Comments on: Do Writers Need Literary Agents? Tips From a Bestselling Author

By: Laurie PK

Laurie PK — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:16:42 +0000

Hi Claudia,

Congratulations on almost finishing your novel! That’s quite the accomplishment.

Yes, I believe you can get a literary agent in the US even if your book is written in Spanish. It’s just a question of finding the right agent, and being clear from the start that your book is written in Spanish.

You might also consider approaching literary agents in Spain as well. It can’t hurt to send out a few extra query letters in Spanish…you never know what could happen. Query far and wide.

Good luck!

Laurie
.-= Laurie PK´s last blog post ..Example of a Query Letter for Unpublished Writers =-.

By: Claudia Flores

Claudia Flores — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:45:43 +0000

I´m a new writer i almost finish a novel thinking in young people of my comunity in Monterrey Mexico.
Can i have an agent in US if a write in spanish?
or have i to think in Spain?

Thanks

By: Laurie PK

Laurie PK — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 13:21:35 +0000

Last November, I signed on with Special Agent Jon Sternfeld, of the Irene Goodman Agency. While I LOVE having an agent – he’s doing an amazing job promoting my work – I still think Binchy’s reasons that writers need agents aren’t the best ones.

I’m glad to have an agent because he’s a great sounding board, source of support and guidance, business parter in a sense, and opener of doors that I couldn’t have found on my own. An agent doesn’t just help you write your book proposal and sell the book, he or she gives you a long-term vision of your professional future, such as future books and career moves.

A good one, that is! And good ones are hard to hook up with….but not impossible…

By: Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen

Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 18:47:16 +0000

Wow, what an interesting road you’ve taken, Mel! Congrats on on the radio spot — and yes, I think writers can achieve alot without agents.

In fact, I spoke with a writer of 5 young adult novels yesterday who said she didn’t like the direction her agent took with her books. The writer and agent had different ideas on which publishing house the agent should submit the book to, and the writer ended up unhappy with the house that published her work.

I’m surprised this particular agent didn’t listen to her CLIENT, but I guess she knew who would publish the book…..and she succeeded, at the expense of her client relationship.

Anyway, thanks for you comment, Mel – and good luck on the radio!

By: Mel Menzies

Mel Menzies — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 16:17:41 +0000

Hi Laurie,
I haven’t read Maeve Binchy for a long time, but I used to enjoy her books. However, I have to agree with you on Nos.1 and 2 above, and some more besides. Anyone with an ounce of common sense is going to look at a copy of Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook to see which publishers to send to. As for the other points . . .
My first few books were published without an agent. In fact, after the first three or four, one of the mainstream publishers approached me and commissioned me to write the next two books (one of which became a Sunday Times No. 4 Bestseller). I then took on a top London agent for the next book, which went to a different publisher.
Following that, for various reasons, I had to take what turned out to be a ten year break. This year I’ve just published a new novel and set up a website and – guess what – without an agent I’ve been Googled by the producer of a BBC radio station, my stepfamily book (now 13 years old) was found and I’ve been asked to participate in a live radio debate on stepfamilies. You can bet that I’m going to make sure that the novel gets a plug too!
So I say, if you’ve got an agent good. If you can succeed without better!
Mel Menzies: author of A Painful Post Mortem