Face it. It’s a jungle out there. Finding a literary agent can be a confusing, agonizing, and frustrating ordeal. This ordeal is made even scarier by the fact that there are plenty of not-so-savory agents, ready to take advantage of the unwary, aspiring writer. Take Robert Fletcher at Writer’s Literary Agency, for example. In a current lawsuit, it is alleged that Fletcher made $600,000 per year on fees solicited from over 20 websites, yet sold only a few books. Fletcher admitted to having no background as a literary agent. (AG Release) (FYI — there is no “degree” or particular experience required in becoming a literary agent. Anyone can hang out his/her shingle today, and charge you a reading fee tomorrow. Downright scary, if you ask me.)

So how do you know if you’re sending your precious manuscript to a top agent (who will, of course, adore it and sell its socks off), or to a bottom-feeding pseudo-agent that sucks the life out of you (and the money out of your pocket)? After spending the last nine months hunting for a top agent (and landing one), I’ve learned a few tricks of the trade that I’m happy to share:

I recommend buying the book, GUIDE TO LITERARY AGENTS, published by Writer’s Digest. Get a 2009, or a 2010 edition. It lists hundreds of literary agents from A-Z, none of whom charge fees (DO NOT pay reading fees!). Many of them are members of AAR, an agent organization that has a code of ethics and requirements by which member agents must abide. Go through the A-Z list and create a preliminary list based upon how well your project fits with what they’re looking for. For example, if you have a novel for teens, look for those who accept Young Adult (YA) fiction. If you have a sci-fi genre novel, then search for those who accept sci-fi.

Then, with your preliminary list in hand, do the following:

1. Glean their website for information (if they have a website). What kinds of books do they represent and what is their quality? What publishers have they sold to? To the big fish or to the small fry? (Not that guppies are bad, they’re not. But if an agent ONLY sells to small, relatively unknown publishers, then the agent likely doesn’t have the big publishing contacts so necessary in pulling off a big sale.) Read the agent bios; get a feel for who they are and how they operate. Would you want to work with them? How long have they been around? Is your manuscript a good match?

A couple of points occur to me here: First, just because an agent doesn’t have a website, or has a poor website, don’t assume that the agent isn’t reputable. Many well-established agents simply don’t have the time to create or manage a website. Plus, they usually have a full client list as it is, so why bother? Some purposefully keep a low profile to discourage floods of submissions. Instead they depend on word of mouth, referrals, or a listing in the GUIDE TO LITERARY AGENTS for new blood. Second, just because someone hasn’t been around for a while doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re “bad.” After all, at some point, every agent out there was new to agenting. In fact, new agents are often receptive to new talent because they are looking to build their client list.

2. With modified list in hand, cross check your agents with multiple online services, such as
a) www.agentquery.com
b) http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/p...
c) http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/show...
d) www.querytracker.com

3. Study the books each agent has sold or represented in the past two years. This information is usually available on www.publishersmarketplace.com. Cross-check the information with Amazon. Read the reviews, an excerpt if you can. Search the book to determine quality, voice, etc.

After all this homework, you should end up with a sizeable list of some pretty darn good agents! It takes a lot of time and research, but that’s how it’s done. Good luck!

How decent of you to help other people benefit from your pain. There is hope for the species yet!

:-)

Thanks Keith! I'm standing on the shoulders of many great teachers . . .

Been there. Done that. I had an agent that charged $60 a month for things like phone calls and mailing. Then we found out that she wasn't sending out our manuscript to places she had told us. Fired her ass and I've gotten two books published without an agent. I do my own marketing, too. It's a tough job but you can succeed without an agent.

Michele wrote: "Face it. It’s a jungle out there. Finding a literary agent can be a confusing, agonizing, and frustrating ordeal. This ordeal is made even scarier by the fact that there are plenty of not-so-savor..."

Michele, thank you so much for this information. I am no where near being ready to find an agent, but You have opened my eyes for when I'm ready. I have posted your comments in my writing class "Writing to Get Published" with your name attached. We are all grateful to you. Vickie

It's nice to have this information available to new writers. Sure, it's a valuable learning experience, but the fewer that have to go through it means that these slimy agents don't receive anything and hopefully disappear.
I know that's not likely, but one can hope.

Any agent that charges up front fees isn't for real. If you want a big time deal, they're still necessary, unfortunately. There are real, honest agents out there, but they are few and far between.

Cheers to all who've chimed in on this topic. There's a ton of collective wisdom out there!

Not long ago, I provided some tried and true tips on how to find a top agent. I hope that in the interim you've done some research and now have a sizeable list of quality agents you'd like to approach. Now for part II. Call it what you will -- the spiel, the pitch, whatever . . . now is the time to send your beloved manuscript to an agent and pray that magic happens.

