How to Stalk an Agent (nicely)

When you feel like your manuscript has been critiqued and rewritten to an inch of its life, you may be ready to start looking for representation. I know many agents will say most authors submit too early, but when you are starting out, you don’t know what that means. So go ahead and submit when you think you are ready, because maybe you are. And if you’re not, don’t worry; you’ll soon know it by all the form rejections!

I like the idea of vetting my manuscript through an agent before taking my one shot at an editor. (Agents can be like a trial run to see if your manuscript has merit and if one is interested, can help you with that final polish.)

How do you find agents?

Traditionally, you’d go to book listings such as the annual Writer’s Digest Guide to Literary Agents. The companion blog to this book is http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/ run by Chuck Sambuchino. He does a great job of offering info about new agents, agent advice, author advice, winning query letters, contests, and more.

Other more traditional avenues include:

• attending writer’s conferences

• talking with other writers

• scanning the acknowledgment pages of books you like

• reading newsletters and magazines announcing publishing deals (like Publisher’s Weekly)

Now, for the fun stalking part. If your goal is to narrow your list down to the agents who will most likely ask for a full, there are some ways you can learn their interests, quirks, and dislikes.

Agent blogs and newsletters

I like when an agent blogs. Some people don’t, saying it takes too much time away from their “real” responsibilities. I think blogging is good for an agent’s clients because that is just one more bit of publicity for their books. And for us aspiring-types, we get to learn if that agent is a fit for us.

Twitter (Twit chats, seeing who others are following, #FF (Friday Follow), forwards)

There are a LOT of writers, agents, editors, bookstores, librarians, etc. on Twitter. Like blogging, twittering can tell you a lot about an agent. You can learn her likes and dislikes, find out if she’s cleared her query inbox and other good stuff. Learn that she is off to the London Book Fair, so you know you won’t be hearing from her this week, etc. For an excellent primer on Twitter, start with http://www.inkygirl.com/twitter-guide-for-writers-part-1/

Contests

On our Contest page I try to post the urls of contests that put you in touch with agents. Sometimes contests are quick (announced on Twitter and they last a day or so.) Even if you don’t enter a contest, you can learn a lot about an agent by watching the winners and comments. For example, The Secret Agent contest is a fun one because the SA stops by and gives comments on each entry. There is one going on right now, so be sure to check it out and you’ll see what I mean.

Others places:

Author blogs—if you know who your agent reps, you can follow her authors for snipits of agent news and to get a feel for the kind of writing the agent leans towards.

Query Tracker—is an online database of agents, plus a blog all geared to helping you find an agent.

Message boards (like Verla Kay’s Children’s Writers & Illustrators Message Board for children’s writers)—talk to like-minded authors as well as hear directly from agents who check in periodically.

What about agents who aren’t online? Yeah. They are a bit tougher to stalk and you’ll have to rely on the traditional methods. Casey McCormick at Literary Rambles has managed to compile some info on the more reclusive agents. She focuses on YA and MG.

Anyone else have some tips on where agents hang out?