Agent Fit: Finding the Right Literary Agent for You 

Hadeer of the Sea I hope everything went well for you and that you made a decision you’re happy with. Congrats on the agent, I look forward to seeing your work out there someday :)

I have been thinking this for months!

Check each agent's website and find out what language they accept manuscripts in. If a Norwegian agent accepts manuscripts in English, then try querying them.

Watch her Query Basics video if you haven't already.

@@akossiwak Thank you!

I can't exactly say anything for their profitability. However, it's worth pointing out that Short Stories are more easily consumed in the fast pace of modern society... AND anthologies are still (at least around my area) readily available all over the place... so someone must be making money on Short Stories somewhere... I'm sure you've already started (or aspired to start?) refining your work by posting on reddit or similar sites and watching for feedbacks, likes, followers, and responses... That's a good way to build audience AS WELL as refine your craft through practical application. Otherwise, there are "Gigs" in some certain places in Craigslist, where I've submitted articles, essays, and Short Stories, and made occasional money that way. They tend to be used in the online "blurb media" lists like that huge scroll down Yahoo's front page... and often the story or article is linked by myriad internal terms to various sales sites and such... Like this : "...So I've had a wide variety of outdoors and field knives for a litany of reasons, from the K-bar and a laundry list of copies out of the SOG or Gerber lines. They've all been satisfactory, rugged and dependable instruments to get the job done. Yet, I simply fell in love and will always have a certain soft-spot for that backward curved and ungainly looking Kukri I bought in a pawn shop back in Virginia Beach. I still carry it to this day, some thirteen or fourteen years later..." To this excerpt, every mention of a company name (like SOG) was linked to a sales site for that company. Including a GI-Surplus mail-order site for the K-bar. The Kukri recommendation sent readers straight to an Amazon listing under the search terms "Kukri and Kukri replica"... AND I got paid for the whole story, waxing poetic about some of my highlights about outdoors, camping, bush-craft and when and where exactly I found my favorite field knife for everything... It was paid by article, and I got to pick up articles when I wanted to, submit when I had them ready, and over emails we discussed the specifics of what needed changed or how I could improve their sales approach with more particular companies... or if there was any items they wanted me to include... sort of dashing a few reviews and visual examples with ad's along with a mildly humorous and entertaining story... It's not the MOST artistic freedom in the world, but at the end of the day, I could make money writing... and it didn't take a huge amount of energy or skill... just getting together a reasonably coherent and fun read while peppering enough sellable terms and products to fit the advertising needs for the publication... AND for English not being your first language... don't give up hope. You type it well enough... I think with the kind of practice you can apply to some gigs and reddits here and there... you're actually not far off. The big secret most don't tell you is that we "native English speakers" don't really speak the language so well either. ;o)

@@gnarthdarkanen7464 Wow! Ok, so I'll start with the beginning. I did not except somebody to actually reply, so I'd like to thank you! Then, I have no idea what Reddit is, to my shame, but I'll definitely check it out. I had no idea you can submit short stories to magazines, or, you name it, and get paid for that and/or have your little "worklings" published. Congratulations for your published stories!! I only sent my works to friends and family members. I temporarily moved to the UK now and was thinking to apply for a Creative Writing MA here in Birmingham, but I somehow feel I'd only indebt myself with 10k pounds for a passion that may never even become reality. I have some 3-4 ideas for separate standalone novels, but I feel I need to practice a bit before, so that's why I write these short stories, in hope I'll improve with time. My girlfriend, my biggest fan (🙈), says she sees improvement, so at least I'm motivated to go on. I write in English, as I think I have many more chances to make something out of it than in my native language, and whatever new word I stumble upon, I note it down, something I never did before, but the desire to improve is real and the passion burns! 😁 I don't wanna be in love with the idea of writing and not actually writing, as Alexa said, so I'm taking slow steps, in my own rhythm.

@@horvathlaszlo96, on actually getting stories published in magazines (even online) and the like for money... I just have a habit of checking out Craigslist... Usually, I'm thumbing through local (or nearly local) listings for antiques, tools, materials (like leather and wood in bulk) and as cheaply as possible... BUT from time to time I wander... AND when there are listings offering money for stories or essays or articles... my first instinct (of course) is to start "not too personal"... AND then I immediately think "well... really... why not submit something and just see what happens?" ...so I read and followed their instructions, checked the site for myself, and without sniffing up an obvious "con" or scam, I picked a few subjects and did a little research and started plugging away... ...and once in a while... I actually made money at that... still do on some of those gigs. AND literally "Gigs" is listed on Craigslist under "Employment"... SO not everything is scammy... but not everything there is exactly "honest" either... (lolz... just like real life?) If you have a personal instinct to shy out... don't hesitate to at LEAST get someone else to look it over. Reddit is another social media thing, not unlike RU-vid... Except it's pretty much ALL catering to the written word. Lots of Fan-fiction writers are there... AND as you peruse Alexa's videos she points it out as a place she used to write to refine her skills and build her own audience, too... thus my point in suggesting it. I'll have to admit I'm no expert on Romanian literature, though I have some vague familiarity with some of the Lore in Romania... At least, I think I can still recall a "Stragoy" (phonetically spelled, because my Romanian is practically non-existent)... AND... I rather like the tradition of riddles, having no "correct" answer so much as being the reason to strike up conversation (and playful argument)... I don't think I can possibly be the only one in America... or the so-called "English Speaking World". In any case, for starters, have fun. You don't necessarily need academic instruction, BUT it's worth taking a look at smaller events like "writer's workshops" as well... cheaper and often hosted by a published writer with some chance at a REAL Q&A. ;o)

