Writers' and Artists' Yearbook and research the agents in there to see which might be suitable for you.

Most have a list of authors they represent and from checking them out you'll be able to gauge whether a particular agency might be your sort of place. For example, Darley Anderson has a fantastic stable of romance and crime writers; whereas Aitken Alexander Associates has authors of a more literary bent.

But don't let your research stop there: most agencies have websites with more detailed information – a breakdown of which agents represent which particular authors within the agency, guidelines on how best to submit your manuscript and so on.

It's always a good idea to submit to a named agent rather than the general submissions address as it's less likely to end up being read by someone's niece doing work experience on her gap year.

It's also worth reading The Bookseller (available in larger libraries) for information about new agencies setting up – these are often started by established agents from large agencies breaking away and deciding to set up on their own, and as such are more likely to be looking for new clients.

And don't just restrict yourself to the conventional route – lateral thinking is a useful tool when it comes to getting an agent and here are some other ways of coming to their attention:

Competitions
The Romantic Novelists' Association and the Crime Writers' Association both have competitions for aspiring novelists, and being placed in one of the literary short story competitions (see The Writers' and Artists' Yearbook for details) can help get you noticed.

Going to talks by agents 
Many literature festivals and writing groups have talks by literary agents – go along and hear their advice directly, then join the queue of aspiring authors eager to talk to them afterwards. If it feels right, you could even give them a couple of chapters there and then – if you're really in luck they might read it in the cab on the way home.

How should I approach agents?
Standard guidelines usually involve sending:

The first three chapters and a synopsis of your work
Non-fiction books can often get a deal on the basis of the initial chapters; whereas with novels, agents and publishers tend to want to see the completed manuscript to ensure that you've managed to keep the momentum going rather than fallen into the common problem of getting off to a cracking start and then having your novel sag in the middle like a Victoria sponge.

Just send the first three chapters of your novel initially – if they want to see more, they'll let you know. A synopsis is usually one or two pages long, but individual agents have their own preferences – for example Carole Blake of Blake Friedmann prefers 4-10 pages. Again, check out agency websites for their requirements and stick to them.

A covering letter 
This should include a brief summary of your book, who you see the potential readership as being and some information about yourself and why you're particularly well-suited to write it. Whatever you do, I implore you not to say that your family and friends loved your book (or in particular, that your children did if you're writing a book for youngsters) – it really makes agents and editors cringe. If you have any ideas for future books, it's a good idea to mention this briefly – it'll give the agent an idea of where your career is headed.

Selling outline
If your book is non-fiction then adding a 'selling outline' can be helpful. This would go into greater depth about the potential readership, your qualifications to write it and why it's better for the competition. For example, if it was 'Caring for your Gerbil' it would give figures for the number of gerbil owners, the fact that you've spent 10 years as features editor on Gerbil Keeping Today, and give reasons why your book would be better than other current titles in the field.

This is part one of Maria's guide. Part two, which looks at the next stage of the process, will be published on Journalism.co.uk next week. Maria McCarthy is the author of The Girls' Guide to Losing Your L Plates and The Girls' Car Handbook published by Simon and Schuster and teaches Path to Publication workshops at Bristol University. For useful writing links check out her website at www.mariamccarthy.co.uk

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