Remember the fairy tale about Goldilocks? She had to try Three Bears’ worth of porridge, chairs and beds before finding the ones that were ‘just right’? Well, it can be a similarly trying experience to find a literary agent that matches your genre, career goals, and working style.
So, while the search for the ideal literary agent might be ‘a BEAR’, here are some steps to build a strategy to find the industry pro that’s just right for you and your work.
- Determine why you want an agent in the first place. Ask yourself key questions such as, “what publishing houses now closed to me as an un-agented writer will open up with an agent’s help?” and “which work of mine do I most need representation for?” and “how much editorial interaction or do I expect from my agent?” and even, “how many other clients do I want to share my agent with?” Ask yourself as many questions as it takes to get a good ‘perfect agent’ profile before doing your first round of research.
- Don’t Skip Step #1. It’s tempting to skip or skim through this first step, because, of course, everyone wants an agent—and isn’t any agent better than no agent at all? (The quick answer here, as many formerly-agented writers will tell you, is NO.) Remember, there are a dizzying number of literary agencies out there, each having multiple agents working under their umbrellas, so please trust that knowing precisely what your ideal agent looks like will be a real time-saver in your quest. The shotgun approach rarely works.
- Research all potential agents with an eye toward finding a good match. Seek out and study as many literary agent databases on the web as you can and start compiling a tentative list in line with those qualities you wish in your ideal agent. Your first level of sorting will be to determine that the literary agent handles your genre and readership. You can also go to your local bookstore, pick up published titles similar to your yet-to-be published work, check out dedication pages for agent names mentioned in thanks—and write them down in your little black book for possible future use. Being a member of AAR (Association of Authors Representatives) is a positive sign for an agency, because an agent has to have a proven track record of sales to qualify for membership.
- Fine tune your ‘hit list’ with a little due diligence. Search out interviews, articles, podcasts, blogs and vlogs about agents in order to learn what type of work they are really excited about. Look closely at their current client list and manuscript wish lists. This is good intel to have in your back pocket! And it makes it easier to trim that bulky beginning list compiled in Steps 1-3.
- Cross-check your literary agent ‘wish list’ with your curated ‘hit list’. Compare what you need in an agent with the profiles of agent possibilities you’ve found and begin winnowing. For example, an agent who represents your genre but has very specific tastes within that genre that don’t jive with your work may not make the final cut. How about the agent’s client list—too big, too small for your tastes? Eliminate any agent or agency that you now know is not in alignment with your needs.
- Annotate your final submission list with details that will help you personalize your query. Make notes on the list of agents you plan to query with information that will help you write a query that will stand out from the crowd. For example, did their manuscript wish list mention anything like a writing project in your drawer? Do they represent a client with work like yours? Did you find something said in an article, interview, or video particularly meaningful to you? Literary agents like to know that you recognize them not as a generic entity, but as a unique individual. And isn’t that what you like, too?
- Make sure you know each agents specific instructions as how to submit a query and/or your writing work. Each agent will be slightly different, and it is vital that you follow instructions given on how to submit your pages. Does the agent want sample chapter and proposal? Or full manuscript? Submitted only electronically or snail mail? Does the agency require the use of a submission portal or can work be attached to email? Submitting work in a way that is not in line with the literary agent’s preferences is a sure way to receive a ‘no thanks’ or radio silence.
- Prioritize your plans for submission—then submit. Look at all your collected information, and logically work out where your best chances of a positive response to look at your work will be. Those agents go to the top of your list. The rule of thumb is to submit to only 10-15 at a time. This ‘small batch’ method of submission, along with a spreadsheet, will help you keep track of responses. Please leave space for notes to be placed here, such as ‘will look at more work’ (yay!) or ‘not right for me’ (bummer!) or even ‘closed to queries right now’ (because despite your best detective work, you cannot know exactly what goes on behind the velvet curtain.)
- Don’t forget to follow up. Publishing is a business that is chronically understaffed and overwhelmed. If you’ve not heard from a literary agent in the timeframe stated in their submission guidelines, a polite follow up email isn’t out of line. After all, you have a long list of agents to query, and if it is a ‘no’, it’s important to be able to move on in hope of a ‘yes’ somewhere else.
Keep up to date with agency changes and additions. Finding the right agent is a long game with a lot of moving parts. As you work down that curated list of potential ‘just right’ agents, keep tabs with sources on the web that keep tabs on who’s moving where in the industry. There are too many sources to name them all here, but Publishers Marketplace is a good place to start. For a $25 monthly fee, you gain access to the daily Publishers Lunch Deluxe newsletter and other valuable membership benefits. Or, for no cost at all, you may subscribe to the free, shorter daily e-mail Publishers Lunch newsletter.