How to Research the Agent That’s Best for You

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 and entrepreneur Jane Friedman shares her advice on how to track down the agent that’s best for your book:

If you want to be published by one of the big New York houses—such as Harpercollins or Penguin Random House—then you’ll quickly discover that they don’t accept material directly from writers. Instead, you have to find an agent to submit on your behalf.

Fortunately, finding an agent is more about doing research and pitching appropriately and not about having an inside connection. You need to answer three questions as you search: 

Is this agent actively considering new work? Do I think this agent is a good fit for my work? What materials does the agent require for my work to be considered?

I recommend you take a methodical approach to the research and submissions process to ensure that you give your work the best possible chance. Here’s the big-picture overview:

Begin with online databases or print market guides that list hundreds of agents. Develop a broad hit list that includes every potential agency you might approach.
Next, dig deeper into each potential agent by doing online research. You’re looking for any information that might help you understand what submissions they want to see from writers.
Then start to categorize the agents according to fit: “my dream,” “good fit,” “maybe.”

You’ll be gathering lots of information, so use your favorite note-taking tool or software. I like Evernote. Other writers use Microsoft Excel. What’s important is that you log the information so that you can easily find it later. You can use this same document to track your submissions process.

Major Databases for Researching Agents

Some of the following resources are free. Others require you to pay a subscription fee. As you might expect, the fee-based services typically offer higher-quality information, and your research process would likely be incomplete without investing in one.

WritersMarket.com. You can pay a monthly or annual fee to access its database, or look for the annual print edition at a library or bookstore. PublishersMarketplace.com . I consider this the best place to research literary agents; many agents have member pages at this site with helpful submissions information. A paid subscription is required, $25/month. AgentQuery.com . Free site offering about a thousand agent listings and an excellent community for writers going through the query process. QueryTracker.net . The basic service is free. Mswishlist.com . A site that aggregates tweets from agents and editors about what they’re currently looking for. “MS” stands for “manuscript.”

Databases include information about what types of work are accepted; what submission materials to send and when; specific tips from the agents being listed; and more. Publishers Marketplace, though expensive, can be particularly insightful since it gives you access to book deals that have been made recently (as well as going back to 2000). For each book deal listed in its database, you’ll find the following information:

the author and title of the book, along with a one-sentence descriptionthe agent who represented the bookthe editor and publisher who bought the book

You can search the deals database based on your own book’s category or genre, and can narrow your search further by using keywords. While it’s far from a complete listing of publishing deals, Publishers Marketplace quickly gives you sharp insight into who’s buying what, and what agents are actively selling.

Once you’re armed with your list of agents or publishers, undertake a more in-depth investigation of each. 

First, visit their websites, where you’ll typically find the most up-to-date information, including whether they’re open for submissions. For literary agencies, read the descriptions of all member agents and determine which one is the best match. Some agents have active blogs or news and events pages, which can be useful to scan.

After studying the website, move on to social media. Twitter is popular in the publishing community, so you’ll likely find a presence there. Many agents use social media to have conversations with authors, potential authors, and other industry insiders. Studying these communications not only provides insights into the submissions process but helps you ascertain fit. Is this someone you want to do business with? Do you like their demeanor? What gets them enthusiastic?

Other Methods of Researching Agents and Publishers

One of the oldest recommended methods of finding an agent is to look in the acknowledgments section of a book you’ve read that’s similar to your own. Just about every author thanks both their agent and their editor.

Another tried-and-true method is to ask published friends—if you have any—for a referral to their agent. The danger is that your author friend might not believe your book is all that good! So it can be a delicate situation.

If you’re willing to work with a new and “hungry” agent, then keep a close eye on new market announcements. You can find them reported at Publishers Marketplace, which you can access if you’re a subscriber; Writer’s Digest’s Guide to Literary Agents blog, which posts about new agents; and online writing communities that have dedicated threads for such announcements. Also, every year, Writer’s Digest publishes a special agent issue in October, highlighting twenty or more agents who are seeking new clients.

Jane Friedman is a full-time entrepreneur and has 20 years of experience in the publishing industry. She is the author of The Business of Being a Writer, which received a starred review from Library Journal and is considered an essential reference for writers. Learn more at JaneFriedman.com

Top photo by iam Se7en on Unsplash.