Christine Kohler

Comment by Christine Kohler on Apr 09, 2023 7:29 PM EDT

Dear Paul Davis,

I looked at your website. You are a very prolific author and very successful in publishing. I agree whole-heartedly that you need an agent to sell foreign rights and movie rights. I also understand your desire to get an agent. (I am presently represented by an agent--my third--and will attest that the old axiom is true, "It is harder to get an agent than it is to get a publisher.")

In my 40+ years experience as a professional writer, I'm going to give you some advice. (Since you posted this plea for help getting an agent both on your website and on my comment section, I assume you are looking for advice.)

1. I don't know that any reputable agent would stumble across your website, read it, then sign you on as a client. I've said it numerous times in articles here that writers find agents through personal referrals by their clients, at agent conferences, through unsolicited submissions, or Twitter Pitch parties. (More on that later. I posted a link below.)

2. When I have signed with an agent, because I am not a novice (like you) and am widely published (like you), the agents have cautioned me that they did not want multiple manuscripts in my files dumped on them. They wanted me to pitch one manuscript. Period. I respected the request, pitched one, was signed as a client, then waited until the right time for the agent to request to see a second (or third) manuscript. So, from my experience, you can see where an agent might be hesitant to take you on when you are wanting someone to try to get foreign contracts for 100+ published books. Instead, I suggest you select the one book of yours that has the strongest sales and widest international appeal in topic, and pitch that one book. Hook the agent with that book before bringing up another one.

Have you tired Twitter Pitch Parties as a method of finding an agent. This is an old article (2017) but it gives you an idea of what at Twitter Pitch Party is, how to find them (search in Twitter), how to form a twitter pitch, and the rules of the parties.

Good luck!
https://www.christinekohlerbooks.com/newsletter85.htm Christine Kohler