If a literary agent asks for a six-week exclusive window to look at your manuscript, should you grant it? Here's what you should consider.

I am hoping that 2016 brings me that pulse pounding plot without using words like CIA, Hezbollah or North Korea. I am craaaaving a more … hmm, personal plot? Here's what I'm looking for.

Writer's Digest editor Jessica Strawser lands an agent and a two-book deal. Here's a sneak peek at how she did it (and what it means for the Writer's Digest staff).

The process of finding a literary agent or publisher is grueling and filled with rejection land mines. And, once published, there is no guarantee a book will be successful or that an author will sell a second book. A writer must be prepared for rejection every step of the way.

The story of meeting my agent, Barbara Poelle, takes place over an afternoon webinar -- and it changed my life forever. Here's how a webinar helped me land my agents (and, eventually, a book deal).

I was forty-three when I wrote my first novel and realized I’d found my passion. Several years and four novels later, I finally decided to land an agent and get published. Here's how I found success.

On a chilly winter’s eve back in 2013, my forlorn, un-agented self was perusing Janet Reid’s blog. I kept noticing the Query Shark speak in a teasingly scathing tone of another agent. An agent who had been driving her mad of late, yanking riches out from under her well-primed nose. That agent’s name was Barbara Poelle.

Sometimes one has to step out of their writer’s ten-by-twelve square bubble to find life’s answers.

Here are 7 important elements that you need to address (and fix) in your novel before sending out to literary agents and publishers.

Progressive literary agencies are redefining the traditional role of the agent—and finding new ways to support authors in the digital era. Here’s what savvy writers—beginning and experienced alike—should know.

Knowing what’s already on bookshelves may just be the single most effective (and most overlooked) way to convince an agent where your idea fits in. Here’s how your Competitive Analysis can be your secret weapon.

Writing conferences offer valuable chances to meet face-to-face with agents—but in the heat of the moment, nerves can get the best of even the most confident writers. Here are 5 steps to coming out on top.

As writers who receive piles of rejection letters, it only seems fair that, from time to time, we be given an opportunity to return the favor. There are many books I’d love to reject (here’s my #1 choice), if only for the satisfaction of releasing some pent up frustration and envy. Or, perhaps, just to be funny. Thanks to a few witty writers, we have some fake rejection letters that are pretty hilarious. (Plus, your chance to write a rejection.)

As much as you’d probably like to burn your rejection letters or mold them into little voodoo dolls of the editors who sent them, don’t. There’s a lot to be learned from the responses (yes, even those that arrive with nothing more than a standard checkbox of reasons the piece wasn’t accepted).

When submitting a query letter to an agent or a publisher, there are several important items you must keep in mind. Here is a checklist of the top six.

As many of you know, I've spent the past few months working on a New Year's Resolution list that's difficult, yet achievable (well, I'm not yet convinced that getting a photo of me and my kids with all of our eyes open at the same time is achievable, as they usually turn out like this). But one of the major goals was to develop a book proposal and land a literary agent. Today I can officially say: Mission accomplished! I'm thrilled to announce that ...

Talk about an inspirational story: Kathryn Stockett, author of the bestselling book (and now highly successful movie) The Help, received 60 rejection letters over 3 and a half years—and still didn't give up. Good thing she didn't. You have to read this great article by Stockett about her determination.