Hello Bernard,

I am currently writing the first draft of what I hope to be my first novel.  At 6000 words so far, I feel I’m on roll and will continue with what I’m creating.  I intend to finish my work somewhere between 80k – 90k of words, as I’m told that is the average size that an agent will contemplate working with.

Because my novel is historic fiction, I was wondering on how you found your agent with your own work.  And also, I am worried that once I’ve created my novel, that, if I send a manuscript to an agent, that they might somehow steal it and pass it off as their own work.  Do you know a way in which I can overcome this problem?

Thank you for reading my e-mail,

Regards,

Stuart McCabe

P.S. I read your book The Fort, and it taught me more about the American Revolution/Independence than ever before, and I thought it was epic.