Recently, the Guide to Literary Agents Blog passed 2,700 posts. Thank you to all my readers—both long-time and new—who continue to make this one of the biggest blogs in publishing. Now with the blog in its tenth year, as well as with the recent release of the 2017 Guide to Literary Agents book, I wanted to pass on 81 damn good reasons to keep reading this site in 2017 as you continue your journey on how to find a literary agent and build your writer platform.
The biggest literary agent database anywhere
is the Guide to Literary Agents. Pick up the
most recent updated edition online at a discount.
Reason #1: A FREE GIVEAWAY CONTEST! I’ll pick three random commenters off this post after three weeks and the winners can have any of my writing books that they want. Take your pick:
- The 2017 Guide to Literary Agents: This book is the biggest database of literary agents anywhere—telling you what genres they seek, what books they’ve sold, and how to submit.
- The 2017 Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market: This book is a big database for writers of young adult, middle-grade, and picture books. It lists literary agents, book publishers, contests, kidlit magazines, and more.
- Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript: This book is a great resource for beginners in that it shows you how to make any submission look professional.
- Create Your Writer Platform: You want to market yourself and sell more books? Learn the basics about building your author platform and connecting with people online and in person.
- Get a Literary Agent: This book is filled with practical step-by-step advice on how to get an agent—with things like query letter breakdowns, submission FAQs, research tips, advice on how to protect yourself, and much more.
Comment below for your chance to win! Just say anything nice about any website, blog, or product that comes from WD. (The contest closes at end of day, Jan. 22, 2017.) By the way, if you share this contest via Twitter and include your handle below for me to check that you did, you get not only one entry in the contest, but three! So spread the word via Twitter. Here is a sample tweet for you to use: Writer’s Digest is giving away free books to celebrate the new year. Enter their new contest here: http://ift.tt/2hG5kdB.
The Other 80 Reasons:
Hear From Those Who Came Before and Succeeded
1. Veronica Roth, author of the New York Times bestseller DIVERGENT
“I checked the GLA Blog every day when I was going through my agent search! It actually saved me from making several really embarrassing and potentially harmful mistakes, and taught me a lot about the whole process. Anyway, I’m grateful for your site and I’m a big fan.” [Veronica’s agent is Joanna Volpe of New Leaf Literary & Media.]
2. Erin Morgenstern, author of the New York Times bestseller THE NIGHT CIRCUS
“I visited the [GLA] blog many times when I was on the agent hunt.” [Erin’s agent is Richard Pine of Inkwell Management.]
3. Sabaa Tahir, author of the New York Times bestseller AN EMBER IN THE ASHES
“I used to read your ‘successful query’ series before I began querying, and have found the advice you’ve given on Writer Unboxed to be quite helpful.” [Sabaa’s agent is Alexandra Machinist of ICM Partners.]
4. Susan Blumberg-Kason, author of GOOD CHINESE WIFE: A LOVE AFFAIR WITH CHINA GONE WRONG
“My memoir was just published by Sourcebooks in late July. I found my agent, Carrie Pestritto of Prospect Agency, through your Guide to Literary Agents Blog two years ago. Thank you so much for featuring her. It was truly a life-changing post! Not only is Carrie a fabulous agent, but she also quickly became a great friend.”
5. Karen Harrington, author of SURE SIGNS OF CRAZY
“I’ve been a long-time follower of this blog for years. Your WD posts helped me so much over the years.” [Karen’s agent is Julia Kenny of Dunow, Carlson & Lerner.]
6. Amy Gail Hansen, author of THE BUTTERFLY SISTER
“I was not so long ago an aspiring author without a literary agent. I read and looked at your blog over the years as a source for info on agents. It served as a source of inspiration and knowledge for sure.” [Amy’s agent is Elisabeth Weed of The Book Group.]
