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You seek to find agents for your work. You already know a little about the literary and publishing milieu. And you have done your homework by reading and/or participating in writers’ discussion forums to find agents that are not con artists (some of whom have been busted by now, others of whom are still at large, trolling the net for the ignorant). I know that you would not settle for someone without craft knowledge about the tasks. If you have not yet gotten to this step and need to research which agents are legitimate and which are publishing world pariahs, consider studying Another Realm (a.k.a. the former Predators and Editors site). Read the Whispers and Warnings at Angela Hoy’s Writers Weekly, and/or check out the messages at Brady Magazine and Absolute Write Water Cooler.
When you are ready, then, to find agents to approach, you might try one of the following sites: The Burry Man Writer’s Center – This is a comprehensive site with thousands of job leads as well as hundreds of links for writers seeking to find agents in most genres…from mystery to romance to fiction and more. The Randy Murray Literary Agency – This is one agency, but it features special web pages with information on “how to impress a literary agency,” guidelines specific to Murray but good protocol to keep in mind, in general. Author Link.com – not just a place to find agents, but a venue for talking about books, writing, and publishing. Literary Agents Directory – As its name suggests, this site is devoted to writers who want to find agents for every genre, from nonfiction, fiction, and reference to poetry and children’s prose and in every country, from here to Holland and back. Everyone Who's Anyone in Adult Trade Publishing, Propagandavilleand Tinseltown, Too, is a Worthless, Superfluous, Giddy, Giggly,Chickenhearted, Money-Grubbing, Nazi Moron [go to the U.S. Literary Agents section(s) at everyonewhosanyone.com] – Not only have I gotten much out of the how-tos and how-not-tos of this hysterical site (the premise of which includes one writer’s hyperbolic response to being rejected by umpteen-million agents), but I would be remiss to leave this controversial site out: realize to find agents to work with you for real you have to find agents who are willing, first and foremost, to consider new clients. In other words, when you read this site, you will understand that you should only approach agents who are actively taking on new clients. Don’t waste their time or yours. There are also books that include pages of agents and books that are devoted just to agent listings. The one most writers speak most highly of is Jeff Herman's Guide To Book Publishers, Editors & Literary Agents, 2006 [or whatever the current year is…]. Check it out and good luck! |
