Why Literary Agents Care More About Your Platform Than Your Talent

I recently helped a client with his query letter and I decided to put his platform in the very first paragraph

. He read the query and said, this is great but aren't we supposed to have a hook? Well, that WAS his hook. His story concept was interesting, not mind-blowing but interesting but even stronger was his platform. He'd been on national TV, had a huge database of emails from his company and had written countless articles.

If you've got a big platform you can write your own blank check nowadays. You don't even have to be that great of a writer. You just need a hot book proposal which someone can help you write. Even an agent who is blown away by your platform might be willing to do it for you.

An author's platform combined with a great book proposal and you've increased your chances of being published one hundred fold.

One way to find out exactly what an publishing house views as a solid author's platform is to get a hold of an advanced copy of a novel. Just look on the back, under the marketing and promotion section. It outlines it for you right there.

or go here: http://www.earlyword.com/catalog-links/ and you'll see a host of publisher's catalogs. It tells you their marketing plans for each of the book. That's what you need to create as a platform.

And here's something else to think about when writing your query letter:

It is true what Dr. Phil says, "Perception is everything". That couldn't be more true when we're talking about query letters. And one thing I'm going to advise you, as I advise my clients is DON'T MENTION WHAT YOUR GENRE IS. Why? Because unless the agent says to do so on their website, you're giving them another reason to say, "No." Let them decide what genre it is.

Same thing with the genre Chick Lit and Women's Fiction.

Just tell them who you are, what your platform is and what your stories about. Let them decide what genre it fits into.

The only exception to this is if they say on their website to mention the genre or if you discover upon your research that this particular agent is looking for a specific genre and if you can truthfully describe yours as such, mention it. That's what the agents care about, can I sell this? And with a platform like that, hell yeah!

The second thing they want is a great story. Yes, that's right, story and talent are second and third on the list. First is how strong your platform is.

Fiction is more difficult, they say to sell than nonfiction so your platform is crucial.

by: Jeff Rivera

POST COMMENT

Have A Green Dwelling With Diy Photo Voltaic Panels Taylor Swift's On Her Latest Song Mine The Effectiveness Of Mood Ring Introducing Merchant Account What Is The Purpose Of Employing A Land Surveyor Sc? Have You Prepared For Urban Disasters? 3 Things You Need To Focus On To Get More Work Done Every Day The Move To The Dark Side- Horde Level Guide How Can A Sand Water Filter Benefit You? On The Precision Use Of A Grinder Saw What Exactly Do Solicitors Do? Footie Pajamas Or Footed Pajamas Are Back! My Rates Went Up 'how Much' After My Accident?!