Check Out These Great Upcoming Writers Conferences:
- Feb. 11, 2017: Writers Conference of Minnesota (St. Paul, MN)
- Feb. 16–19, 2017: San Francisco Writers Conference (San Francisco, CA)
- Feb. 24, 2017: The Alabama Writers Conference (Birmingham, AL)
- Feb. 25, 2017: Atlanta Writing Workshop (Atlanta, GA)
- March 25, 2017: Michigan Writers Conference (Detroit, MI)
- March 25, 2017: Kansas City Writing Workshop (Kansas City, MO)
- April 8, 2017: Philadelphia Writing Workshop (Philadelphia, PA)
- April 22, 2017: Get Published in Kentucky Conference (Louisville, KY)
- April 22, 2017: New Orleans Writers Conference (New Orleans, LA)
- May 6, 2017: Seattle Writers Conference (Seattle, WA)
- May 19-21, 2017: PennWriters Conference (Pittsburgh, PA)
- June 24, 2017: The Writing Workshop of Chicago (Chicago, IL)
- Aug. 18–20, 2017: Writer’s Digest Conference (New York, NY)
7. April Tucholke, author of BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA
“I queried my agent Joanna Volpe [of New Leaf Literary + Media] after reading her interview on the GLA Blog.”
8. Ashley Elston, author of THE RULES FOR DISAPPEARING
“Your blog was super helpful when I was looking for an agent.” [Ashley’s agent is Sarah Davies of Greenhouse Literary Agency.]
9. M.M. Vaughan, author of THE ABILITY
“I know your GLA Blog very well—I think I read pretty much every article when I was looking to submit my first manuscript (and it obviously helped!).” [Vaughan’s agent is Tina Wexler of ICM Partners.]
10. K.M. Walton, author of CRACKED
“It was Chuck Sambuchino’s informative ‘New Literary Agent Alert’ blog post that prompted me to query Sarah LaPolla [of Bradford Literary], who ended up offering representation.”
11. Tim Federle, author of BETTER NATE THAN EVER
“I read your blog columns on my literary agent hunt.” [Tim’s agent is Brenda Bowen of Sanford J. Greenburger Associates.]
12. Diana Renn, author of TOKYO HEIST
“I consulted the Guide to Literary Agents Blog frequently when searching for an agent, and I always reference it when I do workshops and conference talks for aspiring writers! Thanks for the wealth of information and inspiration there!” [Diana’s agent is Kirby Kim of William Morris Endeavor.]
13. Kathy Leonard Czepiel, author of A VIOLET SEASON
“I’m familiar with your blog, and in fact it was very helpful to me in my search for an agent. I’m now with Lisa Bankoff at ICM Partners—she’s terrific!”
14. Valerie Geary, author of CROOKED RIVER
“As for using the GLA Blog, it was practically my Bible for writing query letters. The ‘Successful Queries’ posts? Gold mines. I also used the blog to help make my list of agents to query. I also still really enjoy reading author interviews and the ‘7 Things I’ve Learned So Far’ posts. I am always looking to glean wisdom from those who have come before me! Long story short, GLA is an invaluable resource for writers.”
15. Augusta Scattergood, author of GLORY BE
“I followed your blog when I was trying to find an agent.”
16. Christian Schoon, author ZENN SCARLETT
“During my querying process, I checked in with Chuck’s GLA Blog more or less every day. The tips and agency info he offered, and the insights from both agents and other writers, were invaluable. By helping me ensure my queries were professional and appropriate-to-agency, this blog certainly contributed to the number of requests I received for partials and fulls. And Chuck’s ongoing attention to areas like author marketing and promotion mean I’m still stopping by on a regular basis.” [Christian’s agent is Adam Schear of DeFiore & Company.]
17. Dana Bate, author of THE GIRLS’ GUIDE TO LOVE AND SUPPER CLUBS
“I read the GLA Blog regularly when I was trying to score an agent.” [Dana’s agent is Scott Miller of Trident Media Group.]
18. Carrie Clickard, author of VICTRICIA MALICIA: BOOK-LOVING BUCCANEER
“I’m a regular reader of your blog.” [Carrie’s agent is Tricia Toney Lawrence of the Erin Murphy Literary Agency.]
19. Michele Jakubowski, author of SIDNEY & SYDNEY: THIRD GRADE MIX-UP
“Your blog most definitely helped me on my publishing journey, thank you!”
20. Peggy Eddleman, author of SKY JUMPERS
“I spent months and months and months poring over your Guide to Literary Agents Blog before I started querying! It was an incredible help to me. Thank you!” [Peggy’s agent is Sara Crowe of Harvey Klinger.]
