Finding an Agent for Your Novel, Part III
Selecting Agents to Query
When I started writing about finding an agent to represent a novel, I thought the information might need to be split into two posts. But once I got started on recording all of the things that I’ve learned about an agent search, it became clear that this series will need five or six posts to get across all of the information. So we’re about halfway there! Thanks for reading.
Once I had a solid draft printed out and sent off to a few trusted readers (though it turned out that I had two more drafts to go in order to incorporate reader feedback), I gave myself 24 hours (I was at residency with nothing else to do but eat and swim in a lake and a propensity for over-researching) to identify 30 agents I’m interested in working with.
Here are some strategies for making your own list of possible agents:
- Look at list you’ve created of agents who you heard were good or who represented writers and books you admire (see the previous post, The Kind of Agent You Are Looking For)
- Research the writers they represent (their “client list”) and the agency they work with
- Read interviews with them and even looked at their Twitter accounts, if that’s your thing.
- Imagine this person representing you to the literary world. Like what you see? Keep them on the list, noting which writers they represent that you admire (you’ll need this for the query letter).
- Not feeling a connection to what they do? Cross them off the list.
- But they are famous! Doesn’t matter. If you’re not personally excited about the work they are doing, it has been said that this is a bad sign for making a good match with an agent.
- But I have an introduction/interest from them/see them at the dog park! Doesn’t matter. Let them go.
- But I don’t have 30 agents on my list. I need more! Then go back to research.
- Do more research. Go to your bookshelf. Read acknowledgements. Google to find the agents representing your favorite writers.
- Consider varying the relative fame of agents on your list. Not everyone can work with Stephen King’s agent. And you may want an agent who is a little less busy with famous clients.
Need more info? Some resources:
https://www.pw.org/literary_agents
https://www.pw.org/agent_advice
http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents
Still not sure? Too bad. No more research for you. Let’s write query letters! (Ug.)
