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Agents

© Regina Avalos

As a submitting writer, you have probably started to think whether or not you need an agent. Many writers do have agents, but it is not always a necessity. Each writer needs to gauge on thier own whether or not they need an agent. Once you have made the decision to look for an agent, it will not be an easy task. you submit work to an agent just like you would to a publication. you send a query letter or manuscript for their viewing. It might take weeks for them to get back to you. The response might either be positive or negative.

Not all agents in the industry are reputable. When looking for an agent, try to find one that belongs to Association of Author's Representatives. Their home on the web can be found at http://www.publishersweekly.com/aar/. If an agent that responds to you positively asks for fees up front, the agent is most likely not reputable. An agent makes it money from the sale of your manuscript to a publisher not from you the writer.If you would like to see what others say about an agent you are thinking about there are sites on the web that list warnings about agents. One such site can be found here: http://www.sfwa.org/prededitors/.

now you are asking yourself "Do I really need an agent?" It all depends on what you write and which publishers you are targeting. Many of the larger publishing houses will not accept unagented submissions. If you are trying to submit to one of these houses, you will need an agent.However, if this is not your immediate goal, you might not need an agent. Evaluate your writing and your goals for the future and then decide.

This week's market and contest of the week are:

Market of the Week
Editor: Kristina Olson
Website: http://www.kaliope.net/
Email: submissions@kaliope.net
Address: Kaliope C/O Kristina Olson PO BOX 1756 Manomet MA 02345
What do they publish: Short stories of any genre and length up to 10,000 words.
Payment: Payment is $5.00 for stories with a word count of 1,000 - 5,000 and $10.00 for stories with a word count of 5,001 - 10,000.
Contact: Submit stories to the email above as a Word attachment.

Contest of the Week
Fools Rush In Young Adult Writing Contest
Website: http://members.aol.com/AmazingAuthors/co...
Mail entry to: Send your entry to AmazingAuthors@aol.com with The TITLE of your work must appear in the SUBJECT line of the e-mail along with TEEN CONTEST