Abigail Jackson’s BGW session
1pm UK time/ Sun Aug 28, 2022
My Road to Publication- Sharma Taylor
How did you get your agent?
BGW Mentor Emma Herdman, Publishing Director – publisher at Bloomsbury. She knows agents
and recommended three. I queried a total of 7 agents; 4 were interested including the 3 Emma
recommended. I met with the agents via Zoom, heard their editorial feedback and then picked one
(Hellie Ogden of Janklow & Nesbit).
How can I get an agent?
How to query agents
Step 1 – Have a quality product
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Have a manuscript in good shape, i.e a completed manuscript edited by a professional
editor. Yes, it is worth the cost. And no, ‘completed’ doesn’t mean perfect or that it cannot
be amended.
Know why you wrote this book and what makes it stand out from other books i.e your
elevator pitch.
Step 2 – Research who/where to query
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Do your homework on which agents to approach. This is where your research skills come
into play.
Which writers are writing in your same vein (e.g similar style, narrative perspective, voice,
theme, genre, interests)? Compile a list of writers whom you admire and whose work is
similar to yours. My area is Caribbean literary fiction, so my authors were: Kei Miller,
Cherie Jones, Ingrid Persaud, among others.
Find out which agents represent these writers on your list. Google is your best friend. Most
authors mention their agents in the ‘Acknowledgements’ of their book or on their social
media or author’s website.
Go to the agency/agent website – tells you who they represent, what books/authors they
like and what kind of work they’re looking for. Look at their social media- what are they
liking and reposting?
For me, agents/agencies who represent or like African/Black/Caribbean literary fictionHellie Ogden at Janklow & Nesbitt, Felicity Blunt at Curtis Brown, Imogen Pelham at
Marjacq, Juliet Mushens at Mushens Entertainment, Sophie Lambert at C&W (Conville &
Walsh), Harriet Moore at David Higham, Claire Alexander/ Emma Paterson at Aitken
Alexander Associates, Zoë Waldie at Rogers Coleridge & White Ltd (RCW), Georgina
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Capel Agency and The Good Literary Agency. Is their list diverse? On the flip side, if they
already have authors like you, they may not be interested in adding another one.
What kind of agent do you want? Some are editorial agents (who edit the manuscript) and
some are not (simply negotiate the best contract terms with publishers).
Step 3 – Submit a query letter and extract of your manuscript
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Read and re-read each agency’s submission requirements. Don’t query an agent who says
they don’t represent the kind of work you’ve done e.g romance or Young Adult. Meet their
submission guidelines to the letter- both in format and length. Never send whole
manuscript! If they want more, they will ask for it. They usually want just the first three
chapters (10K words)
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Craft the most effective cover letter. See samples of mine and others. Some agents like
mine, get 100 query letters every week! How will yours stand out? Let a friend re-read to
spot typos.
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Query in batches. Start with no more than 10 agents. Tailor each letter- not a copy and
paste. Agents want to feel unique- why are you writing to them in particular? What do you
know about their list? Their success as an agent? Flatter them genuinely, stroke the ego.
No ‘Dear Sir/Madam’ or spelling their name wrong!
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Some agents take weeks to read your submission. Wait without being pushy. Listen to the
feedback from the agents – are there common themes regarding what needs to be
strengthened in the manuscript? Work on that. The next batch of agents will then receive a
much stronger manuscript. Don’t get defensive about critiques! Some agents may want
you to revise and resubmit before offering you representation. This way, they can see if
you take their feedback.
Step 4 – Meet with interested agents
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Have a meeting- get a vibe. Do their vision for the work and yours align? Are they
passionate about it? Do they love you and your writing? This is a relationship for the long
haul, even if sales slow etc.
They are sizing you up too- will you be willing to listen to their ideas for revisions,
consider their amendments as they help you shape the work? Can they work with your
personality? Can they put you with publishers and you engage?
Choose an agent- who do you think you could have coffee with and say ‘I’m struggling to
write stuff or I am writing crap’ without judgment? And who you won’t feel like you are
bothering if you ask questions? Who knows the industry and is reputable? If you have
more than one offer of representation, ask the agent if you can speak with one of their
clients to ask questions about their experience of being represented by them.
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Step 5 – Sign with an agent and get to work to find a publisher
A good agent will know which editors at publishers are a good fit for you and the manuscript. An
editorial agent will help you improve the manuscript before sending to publishers. This refining
process can be 3-6 months or up to a year.
What is the process after you have been signed (like how many edits did you go through, how
did that work)?
6 drafts before querying agents, 12th draft sent to publishers and post-publisher about 4-5
versions – structural revisions first then line/copy editing comes after
What happened during the process of getting your book deal? How long did it take?
One week after sending out letters, publishers were in a 3 way auction and I chose one.
Any highs/lows during the process, or anything that took you by surprise that you think would
be important for unpublished authors to know beforehand?
Amount of editing needed. The process of editing takes commitment and makes the work better.
Q&A?
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