Jana asked Lois McMaster Bujold:

Quick fangirling - I discovered the Vorkosigan Saga a while back and I adore it, thank you so much. To business - I'm an aspiring writer currently at the end of editing my first draft manuscript. Since I've decided to try the traditional publishing route first, I'm currently starting the search for an agent and the whole process is, frankly, terrifying. How did you find / settle on your agent?

Lois McMaster Bujold Re: agents, I went at it backwards. I had sold/published several books starting in the mid-80s without one, began to learn my way around a bit, took advice from a few writer friends, contacted my agent of choice, and we first met and shook hands in New York on Nebula Weekend, 1989. Still with each other. This is not a route that is really available nowadays, so my experience is useless for new writers.

My go-to book-or-blog for new writers is Pat Wrede's: http://www.pcwrede.com/blog/ or her blog e-book, Wrede on Writing. She only has a little to say about agent hunting, but what she does offer is sensible and sound.

Start with what Pat has to say, and look over what other advice you can find -- there will be tons, not all of it good -- and after that, I'm afraid, you are on your own.

Terrifying and depressing, yeah. This is normal. Sorry I can't be more help --

Ta, L.

(I should add, if your agent search does not prosper, Kristine Katherine Rusch's blog used to have some informed advice on how to do without one. But she is very experienced, so I'm not sure how much of what she advises can really be emulated by a newbie.)

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