First, let me say hello to all you, will be, would like to be, and lets include those laughing from the balcony who are, published writers. My Name is Dave, no need for proper titles at this time, I'm a nobody like most of you. Cool. Now that we're aquainted let me start with the obvious, I'm a new writer. That's right, save the applause for the end. However!, I have finished,     excuse me while I scream that last bit,    "FINISHED!"   ,  a full length, 150,000 word, literary work of art. Okay, I am not going to go into what it is, where it's set, genre, or anything else. For all intensive purposes, that stuff doesn't matter right now.

Here's the thing, I have nothing for credentials. I don't have a single published word to my name. I don't even have an education that extends beyond high school! I'm just a forty year old, with alot miles under him. My life's experiences and the internet have paved the way to my current writing sucess which is limited to the attaboys I've recieved from the well respected people who've read my work. No I didn't tap every good ole boy, aunt uncle and third cousin I know to read my book and tell me how great it was. Seriously, I found something called a writers group, in which I tapped valuable resources like editting and critique. I didn't stop there though, I also spoke to a published author, a nationally published author, not someone who used one of those POD companies to become self intitled. Nope, I found me a genuine, did it the old school way, published author of fourteen books. I've also got the word of retired school teachers, businessmen and woman, and a professor at ncsu with a MFA.

My question is this; with little in the way of eye popping, gotta sign this guy, credentials to show perspective agents, how much help will it be to list book type blurbs of those who've actually read the work?

IE;

"Stephen King, author of, Books a Million, said, Dave, has a magnificent voice and really knows how to scare the bejesus out of you! Loved it! Anybody know a good cleaners?"

Can a guy armed only with references get an agent? Help me out.

Thank you, thank you very much!

Dave

(Final thought; the agent of the Author I've become aquainted with doesn't do my kind of story. Sad isn't it?) 

For those of you not up to speed what my friend from Persia who doesn't blg is saying is that those of the male gender are not getting published these days and should find better ways to utilize their time.

Thats one point of veiw and its well taken. There are alot of agents looking for what my friend calls chick lit today and I think its fair to say if i were a woman writing stories where a woman is the hero I'd better my chances of getting published and if I was a hispanic woman I could double them further.

If you side with the Persian on this then me being your typical middleaged white male has no chance of becoming published at all. I disagree.

You have to write smarter and find new ways to sell your work. Build websites and put your url on your querie letters. Beg for a Blurb from a published, "Female" author. It all helps. The last truth i'll say to offer a different point of veiw on this is the story is what matters most. If an agent likes it you've just bettered your odds.

Later Dave

  The Jan/Feb issue of Poets and writers is a good place to start.  Also, they have an extensive literary agent section.  They are also beginning a series of in depth interviews with literary agents.

Consider it.  Also, there are male agents and "chick-lit" is trendy and mainstream maybe, but there are much more avenues of literature to foray.  In any case, do it.

I've often wondered about this myself. I am currently working on a novel and every now and again I think about it and wonder about my odds of being published. While I won't be changing my gender to sell a novel, I do think there are other things that can increase my odds. Submitting short stories for publications associated with the genre of my novel would be a start. This would garner me at least a little name recognition and I would have some published work to showcase in my search for an agent. I've been working on my blog, regardless of how much time it takes to mow the lawn or pick up dead mice my cat has taken to bringing me as homage to my awesomeness. If I establish a base of visitors that I can tease with updates on my novel it may be considered built-in sales, and thus make it easier to pitch my novel.

I think saying that all agents and publishers are female and chick lit is the only selling material out there is somewhat of a cop-out. I tell you this, when my novel is done (before I turn 30) I will be doing everything in my power to get it published. I say that because done to me means having a piece that I feel confident in. I know what good writing is, I'm a reader. If my novel sucks I will be much more hard on myself than on the author I pick up at Barnes and Noble. It isn't their fault they suck, somehow that crap just made it through the publishing filter. My writing is the only medium I have control over. So you better believe that if I am satisfied with what I've written then it must be damn good. The only remaining thing left is whether it fits into the current market trends. That may not be something that I can control but I will go to writing conventions every chance I get just to pitch my book if that's what it will take. If what I've written doesn't have my full confidence then I will set it aside and start on the next novel. Perhaps a few years and a lot more experience will give me the tools I will need to finally make it right.