Guide to Agents & Books

2021 Prep!

Hi friends,

OK! We have like 48 hours of 2020 left and frankly, I am considering it already over. Onward to 2021! We all know it’s not going to be instantly better at 12:01 am, but let’s focus on whatever positive things we can these days, right?

I thought I’d welcome new readers (hello!) and go over some nuts and bolts of the newsletter and provide some links to helpful past posts. If you’re planning ahead and filling out your 2021 planner like *I* am, this post’s for you.

A&B comes out every Tuesday (for everyone) and Thursday (for paid subscribers). Tuesdays are usually info-heavy, how does this whole publishing/writing thing work posts, and Thursdays are either reader Q&As, or some more insidery stuff. I started this newsletter to help get out more info about queries, finding an agent, and getting published, so that type of info will always be on Tuesdays, for free. If you want to ask a question for Q&A Thursdays, just reply to any Thursday email. It comes right to my inbox! Don’t be shy! (But don’t use it to send me a query. I’m SUPER proud that none of you have done this. Good on you all.)

If you want to search for a topic, just go to the web version (as opposed to the email version) of the post (always at katemckean.substack.com) and hit that little down arrow at the top right of your screen. Select Archive and hit the little magnifying glass and you can enter search terms. Search “query letter” to your heart’s content!!!

But also, here are some popular topics I’ve covered over the last TWO YEARS of weekly posts.

Let’s pretend you’re a writer just starting out on the agent and publishing journey. You’ll want to start here:

• Here’s how you actually find and research agents.

• Here my three part series on how to write query letters: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.

• Here’s how to figure out what genre your book is.

• Here’s my very popular post on what the @#$% a platform is.

• Here’s how to figure out how many agents to send to.

• Here’s how to not mess up your chances with an agent.

• Here’s how to write a non-fiction book proposal.

• And here’s query letters for non-fiction books!

• Here’s when to know it’s ok to follow up.

If you’ve got an agent and you’re looking for publishing advice:

• Here’s some stuff you need to know about contracts.

• Here’s what happens when you get an offer from an editor.

• Here’s how to quit your job and write full time. Or not.

• Here’s how publicity works.

• Here’s what happens when your agent quits.

• Here’s what getting “optioned” means.

• Here’s how to deal with jealousy and advances and other people’s money.

• And how to get over professional disappointment.

And here’s some writing advice!

• Here’s the point of editing, and more on the different kinds of editing.

• Here’s stuff about knowing when you need to hire a freelance editor.

• Here’s how to write a whole novel.

• Do you really need to write everyday?

• Here’s the story of a book that took 5 years and 6 drafts to get published. (And it just got longlisted for a big award!!!)

• And please, learn to love outlining.

• What if you want to write an essay collection? Or an anthology?

• Don’t forget that hating what you write it totally normal.

And here are the only three publishing questions you’ll never need to ask.

If you want me to cover a topic, feel free to email me here (just respond to the email) or tweet me @kate_mckean. I may have already covered it, but I won’t shame you for not having an encyclopedic knowledge of about 200 posts lol. Thank you so much for reading, for sending me nice notes about what I write, for NOT emailing me offers to copyedit this newsletter (I’m dyslexic and also I don’t care if there are typos here. We’ll all live.), and for sharing this with your friends. You can forward anyone a Tuesday post, or tweet about it. Facebook, too, I guess, but I’m never there lol. If YOU have an newsletter about writing/books/media and want to do a little switcheroo or guest newslettering, lmk! And if you want to give someone the gift of Agents & Books, click here. I’m rooting for all of you this coming year, for you to get what you want, for you to find success whatever that means for you, for you to reach your goal no matter how small or lofty.

To better days ahead, and wearing your mask AT LEAST until the end of the summer,

OXOXOX,

Kate