Well I started the ball rolling this lunchtime and phoned half a dozen agencies for people to contact. Oh my, I was so scared. However, it wasn’t all that bad really, and the people I talked to all sounded very pleasant (not at all like the heartless monsters I was lead to believe ).

Having said that though, I’m left feeling a little puzzled. Every one of them, big and small, said “we don’t do business like that, just send your stuff to submissions and it will get to the right person.”

What happened to the personalised introductory letter? Do I write…
Dear Sir/Madam (yuck)
Dear <agency name>
Dear agent,
Dear (50% of the film rights person)

Can anyone please advise me, I feel a little stuck now.

Grinder

To whomever it may concern,

In an ever shrinking world, it falls to the strong minded to inherit the earth. As such, I have chosen you for a special service. Resistance is not only futile, but also folly. You will be bent to my will, my attached novel will be on bookshelves before the month comes to an end, and you, oh helpful peon, will ensure that a suitably sizeable cheque reaches me at the above address forthwith.

IB

IB,

I like your style.

Grinder

I'd say you couldn't go wrong with IB's approach (now I know where I've been going wrong). Failing that, you could get the names from the WW directory or the Writers and Artists Yearbook! Doesn't guarantee a damned thing though. It'll still be put on the slush pile. What you need to do is to cultivate a friendship with a highly influential author/agent/publisher and go down that route. Maybe start with stalking and move onto blackmail?
Sue

Whenever I’m unable to get a name I start a letter with a simple ‘Hi’

You could try:

Hi,

I tried to find out who to address this letter to but was told you would all be equally interested.

Dee

Wonderful Dee!

I'd say:

Dear Agent,

Publish me, or the bomb I've placed in all of your houses will detonate at exactly twelve noon tomorrow. That's right. You don't have much time, but I'm so sick of hanging around and letting my genius go ignored. Do not ring the police - I will know. Do not look for the bomb - any tampering will result in instant detonation.

A man will arrive shortly. Give him the contract and accept my full manuscript from him. I will call early tomorrow to arrange the terms of payment and the book cover design.

Yours seriously

Your Author

Some agencies have websites, in which case you can look who a particular agent represents and if you think your style might be similar, try him/her. Another idea (which I'm sure I read here) is to look in books you like to see who they thank. If you have 2 books by the same author for example and they thank the same person twice that could be their agent. Then you look for the name on google or wade through the w & A handbook. Tedious but wy not?!

Elspeth

James...

Brill*******iant!"!"!"!

x

Er... but perhaps not a lot of help to Grinder...

x

Yeah, come on folks.
I’m helplessly rolling around here, with my legs in the air. Won’t someone flip me back over?

Grinder

Interesting response from the phone calls "Just send it and it'll get to the right person."

I always thought that they liked if if you contacted them first to see who to send to?

Oh well. I only really popped in to wish you good luck after reading the synopsis. I didn't add to that thread, as I know nothing about that particular art, but hey, the story certainly sounded interesting to me, and it's not really my genre!

All the best,

Ben

Ben,

It’s nuggets of encouragement like that that can go a long way, thanks.

As for the agent responses, I got quite a shock, the third time I pressed further (having regained what little composure I started with) and said something like. “I always feel it’s so impersonal to address a letter anonymously…” The reply was a flat, “just send it to submissions”.

Has there been a paradigm shift in the industry recently? Have they actually all collaborated and agreed not to make it so hard for us writers to approach them or something?

Thanks for the post.

Grinder

Grinder, just because you're paranoid, it doesn't mean they're not out to get you (I should know!)

I can't help but think that our fave competition, Lit Idol, may have had something to do with this. There were, apparently 1466 10,000 word entries, and only two of these writers were subsequently taken on by Curtis Brown. So that leaves 1464 aspiring first-timers looking for a home, and possibly flooding all the other agents. Just a thought.

Anyway, whatever approach you choose, good luck!

Adele.

Adele,

Actually I meant to type ‘NOT so hard’ but perhaps that was my unconscious mind reminding me just how insecure I really am.

Anyway, I’m still spinning on my shell…

Grinder

G, I think I actually read what you were thinking - perhaps I am psychic! Seriously though, this is your decision, and I think you should go with which ever route makes you feel most comfortable (Chinese water torture, hanging and flogging, disemboweling etc etc...)

<Added>

just rereading what you said, I'm assuming that your point is that they make it very hard to get through - am I right? If so then I definitely agree with you.