On her blog this week is a guest post from Billy Coffey, one of the authors she represents, discussing what happens after an author finds the right agent.

Having an agent has become so important in recent times that one might consider it to be the summit of all the effort after completing one’s novel. But as Coffey rightly describes, that is when the work really starts.

A different focus

Coffey describes landing an agent as a mid point in getting published. You have come a long way already, but there’s still a mighty climb ahead.

I have never been one of those wannabe writers who falls into the trap of thinking one can simply hand over a novel for an agent to sell to a publisher. There seems no question, to me, that much more work must be done after that time. But I am sure it will be a very different time.

Right now, in the latter stages of my first novel, I am piecing together information and scattered guidance from wherever I can. It’s not tough to find and I am glad to say rarely conflicting from different sources. But it feels as though I am working in the dark, feeling my way around, making mistakes, learning, trying again, hoping I get it right and do not waste an opportunity through inexperience.

Agents know how to navigate the choppy waters of publishing and though I doubt they never get it wrong, are certainly aware of how an author can give their work the best chance of being published. Often that chance is at the price of more work, more editing, rewriting, polishing and buffing the writing.

Having someone to light the way ahead, even the next handful of steps, with solid experience and knowledge would transform the drudge of honing a novel and give it a more defined purpose.

If you are a writer in search of an agent, follow Rachelle’s twitter and blog, I am sure they will help you on your journey.

I now follow a number of literary agents who use twitter, thanks to a recently distributed list. It has turned out to be quite an education. Amongst the personal messages and posts about the day, are sprinkled some real gems of information for the searching author.

Interesting tips, valuable insights, even the odd rant, help to build a slightly more colourful picture of an agent’s day to day life than one might discover in a reference book or a formal website. I have found it interesting and educational.

One would-be author (Chuck Weinblatt), decided the apparent accessibility of contacts via twitter could short-cut his path to having his book published. You can see a small sample of the many identical messages he sent to agents and publishers.

It’s not hard to research

Approaches to an agent or publisher must be handled with professionalism and, most of all, respect. Researching agents in particular is critical to ensure you are not offering them a type of book they simply do not handle.

It’s not difficult to do some basic research. The book 2009 Guide to Literary Agents provides ample information to select a number of agent or pubisher targets, propare and format an approach, and handle the process with dignity and professionalism.

On the other hand, there’s always the option of alienating an entire list of agents and publishers through ignorance of social media.