21. Matthew Ward, author of THE FANTASTIC FAMILY WHIPPLE
“First of all, you should know I have both your Writer’s Digest books sitting prominently on my bookshelf. Your books and your blog played an important role in how I ended up with my agent and eventually got my first book published.” [Matthew is represented by the Andrea Brown Literary Agency.]
22. Dawn Klehr, author of THE CUTTING ROOM FLOOR
“I think your blog is one of the best. In fact, that is where I first heard about my agent, Jessica Sinsheimer [of the Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency].”
23. Sara Polsky, author of THIS IS HOW I FIND HER
“I’m familiar with your site, because it was a great resource for me when querying.” [Sara’s agent is Suzie Townsend of New Leaf Literary + Media.]
24. Emily France, author of SIGNS OF YOU
“I’m very familiar with your blog and your books. In fact, it was your Guide to Literary Agents that I studied like a textbook and that ultimately helped me land my agent. I’ll be forever grateful for your guidance!” [Emily’s agent is Jennifer Unter of the Unter Agency.]
25. Sonja Stone, author of DESERT DARK
“I’ve been a huge fan of your blog for years (and you’re one of 200 people I follow on Twitter).” [Sonja’s agent is Logan Garrison of the Gernert Company.]
26. W.B. Belcher, author of LAY DOWN YOUR WEARY TUNE
“I think we met in passing a few years ago at [a writers conference], and actually, I found my agent on your blog. Soon after you posted a new agent alert for Christopher Rhodes [of the James Fitzgerald Agency], I queried him and one thing led to another. So, a belated thank you for that as well. Truly, I think your advice to look for new agents who are actively building their client list is right on, especially for those writers who fly a little under the radar like myself.”
27. Jennifer Pashley, author of THE SCAMP
“I’ve been following your column for years!” [Jennifer’s agent is Christopher Rhodes of the James Fitzgerald Agency.]
28. Lisl H. Detlefsen, author of TIME FOR CRANBERRIES
“I am very familiar with your name and your work. I am a frequent visitor to your website and found it particularly helpful when I was searching for the right agent (who, I’m happy to say, I signed with about a year and a half ago!).” [Lisl’s agent is Jennifer Mattson of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency.]
29. E. Katherine Kottaras, author of HOW TO BE BRAVE
“I relied on your site and your books while I was in the drafting and querying stage. I recommend you to my creative writing students all the time!” [Katherine’s agent is Courtney Miller-Callihan of Handspun Literary.]
30. Aline Ohanesian, author of ORHAN’S INHERITANCE
“I’ve been reading your blog for years.” [Aline’s agent is Eleanor Jackson of Dunow, Carlson & Lerner.]
31. John A. Connell, author of RUINS OF WAR: A MASON COLLINS NOVEL
“I’ve been reading your blog articles for a number of years.”
32. Mia Alvar, author of IN THE COUNTRY
“I’m very familiar with your blog and have landed on your extremely helpful posts/insights pretty much every time I had to Google a publishing-related question!” [Mia’s agent is Julie Barer of The Book Group.]
33. Mary Lawrence, author of THE ALCHEMIST’S DAUGHTER: A BIANCA GODDARD MYSTERY
“I subscribe to your blog! I’ve read it for years.”
34. Trina St. Jean, author of BLANK
“I have read the GLA Blog and always enjoyed the wide variety of interesting, useful, and entertaining topics it covers.”
35. Jenny Martin, author TRACKED
“I’ve always loved your GLA columns and I turned to them often when I was in the query trenches.” [Jenny’s agent is Sara Crowe of Harvey Klinger.]
36. Camille Griep, author of LETTERS TO ZELL
“Thanks so much for reaching out. Your timing is a wonderful coincidence—just yesterday I recommended the GLA Blog to a couple of friends who are starting the process of agent hunting. It’s the best resource out there for authors wanting to keep a pulse on the who, where, and how of agenting. I’m thrilled to be able to say thanks directly!” [Camille’s agent is Cameron McClure of the Donald Maass Literary Agency.]
