This is an article written by Terry Whalin, a marketing specialist who strives to help authors reach their potential in the market place. 
Question: Do Literary Agents look for new authors? If so, how do I get an agent?

Answer: I'll begin this answer with a question: Have you written a book proposal on this book or the entire manuscript?

Even if the manuscript is short, you still need to write a book proposal. Many people make this mistake when they try to publish a nonfiction book.

If you are writing a novel and are an unpublished author, then you need to write the entire novel (yes, all 90,000 words of it). Many fiction editors have been disappointed with contracting a great proposal, synopsis and a few sample chapters then the novelist wrote themselves into a corner and didn't know how the story ended. This situation happens much more often than you would suspect so if you are writing fiction, then write the entire book. If you are writing nonfiction, then you need an excellent nonfiction book proposal and a sample chapter.

I've written a book on this topic, Book Proposals That Sell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success. This book includes a full example of a nonfiction book proposal which I wrote and sold several years ago for an advance over six figures. A book proposal includes a number of important elements for the publishing consideration process that are not in the completed manuscript--and the agent or editor will need that material.

As far as agents, every agent that I know (and I know a number of them from my work as a book acquisitions editor) is open to new clients--the key is that you have something different to say than the other stacks of things coming into their office unsolicited--and that your material catches their attention.

To get an agent, you need to ask other writers who have agents. Ask a series of questions such as the list over on the Association of Author Representatives website. Not every good agent is a member of the AAR but they have some membership requirements that make an AAR member a worthy agent to consider.

Also track down this book: Literary Agents: A Writer's Introductionby John F. Baker (Hungry Minds, 1999). Baker who writes for Publisher's Weekly profiles a series of literary agents who have been in the business for many years. You will learn a great deal about agents reading this excellent book--and it may give you some ideas about who to approach with your project. There are some good agents out there but as with editors, the good ones have their hands full.

Some times it's more difficult to find an agent than to get published in the first place. While you are talking with agents and waiting for a response, work on getting published in magazines and building some publishing credits. It will help you catch the agent's (and the editor's) attention.

Another good way to talk with agents is at a writer's conference. Look over the program and select a conference where there will be several agents attending. Take the initiative to talk with them and make a personal connection during the conference. After the conference, follow up and send them your material (or show it to them on the spot). That could be the major break through that you need.
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W. Terry Whalin understands both sides of the editorial desk--as an editor and a writer. He worked as a magazine editor for Decision and In Other Words. His magazine articles have appeared in more than 50 publications including Writer's Digest and Christianity Today. Terry has written more than 60 nonfiction books and one of his latest is Book Proposals That Sell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success (Write Now Publications). See more about his writing at www.right-writing.com/whalin.html. For more than 12 years Terry has been an ECPA Gold Medallion judge in the fiction category. He has written extensively about Christian fiction and reviewed numerous fiction books in publications such as CBA Marketplace and BookPage. He is the former Fiction Acquisitions Editor for Howard Books. Terry and his wife, Christine, live in Scottsdale, Arizona.

© 2008 W. Terry Whalin

I've been working on something that will help newly published authors and wannabe writers build their personal platforms and help launch book marketing campaigns.

This one-stop shop for all your publishing promotional needs  will be up and running next week. It will be choked full of cost effective marketing tools and resources with FREE products and TRIAL offers. So stay tuned to this blog for more information. I will post the new link as soon as everything is up and running. 

Just a couple of resources you may find helpful that I keep at arms link in my own personal library.

Welcome to my guest blogger Cec Murphey.
Writing against our values is the way I say it. Some people have laughed, but I'm convinced that we do that. Sometimes good writers take on a project because the publisher wants them to do it. I've almost gotten caught up in that. I felt flattered when the senior editor of a publishing house came to me with a writing project. "I know you can do it and do an excellent job."

I loved hearing those words and I agreed. But something didn't feel quite right. For the next two days I struggled over that decision. I finally called the editor, told him how much I wanted to work with him, but I couldn’t do the book. "It goes contrary to my values."

He wisely listened and said, "I understand."

By contrast, one of my friends received a large advance for a book that he couldn’t write. He finally broke the contract and his relationship with the publisher. He told me, "I was writing something I did not feel, did not believe, did not care about, and I avoided writing what I did care about."

When we try to write against our personal value system,
our wise inner critic tries to block us.

To receive email updates from Cec Murphey's Writer to Writer

I've been learning a lot about Search Engine Optimizer also known as (SEO), and have realized that the five to six search words you attach to each page have to be in the content of the page in order to have the best promotional optimizer working for you . Also, the words can't be too general or you won't ever get to the first page on the search engine. You want your blog to be on the first page, because most people when doing a search never get past the first page. For example, what words would you use to find this blog?  Writing technique, wordsmiths, writers blog, or authors? Of course, none of those words work. They are either too specific or too general. The key to optimizing your site on a search engine is to find those few key words that you can include on every page of your website in order to make the higher ranking - preferably somewhere around number #3 to #6 - not necessarily #1.  Usually people click on the first link for a quick peek and then move on down. The browsing time of your unique visitors will also help to maintain your ranking on the SE.  Keeping at #3 or #4 in the ranks will keep your site on the first page.  Finding those keywords is not as easy as one would think, but it is absolutely imperative to optimizing your ranking on the three search engine websites: Google, Yahoo, and MSN.

The question is how are you suppose to manage the SEO on a blog when your writing about closely related things all the time along with thousands of other bloggers? I'm still learning this myself, so stay tuned.

Are You Making These 20 Mistakes on Your Blog?http://www.jeffbullas.com/2011/04/13/are-you-making-these-20-mistakes-on-your-blog/
Here is some of the best blogging advice I've found.http://lifedev.net/2006/10/best-blogging-advice/

Most think they don't have much to say in a blog other than what they do on a daily basis, which may come across as way too boring. But, I have come to understand blogging on a particular subject matter that one is passionate about is the better way to write and the most interesting. If you are driven to learn more about certain subject, then you will have lots to say about it. People with the same passion will pick up on it, and then want to read your blog. At least, this is what I hope will happen with my own blog anyway. So far, my passion for writing is meeting and learning about other writers in my area. I meet some of the most fascinating people and see my experience as a writer as a great adventure for meeting awesome people, making new friends, and networking. Whatever you decide to blog on, just make sure you have a passion for it. That way it won't seem like a job or work to have to do on a daily basis. Email me and let me know or just leave a comment below. Best of luck to all who visit here today. 

This workshop attracted over 20 local writers. Bradley Harris gave an enlightening and humorous presentation on self-editing. Susan Reichert and her team gave an equally interesting and informative discussion offering excellent advice to beginner and advanced writers.  I was impressed at the caliber of her team members. They each hold sharp skills with a lot of experience in each of their respective fields of interest.  With their help, Susan has started her own self publishing company, Amazing Phrase.  She is also the founding editor of the new Southern Writers Magazine, which is full of great advice and interviews new and well-known southern writers. 

My next venture is the Christian Writers Retreat in October.  This is a an annual retreat I organize to give local writers a chance to mingle, network, and to get alone with God to refocus their endeavors and purpose.  We will study the techniques of writing, and enjoy outdoor worship at the amphitheater complete with campfire.  For more information, check the website for Bartlett Christian Writers at http://bartlettchristianwriters.webs.com.

Please excuse the inconvenience during my momentary transfer over to my new host site. The old blog at http://blog.haydenkidsbooks.com is still up and running in the meantime for you to browse through for any vital information you may need in the meantime.