Writer Beware
The Writer Beware Blog has entered into 2008 with what I feel is a great piece of advice – especially for new writers:
“Don’t look for agents on the Internet.”
Writers, agents, and publishers have been working together for a long time before the internet came into being, and you can survive doing a little extra legwork to make sure your time, work, and money are as safe as they can be.
Like anything on the internet, it’s more than easy to simply take everything for truth. And like in the offline world, that’s exactly the right way to get someone to take advantage of you.
Yes, the internet is a fantastic resource, but what harm does it do you to check out your local library for The Writer’s Market or talk to someone you trust about things?
Before you do anything, you should at least have an idea of who you want to talk to, what you’re after, and at the very least learn some publishing industry terms. Don’t learn for the sake of dropping words; learn for your own sake. You are trying to get into an industry, here.
Many of the agents, publishing houses, etc listed in The Writer’s Market and other books like it list their websites. If nothing else, you’re narrowing down your scope easily instead of treading through Google pages and wondering what’s reputable.
Not only does this post give great advice, it also list many links you might find useful.
In the spirit of the post, though, keep in mind that I haven’t had the time to check out all the links, so use your own discretion.
January 16th, 2008 at 10:43 am
The web is a great resource for aspiring writers who want an agent, if they take the time to look up the Web sites of their favorite new authors. Many times, either the agency promoting the author or the actual author site list who the agent is. And, since many agencies do have a Web site, if an unpublished author reads a book and figures out who the agent is on their own, they can look up the agent quite easily.
January 18th, 2008 at 12:46 am
Absolutely. The internet can be an excellent resource and shouldn’t be put off as anything other than that. However, it’s recognizing the reputable sites that can be a bit tricky. Even the best looking sites can be by the worst people looking to take your money.