Finding An Agent For You
Once you have written your book and finally feel satisfied with the state it is in, you face the arduous task of finding an agent. Looking for an agent can be disheartening as you find yourself sending your query letter blindly into the abyss, hoping someone will read it and respond. Oftentimes, it will be weeks or even months before an agent gets back to you, and it is easy to feel like no one is even listening to your submissions. To help you find an agent that best fits your book, and hopefully improve your odds of receiving a response, we've provided some advice to get you on your way.
Scan the Shelves
An early step in the agent querying process is finding compatible agents. You want to send your book to someone who will know how to work with it, and has already shown an interest in this style of book before. If you were a great college running back, you would want an agent that had worked with some of the best running backs in the NFL. Likewise, if you write teen dramas, it is good to find an agent that has represented teen drama authors and contact them. Not only will this help you find an agent experienced in your area, but you will also find an agent that has had success getting his or her writers published.
In order to find agents that represent similar books to your own, go to the book store and search the shelves. Look online for books that have similar summaries to your own, and try and find copies in the store. When you find them, look through the book, checking out the acknowledgements and thank yous. In many cases, the author will give thanks to their agent, and you can jot down the names that you find. These agents are great targets for your book, and identifying the similarity in your work will help catch the agent's attention.
Agent Query
Searching the book store is a great way to find a small set of high potential agents, but you will run out of options quickly. Even if you do find some great agents at the book store, they might already have enough clients, or just might not be impressed by your book. To broaden your horizons further, Agent Query has some great resources available. On their site, you can search by genre or keyword, and find a list of agents that are available for you to contact with your information. Using this site, you'll often have the problem of too many options, rather than too few to choose from.
On the site, you can also reference other works represented by the agent and get a feel for how your work compares. You can also see if the agent accepts online and unsolicited requests, making it easy to find if an agent is right for you.
Contacting Agents
Of course, finding the right agents to contact is only a fraction of the battle when it comes to getting published. You have to make sure your book is up to snuff, and what's more, that you have a compelling query letter to catch their interest. The query letter breaks far too many aspiring writers as they simply throw something together quickly, feeling like "my book can't be summarized in just one paragraph." This response is one of the most devastating things a writer can do. If you were willing to commit all of your time to writing and perfecting your book, it is worth devoting a responsible amount of time towards a strong query letter.
We're not going to be able to fit all of the tips on writing a query letter in just this article, but we'll hopefully give you a few tidbits to get you started. First, offer a strong opening. The agents read hundreds of query letters, and if you want them to see yours through the mess, you need to be able to capture their attention. Second, make it personal. If you know a connection between your work and the agent, don't be afraid to bring it out in your letter. It shows you put time into contacting them and didn't just mass email the entire network of agents. Overall, you need to be convinced reading your query letter that your book is amazing. Don't justify a poor letter with how stupid the requirement is. Win the agents with your letter instead.
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