How To Find An Agent
You've completed your first novel and you've decided that you want to be trade-published (i.e. find a publisher who will get your novel into bookshops, big chains, supermarkets, etc…). What should you do next? The first step on the path to publication is to get an agent. The reason for this is that most publishers no longer accept unsolicited submissions or submissions that don’t come from a literary agent.
Resources:
Writers and Artists Yearbook -A comprehensive annual directory with a section listing all literary agents. However as it is only published once a year it can quickly become out of date, particularly when agents move between agencies.
Association of Author’s Agents - The British voluntary trade association whose members are all UK-based literary agencies. You can browse their members s’ section for a list of UK literary agencies.
Books - Pick up books you like that are in similar genres or have similar themes to yours and check their acknowledgment section at the end. Most authors will thank their agent in that section.
Web search - If you don’t have a copy of the book, you can google the author’s name and literary agent. Chances are the answer will be in the first few top results.
The Bookseller - The UK publishing industry's trade magazine. Register for free and gain access to a number of useful articles. Check announcements for new deals, especially for debut authors - this is a great way to find out which agent made that deal.
Online databases - A few sites, such as Query Tracker, Agent Query, Jericho Writers Agent Match, offer a searchable database of literary agents for a monthly fee. I know some people find them very useful, but I’ve never used one myself so I can’t comment.
When I was building the list of agents I wanted to submit to I mainly used books, web searches, and The Bookseller. I also made the decision to check out some US literary agencies based in New York (a lot of US agencies will consider international clients, same for UK agencies). I used a traffic-light system (green / amber / red) to categorise the agents on my list from my top-tier to bottom-tier.
Narrowing your choice
Every literary agency has a website and, normally, a page for each agent with their bio, what they are looking for, which genres they represent, and a list of their clients. And this is where the real work starts as you need to decide which agents you want to submit to at each agency. A few things to consider (this is not an exhaustive list):
Are they open to submission?
Do they represent the genre your novel falls under?
What’s on their manuscript wishlist?
What’s their recent favourite reads?
Do they work for a bigger agency or a boutique agency?
Are they a new agent or a more established one? (Newer agents tend to be actively building their lists so are more likely to take on new clients).
Don’t solely rely on agency websites as they only offer a snapshot of an agent’s interests. There are other places to find more information about what they're looking for, their preferences in regards to submissions, any no-no’s, etc... Look at online interviews, blogs, social media posts, agents Q&A’s (currently there is a #AskAgent on Twitter every Wednesday from 1pm - 2pm where literary agents answer any questions about submission & publication), etc... All of those can shed some light. You can also check places such as Words Aways salons and The London Writers Club — both organise regular events where agents come and talk about their work and what they're looking for. This is a great way to get a feel of the person behind the name.
I first came across my agent when I attended a Masterclass she ran on “How To Submit To Agents”. Being able to listen to her speak about how she liked to work with her clients, what she looked for in a successful submission, and how passionate she was about her work was a great decider for me; she was clearly the kind of agent I would like to work with and have represent me.
Bear in mind that the Masterclass took place in late 2016, and I signed with her in March 2020. It took two novels, a long list of agent submissions, a long list of rejections, and countless highs and lows before I got there.
The path to submission can be a daunting process — I know it was for me, with no clue where to look for an agent or what to include in a submission letter. So I hope you find these information useful. I’ll be looking to cover the other steps on the path to submission and publication in future posts so watch this space!
