Seeking Out The "Perfect" Literary Agent

[WriterDoug]

I know I have seen a few threads that are similar in nature to this one, but I was unable to find them (unless, that is, I have to dig really far back.)

I spent the weekend at the local library thumbing through a fat copy of the Literary Market Place, and I photocopied several pages that were of interest to me. Ultimately what I have now is a checkmark next to eighteen potential literary agencies that I feel are suitable in representing my work. I have based my decisions on whether or not the agents were registered members of the AAR, whether or not they charged fees, and of course by their specialties and guidelines. Mostly what I wanted to see was "specializes in literary fiction and / or historical or biography fiction" in order to fulfill my needs.

I am now in the process of looking up all eighteen of these agencies online to try and get as much information as I can, especially regarding the titles that they have represented. I am also not thrilled that so many of them first desire a query letter via snail-mail (so that the entire process of just saying "Hi." shall require a lot of time and money,) but I suppose that is unavoidable. I have been sitting on a novel for nearly a year and feel I am ready to proceed to this next major step, so what I am asking from (any of) you is any extended advise if you happen to have it. I can start with a burning question of mine: is it acceptable or even advisable to contact several potential agents at once?

I feel I have researched this topic to death, but I am one of those types that is never fully convinced of his or her own capability.

cheers,
WD

[lin robinson]

Absolutely. Contact all of them at once. You may not get a request for a sample from any of them. (So you start over) You may not ever get an agknowledgement of receipt of your query from any of them, frankly.

Shotgun queries. The email queries don't cost anything, mail is cheap.

Try this AgentQuery :: Find the Agent Who Will Find You a Publisher

[Triceratops]

Blast away my friend. Try to personalize each one if you can. Make very sure your query and synopsis is up to snuff. Run it by the critique board. For such a small paper, the query is vastly important.

Tri

[dustinzgirl]

My grandmother, god love her, is currently seeking a literary agent for me and my unremarkable works, as she informed me this morning. Its darling that she thinks I'm a genious, but she may be slightly biased---just a bit.

[lin robinson]

With a granny in your corner, how can you lose?

[WriterDoug]

Ugh, I need to address another point.

My main problem right now is deciding how to contact these agents. Here are some things I have seen:

"No fax or email queries."
"No phone, fax or email queries."
"No email queries."
"Please do not call us."
"Query with SASE."

How can I know for sure what is their ideal method of being contacted when they do not even specify? I would of course prefer to use regular mail as a LAST option if I can help it, but let us say for example I contact one of the agents that prefers "no queries via fax or email" - does this necessarily mean I can or cannot call this person over a regular telephone line? How about the agent that writes, "Query with SASE" - is he or she implying this is the only way you will be sure to get noticed? I also have no idea how to actually deliver a proper query via the phone; I have just always had one written out as a letter.

cheers,
WD

[Birol]

You're in the States. Don't call.

[WriterDoug]

I am going to dissect one of these just to express my frustration--!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

xxxx Avenue of the Americas, Suite xxxx, New York, NY xxxxx

President xxxxxxxx, Executive Vice President
xxxxxxxx
Adult fiction and non-fiction (home 15%, overseas 20%). Fiction: all categories except science fiction and fantasy, *especially literary and mainstream; mystery, thrillers and suspense; historical, Regency, contemporary women's, young adult. Non-fiction: politics and film history, biography and memoir, medicine and women's issues; business, finance, psychology, popular science. Works in conjunction with foreign, TV and movie agents. No reading fee. Query first; no unsolicited MSS. No queries by fax or email.
Association of Authors' Representatives

I had the decency to at least cross out some crucial information (afterall, I am not trying to make anyone look like a bad guy,) but take note of the clause that I have marked with a bolding and an asterisk. Am I staring too hard at this, or is this sentence unclear in what it is trying to express? Literary and mainstream fiction is especially desirable or especially undesirable?

cheers,
WD

[Teresa Edgerton]

When in doubt, always send by US mail. If they only want electronic queries, they will say so. Making a query by phone is a bad idea whether they state as much or not. First of all, would you really be collected enough to pitch the story coherently once you had an agent on the line? It might also be difficult getting through to them that way. Then, too, you could be talking to them at a time when they are busy and distracted, rather than in the right mood to sit down and evaluate queries.

