Researching Agents and Setting Up Your Querying System
Now that you have your query and your various synopses ready to go, the next step is to actually send your stuff out to a real live agent, standing by.
Actually, no, agents are not standing by just waiting for queries to drop in like manna from heaven. That is a real misconception writers have. Yes, agents have to look at queries in order to find new clients to sign. But that is only a part of what they do. They have all the work for their actual clients as well: overseeing revisions, submitting to publishers, negotiating contracts… and the reality is, they get hundreds of queries per week. If you want to catch an agent’s attention, you have to nail your query and first pages - and follow their instructions for submission.
Places to look for agents
You need to target your agent search carefully. Make sure the person represents the genre you write in, and is actually looking for the type of thing you write. Don’t just blast email a bunch of agents, hoping they will respond. You will have certain agents jump out at you as desirable, but also be prepared to cast a wide net. Don’t get too attached to any one person.
Searchable databases (these also have lots of other info):
Query Tracker - also has ways to track your submissions
Twitter – follow the agents, or check out their #agentname #mswl for what they are currently looking for.
Podcasts and print interviews – do a search for their name, and you will find if they have a website/blog, and where their interviews have appeared.
Publishers Weekly – to see the most recent deals (paid subscription)
Note: just because an agent has a listing does not mean they are legit! Always do your homework: what deals have they done, how long have they been in the business, and so on. You can also check Writer Beware which has info on all kinds of scams and sham agents. And a general Google search is your friend. If someone has had a bad experience, they are likely to have trumpeted it out. Agents will never ask you to pay to submit to them! They get paid a cut only if and when they sell your book to a publisher, usually 15%.
Notes to consider:
Pay attention to whether or not they are open to queries! Many shut down for months at a time. Don’t bother to query them until they are open, or your queries will go straight in the trash. If they give a prospective date when they will open again, double-check on that date to make sure they are actually open (plans change).
Personalize your query to each agent. This only needs a sentence or two, but you should say what drew you to them – previous authors/books they’ve worked with; something on their current #mswl that corresponds to what your book is about; even personal likes/fave books etc. – agents may list favorite books, or post lots of pictures of their pets (don’t just say “I love dogs too” but “fellow pitbull rescue fanatic”).
If an agent rejects you, do not email them asking why! Or worse, threaten or insult them.
Make sure you submit your query package exactly as asked for. It would be nice if all agents asked for the same thing, but they each have very specific things they want to see. If they ask for a query + the first 5 pages posted into an email, give them that. If they use Query Tracker and all the questions seem to be exactly the same info as in your query – and they still want your query letter – give them that.
Get organized:
It is crucial to have a system in place for managing the query process. You could, of course, hire a virtual PA to manage it all for you – even to send out the queries you write and curate the responses so you never have to see the rejections – but I encourage you to do it yourself unless unable to do so for physical or neurological reasons. It is a great way to learn about the business.
The best way I know of is to create a spreadsheet (one for each book you are querying). Everyone has their own system, but here’s mine if you want to copy it. I have columns for the following:
Agent’s name
Agency
Website (usually the agency site)
The contact email or URL to send the query
Guidelines (what they want in the query package, e.g. query + 5 pages; query + 10 pages + 1 page synopsis, etc.)
Shareable – the info that I will use to personalize the query
Date sent
Response (here I usually put the expected date such as “4 weeks” if their submission guidelines say they take 4 weeks to respond. Especially if they say “of you don’t hear from me after 6 weeks, assume it’s a no” you want to make a note of that).
Notes – this is any feedback I get from the agent, or other info that may be useful (“not for me, but try AgentX”)
I usually organize this by agent desirability. Some people say to query your “less desirable” agents first, so you can tweak your query if needed. But what if one of them offers representation, and you haven’t even asked your #1 agent yet? AWK-WARD. You cannot ask that agent to wait while you query the rest of your list!
If you have targeted multiple agents at the same agency, start with the one you think will be best for your book. Some big agencies have one big query “slush” email and assistants go through and sort to whichever agent they think is right for it. Others have a policy where agents will pass it to others in their agency who they think may be interested. The agency website will say whether you can query more than one agent (never more than one at a time) or if a “No” from one means a “No” from all.
I also send them out in batches of anywhere from 5-10 at a time. A few agents still demand exclusives, but they are fewer and fewer since they realize that sending queries one at a time to agents who take anywhere from 5 minutes to never to respond is not a strategy writers will agree with. So if you really, really, want a particular agent who demands an exclusive, consider querying him/her first, and pay close attention to the “hear by” date (and don’t think you can fudge it and still submit to multiple. If you get caught, it will be The End)..
What if you don’t hear back by the expected date? The only time you can nudge an agent is if they have your full manuscript. For queries, assume it’s a no, unless they have specific instructions that say “if you haven’t heard from us by X date, please re-send your query” or something similar. Although persistence is key in this business, do NOT keep emailing agents every week (or god forbid, every day) thinking “the squeaky wheel gets the grease.” In this case, the squeaky wheel will get a rejection, and fast. You are seeking a business relationship with this person - you want to be professional and courteous.
It is a courtesy to let the other agents who have your full manuscript know if you get an offer of representation. A brief email stating this is all you need. This gives them a chance to look at your manuscript if they haven’t yet, and either decline or decide to get in the game. Whatever you do, don’t use this as a scare tactic thinking it will make agents look at your work faster!
And Finally…
Don’t take the process personally! If an agent rejects you (or worse, you never hear so you assume it’s a no) learn to just take it as part of the biz, because it is. A recent discussion thread from a writer’s group I’m in featured people telling how long it took to find their agent: Between 50-175 queries was the most common, and one to three years (if they queried the same manuscript). Many had half a dozen requests for full manuscripts before they got their “yes.” The bottom line is: You need a very thick skin to persevere in this business. You might hear the following:
Sometimes you will hear nothing.
Often, it’s a form letter (“Thank you for your query. Unfortunately, it’s just not right for me at this time. Wish you the best of luck in finding representation.”).
Occasionally, you’ll get some feedback as to why they are rejecting it: they aren’t connecting with the characters, or the pace is slow, or… If one says it, don’t rush to revise. But if you get a bunch of agents saying the same thing, you probably do need to take a look and see about fixing the issue.
Sometimes, you’ll get a request for more chapters, or even the full manuscript. Hooray! It’s not a shoo-in to acceptance, but it means your query and first pages are doing a lot right.
You may get “I’d be interested as long as you make these changes and resubmit.” Note that this is not a guarantee of acceptance. It’s up to you if you want to make the changes or not. It may be just the exciting idea you need to make your story shine, or it may take your story in a direction you really have no desire for it to go. You are not obligated to make these changes.
You may hear right away from your #1 desired agent, requesting a full manuscript, and then soon after, an offer or representation! If that happens, pop the champagne! It’s not unheard of, but it is rare, so count it as a blessing if it happens, but expect the process to take a while.
What to do if you get an offer is a topic for a whole other post! Just remember, in your search as well, that this is a person with whom you hope to enter into a business partnership. Don’t just have an attitude of “anybody, please pick me!” Do your homework, make sure you are targeting agents that can represent your work well, and most of all - keep persevering.
