As you know I've been searching for agent representation for Ignited and anyone who has gone through this process can you tell that it's hell. Honestly the most miserable thing I've ever done in my life. Melody G. my dear friend and fellow unpublished author had the brilliant idea of contacting one of our old professors to ask for tips. Her best piece of advice: Twitter.
I'm (for the most part) computer illiterate. SO when you want me to learn a new social media my defenses immediately go up. Why was this necessary I thought? Our old professor explained that the publishing world is evolving, and part of that evolution involves Twitter. SO I bit the bullet and joined. Hey, I've mastered Facebook, how hard could it be? Once you get used to the fact that you can only post 140 characters at a time and once you fully understand the power of hashtags (# for any people who have spent the last three years under a rock) I found that Twitter was everything she'd promised. Better even,
I present to you the top hashtags that have been helpful to me:
#askagent-- this one is awesome. Use it to ask questions to people in the publishing know. Ask a brief to-the-point question and just like magic someone (usually) responds
#amwriting--this one is nice because it flags you as a writer. Use this hashtag whenever you make a comment about your current WIP or just to get in contact with other writers. I'm pretty sure half my followers have come from my use of this hashtag. Along these lines you can also use #amediting or #amreading. Basically, use these to put yourself out there!
#pubtip-- use this whenever you've learned something insightful about the industry and would like to share OR type this in the search bar and watch your screen fill up with all sorts of helpful tips on the world of agents and publishers
There are endless hashtags. Aside from using those, and probably a bigger interest than building your platform from scratch, is that Twitter gives you the power to stalk agents. No, I don't mean in the creepy stand outside their house while breathing hard way (do NOT do that) but in the innocent hey, you there, I see what you're about. I think this is what our professor was trying to tell Melody and me.
NEARLY EVERY AGENT IS ON TWITTER.
I know. Crazy, right?
Simply type the word agent in that magic search bar on the top of your Twitter screen and start following. I suggest you follow everyone. Obviously you can't submit to everyone out there (submitting your hard-boiled crime novel with themes of erotica to a poor soul who only represents Middle Grade novels is a big no-no) but I can promise you that at one point or another the agent will post something helpful to you. Maybe it's a nice #pubtip, or maybe it's advice on how to craft your query letter, or how to submit. Maybe even tips on the writing process itself. The possibilities are endless.And best of all..."stalking"a gents MAY just lead you to your dream agent.
It was on Twitter that I found my dream agent. He had a funny profile pic so I knew he had a sense of humor and he claimed to be the one true king of Westeros so I knew he was well-read. I put myself out there. I told him I wanted to have his book baby. He responded with a face palm but I knew that I had entertained him for the moment and this gave me the courage to submit. I queried, and three weeks later I received the letter every girl (every girl, right?) dreams of getting. The agent asked for a sample of my work. So no, we haven't signed a contract and while my work gets reviewed I can do nothing but wait with bated breath but I'm not worried. Maybe he and I will have that book baby together but if he doesn't there are still dozens of agents out there that I can submit too. And thanks to Twitter, I can get in contact with every one.
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