I’m embarking on the journey of traditional publishing, and the first step, after having a polished manuscript, is deciding whether or not you want an agent. Unless you’re only submitting to small presses that accept manuscripts directly from authors, I’d suggest getting an agent. And so, I am starting my search for possible agents to represent me. It’s a long, tedious task, but I want to share some tips on searching for those perfect candidates.
2 Biggest Reasons Agents Reject Manuscripts
Most authors complain about how many rejections they get for their manuscripts, but, if you listen to agents, they say that the majority of rejections stem from two places. Let’s look at these two pitfalls to avoid so you have the best chance of success.
1. Doesn’t Meet Their Criteria
The number one reason agents say no is because the manuscript doesn’t meet their criteria. It may be the wrong genre, word count, or even the wrong feel (like they wanted an easy read and you sent a manuscript full of dense prose).
These are all things that should be easy to avoid, but agents don’t always make it easy on us to know their tastes. For instance, I write fantasy, and there are a lot of agents out there that say in their bio that they represent fantasy. But what kind? High fantasy or low? Romance or adventure? Light-hearted or dark? Many agents don’t specify. At best, they list some books they liked in that genre. If you aren’t familiar with them, then you have to research those books, probably even read them, to see if they have any similarities to your manuscript. It’s a ton of work, and authors tend to be overwhelmed by researching agents that they just send it to everyone who might have the slightest interest.
While I understand the work if takes to thoroughly research an agent, they also have a lot of time demands that makes it hard for them to be thorough when reading queries. If you aren’t a good fit, they won’t take the time to double check. Most agents already have a client list and don’t need us to get a book published (like we need them). So, it falls on us writers to do our job well so we can gain the agent’s attention. Make sure you take the time to slow down and double check each agent is a good fit before you send a query to them. It will cut down on your rejections and hopefully save the sanity of some agents.
2. Nowhere To Sell It
The second big reason agents reject manuscripts is because they have nowhere to sell it. Agents are, above all, sales people. They need to know someone will buy it. While it’s hard for writers to answer this question from outside the industry, there are some things you can do to help them think of a place to sell it.
1. Comparison Titles
First, use good comp titles. By referencing books similar to yours that were published recently, the agent may think about selling your manuscript to the same editor. If that editor isn’t interested, they may be able to draw your type of audience from your comps and sell that to an editor.
2. Acquiring Editors
The second thing you can do is research the acquiring editors at publishing houses. Now, this is time consuming and more frustrating to do since lists of editors isn’t readily available like agent lists, but it is well worth the time. In the end, editors are who buy our books. Agents just sell them to those editors. Once you find editors you think will like your book, you can figure out which agents sell to those editors and query those agents. If they have a working relationship with those editors and your book is close to what they’ve bought in the past, agents will see the similarities when they read your manuscript and know where to sell it.
If you try this method, please don’t tell the agent in your query letter what editor will buy your book. You are not the sales expert. However, if you get into a conversation with the agent and he or she asks where you see the book going, it’s alright to humbly suggest who you think might be interested in the manuscript. The agent may see it as a help at that point and not a pushy author trying to tell them how to do their job.
Where To Search
There are several places that list literary agents you can query, but thoroughly research them to make sure they are legit. Some places like Writer’s Digest will put out agent lists for people to browse, but there are a few more comprehensive places I want to point out for anyone trying to find an agent.
Back of Books
The first place I go when looking for an agent is my favorite books that are similar to my manuscript. Usually, at the back of the book, the author thanks people who helped get the book published. The author’s agent and editor are typically on that list. I write down both. The agent may not be looking for new talent, but it gives me a baseline for where to start. I look at their agencies to see if anyone else has similar tastes. I look at their social media to see who they associate with and if any of them might like my book.
Then I look up the editor to see what other agents have sold to him or her. After all, the editor is the one who took on the project so his or her tastes is really what I’m interested in. Once I have the list of agents that worked with the editor, I have more agents to research. They may not all deal with books similar to my manuscript, but there is a good chance at least a few of them might like my book.
The Directory of Literary Agents
Another place I look for agents lists is the Directory of Literary Agents. On their website, they have a list of the best literary agents for a specific year. You can look at the top 25 agents in any category. They are separated by genre, and they even have a list for the best agents for debut authors. Now, there is no guarantee that these listed agents will be taking on new clients when you are ready to submit, but it’s another starting point. You can see what agencies have more than one agent listed, therefore knowing they are a solid company, and look at those agencies for who is open to submissions.
Association of American Literary Agents
Another website that has agent lists is the Association of American Literary Agents. You search for agents by name or category. I use this website because the agents have to fulfill the requirements to be a part of the association, giving me peace of mind that the agents aren’t scammers. Again, you can look at the agents on the list and then expand to their agencies to see who might be a good fit for your work.
Publishers Marketplace
The top place to research agents and editors is Publishers Marketplace. You have to pay for their services, but you can decide the cost depending on your time. If you are organized and focused, you could just pay for a month subscription and do all your research that month. Then you can query those who look promising.
What I love about this website is they give you inside information agents but also editors too. This is the best comprehensive resource you will find on publishing deals. I know I need an agent to submit to most of the editors, but I like knowing whose tastes might fit my book. Once I have a list of editors who might be interested, I can search which agents they’ve worked with and query those agents.
QueryTracker
I’ve heard that QueryTracker is the most used website for agents and authors submissions. It can be used for free or you can pay for an expanded version. They have a database of agents you can submit to, and you can watch to see how your manuscript is doing. It’s also a great place to keep track of who you have queried. It’s very likely you’ll have to submit to dozens of agents, and nothing is more embarrassing than resubmitting to someone who already said no. On this website, you can keep it all organized with no more added work for you.
Final Thoughts
I hope these resources help you create your list of possible agents. I stuck to the free services (except Publishers Marketplace) because I want to make this process as painless as possible. We all know that finding an agent can be a headache, and I don’t want it to empty our pockets as well. These are all solid sources that should keep you away from scammers and, hopefully, streamline your search.
Thanks for reading!
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