What do you think when you hear the word 'lurk'?

If you're anything like me, you might picture some creep sticking a secret camera in your house to keep an eye on you from afar. 

But lately, I've been thinking about the power of lurking. And how people who lurk, watching what you publicly (emphasis on publicly) put out into the world can change your life. Let me explain. 

On the podcast I cohost, Everything Cookbooks, we talked to Abi Balingit, who was discovered by an agent because of a tweet about a cupcake. We’ve also talked to agent Sally Ekus about what makes some authors stand out. 

In it, she talks about the "sparkle." 

"There's a non-quantifiable special something that you just know when you see, read, hear, or cook it."

We asked her to go deeper, and she said,

"My inbox, notifications, and DMs are all competing for my attention, and if I have just spent 37 minutes reading something or watching something or cooking something or listening to something without deviating my attention, I know I want to sign that something." 

Essentially, she lurks. 

And no, she's not hanging out with binoculars outside your house, but she is probably checking out your website, Instagram, TikTok, Substack, or wherever you play and put your content out into the world. 

Sometimes, she checks out people because they approach her. Other times, it's because a video, post, or piece of writing grabs her, and she gets sucked in. 

Even though many agents like to remain more private online, rest assured they're watching out for you. 

(In fact, my own agent has an Instagram account with no posts, but every once in a while, he'll throw me a heart, reminding me, "Oh yeah, he's seeing my stuff.”)

Why lurking is powerful

Here's the thing: While agents (as well as editors) like to be pitched, they're also voracious content consumers and take special joy in the feeling of "finding" someone. 

I know this because I was once a magazine editor, and pitching a story about someone you "discovered" online always gave me a self-satisfied buzz. 

So while it's important to know how to write a good pitch, you might also consider the art of putting yourself in places to be found. 

In a business-related Facebook group where I lurk (I know), a woman recently posted some advice that dovetails with this idea nicely. 

"We don't know who's watching. We don't know who's listening. We don't know who's reading. But they are. So the question is...what are you doing that is making it worthwhile for them to watch and follow along?"

She then said that she had received many offers over the years from lurkers — those who had followed her Instagram, Substack, or LinkedIn for months. They had never commented or made much of their presence known. But they watched what she did for a while and eventually reached out with a gig. 

So how do you make yourself interesting to lurkers? 

There are many ways, and it goes back to something I wrote a while ago about what it means to be a good writer. 

If you put good-quality content (emphasis on good quality!) into the world that: 

• helps people

• inspires people,

• makes people feel something,

• teaches people, or

• entertains people,

You'll likely start attracting lurkers. And they will binge your content. 

If what you're doing fits what lurkers are looking for, they will eventually reach out. 

This might take months or years. The important thing is to keep going as long as what you're doing genuinely interests you. 

So the moral of the story: Share what interests you. Do it in a way that benefits others. Do it well. Attract lurkers. Then hopefully, magic!

The "magic" can involve lurkers reaching out to you but it's still ok to pitch yourself. The fact that they already know who you are and are watching you will only help. 

In case you’re on the hunt for an agent

On that wildly optimistic, hopefully not-too-creepy note, I wanted to remind you that if you’re looking for a literary agent for your cookbook or other non-fiction book, I have a mini-course that can help.

By the end of it, you’ll

• Develop an insider-level understanding of the publishing business in the United States, including the role of agents and editors.

• Do some detective work to identify which publishers and agents might be right for you.

• Learn how to view your book as a product and what you bring to the table as an author.

• Find “back door” ways to connect with agents.

• Craft query letters to agents.