Reasons For Rules: An Agent's Perspective

By Mary C. Moore

Having been an unpublished author seeking an agent, I know how daunting a task this can be. Each agent has different submission guidelines and there are so many RULES. It seems as if you break any of these sacred RULES your query will go right in the physical and metaphorical trash, never to be seen again and you as an author will be laughed out of any possible opportunity to be signed. And when those rejections start rolling in, you question yourself and your writing. What RULE did you break? Then you get angry and frustrated. Why are the RULES so dang important anyway? Isn't it about the writing? Shouldn't they see you for the amazing talent you are and brush all that other stuff away? You start reading about authors who have broken the rules and been hugely successful and you  lurk on online forums to commiserate with other writers that are feeling as bruised as you are. Pretty soon you are convinced that agents have too much power and that their RULES are just petty ways of making authors jump through silly hoops for their own amusement. 

Now, being on the other side of the fence, I find myself spouting off RULES to hopefuls at writer conferences, online forums, on Twitter, and everywhere in-between. I have unintentionally become a gatekeeper, because on this side, the RULES have REASONS. Oh. So for your sanity and mine, I am going to explain the REASONS behind the seemingly random RULES. I'm sticking to fiction literary agent RULES to keep it short. 

Rule #1: Follow each agent's individual submission guidelines down to the letter.

Reason: Every agent has a different system for shifting through submissions. Their guidelines are based on what will help them get through the slushpile in the most efficient manner. By not following the guidelines, you are causing a disruption in the system, which means it will take longer for the agent to consider your submission and respond to you, in effect wasting their time and yours.  

Rule #2: Word count, 55k-75k for YA, 80k-90k for most adult, up to 125k for historical or fantasy.

Reason: Word counts are a throwback from traditional printing. There was a standard specification for print book sizes, which meant if your book fell outside those specifications, it was less likely to be picked up. Because of this, readers got used to a standard book length. And although publishing mediums have since evolved, the standard has yet to change. Thus, your book is easier to sell if it falls within the word count parameters. 

Rule #3: Classify your work as only 1-2 genres, plus age group. 

Reason: We want to know what genre your book falls into, so we know which editors we would place it with. Do not say "it's a unique new genre," not only is this not true (trust me, after slogging through the slush, I can say with confidence, you are not the first to come up with whatever concept you have come up with) it shows us you do not read within your genre, and do not understand it. We are looking for experienced authors who grasp who their reader audience is. 

Rule #4: Address the query to the agent you are sending it to.

Reason: Not only is this courteous, but it shows you've at least done a bit of research before querying us, which means you think we would be a good fit for your manuscript.  

Rule #5: Only query agents who represent your genre. 

Reason: We as agents, develop relationships with editors and publishing houses. If we specialize in a genre, that means we are experienced both in reading/selling said genre, but we also know exactly which editors would be right for it. That being said, there is no harm in querying an agent you are not clear on, especially those who list "commercial fiction" as one of their genres. Just try to avoid querying an agent who only represents thrillers and mysteries with your inspirational memoir.

Rule #6: Have your manuscript finished, edited, and polished before querying.

Reason: Although a lot of agents will do edits before shopping your manuscript, their time is limited. They are not going to be willing to do extensive edits on a project, so if you send out a manuscript before it is finished, you are essentially setting yourself up for rejection. 

Rule #7: Do not mention how well the book will do, or what great writing it is, or how you plan to be the next JK Rowling. 

Reason: The reality of publishing is much harsher than the success stories of JK Rowling and EL James. Most authors don't start making a living off their writing until after their fifth or sixth successfully published book (this is true for self-published authors as well) and even then you're probably not going to be able to buy that island. On average it takes years/decades to become financially successful as an author. We are looking for clients that understand that and are willing to put in the time and energy toward that goal. 

Rule #8: Keep your bio to simply your experience as a writer as well as any relevant experience to your novel (i.e. if you're writing legal thrillers and are a lawyer, mention this). Leave out the names of your pets, your dreams of stardom, your inner demons, and any other personal/professional background.

Reason: Agents are professionals, and they are looking for professional clients. Your query letter should have the same information that a cover letter for a job resume would have. Relevant experience only. Of course once we've signed you, then the relationship may evolve to a more personal level, but there will always be a professional line. 

Rule #9: Keep the query short. 

Reason: The slushpile is no joke. There are hundreds of submissions that an agent or agent's assistant have to read on a monthly basis. If a query is too long, out of necessity, we will skip most of it. 

Rule #10: Only nudge an agent if you have an offer of representation or they have not responded past their posted response time.

Reason: Again, the inbox is flooded already. If you nudge, odds are we won't read the email until after we've seen your original query, (unless in the subject line are the words: OFFER OF REP), so you are just adding to the pile and possibly being annoying. However, things do slip through the cracks. Usually in the submission guidelines, an agent has posted their normal response time. If it is past this date, go ahead and nudge. If it's a full manuscript, nudging after six months is reasonable. 

I hope this post has helped you make sense of a seemingly random set of parameters and given you more confidence to keep going. It is good to remember that most agents are hopeful that authors will follow these RULES, but we are also human and understanding. We may reject you because you didn't follow one of our RULES, but that doesn't mean you are blacklisted and we never want to see your face (or pen) again. In all honesty, we are so inundated with queries, we probably won't remember your particular RULE-breaking query in the first place. So don't be nervous, just do the best you can. 

There are many more RULES that crop up in all aspects of publishing: formatting, grammar, design, editing, writing, contracts etc, even self-publishing, and I'm happy to give REASONS for these in the comments below. 

As for the RULE-breakers out there. You know what they say...