How To Query Agents/Publishers

So what have I been up to over the last two weeks? Frantically getting my new submission ready for a range of agents and publishers. For those of you who have already been through this process (like me once before), you will understand how crucial it is to get the submissions right before you send them out.

For those of you approaching agents/publishers for the first time, I want to give you some advice.

The Novel Writer’s Toolkit

Get a copy of the Novel Writer’s Toolkit, by Caroline Taggart, which I think is a replacement for Writers Market, which was discontinued in 2010 Novel Writers Toolkit

For US based literary agents, I found this website which lists quite a few of them US Literary Agents

Agent Websites

Check each agent website to see what genres they are not interested in. Head straight to the submissions section, where you should find this information. If they don’t indicate this, then look at the agents’ profiles or the authors the agency represents.

Huge Caveat: Do not send your submission to an agency or publisher that is not interested in your genre. Tricky genres include science fiction/fantasy, poetry, short stories. You will be wasting your time. They will reject your work. Don’t think that they might pass it onto another agency. Why would they? They have far too much to do and no loyalty to you.

Research

Check out who each of the agents are on the agency website. Go through their profiles and pick out the agent that is looking for the material you are submitting; that is genre and/or whether they are actively searching for new writing talent. If you are unsure who to pick, look at their client list. Check that the agency/publisher you are targeting is actively seeking submissions. Some agencies prefer to accept submissions from authors that are already published or from their current client list. Ignore them. You are looking for agents that are seeking new writing talent or generally accepting submissions. Do your homework before you start. You will save yourself a lot of time.

Some publishers welcome unsolicited submissions, that is, submissions that come from the writer and not via an agent. Ignore the ones that tell you they only deal with agents, unless you have one.

Personalise

Personalise your cover letter by addressing it to the relevant agent. If this isn’t an option (for example, generic email submissions) don’t worry about it. It is far better to follow their submission guidelines. Try to include a reference to any clients they might already represent, whose writing style matches your own.

Separate Out Each Submission

Treat each agency separately. Don’t create a blanket submission package and send it out without reading the agency’s submission guidelines. This is a lot of work but is absolutely necessary if you want them to take your work seriously.

Read their submission guidelines carefully and if they ask for Times new Roman 12pt double spaced on single page, then give them Times New Roman 12pt double spaced on single page. Don’t give them 10pt calibri, 1.5 single spaced and double sided, unless they ask for it, of course. Most agents want the submissions in the same way so you can quickly find commonalities and prepare your work accordingly.

Don’t bind your work. Agents want the submission presented in a loose leaf format. They receive so many submissions, that they will happily ignore yours if it doesn’t meet their specifications.

Send only what they ask you to send. If you send more because you think you’re a brilliant writer and they would be mad not to read all of it, then you’re deluding yourself. Trust me, agents/publishers won’t thank you for for stepping outside of their submissions guidelines. That’s what they’re there for: to guide you. Use them.

Manage Expectations

Check the agent/publisher website to see what their lead time is for contacting you. Some say 2 weeks, others say 4-6 weeks, and others say they won’t contact you unless they’re interested in reading more. Make a list of all the agents you have queried and their lead times, and WAIT.

I don’t mind actively seeking a response from an agent if they have gone over the time and still haven’t contacted me. BUT, I always wait. They will appreciate that you have given them the breathing space to deal with your submission. You don’t want them to reject you because you were annoying them!

Be professional and courteous. While you might receive a rejection letter or the response time has gone over their recommended guidelines, you should be polite. You never know if you might need to query them again with another book. Best not to burn your bridges.

For me, I’m off to work on my submissions and get them together for my genre-appropriate agencies and publishers.

Agents

UK: http://www.agentsassoc.co.uk/index.php/Directory_of_Members

Ireland: Via Writing.ie http://writing.ie/writers-toolbox/getting-published/irish-agents.html

US: http://www.1000literaryagents.com/literary-agents-us.php

Australia: http://austlitagentsassoc.com.au/members.html

Publishers

Ireland: http://www.publishingireland.com/book-publishers/

UK and their Imprints: http://www.publishers.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=73&Itemid=1190

US: http://publishers.org/members/

Australia:  http://www.publishers.asn.au/links.cfm

To keep this list relevant, please let me know if any of the above website links on Agents and Publishers is wrong and I will change it.

For information on Imprints, read my post on What is an Imprint?

Also, if you’re wondering about whether your work is agent ready, read another post of mine called Checklist Before Submitting to Agents

Good Luck!