How to Find the Right Literary Agent Online
Writing your novel is just the beginning. Next you need to find a literary agent who will submit your book to publishers. You'll do better finding an agent, and save yourself money, if you narrow your search rather than submitting blindly. Different agents tend represent different genres and styles.
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Instructions
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Visit the Association of Authors' Representatives website. There are, unfortunately, some unscrupulous agents out there who will take advantage of desperate authors. The AAR vets the agents listed on its site.
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Click the "Agents" tab. This will bring you to a page with tips for your search, categories to search in and an "Advanced search" box.
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Click on one of the common searches. If you want only literary agents who accept email, click on "Literary Agents by email" the other choice is "Literary Agents by Post." Literary agents who accept email will save you money on mailing costs but don't totally rule out agents who accept postal submission. Finding an agent is tough enough without narrowing your search too much.
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View the agents that come up on the next page. The columns are "Agent" which includes the agents name, the name of the firm and a link to the website; "For submission," showing the type of work accepted and "Current Activity." This last provides a wealth of information on the subcategories the agent accepts, the authors she currently represents and books she has sold to publishers.
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Eliminate agents who don't represent your type of work. For example, if you have a novel, you can immediately eliminate anyone who doesn't take fiction. You can also eliminate anyone who specializes in a different genre, for example, Romance, if you write science fiction.
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Narrow your search further by looking at the recent works and authors represented. If you think your work closely resembles that of Jane Doe, an author represented, this makes that agent a better fit. If you aren't familiar with the authors or the works, do a search to see what you can find out.
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Check both the agent and her company out further by clicking on the link for her firm's website. Not only can you find out what the agent and the company say about themselves but also what others say about them. Their sites should also outline submission guidelines.
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Review the submission guidelines carefully. Some companies want you to use their own submission form for your queries. Others simply want a simple one page query. Others may want a sample chapter or the entire book. Whatever the case, submit the way they prefer, otherwise, your query will probably be rejected.
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Tips & Warnings
Once your query letter is submitted, the agents will either reject your submission (most of the time), or they will ask for more information. It is a really good sign when they ask for more information. Give the agent the information in the form in which it is requested.
Rejections are common so don't give up. Keep researching agents until you find one who not only wants to work with you but also one you can work with. Agents are supposed to be your advocate with the publishing companies so treat them as such.
