I was actively querying literary agents earlier this year, and a few friends have asked me how I go about it. I use the method I learned from another friend, who used it to find her agent and become a published author. As for me, I've queried several agents, but I haven't hooked anyone's interest yet. That's my fault; my manuscript isn't as good as it could be, but I'm tired of working on it, so I've put it aside and moved on to my next project. When I finish it, edit it and feel satisfied that I have something worth publishing, I will start querying agents again about my latest project, and I will use the method outlined below to do it.
This guide will tell you how to find literary agents who might be interested in your manuscript. It will also tell you a bit about the querying process, as well as point you toward a few resources that will give you lots of useful pointers. Good luck, and break a leg (though not your own leg).
I. Find agents. There are a few ways you can go about doing this:
A. Go to publishersmarketplace.com or agentquery.com (Agentquery.com doesn't seem to update as often, but the listings provide links to the agents' web sites, which is what you really want).
| i. Search for the genres in which your manuscript falls. The results will take you to agent profiles. Each profile should mention the agency that employs the agent. |
C. Buy a copy of: 2013 Guide to Literary Agents by Chuck Sambuchino, 2013 Novel & Short Story Writer's Market by Scott Francis, or another volume in the series that's tailored toward your genre. Each volume in the series includes an index of literary agents.
D. Go to a conference and arrange a meeting with an agent who will be in attendance. Research the agent and their agency before the meeting.
II. Learn about the agents or agencies you've found.
A. Visit the agency web sites to learn more about the agencies and their agents.
B. Review the agents' profiles to learn more about them and what they like to represent. You can learn more about them from their twitter accounts, personal web sites, personal blogs and interviews.
C. Find the agents' client lists.
D. Look on Amazon or at your local library for the books in the agents' client lists. Check that they've represented books that are similar to what you've written. If you have the time, read the books to get a better idea of what sort of book an agent is likely to represent.
E. If an agent isn't the right fit, another agent at their agency might be. At the agency web site, read the profiles of each agent and check their client lists, too. Some agencies will allow you to query multiple agents (though usually only one at a time). Other agencies ask you to query just one agent from their agency. They should indicate their preferences in their submission guidelines.
III. Tips to avoid bad agents:
These pages have some good advice:
sjwa.org: Page 1
sjwa.org: Page 2
IV. Gather together your submission materials. Each agency has different submission guidelines. They should outline their requirements on their web sites.
V. Craft a query letter.
A query letter should introduce yourself; explain why you're querying the agent; briefly summarize your manuscript (this is your pitch); mention the genre, title and word count; mention any qualifications you have; and do all of this within the space of one page. The letter is usually single-spaced with blank spaces between paragraphs.
Here's some advice that I've found helpful: http://www.laurajoyrennert.com/writers-find-agent.php
These Query Pitch Workshops are wonderfully detailed:
Pitch Workshop, Part 1: Young Adult
Pitch Workshop, Part 2: Young Adult continued
Pitch Workshop, Part 3: Young Adult continued
Pitch Workshop, Part 4: Literary Fiction
Pitch Workshop, Part 5: Literary Fiction continued
Pitch Workshop, Part 6: Horror
Pitch Workshop, Part 7: Romance
Pitch Workshop, Part 8: Romance continued
Pitch Workshop, Part 9: Romance continued
Pitch Workshop, Part 10: Romantic Suspense
Pitch Workshop, Part 11: Fantasy
Here's an actual example of a query letter:
Heather Anastasiu's Query Letter
Your favorite authors may have posted their query letters online. Do a Google search to find them.
VI. Write a synopsis if it's required.
Among the requirements for submissions, some agencies ask for a synopsis. There are two kinds: the long and the short synopsis. The 2013 Guide to Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market has this say about a long synopsis (for any genre): "For every 35 or so pages of your manuscript, you would have one page of synopsis explanation, up to a maximum of eight pages." The pages should be double-spaced.
Most agencies want only a short synopsis, which is a condensed, 1-2 page or 1-3 page version of a long synopsis. You have to cover all the major points of the book from beginning to end, even though that would spoil the ending.
VII. Follow the agents' and/or their agencies' submission requirements, send off your queries and wait.
VIII. Accept rejection. This will happen. Maybe you'll be lucky and find your agent quickly, but it's unlikely. Don't take rejections personally. That's a hard thing to do, I know, but you need to toughen yourself up.
IX. Send out more queries with any other required submission materials. Repeat steps I through VIII as needed.
X. Keep going until you hear from an agent who's interested in reading more. Respond and send them what they ask for. With any luck, they'll read more of your work and decide they want to represent you. Good luck to both of us; may we both get this far.
XI. Congratulations! You've got an agent! You've passed through the first hurdle toward being published! W00t!
P. S.--I'd definitely recommend acquiring at least one of the volumes in the 2013 or 2014 Market series (that I mentioned above in I-C) and reading all of its articles for more writing and publishing advice. I have a copy of the 2013 Guide to Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market, and the articles give a lot of helpful advice and tips, not just for young adult writers but for other genre writers, as well.
Works Cited
Sambuchino, Chuck, ed. 2013 Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market. Writer's Digest Books, 2012. Print.
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