With the growing popularity of hybrid and self-publishing options, I have a number of published authors in my writing chapter who are not represented and now wish to find agents.
Publishers like Tule, Booktrope, and Entangled are accepting authors without agents. In addition, several of these authors have pending deals that are based on proposals -- the books aren't written.
How would these authors find an agent now? What would a query letter from a published author seeking representation after-the-fact need to say?
If you're querying for a novel that hasn't been sold, you query as normal. In your pub credits you mention the books you've sold previously and the publisher to whom you've sold them. If the books are sold but not yet published, you say "forthcoming from X Press."
If you're querying for a novel for which you have an offer in hand (book written or not), you put that information in the subject line:
RE: Query for Title (publication offer received)
One of the HUGE drawbacks of taking on clients who have not had an agent negotiate their previous publishing deal/s, is that the author is now tied up by the terms of that contract.
Sometimes that's not the best news you can bring to the table:
