After you selected a bunch of agents (collect as many as you can), make sure you follow their directions for contacting them. First you submit a query letter, which is your sales pitch to get the agent interested — here you have to be persuasive. If you’re sending by email, paste sample chapters into the body of the email; agents do not open attachments. Imagine how many rejected authors have taken their revenge by attaching all forms of bad computer stuff to their email.
Anyway, let’s assume you land one — congratulations, you have an agent! You will sign a contract in which you agree to pay 15% of whatever you earn from this book…forever. They then will begin the process of submitting to a number of publishers. I believe my agent submitted my first manuscript to about 10 publishers before one decided to take it on. I say the first manuscript because it’s a lot easier with subsequent ones. You develop a relationship with the publisher and if your first book has even modest success, they will consider whatever else you write.