@@gnarthdarkanen7464 I think you meant "strigoi", which is a ghost-like entity, a phantom, except it behaves like a vampire and has been raised from the dead. Necromancy, "vampirism", and a ghostly background 😁. Really not many know about that so you caught my attention with that😁. Romanian mythology is very rich, unexpectedly enough, even we Romanians don't know everything. So, how much do they pay for the stories? And does anybody actually read them? XD I was thinking to put together all my short stories into a collection for people who have fast paced lives and don't necessarily have time to read, only to fly through a couple of stories. What have you written?

@@horvathlaszlo96 HAH! Yep, I knew somehow that one was spelled....er... "wonky"... S-T-R-I-G-O-I... (maybe I'll remember?) lolz... the "spell checker" and I go round and round. Yeah, there's a lot to Romanian lore, and part of what I really enjoy is that most Americans don't know ANY of it... (so when I sneak it into D&D campaigns, I sound smarter)... haha, Different "publishers" (if that's the technical term) pay different amounts. Some pay "by the word" or have a certain word-count requirement, which usually isn't difficult to fulfill... but most of the relatively easy-entry types I've seen and dealt with offer something like $20 US per article, and target around 1000 words... (roughly one or two typed pages "IRL")... AND yes, actually people do actually read them. Obviously the more ostentatiously they're titled, the more "views" are likely to be garnered... AND being raised in the mountains-country, I'm relatively well suited for my views and knowledge about outdoors, survival basics, and hunting and fishing... though I haven't really bothered myself with aspiring to something of any greatness thus far. I'm relatively "new" in terms of marketing experience and finding my niche. Keep in mind, most of what I've been asked to write has more to do with market links for Amazon products than anything relevant to the sphere of stories or study... so I keep it light and try to be fun or witty. Outside the market, however... I am a practicing GM (Game Master) for RPG's like "Dungeons and Dragons". I've been playing and mostly writing up my own campaigns, worlds, settings, villains, and so forth for about 30 years... and in THAT category, I make money on the slightly weirder side of "baby-sitting"... Not too many people can be left with a house literally full of teenagers for the day without fear of tearing the place to the ground... so it makes money when you can make such a boast... SO being able to develop those theories of great story as much as the theatrical skills for telling them is how I ended up here on Alexa's channel. AND there is some progress (hopefully) in the reasonable future toward a YT channel where I can share some of my own experiences and perspectives, as well as possibly some worth-while material for places like "Drive-thru RPG" where they "market" on a "pay what you think it's worth" business model, kind of like Patreon for videos, only with downloadable PDF's. ;o)

MOSTLY just because submissions are often "time sensitive"... I would point out first, to make sure you've done your due diligence. You know what that is... checking their listings, up-front information, maybe pop in to the website that features them... those usual research things. (you don't want to come across as lazy or amateur... right?) THEN... there's a simple principle to live by. "You can't possibly know if you don't ask." There MIGHT be an industry-specific ideal of what exactly constitutes a "sample", and you may risk the appearance of "amateur turning pro" in the asking... BUT it's important to shrug that off at some point, and understand you're GOING to appear as much "newbie" to the business as you are to those who have "been around the block a while"... Relax. Just because some modest percentage might smell "fresh blood" and think of you as low-hanging fruit doesn't make your position imminently in danger of failure. Take the time to really READ the documents as you go through them, and even take notes where necessary so you learn your way sooner rather than later... There's never (to my knowledge) been any harm in asking questions. Even those "Hello, I'm new and have NO idea what I'm really doing" queries only tend to result in a few giggles at your expense and then everyone gets back to the general "business as usual" stuff. ...of course... My philosophy (idiosophy?) of embracing my imminent fallibility isn't always the best "fit" for everyone else either. SO you're always free to dismiss my suggestion and wait for Alexa to swoop in for the rescue. ;o)

@@gnarthdarkanen7464 Thank you! That was actually really helpful! I appreciate it!

@@Ashley-ye6es Glad to hear.... er... read it! AND you're ALWAYS welcome! ;o)

I can't offer any advice about fighting discouragement, but as someone who reads in the romance genre, I'm always looking for romances where the hero is NOT an an abusive bag of dicks.