Well if you are on this page then you are a Newbie Author looking for all the answers on how to get a Literary Agent or a Publisher. One thing you will discover as an un-published author is that everything to do with publishing the greatest novel the world has ever seen takes forever. Nothing in publishing is fast or remotely close to being anywhere near the definition of the word fast. There are steps to traditional publishing that takes more time than you or anyone else on the outside looking in thinks it should take. Below are some tips to finding Literary Agents to represent you and traditional Publishers that might take on your baby. One word of advice before you follow these tips. Print out your work and edit it not once but twice. Edit and change till you know it is the best you have in you. No sloppy copies if you want to play in the big leagues.
Tip #1 
Compose a Query Letter: This is the most important letter you will ever write. Keep it short and as proffesional as you can. Don't ever toot your own horn as the next Tolstoy or Twain. Get your contact info, book title and word count in the first paragraph along with the beginning story line of your book. I've seen some people say to keep the paragraphs to five sentences and the first sentence better be a knock out punch to get their attention. Paragraph two is to close the query about your book. Some folks claim they want to know the ending and others say they like to be intrigued? See tip #2. Paragraph three is to talk a little about yourself, your writing credits or lack there of. Having no published works is nothing to be ashamed of because all of the greats were once in the same place as you right now. Remember to politely thank the nice agent or editor for their very, very, very valuable time. Put yourself in the person reading your query letters place, and you get hundreds of these a week or month. Most of them read and reply to each and every one. Gives you something to think about.
Tip #2 Research the lit agents and publishers to make sure your novel is even what they actually work on. You don't want to send a Chick Lit book to a publisher that only works with books about fishing? Find out who the person is you are contacting and put their name on your query letter. That is very mucho importante! To whom it may concern is a taboo in publishing. Go to the book stores near you and see who is doing what as far as genre and check them out. Buy a research book or go to the library to look up and find who and where the Literary Agents and Publishers are.
Tip#3 Make a list of contacts that fit your work and start sending out letters to them. Most lit agents and publishers have their own requirements for submissions so make sure you do as they ask. If all they want is a query letter then that is all you should send. Sending more than they asked for is never a good thing. Biggest mistake I have heard of and read about is writers not following submission guidelines. Second biggest mistake is forgetting the self addressed stamped envelope...aka SASE.
Tip#4 
Wait and watch the mail box or your email. And wait some more. Then some more. Nope not done yet, you have to wait a little while more. Track all the replies you receive back. One warning to the wise is to check out all the replies you do get back to make sure they are a legitamate Literary Agency or Publisher. Scam artists are out there and they thrive on the hopes and dreams of new authors. Make good use of websites like Predators and Editors that track the scammers and the good guys.
Rule number one to always remember is that most legitamate literary agents and publishers never ask their authors for money...they pay you the money. A warning light should go off if anyone asks you for money up front. There is NO exception to this rule.
From what I've read and seen in this business most Literary Agents and Publishers only take on 1% to 3% new authors a year. You really can't blame them for sticking with money making authors. That is how they get paid! So the one thing you have to have as a new author is patience and persistence. Some people answer you back in as little as a week and others can take up to six months or more. Do up your query list with ten to twenty lit agents and publishers at a time. When you get back the majority of the first batch, send out the next. Rinse, wash and repeat. If it seems like you are getting frustrated with negative replies then think about re-writing your query letter? Maybe you need to sharpen the hook on that first sentence? Run the letter by some friends and ask for their opinions. Edit, edit and edit some more.
Keep the faith and keep on writing. While you wait for somebody to discover your first work of art, the second could be evolving into something better than your first. Building your writing craft is a life long learning event. Even some of the greats never had their first novel published but their editor loved the second or even the third.
Good luck, good hunting,
Mat O'Keefe AKA PapaMoka 
