This article was updated 2/2/2023
Years ago, when I first thought I might become a published author someday, I started researching how to achieve my goals. What I found was completely overwhelming. I needed an agent, but there were thousands of them. Each of them wanted different documents I had never heard of. Query? Synopsis? What?
In this series, I’m going to share what I found and break down how to publish your novel. I’ll cover a the difference between the types of publishing currently available, writing a query letter, writing a synopsis, and finding the ideal agent to query. The process can seem overwhelming, but I hope to offer some clarity and simplicity so you can approach publishing with confidence.
Welcome to Part 3: Finding the Best Literary Agents. Catch up on previous sections here:
Part 1: Self-Publishing vs. Traditional Publishing
Part 2: Finding an Agent
Or, skip ahead:
Part 4: How to Write a Query Letter
Literary Agents:
How Do I Find THE One?!
If you read last week’s post, you’ve now poked around the internet and found lists of literary agents. Many, many agents. But you do you find THE agent for you?
This is the research method that works best for me. There is no “right” way, so take what you like and develop your own system. My system has evolved over the years and I currently use both QueryTracker and a spreadsheet to organize things in the way that makes the most sense to me.
Start a Preliminary List
Let’s get a rough list of potential agents together. Open a new document in Excel, Google Sheets, whatever spreadsheet program that works for you.
Ready?
I label the columns as such: Fit, Agency, Agent, Website, Notes, Query Method, Synopsis, Pages, and Response Time. That seems like a lot, but I want to save myself from having to look up information later–a lesson learned the hard way.
In the last post, I covered finding potential agents online. I start with QueryTracker, choosing my genre from the sidebar to find which agents represent the kind of story I’m writing. Don’t pay too much attention to who is open or closed to submissions at this stage. It changes so often, it’s not worth focusing on right now. (QueryTracker has simple videos about how to get started if you need help).
QueryTracker currently lists 355 agents who represent fantasy. Some of these are out of my country, so I’m going to ignore those, because I want a US agent. That brings the number down a little, but there are still too many to look at. You can research every single one, if you like, but I prefer to start with the more well-known agencies, or agencies that have a lot of agents representing my genre. I know that will save me a step later, because I can go to one website to get information for multiple agents.
Start filling in your table. Write the agency name under “Agency” and the specific agent under “Agent.” If more than one agent is listed for each agency, feel free to write them on a new line or just leave that cell open. If there’s a website, copy that down as well.
You now have a chart that looks something like this:
When you have a decent number of agents/agencies to look at, say 20 or 30, it’s time to dig in.
Fill in the Blanks
Starting at the top, visit the first agency website. What you’re looking for is a list of agents and what types of manuscripts they want. Some websites have this information in a section called “agents,” some have it in “submissions,” or “about.” Some have it in multiple places! Scour the website. The whole thing. In your spreadsheet, start filling in some of the other columns–but only for agents who seem like a good fit.
Under “Notes,” jot some things the agent likes. Sweeping, epic fantasies. Mystery with a bit of romance. Stories about families. Corgis. Whatever seems relevant to your manuscript.
They will also have a preferred query method, typically email or Query Manager, which I note under “Query Method.” Note whether they like to receive a synopsis (Y/N). If they want the first several pages of your novel, how many? If there’s information on response time, put that in, too. It will save you from wondering later.
Getting Organized
While you’re reading up on each agent, you’ll get a sense of their personality and preferences. You’ll also get a sense of whether this person may be right for you and your manuscript. Here’s where the “Fit” column of our spreadsheet comes in. Rank each agent from 1 (terrible fit) to 5 (absolutely amazing). I do keep a list of the ones who aren’t a good fit to avoid forgetting and trying to re-research them later.
Now your spreadsheet might look something like this:
By the end, you may have a list of 50 or more agents with varying ranks. It’s time to pare down the list.
But How Do I Find the Perfect Agent?
Start with agents ranked 4 or 5. Revisit their website.
We’re going to give each agent a secondary fit ranking. For example, if you noted someone was a 5, a perfect fit for your manuscript, and you find they’re still a perfect fit, mark them 5-5. Someone who’s “merely” an excellent fit might get a 5-4. This will help you organize batches of submissions.
If you have multiple agents from the same agency listed, you’re going to have to pick just one. You can save their information for later, but most agencies frown on duplicative submissions unless explicitly stated.
You now have a list of the 15-20 agents you think are the best possible fit for your manuscript.
Who Do I Submit to First?
Submissions should be done in rounds. Do a little rearranging of your list to create bundles of 5-10 agents each. Your first round of submissions might go to two agents with a 5 ranking and three with a 4 ranking. For example:
This is fairly arbitrary, but I would advise against putting all your top choices in the first round. That way, if you don’t get the responses you want initially, you can revise your submission documents and still have good-fit agents on the list.
What Happened to Using QueryTracker?
I thought that was a submission tracker, so why am I using an old-school spreadsheet?
It is. And it’s a great one. But the spreadsheet gives me a lot more space to write down individual preferences, including themes, story types, etc. I can search this later, if I want, or see at a glance what should be included in my submission package. I can also see who uses QueryManager and prioritize those, since they are more likely to respond to queries. Most importantly, I can separate my queries into batches to keep myself organized and on task.
At this point, I do go back into QueryTracker and select agents for my “To Query” list. I also mark “Do Not Query” for those I’ve researched who are a poor fit.
The Submission Package
Great. I’ve set up my list and separated the agents into a few rounds. But everyone seems to want different things!
They do…and they don’t. There are a few basic documents that most agents will want: a Query Letter, a Synopsis, and the first few pages of your book.
In the next post, “Query Letters,” I’ll go over what this is and how to write one that will catch an agent’s eye.
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