How to Select an Agent to Market Your Romance Novel

"Consider hearing a prospective agent speak, or even meet with an agent at a conference, before submitting," says published romance author Sheri McGregor. "If he or she arrives wearing blue sunglasses and leather, think about whether or not that's the impression you would want your agent to give. Right or wrong, first impressions last."

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Manuscript Publishers
• Spiral Notebooks
• Writing Pens

1. Join Romance Writers of America (RWA), or a similar association, where you can meet other romance authors.

2. Talk to other authors about their experiences with agents.

3. Ask questions of agents associated with RWA conferences.

4. Judge a prospective agent's knowledge and experience with romance works, and with the genre of your work specifically.

5. Request a list of a prospective agent's other clients, then investigate the success level of those writers.

6. Use the RWA hotline to learn if complaints have been filed against a prospective agent.

7. Join Internet writers' discussion lists and monitor writers' Web sites for pertinent information and warnings.

8. Buy the "Guide to Literary Agents" by Writers Digest books for useful, detailed information about specific agents, including their specialties, submission requirements and response times.

Tips & Warnings

• McGregor notes, "Romance is one of the few genres left where you may not need an agent at all. Especially with series romances, consider marketing directly to a publisher."
• "The Romance Writers of America hotline can tell you the nature of any complaint and when it occurred. The information can help you go in with eyes wide open," notes McGregor, whose novel, "Under One Roof," will be on the shelves soon.
• "There are still a lot of unscrupulous agents out there. Even conferences that do a good job of screening their participating agents can't always weed out the chaff," notes Sheri McGregor, author of "Dream Catcher."
• "If an agent wants a reading fee, it could be a red flag. If they say they'll forward your work to an editor for a fee because they feel the manuscript needs professional editing, go elsewhere," McGregor warns.