37. Fonda Lee, author of ZEROBOXER
“I’ve read your GLA Blog very often.” [Fonda’s agent is Jim McCarthy of Dystel & Goderich.]
38. Shannon Kirk, author of METHOD 15/33
“BTW, Chuck, I have read your columns and they have motivated me in the course of my journey to publication to not give up.” [Shannon’s agent is Kimberley Cameron of Kimberley Cameron & Associates.]
39. J.M. Frey, author of TRIPTYCH
“I just wanted to let you know that because of your wonderful blog, I am now represented by Evan Gregory of the Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agency.”
40. Aminta Arrington, author of HOME IS A ROOF OVER A PIG: AN AMERICAN FAMILY’S JOURNEY IN CHINA
“I followed the Guide to Literary Agents Blog daily when I was in the querying process.” [Aminta’s agent is Alexis Hurley of Inkwell Management.]
41. Martha Brockenbrough, author of DEVINE INTERVENTION
“I used the Guide to Literary Agents Blog along my writing journey. I love the tips from successful writers and find the agent-quest tales to be fascinating and heartening.” [Martha has two agents: Sarah Davies of Greenhouse Literary Agency and Erin Niumata of Folio Literary Management.]
42. R.F. Sharp, author of NO REGRETS, NO REMORSE: A SYDNEY SIMONE MYSTERY
“I read your blog regularly and in fact got my agent, Sara D’Emic, after you identified her as a new agent for Talcott Notch Literary.”
43. Gwen Hayes, author of FALLING UNDER
“I found [agent] Jessica Sinsheimer [of Sarah Jane Freymann Literary] through your GLA Blog interview last August. She signed me in September and we sold Falling Under in December. Quite the whirlwind!”
44. Trevor Shane, author of CHILDREN OF PARANOIA
“I’ve been a near daily visitor to your site since 2007 when I started writing Children of Paranoia. Much of what I learned about querying/agents/editors, and the business in general, I learned from your website. You really do provide a great service for all of us frustrated and frightened aspiring writers.”
45. Bethanie Murguia, author of BUGLETTE, THE MESSY SLEEPER
“I followed The Guide to Literary Agents Blog religiously as I prepared to submit work to agents. The blog contains invaluable information about specific agencies, the process of querying agents, and what to expect when working with an agent. I’m now happily represented by my first choice agency and agent.” [Bethanie’s agent is Elena Giovinazzo of Pippin Properties.]
46. Caroline Starr Rose, author of MAY B.
“I found Michelle Humphrey [of Martha Kaplan Literary] on the Guide to Literary Agents Blog and fell in love with her upbeat attitude about the publishing process. (‘Make rejection pie!’ she said.) She responded to my query the next day. Less than two weeks after reading Michelle’s GLA spotlight, I had an agent.”
47. Mike Martinez, author of THE DAEDALUS INCIDENT
“I’m a big fan of your Guide to Literary Agents Blog. It was an invaluable resource when I started querying!” [Mike’s agent is Sara Megibow of KT Literary.]
48. Jess Haines, author of HUNTED BY THE OTHERS
“I found my agent [Ellen Pepus of Signature Literary Agency] through a GLA spotlight.”
49. Dennis Mahoney, author of FELLOW MORTALS
“If you’re stuck in the circle of hell commonly known as the slush pile, this site [the Guide to Literary Agents Blog] is your Virgil: a guide to help you out.” [Dennis’s agent is Jim Rutman of Sterling Lord Literistic.]
50. Sarah Tregay, author of LOVE & LEFTOVERS
“I’ve always had your blog to thank for helping me find my wonderful agent, Danielle Chiotti [of Upstart Crow Literary]—so it’s always had a special place in my heart.”
51. Kristen Callihan, author of FIRELIGHT
“I trolled the GLA Blog often when I was in search on an agent, and found the blog so helpful.” [Callihan’s agent is Kristin Nelson of the Nelson Literary Agency.]
52. Carol Rifka Brunt, author of TELL THE WOLVES I’M HOME
“I am very well acquainted with the Guide to Literary Agents Blog. I read and reread so many of the interviews and articles during my agent search. It is an amazing resource, and I often recommend it to other writers. It’s really nice to get a chance to tell you how much I’ve appreciated all the work you put in there.” [Carol’s agent is Mollie Glick of Creative Artists Agency.]
