Fantastic Agents & Where to Find Them

So you have your NaNo novel in hand, and you feel ready to publish. But before your book makes it to shelves, it has to change hands—from writer to agent to editor and publisher! Today, author, ML, and seventeen-time NaNo participant Lauren Karcz shares her advice on how to track down the elusive agent:

So you’re almost done revising your NaNoWriMo manuscript. Or maybe you’ve already finished and prepared a submission package. Perhaps you’re meandering around the NaNo forums, Twitter, or other haunts for writers, catching bits and pieces about the traditional publishing process and wondering how to get started. A huge, but often overlooked part of the writing process is finding a literary agent—which can be challenging for first-time writers! 

To the untrained eye, agents appear to be wily creatures, making magic for authors’ careers but often keeping a low profile themselves. As someone who took a weird joy in demystifying the publishing world for myself, let me help you on the path to researching literary agents and finding a good match for you.

What does a literary agent do?

A new writer’s primary reason for seeking an agent is one of access—simply put, agents have connections to editors at major publishing houses. And when I say “connections,” that’s not just a matter of having their email addresses and phone numbers. It’s that they know editors’ tastes inside and out: what has an editor recently bought, and what are they looking for right now? When an agent sends out a manuscript on submission, the manuscript usually goes to more than one editor at a time—specifically, those who the agent thinks will be most interested in it. 

An agent isn’t a guaranteed ticket to a book deal—let alone a quick book deal—but they should be a person in your corner who wants both of those things to happen as much as you do. 

As you get further into your writing career, an agent becomes a vital person to have for the “business” side of the book business. Contract changes, foreign rights deals, audio rights deals, multi-book deals, marketing plans, changes in your publishing team—you name it, a good agency should have experience with all of these aspects of the business, allowing you as the writer more time to work on your next book. 

On the “Now What?” NaNoWriMo forums, I’ve seen some writers mixing up the jobs of agent and publicist. An agent can’t really do anything with a novel you’ve already self-published, or even published with a small press. If you’re looking for someone to help you sell an existing published book, seek out a publicist instead of an agent. If the issue is that your book has been out a few months and isn’t selling as well as you’d hoped, a publicist is unlikely to take you on, either. Your best bet at that point is to write a new manuscript.

OK, so I definitely want to get an agent! Now where do I find one?

Well…do you like research? Do you like research that’s kind of twisty and turny and never entirely done? Great! You’ll love finding out about the publishing industry. Writers have sometimes asked me for a “list of agents to submit to,” which isn’t quite a thing that exists, and if it was, it wouldn’t be the same list for each writer. 

The closest thing you’ll get to a “list of agents” is QueryTracker, a fabulous site with lots of tools for creating your own query list, including finding agents for your particular genre. But before finalizing your list, you’ll want to conduct your own research. Who represents books that are like yours? You’ll find that info either on an author’s website, or in their book acknowledgments. Wind your way through agency websites and look at individual agents’ wishlists. You might find these on an agent or agency’s Publishers Marketplace page, as well (this link to my agency’s page provides a good snapshot of who’s at the agency and what they’re looking for).

Google the agents you’re interested in; hopefully, you’ll find interviews or blog posts they’ve done over the years. You’ll start to get a sense of their personalities. Perhaps you’ll get starry-eyed over one or two “dream agents” who seem like the best possible fit for your career. That’s normal, but don’t get so hung up on one person that you neglect to query widely. 

Don’t restrict yourself to only one type of agent, either—for example, only brand-new agents, or only agents who represent bestsellers. It’s possible that the agent who best understands your manuscript isn’t the one at the top of your list. You never know until you find out!

It’s easy to get caught up in all of this research, though (speaking as someone who did)! Don’t get too obsessed with it. At some point, you need to cut off the “looking for agents” process and start querying the agents you think might be a good fit.

A few quick cautions:Don’t pay any agent upfront. They should get paid when you get paid—that is, they’ll take a commission after your manuscript sells.
Some authors prefer to have an agent based in a big city like New York or London. But there are many fantastic agents who live elsewhere! As long as they have the right connections, an agent can work from anywhere. 
Some agents, like many writers, have second jobs. They may be an assistant to a senior agent, or a bookseller. Some agents are authors themselves. Don’t let an agent’s other ventures necessarily disqualify them from your consideration. But do be wary if they have a lot of side hustles that take significant time and energy away from their agenting.
Researching someone who’s new to agenting? Look into where they’ve worked before. If they’re coming to agenting from the editorial or sales side of book publishing, they probably have what it takes to make it as an agent, too. If the person has no experience in the book world, you’ll need to get concrete information as to whether the agent has the connections to sell a book, and the knowledge to negotiate a contract.

Good luck!

Lauren Karcz is the author of the YA novel THE GALLERY OF UNFINISHED GIRLS (HarperTeen, 2017). She’s also a seventeen-time NaNo participant and former ML of the Atlanta region. Find her on Twitter or Instagram, or at www.laurenkarcz.com. 

Top image licensed under Creative Commons from Michelle W on Flickr.