Help For Writers discussion

Hi, I have recently finished writing a novel. It started out as a short story I was doing to pass the time between studies but eventually it took shape.
I'm on a tight budget, I'm a mature student with two young children and I really can't afford to pay steep upfront fees. I've done some research into finding a literary agent but I am having little luck.
Will a tight budget prevent me from finding an agent? Or even having someone in the publishing industry read it?

Hi Will- I see that no one has replied to this. I'm a self-published writer and may be able to give a few suggestions, although I struggle with limited budget as well. Perhaps we can even "beta read" each other's newest work? Please feel free to message me if you'd like to chat about it.
Alexandra

Hi Will:
It shouldn't cost you anything to submit to literary agents. And a legitimate one should not charge you anything, other than for postage, if they are sending printed copies of your manuscript. Most agents and publishers will accept electronic submissions these days.

If you are getting rejection after rejection, then maybe it's time to look at your material. If it is riddled with grammar errors and poor writing it will get rejected. Does it start out with a bang? Is it the right word count for the types of genres they handle? Many publishers have a strict word count for the type of genre they handle and anything outside that range will be rejected.

Is your writing filled with passive writing and telling, rather than active verbs and showing? Are you trying to break too many rules? As a new or unknown writer it is better to stick to the basic rules of writing at least until you have a couple of books under your belt, then you can break the rules.

Does your opening scene start off with a bang? Pull the reader in? Create tension? This is what agents and acquiring editors look for in good writing.

It really helps to join a critique group with other writers who write in similar genres. They can help you to see what you may need work on.

I'm always willing to take a look at the first two pages of (double-spaced) a manuscript to see what I'd look for in a good book. Feel free to contact me if this would help. But as Alexandra says, having some beta readers really helps in spotting problem areas.

Tina Foster
www.amazon.com/author/fostertina