I don't know why you prefer not to send your query via the postal service, since you're in the US. It's not that expensive. It's very reliable (as these things go). And it's not going to get caught in somebody's spam filter or otherwise junked by mistake. As for the SASE -- include it only if you want to hear back from them in the case of a rejection. They're not going to pay for stamps to send a "thanks but no thanks" to several hundred people a week.

Fiction: all categories except science fiction and fantasy, *especially literary and mainstream;

It is a little obscure. I would say that if they didn't want literary and mainstream there would be an "and" where you have the asterisk and no comma. But since you can query several agents at once (you have to be more careful with partials and full ms.), go ahead and send a query.

[SJAB]

Originally Posted by WriterDoug

Ugh, I need to address another point.

My main problem right now is deciding how to contact these agents. Here are some things I have seen:

"No fax or email queries."
"No phone, fax or email queries."
"No email queries."
"Please do not call us."
"Query with SASE."

How can I know for sure what is their ideal method of being contacted when they do not even specify? I would of course prefer to use regular mail as a LAST option if I can help it, but let us say for example I contact one of the agents that prefers "no queries via fax or email" - does this necessarily mean I can or cannot call this person over a regular telephone line? How about the agent that writes, "Query with SASE" - is he or she implying this is the only way you will be sure to get noticed? I also have no idea how to actually deliver a proper query via the phone; I have just always had one written out as a letter.

cheers,
WD

WD Query with SASE means go with snail mail for your query letter. This, with sample chapters is almost the standard for UK agents. John Jarrold is one of the few I know of that actually perfers email subs.

So if in doubt go the snail mail route.

Unless they state they take email queries DON'T! Check their web site if they have one, or the info in the writers' market or Writers' and Artists' Year Book, sometimes they will state you can send 50 pages or a sample chapter along with your query by snail mail. This is actually good, you get to show them your writing. Often with an email query you are relying on your pitch alone. I personally feel if I can at least send the agent some of my work I stand a better chance than just a one page pitch.

[Birol]

With these ads, remember the company did not write them. They filled out a form or answered questions from someone who contacted them.

I agree that that sentence is unclear, but I would take it to mean that they especially do want mainstream and literary works.

[lin robinson]

When in doubt, always send by US mail.

Extremely difficult if you don't live in the US.

I have extreme problems with this stuff because where I live there IS NO mail service.

I have had mixed success with explaining that and asking that an exception be made.
(And I just really gotta say this: if anybody is suddenly inspired to post some scold about always follow orders without questioning or negotiating...PLEASE save it, okay. If everybody was as unreasonably rigid as people seem to think nothing would get done...and there would be no point in dealing with them)

So, yeah, it's a problem. I have called people up on Skype and land lines and emailed about this stuff. (Try to sort of subtly suggest that you assume they are open to the voices of less-privileged third world people.)

Some say, no problem. (Alaska Airlines, for example) Some don't reply (the airhead Bennington girls in NYC). Some are downright nasty. (Atlantic...but that's the way they are.)

It's worth trying to work it out, is what I always say.

[Teresa Edgerton]

Originally Posted by lin robinson

Extremely difficult if you don't live in the US.

It wasn't meant as general advice. I was addressing Doug specifically, as he was the one who was asking.

[Interference]

Probably should have read something more like:

Originally Posted by WriterDoug

Fiction: all categories (except science fiction and fantasy), especially literary and mainstream

Why not correct it and offer to sub-edit for them?

[WriterDoug]

I came across a website that made specifically clear you should not query more than one agent at a time, for it could disgruntle the agents in question and urge them to not consider your work. This, however, goes against everything else I have read and been told regarding the matter.

As a side bit, I also read that agents like when you mention the book has not been seen by an editor or publisher, or that you as the writer have not yet attempted to publish said book. This warrants the work is in a truly "virgin" state and has not met with certain rejection.

I plan to submit queries to three or four literary agents at once anyway. I just thought I'd share some of my discoveries.

cheers,
WD