My primary goal for 2025 is to find a literary agent. A lofty and ambitious goal, with the added challenge that I am a "working writer" with full-time job responsibilities and obligations. I don't know a thing about looking for an agent, but there are untold reems of video on YouTube for that, as well as courses on LinkedIn and Skillshare. Learning the actual mechanics of landing an agent can be learned, it's the stuff leading up to it that's important.
From what I've learned already, the most important part of piquing an agent's curiosity and finally landing one is having a complete (or nearly complete) manuscript. I used to think that one could get away with a few opening chapters--don't ask me why I thought that--but it makes sense that they would want to see the whole thing. They will be acting as your representative to publishers, so they want to see and evaluate the whole book. Would you buy a car if all the salesman had to show you were the driver's seat, the steering wheel, and the dashboard?
I also hear throughout the inter-webs that it's an added bonus for authors to come with a following, a built-in readership. Makes sense, but I can't build a readership when I'm toiling away in silence on a full-length manuscript for 6-9 months. "Share your work!" the pundits say. Realistically, the only way I can do that is by writing short stories and micro-fiction.
So, let's break this down. The main goal has now become a handful of smaller goals, stepping stones along a path.
Write micro-fiction and short stories
Post the content
Produce social media content to promote the posts
Continue to hammer away in the forge on the main manuscript
Manage the work of finding an agent
Land said agent
This, in broad strokes, is what 2025 is going to look like for me when I'm not spending 8 hours a day at my job. I've already been hard at work at the writing part of it (short stories), but the social media stuff needs to ramp up. Someone suggested spending one day a week on creating scheduled content. That sounds like Saturday morning or Sunday afternoon work to me.
Ever stand at the foot of a mountain, gaze up it's massive flank, and ask yourself if you're crazy? Having an agent believe in you is only half the battle. They have to convince their contacts in the publishing world that you're worth the salt to invest in. All this work, and there's no guarantee that any of it will pay off.
Am I crazy to do this? Was Raymond Chandler crazy? Was Ross MacDonald crazy? Are Michael Connelly, Lawrence Block, and Dennis Lehane crazy? Maybe. If it's crazy to follow your dream, then lead me to the asylum with the other lunatics.
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© 2025 Kevin Coleman
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