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In the hunt for an agent,
take aim at more than one.
So how do you fi nd an agent?
Have a famous author plead with their agent to take
you on.
Or go to a writers’ conference where you can meet agents
face to face, and impress one or more with your pitch.
Or start the query process.
First, fi nd out what agents are good. How? One way
is to fi nd out who represents successful authors in your
genre. Look for acknowledgements in their books. Or get
the information from author websites.
Get the latest edition of Writer’s Digest Books’ Guide
to Literary Agents and wear it out.
Compile a list of at least two dozen agents who would
be right for your kind of novel. Prioritize the list.
Visit the website of the agency and follow their sub-
mission guidelines. Check out an agent’s track record. A
reputable literary agent should have a website with a list
of clients.
Avoid agents who charge reading fees or any other
costs mandated before signing a representation agree-
ment. Pass on any agency that has some sweetheart deal
with an editing service or vanity press.
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Simultaneously query the agents according to your
prioritized list. How many at a time? Opinions vary, but
half a dozen is a good rule of thumb. Why not the whole
list? Because you fi rst want a shot at your top prospects.
You might get an offer from an agent near the bottom of
your list, take it, then get a call from an agent at the top.
Agents know the biz, and they know writers looking
for agents need go out simultaneously. If they don’t know
that, or announce they don’t like it, pass on that agent.
It is unfair and unbusinesslike to expect a writer to wait
months at a time for a single query response before go-
ing out again.
Be sure your queries are personalized to the specifi c
agent, mentioning why you have chosen them (e.g., you
saw their listing in the Guide to Literary Agents).
This also applies to requests by agents to see a par-
tial or full manuscript. It may be controversial to some
that you would send actual material to more than one
agent at a time, but you have only one life to live, and it’s
too short to wait months—sometimes up to a year!—for
one response.
But what if an agent asks for an exclusive look at your
partial or full? You will have to decide if you want to grant
that, based upon your evaluation of the agent. A great
agent is worth the wait, but not an open-ended wait.
What’s a proper period of time for an exclusive look?
That’s not chiseled in stone, but four to six weeks seems
long enough to evaluate a manuscript that’s only sitting
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on one desk. Ask the agent what the policy is. Try to se-
cure at least an informal time frame up front.
If you accept an offer of representation from an
agent, notify any other agents who are considering your
manuscript. Thank them for their time. That’s good
business practice.
Bottom line: Simultaneous submissions, of both
queries and manuscripts, are understood by most agents
to be the norm. It’s business. It should be. Be polite and
professional and you’ll be respected in your efforts.
when you do get an agent …
Be realistic. You have only one agent, but an agent has
many clients. You cannot expect to be given all the at-
tention. But if you continue to work at your craft and
write books the agent can sell, getting attention won’t be
a problem.
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