When and Why to Meet with an Agent

Friends and fellow writers may give us feedback on our writing, but not necessarily on the business of writing. As part of the WriteAngles Conference we will arrange 15-minute Zoom meetings with agents in the week leading up to the April 6, 2024 conference at a cost to you of $50. By doing these meetings online, we help to maximize the availability of the agents, contain our costs, and ensure that your meeting time does not take you away from the conference itself. Please note that you must register for the WriteAngles Conference to be eligible to sign up for an agent meeting. 

Agent meetings provide a rare opportunity to receive meaningful feedback from an experienced industry professional. They are familiar with the industry as well as the craft and can guide you responsibly in both areas, and give you feedback on how to make your query letter stand out. They also serve as gateways to editors and publishing companies. While some participating agents do go on to represent clients they meet at WriteAngles, the primary purpose of these sessions is to provide you with feedback to strengthen your agent submissions.

When to Meet with an Agent

Embark on agent queries and meetings only when your project is almost or entirely complete. Otherwise you risk wasting both the agent’s time and your own. If you are seeking an agent for your fiction, your manuscript should be complete before scheduling this fifteen-minute meeting. If you want feedback on a non-fiction project, be sure that you’ve completed several chapters and have a complete book proposal ready to share should the agent ask to see one.

What to Expect

We expect the meetings to be warm, friendly, and professional. The agent will lead the meeting and likely launch immediately into giving feedback on your work. Alternatively, they may begin by asking you questions. You should expect to hear critical feedback that may or may not be difficult to process or accept. If the agent does not give you a glowing review or offer to represent you, this does NOT mean that your work is poor or that you are untalented. It may not be right for the agent you’re meeting with, but their feedback will be useful to you nonetheless.

Because the conversation can be overwhelming, we recommend that you plan to take notes during your meeting. Do not expect a request for your full manuscript. If they would like to see more of your work, the agent or editor will ask you to submit it at a later date.

How to Register for an Agent Meeting

On the registration page sign up for an agent meeting ticket 

If you purchase an agent meeting, you will receive an email with a link to a form  where you will choose the agent you want to meet with, indicate your availability, and learn how to prepare your manuscript and query letter for your agent meeting.