? about agents

It's not a waste of time, especially if you want your book to have the best chance at being noticed. But finding an agent is like find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Best of luck.

There are hundreds of places online where you can find free lists of agents. They'll tell you what genre they work in and how to submit. Try one this one.

www.litmatch.com

You can also try www.agencyquery.com which allows you to search by genre. You could also puchase or borrow a copy of "Writer's Market" from your local library/bookstore/Amazon. That lists agents and their submissions guidelines.

I think you mean [url]agentquery.com[/url]

I'd suggest that you concentrate first on getting the first 50 pages immaculized and ready to show. Then show small sections on peer review sites to get feedback (and maybe find out they weren't as immaculate as you thought)

I would go ahead and submit at that point. Start by querying the email-accepting agents. Have a good one-sentence grabber and like a two-paragraph synopsis, and a sentence of two biography IF it says anything about your qualifications to write a book on the subject.

Shotgun the sucker out. If they want to see more, you've already got the 50 page excerpt ready to rock.

Good luck

I more or less agree with Lin except to say that if you're submitting fiction, the ENTIRE manuscript better be perfect and ready to mail off the minute the agent asks for it. It's rather a sin to say it isn't ready yet after the agent expresses an interest.

Malcolm

Believe me... the time delay from initial query submission to getting MS requests will be plenty sufficient to cover the time needed to finish editing the MS. To say the least.

If not, finish it up, then send it. It's not like they care (or even notice) a time delay between the request and the submission.

Zelman, the chance of getting a mainline trade publisher to look at any "over the transom" submission hovers around zero. For them to consider your work you should have an agent. Large agencies will check you out if you have written an excellent letter to them (not e-mail), but when they study your background it helps to have a good track record. Despite what some people may tell you, they are interested in what you have done in order to judge what you will do in the future. They need to know you are not a one-shot wonder because finding a Harper Lee or Margaret Mitchell is rare indeed.
By far your best bet in finding an agent is through a face-to-face meeting. That can be accomplished at many seminars, conventions and workshops. Then it is up to you to sell yourself and your work. It's far from easy but with enough determination it can be done.