I was asked by a client what three of the most common mistakes writers looking for an agent tend to make are, and came up with the following –
Not being realistic about how many rounds of revision it takes for a work of fiction or non-fiction to achieve its optimal form. Planning and writing a book are only two of the steps on the road to completing it. The work that brings any book alive comes with the revision process. From big picture edits that tackle fundamentals like plot and character to the importance of paying close attention to the myriad tiny details that make up the narrative canvas – is this simile working, for example, does that line of dialogue sound authentic or would character x really behave like that with character y? – the revision process is exacting and time-consuming. (It can also be hugely satisfying).
Being too subjective about your writing and, as a result, struggling to understand to appreciate how it lands with a reader and the ways in which it might be falling short. Learning to look at your own work in an objective, dispassionate way is vital and informs the revision process. Submitting to agents before a book is ready – really ready – and doing so without having first crafted a pitch perfect cover letter and synopsis to be read ahead of the sample material. The competition to get signed by a good agent is ferocious so the version of your work you send out into world must be the very best you can possibly make it.