Finding an Agent

By Darvell Hunt

This week I start a scary task: Finding a mainstream national agent for my semi-LDS thriller novel.

I’ve never looked for an agent before, but that’s mostly because most of my submissions up to this point have been for the LDS market, which doesn’t deal with agents. Because of the small profit margin in the LDS niche market, agents don’t really make sense (so they say).

Now I find myself branching out into the mainstream national market with a novel that I had originally intended for LDS audiences. Why the broadening search for a publisher? Two reasons, really.

First, it’s a thriller/mild-horror LDS novel, which I think is a hard sell in the LDS market. I know plenty of LDS readers who enjoy this sort of story, but LDS publishers are hesitant, it seems, to publish material such material.

And secondly, why not? If I can get a broader readership with a novel that has LDS elements, but can still work in the national market, why not try?

I’m not postive I can go national with this novel, but I’m willing to give it a shot. Neither am I abandoning the LDS market for this work, but I do think it might have broader appeal than to just LDS readers. It seems the national market is interested in unique characters, even Christian or possibly LDS, so why not exploit that interest?

I’m hopeful, wary, and certainly excited to try something new.