53. Amanda Sun, author of INK
“The Guide to Literary Agents Blog is a great resource for writers. The posts were encouraging and informative as I searched for my agent [Melissa Jeglinski of the Knight Agency], and the blog helped me build my knowledge of the publishing world.”
54. Mary Glickman, author of HOME IN THE MORNING
“When I was lost and agentless, the Guide to Literary Agents Blog was like a lifeline pulling me into a place where I could say: It can be done, it can be done. And sometimes, a little bit of hope can go a very long way.” [Mary’s agent is Peter Riva of International Transactions.]
55. Delilah Dawson, author of WICKED AS THEY COME
“My rock star agent is Kate McKean of the Howard Morhaim Literary Agency, thanks to GLA. I can’t tell you how much I learned reading your blog posts.”
56. Joe Oestreich, author of HITLESS WONDER: A LIFE IN MINOR LEAGUE ROCK & ROLL
“I found my agent, John Rudolph at Dystel & Goderich, by reading the Guide to Literary Agents Blog.”
57. Mike Mullin, author of ASHFALL
“Your [GLA] blog is one of the primary sources I rely on for day-to-day news and inspiration.” [Mike’s agent is Kate Testerman of KT Literary.]
58. Kerrie Hollihan, author of THEODORE ROOSEVELT FOR KIDS
“As a published author of nonfiction for kids, I felt ready to take the next step in my career and find an agent to represent me on a YA project. After hearing Chuck speak at a local meeting, I checked out his GLA Blog and read up on Jeff Ourvan, an agent with Jennifer Lyons Literary Agency. My query was ready to go, and after some helpful and informative discussions, Jeff signed me late last year.”
59. Barbara Claypole White, author of THE UNFINISHED GARDEN
“If you’re looking for an agent, you must follow Chuck Sambuchino’s blog. I did, which is how I found the agent who landed me a two-book deal.” [Barbara’s agent is Nalini Akolekar of Spencerhill Associates.]
60. Lynne Raimondo, author of DANTE’S WOOD: A MARK ANGELOTTI NOVEL
“Many thanks to the Guide to Literary Agents Blog for helping me find my agent [Sharlene Martin of Martin Literary Management]. If you’re an unpublished author and you’re not reading this blog daily, you should be!”
61. Tamara Ireland Stone, author of TIME BETWEEN US
“I’m very familiar with the Guide to Literary Agents Blog—I spent a lot of time there when I was stalking agents! What a fantastic resource you offer to writers. Thank you!” [Tamara’s agent is Caryn Wiseman of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency.]
62. Jay Kristoff, author of STORMDANCER
“I read the Guide to Literary Agents Blog when I was looking for an agent! It was a huge help to me, so thanks very much!” [Jay’s agent is Josh Adams of Adams Literary.]
63. Kat Zhang, author of WHAT’S LEFT OF ME
“I read the GLA Blog a lot back when I was querying agents.” [Kat’s agent is Emmanuelle Morgen of Stonesong.]
64. Jeanne Ryan, author of NERVE
“I’ve enjoyed your GLA Blog and Twitter for ages.”
65. A.J. Colucci, author of THE COLONY
“I was so glad to receive your [invitation to write a guest column]—I just happen to be a huge fan of your Guide to Literary Agents Blog.” [Colucci’s agent is Adrienne Rosado of the Nancy Yost Literary Agency.]
66. J.A. Souders, author of RENEGADE
“I’ve been reading your GLA Blog since I started writing!” [Souders’ agent is Natalie Lakosil of the Bradford Literary Agency.]
67. Emily Saso, author of THE WEATHER INSIDE
“Chuck is the reason I landed my thoughtful, supportive agent, Linda Epstein of the Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency. I didn’t just discover Linda through the Guide to Literary Agents; his blog also taught me how to write a quality query that would catch her eye. Thanks, Chuck! Keep up the great work!”
68. Nina Berry, author of OTHERKIN
“I just wanted to add my thanks to you and your wonderful blog for helping me get Tamar [Rydzinski of the Laura Dail Literary Agency] as my agent. Thanks to you, I now have a two-book deal!”
