I’ve been blogging about
historical fiction for the last six years, but, in August 2020, my own debut
novel, Bronte’s Mistress, will be released by Atria Books (more on
this here). In this series, Writers’ Questions, I’m sharing some advice about
the writing and publication process to help fellow writers. Last time, I wrote about ‘thought verbs’ and how filtering language might be
harming your novel. This time we’re talking the first step towards being traditionally
published—finding a literary agent.
For most genres, being
represented by an agent is crucial for landing a deal with a large publishing
house. But how do you go about finding the agent(s) who are best for you?
Below, I lay out some avenues to explore.
 |
| Browne & Miller Literary Associates - the agency I signed with |
The Acknowledgments of novels you like
At the back of almost all novels,
writers thank the people in their lives who made writing and publishing their
books possible. Unsurprisingly, agents are often at the top of these lists.
You’re already reading widely in your genre (aren’t you?), so make sure you
read the Acknowledgments of recent novels that seem similar to yours and
research the agents mentioned there.
Querytracker
This website is a huge database
of literary agents, which you can search (e.g. by genre and location). What’s
more, there’s extensive crowd-sourced data about agents’ response rates and
times, which you’ll love if, like me, you get a little obsessed while in the
query trenches. Submit your own rejections and requests to keep track and share
info with fellow writers.
PW.org
The Poets & Writers website
also houses a (shorter) list of agents, detailing their preferred genres, some
existing clients and query format preferences.
Agent Query
A third database is Agent Query.
I still found this site helpful, although the user interface isn’t as easy as
Querytracker or PW to navigate.
Manuscript Wish List
The Manuscript Wish List website
is a wonderful resource for those seeking representation. Here, agents and
editors list not just genres but more specific details of about the books on
their submissions ‘wish lists’. Use specific search terms (e.g. I looked for
terms including “Bronte” and “Victorian”) to find agents who might be your
perfect match. You can also search “#MSWL” on Twitter to surface agent tweets
about what they’re looking for. Double up search terms e.g. “#MSWL historical”
to get the lay of the land for what agents are seeking in a genre.
Writers' & Artists’ Yearbook
My agent, like me, is based in
the US. But when I was querying I researched both American and British
agencies. If you’re in or linked to the UK, the Writers' & Artists' Yearbook
should be your bible. This book comes out annually and gives you an overview of
all British literary agencies and their submission preferences.
Interviews on writerly websites and podcasts
Writing-related publications
often profile agents, especially those earlier on in their careers who are
actively looking to grow their client list. Writer’s Digest is a great place to
start to find these interviews but read/listen widely to find other relevant
content.
Writing conferences
Many writing conferences give you
the chance to pitch live to agents (for a fee). Conferences are an expensive
option but may be worth it depending on the attendees and agenda. Do your
research to find the conferences that are relevant and achievable for you. I’ve
personally attended and enjoyed the Writer’s Digest Annual Conference and the
Historical Novel Society Conference but found both more useful for connecting
with other writers than those in the publishing industry.
Contests
Another paid option is entering
contests for unpublished writers that boast a literary agent judge. Just do
your due diligence about the contest organisers and format. You don’t want to
be scammed or to sign away the rights to your hard work by not reading the small
print.
So there you have it—a variety of
ways you can go about finding your agent. As part of this series, I’m also
planning posts on why literary agents are so necessary and the querying
process, so let me know if you have other questions you’d love me to answer on agents.
As ever, you can connect with me here, on Facebook, or by tweeting
@SVictorianist.
And if you want updates on
Bronte’s Mistress, make sure you sign up for my email newsletter below.
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