Querying Literary Agents...Where to Begin

It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it. If seeking a traditional publisher is your goal, the first agonizing step is to find an agent. And, be prepared to spend weeks, months, even years on your quest. To begin with, buy The Guide to Literary Agents or Jeff Herman’s Guide to Book Publishers, Editors and Literary Agents. The internet is also helpful, sites like Writer’s Weekly and Feedblitz, but there are many more avenues on line, too. Just type in “literary agents” in a search field and see what pops up. The savvy writer will also subscribe to magazines like The Writer’s Digest, The Writer, Poets and Writers, and online publications. All contain valuable information on querying agents, preparing a proposal or a synopsis, and some list potential agencies.


You’ll need to prepare a query letter, a synopsis, proposal, detailed outline, author bio, comparable titles, marketing tools, and sample chapters. Then tweak each and every one before submitting. Have you compiled a list of possible agencies yet? Do that, and then the day-to-day business is less daunting. Also, keep track of submissions by maintaining a spreadsheet and continue to update it, because after the first twenty or thirty queries sent, believe me, it all becomes a blur. Even with a spreadsheet, mistakes happen. After I compiled the perfect pitch and hit the send button, I found that I had already sent a query to that agency. It was an idiotic mistake. I had an alphabetized list, but inadvertently placed that agency under its first name instead of the last name. Agencies frown on this.

Don’t hold your breath, expecting a nice note back from each agent; they are rare. In fact, you’re lucky to get a standard “Sorry. It doesn’t fit our needs.” Most of the time, they only respond if interested, but don’t get discouraged. Some will give a time frame of when they will reply if interested. But as a rule, three months is long enough to hold out any hope. In the meantime, keep churning out queries to other agents.

Expect to spend a hefty amount of time scouring agency websites to decide if they are a match. And, don’t forget to check the acknowledgments of other books similar to yours. If they mention their agent, be sure to add them to your list. You could spend hours checking out other on-line information about the agency, but limit yourself. Remember, time is money, unless you’re loaded and just like to surf the net. Write a personalized query for each agent; no mass mail outs. Check and double check for errors before hitting the send button.

Don’t let rejection hold you back. Alex Haley submitted his first book two hundred times and Jack London tried six hundred times before reaching that golden winner’s circle.

Self-publishing is likely here to stay and can be considered after exhausting the list of possible agents. Knowing there is a fallback option makes it easier to go forward. Just remember to follow the agency’s requirements, be cordial, never call or fax unless asked to, and persevere. This ain’t a game for wimps.