69. Emily B. Martin, author of WOODWALKER
“I am agented thanks to your new agent spotlights.” [Emily’s agent is Valerie Noble of Donaghy Literary.]
70. Writer Jen Corkill Hunt
“After you posted Kimberley Shumate [of Living Word Literary] as a new agent, I contacted her and was signed. You’re awesome, and I send as many authors to you as I can. Thanks!”
71. Writer Joanna Haugen
“I’ve been reading your blog for a while, and when this post about Bree Ogden [of Red Sofa Literary] came through my RSS feed, I decided to try querying her with my picture book. Within a week I had signed on as a new client. Thank you for featuring new agents—I never would have found Bree without your column!”
72. Writer Danielle Winston
“Your blog has been enormously helpful! Through your new agent alerts, I connected with Marisa Corvisiero [of Corvisiero Literary], who is now representing my children’s picture book.”
73. Writer Traci Borum
“I used the GLA Blog extensively during my agent search. So helpful, mainly because I knew I could trust what I found on your blog. I knew these agents would most likely be legit—and—the personal interviews with them always helped me personalize my query letters to them. I have an agent now: Steven Chudney [of the Chudney Agency].”
74. Writer Richard Thomas
“Chuck’s GLA Blog led me to sign with my agent, Paula Munier [of Talcott Notch Literary].”
75. Writers Jay and Michelle Brock
“I’ve been reading your articles for about four years now…great advice for the writer life! I did, indeed, sign with a lovely agent, Ann Spangler [of Ann Spangler and Company]. Anyway, keep up the great work, Chuck.”
76. Writer Loretta Torossian
“I’ve been following your blog for years.”
77. Literary Agent Debbie Carter of Muse Literary
“I recently signed a writer [Alison Stegert] who came to me via posts from your GLA Blog!”
78. Writer Wendy Greenley
“I learned a lot from reading the GLA Blog. Now I’m represented by Red Fox Literary and received my first picture book contract.”
79. Writer Rodney Wilson
“I wrote a novel. And that’s when I turned to Guide to Literary Agents—your blog—as a guidepost. I made spreadsheets and carefully contacted agents, paying close attention to your ‘New Agent Alert’ posts. And you know what happened? I signed with Kirsten Carleton of Prospect Agency. And she’s great! So thank you for your blog, Chuck. I recommend it to my writer friends now that I’m not using it to compile agent spreadsheets for myself anymore. It’s an invaluable resource for those of us who want to give the whole novelist thing a whirl but don’t know what to do with our bulky tomes.”
80. Writer Mimi Cross
“The spotlight on new literary agents is a great way to find out who’s out there, and what they’re looking for. This site is great introduction to a whole community of literary agents, and it definitely helped me on my search for the right agent! Thank you.”
Comment below for your chance to win! Just say anything nice about any website, blog, or product that comes from WD. (The contest closes at end of day, Jan. 22, 2017.) By the way, if you share this contest via Twitter and include your handle below for me to check that you did, you get not only one entry in the contest, but three! So spread the word via Twitter. Here is a sample tweet for you to use: Writer’s Digest is giving away free books to celebrate the new year. Enter their new contest here: http://ift.tt/2hG5kdB.
The biggest literary agent database anywhere
is the Guide to Literary Agents. Pick up the
most recent updated edition online at a discount.
Other writing/publishing articles and links for you:
- NEW Literary Agent Seeking Clients: Dana Newman of Dana Newman Literary.
- Sell More Books by Building Your Author Platform.
- Why You Should Read Your Work Aloud as You Go.
- Follow Chuck Sambuchino on Twitter or find him on Facebook. Learn all about his writing guides on how to get published, how to find a literary agent, and how to write a query letter.
Want to build your visibility and sell more books?
Create Your Writer Platform shows you how to
promote yourself and your books through social
media, public speaking, article writing, branding,
and more. Order the book from WD at a discount.
The post 81 Damn Good Reasons to Read The Guide to Literary Agents Blog in 2017 (and a Giveaway Contest) appeared first on WritersDigest.com.
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