firstwriter.com's database of literary agents includes details of 2,522 English language literary agents and agencies that don't charge reading fees. The database is continually updated: there have been 80 listings added or updated in the last month. With over a dozen different ways to narrow your search you can find the right literary agent for your book, fast.
News
The Writers Guild of America will stay the course on its ongoing fight against top Hollywood agencies and packaging fees, as its membership has reelected President David A. Goodman to another term after a heavily contested campaign against challenger Phyllis Nagy.
It was a landslide victory for Goodman, receiving 77% of 5,677 votes counted with 4,395 votes to Nagy’s 1,292. He will continue to serve alongside Executive Director David Young, Vice President Marjorie David, and new Secretary-Treasurer Michele Mulroney, who has previously served as a board and negotiating committee member.
Cindy Uh has joined CAA as an Agent in the Books department.
Uh moves to CAA following a four-and-a-half-year stint at Thompson Literary Agency, where she represented a range of nonfiction authors in the categories of memoir, politics, food, business, health and wellness, and lifestyle.
She has also consistently been ranked one of the top agents for illustrated/art projects.
UK literary agents are navigating an unprecedented boom in UK production, with demand for their writing and directing clients at fever pitch.
“My clients are so busy at the moment,” said one literary agent at a major London agency. “Everyone is scrambling around to hire [the best talent], it’s very difficult for producers to get to them.”
The majority of the growth is in the high-end TV sector, the production of which tends to tie up clients for much longer than film. (The inward investment feature boom is doing a good job on its own of employing UK actors and crew). Netflix alone said it has has shot some 40 productions in the UK this year, while the major broadcasters are responding to the competition from the US streamers by making increasingly larger-scope series.
DHH Literary Agency will host an event in Liverpool allowing aspiring authors to pitch their work direct to its team.
From 10am on 26th August, until 6pm on 4th October, writers are invited to apply by email for a chance to pitch to one of the agents on 7th December in Liverpool.
Articles
Adrienne Schwartz recently acquired an agent using firstwriter.com's database of literary agencies. We asked her about her writing, and how she found success.
firstwriter.com
In last month's article, Avoiding literary agency scams (fwn 44), we identified the warning signs to watch out for in order to avoid bad agents. In this article I'll be reversing the question and providing tips on how to find good agents.
firstwriter.com
For as long as there have been writers eager to get published, there have been con artists ready to prey upon them for a quick buck. Nowadays, the internet is rife with phony literary agencies offering writers false hope in return for a small (or not-so-small) sum of money. In this article I'll look at some of the ways you can spot a dodgy agency, and avoid your time, money, and aspirations being abused. While none of the points below guarantee by themselves that an agency is dubious, together they can make a compelling case, and they should all make you tread a little more cautiously.
Rae Phillips recently acquired an agent using firstwriter.com's database of literary agencies. We asked her about her writing, and how she found success.
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