Ours is a competitive business, perhaps one of the most competitive in the world. Agents are deluged with manuscript submissions on a daily basis. Even if they went ga-ga over, say, a measly one manuscript per week, it wouldn't take long before they would be bursting at the seams with client overload. Therefore, agents must be extremely selective, and pick only the very best. This is especially true if you're dealing with the top agents in the industry. You have only one chance with each agent, so it is important that you understand manuscript submission from the get-go so you can increase your chances of rising to the top of the slush pile. (FYI -- A "slush pile" is the pile of unsolicited manuscripts that festers and multiplies in an agent/editor's office, rather wet socks in the laundry hamper.)

THE DO'S OF MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION:

1. Submit only your very best material. If it's not publishable, if you know it could be better, or if you're just hoping for a critique or a miracle, then the rest of these Do's and Don'ts are irrelevant. Stop right here, do not pass GO, join a critique group, and rewrite your manuscript.

2. Make certain your manuscript is formatted correctly. (See http://www.writing-world.com/basics/manu... for a manuscript format guide.) Make certain it is error free. FYI - It is NOT okay to submit materials with spelling and grammatical errors, no matter what you may have heard elsewhere.

3. Follow the agent's guidelines. You can usually find guidelines in the GUIDE TO LITERARY AGENTS book, or on an agent's website. If an agent says, "Query only," then don't even THINK of sending sample chapters. If an agent says, "Query plus three sample chapters," then hop to it. (That said, if an agent does want sample chapters, also include a one-page synopsis. It goes with the territory.) If an agent accepts email queries, then go ahead and email them, otherwise stick with snail-mail.

4. Write a compelling query letter. (For detailed information on query writing, I recommend the book: "How to Write Attention-Grabbing Query & Cover Letters" by John Wood, published by Writer's Digest Books.)

a. Correctly spell the agent's name.

b. Pitch your project in a way that makes the agent want to read more. Don't go on and on, instead make it short and powerful. Think of it like the blurb on dust jackets.

c. Tailor the submission for each agent by telling them why you are querying them. Is it because they represented a similar novel? If so, which one? Is it because you heard them speak on a podcast, and you like their philosophy? Besides your sparkling, error-free writing, tailoring your submission is probably the most important aspect of your spiel. It shows you've done your homework. Immediately, agents sit up and take notice. Compare this to the "shotgun" approach, which is one-size-fits-all, and is sent to 100, 200, 300 agents at once, a tactic which agents hate.

d. Mention any referrals, contacts, or personal connections.

e. Let them know it is a simultaneous submission.

f. Say thank you. An agent once called me regarding my submission. We chatted for a while, after which he requested a full manuscript. While he ultimately didn't choose to represent me, he nevertheless invested a considerable amount of time, reading my manuscript, plus emailing and calling me multiple times. After I finished wringing my heart out, and in seeking to cultivate professional relationships, I sent a thank you card. Even if you don't send thank you cards to every agent (which would be totally overboard and a nuisance to all), a simple thank you in your query letter goes a long way.

5. Send out simultaneous submissions to no more than ten agents at one time.

6. Enclose a SASE (self-addressed-stamped-envelope).

7. Keep track of your submissions, by date sent, to whom, what you sent (ie - query + 3 chapters + synopsis), and expected response time.

8. If and when you receive a rejection, cross them off the list (note their reasons for turning down your project), and send your project to the next agent on your list.

9. Always present yourself and your projects professionally.

10. Be prompt. If an agent asks for a partial, for example, the first fifty pages, or (Heavens Be Praised) the entire manuscript, promptly send out the requested material. Write "requested material" on the outer envelope.

11. Follow-up. If an agent has not responded within their specified time frame, wait an additional four weeks, then send a polite follow-up letter. If after another six weeks you have not heard anything, you may call to inquire, you may send another follow-up letter, or you can withdraw your manuscript from consideration by so stating. Regardless, always conduct yourself professionally.

THE DON'TS OF MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION:

1. Don't say your manuscript is the best ever, the next Harry Potter, the next Gone With the Wind, that it will make them millions, or that your grandmother loved it. This marks you as a rank amateur.

2. Don't use gimmicks. No ladybug stickers, no scented stationery, no confetti, no nothing except 8.5" X 11" white paper with error-free words printed in 12-font black ink (computer or typewriter generated), stuffed in a no-frills envelope, with SASE. (Even so, your paper and envelopes should be clean, unwrinkled, in order, and looking very, very spiffy indeed.)

3. Don't keep sending your manuscript back to the same agent, unless she's invited you to send a rewrite. Remember, you have just ONE chance with each agent.

4. Don't act unprofessionally. The publishing community is fairly small, and word travels fast. Don't burn any bridges that you will later regret.

5. Don't submit to multiple agents at the same agency.

6. Don't lose heart! Rejection is an integral part of the business, even for seasoned professionals. Evaluating manuscripts is subjective; what one agent loves, another may hate. So keep your chin up, and keep trying.