I'm going to stick with my college analogy...Looking for an agent is also like looking for a college/graduate school - you don't want to "apply" (read: query) the wrong university for your profession.
I'll get this over with right from the start: self-publishing is pretty much like applying to an unaccredited college. If you have any desire to be published by a major publishing house in the future, self-publishing won't do a thing for your writing career except you happen to have 10,000+ books sold on your own (read: not impossible, but very difficult). If you attend an unaccredited undergraduate institution and then try to apply to a higher degree, it's very difficult to get into a graduate program if they require an accredited undergraduate degree. Nothing against these schools, but it's like my saying I want to attend Lacrosse University (real school) and then apply to NYU's school of medicine. It won't happen. NYU requires an accredited degree. If you don't have those 10,000+ in sales, agents really won't care if you ever self-published. Period. In fact, if you list it as part of your credentials, 9 times out of 10 they're going to assume you didn't do your research on publishing - otherwise, you would have left it out of your credentials. And if you DID get those huge sales, be prepared to support the claim with numbers - not just "I sold a bunch."
Now that I've shooed away the idea of self-publishing (and if I didn't, please e-mail me so I can beat you over the head with a non-self-published book), here's how to find the right agent for your work:
1. Research. Research. Research.
I really can't stress this enough. I hope you wouldn't just apply to any school
under the sun without SOME form of research - you want to know the degree they
offer, courses, tuition, etc. Same with agents. You want to make sure of the
following:
a) Genres: make sure they take your
type of manuscript. Why bother sending a young adult novel to an agent who
reads only non-fiction? When your agent goes to bat for you with several
publishing houses, you want them
to know your market in and out. It's a waste of time to submit a query to
an agent who doesn't even represent - let alone read - your genre. It'd be
like applying for your real estate license if you want to be a doctor.
b) Track history: the number of
sales doesn't always equate to a fantastic agent, but it doesn't hurt to
look. If the agent is well-established, maybe they make only a handful of
sales a year because of other commitments? Where are they selling? Some
"non-legit" agents out there turn around and sell to self-publishing
companies. Why waste your time on someone like that?
c) Clients: look at their clients
and see how many books they've sold. Are most of their clients one-book
people? Do they keep clients over a long period of time?
d) Location: Now with technology
(e-mail, social networking, cool things called planes) it really doesn't
matter if your agent is IN New York City. It may seem glamorous and
possibly be slightly less expensive for them (travel wise) in the long
run, but trust me - it doesn't make an ounce of difference in the quality
of representation. However, do search for an agent in the country YOU want
your manuscript to be published. If you're looking to breakout in the US,
querying that agency over in Russia isn't going to get it done for you
here.
2) Submission Requirements
When you apply to college, you make sure your application packet is perfect: GPA,transcript, letter of recommendation, etc. Same with queries. You have to make sure you follow each and every agency's guidelines. If you leave a part they feel is integral, you risk having your query rejected or worse - never even read.
I totally think it's a pain in the @ss to write a synopsis and throw together one chapter here and three chapters there or nine-and-a-half-pages there.. But then again, if this is the career YOU want, then this is the career YOU will take seriously every single step of the way. Some grad schools require the GRE, others don't. It's all about where you want an in. In the long run, it only helps to follow instructions and proves your dedication and organization as a future client for the agency.
3) Know Your Resources
There's this awesome song from AvenueQ (play) called "The Internet Is Really Really Great". Granted in this instance I'm using it to say how amazing it is that all your sources for publishing and queries (not the item the song states) are at the click of a button. But you have to make sure you use the right ones:
- Publisher's Marketplace: Though this is a
subscription-based service for the most part, you can search agents and
their requirements for free. If you don't find an agent here, it's because
they don't have an account - it doesn't mean they aren't legit.
- Agent Query: You can conduct searches based on genres,
book type and more. Again, just because you can't find an agent on here,
doesn't mean they aren't legit.
- Query Tracker: Though this is
a site more so for people to post their query results, it doesn't hurt to
look up the agent on here to see what they've been up to. Patrick is
really good about keeping up-to-date information on submission
requirements/changes as well as any other key information (agents leaving
agencies, etc)
- Preditors and Editors: Always, please please please,
always look up an agency on here if you're brand spanking new to the
industry. There are several "scam" agencies out there who give the rest of
us a bad name. Know who you query before you shoot the letter out. It'd be
heartbreaking to get an offer of representation only to find it's an agency
that either charges you for their services up front or sells your work to a
self-publisher.
4) When In Doubt, Ask: The Right People
Thanks to blogs, almost everyone can claim to be an expert in anything (myself not included, of course :)). So be sure to do your research before following just anyone's advice. On the same note, don't ask the same questions that you can find answers to that are already out there. FAQs on blogs and message boards can save both yourself and moderator a ton of time. However, if you're still confused, it never hurts to ask again if you've already done your research. Clarification and ignorance are two seperate things.
- Write Water Cooler: Forum
for newbie writers. Not only can you search based on agency and agent, but
they also have sections where you can throw up your query letter for
critiques, find information on publishing in general or ask questions about
the writing process. Several well-established writers have used or still
continue to use this forum.
- Blogs: if there's an agent you particularly enjoy, they may or may not have a
blog with loads of advice. Doesn't hurt to check. Simple Google "
and if there's one, it'll most likely pop up.
***No matter what: do NOT just simply e-mail every agent the same question. While some agents will e-mail you back with advice, I'd say 98% of them will not because they KNOW this information is already all over the Web. If you e-mail them a question (i.e. how do I write a query letter?) that is common, they'll ignore it.
Bottom line: take the time, do the work. If you intend on venturing into the publishing world, there's a certain amount of accountability you have to take for yourself, beginning with the first step. No one will take your or your writing career seriously if you don't take it seriously yourself.
