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Friday, January 17, 2014

Soul Cutter

Today, I'd like to welcome Lexa Cain to the blog. She has some advice on finding your very own agent!


Getting an Agent 

I got my agent through sheer determination and the refusal to give up. During that time, I learned a few things.

Most sites with agent lists only cover US agents, but there are lots of UK and even a few international agents to choose from. Find them by googling and searching every agent list, including Preditors & Editors. One of the good things about UK agents is they generally want you to submit the first three chapters rather than just five-to-ten pages. That gives your writing a better chance to impress them.

During months of requests (Yay!) and rejections (Boo!), keep checking the lists. New agents may be added. (That’s how I found my agent -- she had left an agency and started her own.)

Read agent tweets and blog posts for wish lists and special submission times. An agent closed to subs may open again when you least expect it.

Most importantly, don’t be discouraged. Some writers rack up 100 or 200 rejections before getting an offer. Keep believing your agent is out there and keep trying!


Lexa's book is Soul Cutter.

The Soul Cutter is hunting again.

Seventeen-year-old Élan spends her free time videoing psychic scams and outing them online. Skepticism makes life safe—all the ghosts Élan encounters are fakes. When her estranged mother disappears from a film shoot in Egypt, Élan puts her medium-busting activities on hold and joins the search.

In Egypt, the superstitious film crew sucks at finding her mom. When a hotel guest is killed, whispers start—the locals think their legendary Soul Cutter has come back from the dead. Élan's only ally is Ramsey, a film-crew intern, but he’s arrogant, stubborn—and hiding dangerous secrets.

When Élan discovers the Soul Cutter is no scam, she finds herself locked in a deadly battle against a supernatural killer with more than her mother’s life at stake.

Élan is fighting for her very soul.


Publisher's Link for Excerpt

Add to Goodreads

Buy Links:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Smashwords
Kobo
MuseItUp Publishing

Author Bio:
Lexa Cain lives a stone’s throw (if you throw it really hard) from the beautiful beaches and turquoise waters of the Red Sea. Despite the scenic delights, she’s an indoor gal *cough* couch potato *cough* and can usually be found hunched over her computer, working on YA and NA projects, including a sequel to Soul Cutter.

Feel free to stalk her here:
Blog
FB
FB Author
GR-Profile

And you can win your very own copy of Soul Cutter...
a Rafflecopter giveaway

11 comments:

Cecilia Robert said...

wonderful post, Lexa! I've never submitted any of my stories to an agent. I'm one of those people who're scared of rejection. hehe. I guess if one doesn't try, they'll never know what happens. Thank you so much. I will try submitting to a few agents as soon as my YA manuscript is ready. :)

Unknown said...

Thanks very much for featuring my guest post and book, Liz! :)

Robin said...

I have read from other writers that the writer/agent fit is an important one. Nice reminder to not get discouraged during the process... you simply haven't found the right fit!

T.F. Walsh said...

A wonderful post Lexa. I couldn't agree more. Never giving up is so important in this industry:)

Cathrina Constantine said...

I also racked up 100 rejections before finding an agent.They don't get any easier, though.

Kimberly said...

Great tips, especially on not giving up. :)

Your book sounds so awesome!

FloFoxes said...

Funnily enough, its a soft white cuddly bunny , yep not ashamed to admit it ;-)

Christine Rains said...

Excellent post! Perseverance is the key. And what gives me comfort? Chocolate. Does that count? Okay. A good book. :)

DMS said...

Wonderful post! Lexa had great advice about finding an agent. It is so important to do your research and keep trying! :)
~Jess

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Great post and great advice, Lexa!

Beverly Stowe McClure said...

Enjoyed your post, Lexa. I tried to get an agent a few years ago, but gave up. Maybe I shouldn't have. Might decide to try again. :)