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Q&A Get an agent for prescriptive non-fiction before or after completing a manuscript?

In the publishing industry, is it usual for authors to have a complete prescriptive non-fiction manuscript before seeking an agent, or after seeking an agent? I am a professor interested in writin...

1 answer  ·  posted 7y ago by brirush‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

#3: Attribution notice added by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-08T06:24:54Z (almost 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/q/27840
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision by user avatar brirush‭ · 2019-12-08T06:24:54Z (almost 5 years ago)
In the publishing industry, is it usual for authors to have a complete prescriptive non-fiction manuscript before seeking an agent, or after seeking an agent?

I am a professor interested in writing a popular (i.e. non-technical) math book. I have a fully fleshed-out idea for a book. I have some writing experience, having won cash prizes in international writing competitions for works of 40000 to 60000 words. I do not have a social media platform.

I wouldn't mind just writing the manuscript and hawking it at publishers, but I've heard that getting an agent should be your first step if you want to get published. So which should come first, a manuscript or an agent search?

#1: Imported from external source by user avatar System‭ · 2017-04-29T21:36:46Z (over 7 years ago)
Original score: 4