How To Find a Literary Agent

Here's How:

1. Finish writing your novel before contacting literary agents. Have other writers or a professional editor go through your book. We all have blind spots as writers; identify them before contacting any agents with your novel.
2. Establish some credibility as a writer. An agent will be more likely to pay attention to your work if you have published in smaller journals and magazines or been through an MFA program.
3. Research literary agents. Find out who represents authors you admire. Pick up a copy of the "Guide to Literary Agents." Subscribe to Publisher's Marketplace, an industry newsletter, which announces deals. (For a fee, you may also access an online database of agents and editors.) Talk to anyone you know who has an agent. Start keeping a list of agents who seem appropriate to what you're doing.
4. Avoid literary agents who charge fees. Most agents do not charge reading fees. Although there may be exceptions, most legitimate agents will read work for free. If an agent wants money to read your work, be very cautious. (In fact, there are so many agents out there, I would just move on.)
5. Write your query letter. State how you heard about them and why you think your novel would be a good fit with them. Tell your novel's plot in a brief paragraph that includes a hook to make them want to keep reading. Finally, provide a short bio including any publishing credits or other pertinent experiences. The query letter should be no more than a page long.
6. Write a synopsis. This is a very difficult thing to write, and there are strict rules with regard to tone and formatting. (See the "Guide to Literary Agents," the sister of "Novel and Short Story Writer's Market" for a complete list of rules and examples of successful synopses.)
7. Decide which literary agents you will query first and find out exactly what materials they prefer to receive intially. Most agents provide very clear instructions on how to submit to them. Some like to see a synopsis, others just a few chapters. Some agents even provide sample query letters. Pay attention to these instructions, as they will mark you as a professional.
8. Enclose an SASE. If you want the manuscript returned, enclose a manila envelope with return postage. Otherwise, send a business-sized, self-addressed, stamped envelope for their response.
9. If you are submitting to more than one agent at a time, be sure to let them know. This can be a simple sentence toward the end of the letter that you're "sending to a handful of agents at this time." The publishing world is really rather small; agents do talk to each other. Let them know exactly what you're doing to avoid miscommunications later. Likewise, if an agent requests an exclusive read, honor it.
10. At the same time, protect yourself. It can take months, even years, to find the right agent. You do want to send to more than one at once unless you've promised someone an exclusive reading period. And if you do so, limit the time period to a few weeks or a month so that you don't lose months waiting for an agent who might ultimately reject you.
11. Be professional in your follow-ups. Remember that you're asking them for something, not the other way around. Even if you are treated unprofessionally, which you might be, maintain a professional demeanor in your conversations and correspondence. Unless you have a really personal connection with an agent or he or she has called you first, stick with letters and email as much as possible.
12. Cultivate relationships with other writers involved in the process of finding a literary agent. Not only will you be able to share information on agents -- who's good and how they treat writers who submit work -- but you will have a support network when you receive rejections.

Tips:

1. Be prepared to do some revision. The role that editors once played in shaping a manuscript is falling more and more to agents. Be grateful for any feedback an agent might offer, especially if it dovetails with other comments you've received. At the same time, until you've signed a contract with someone, understand that you might do a lot of revision for someone, only to be rejected in the end.
2. Don't take rejection personally. Agents, like publishing houses, are deluged by work and often are overwhelmed. If you don't hear back from someone, it's not necessarily you. Also keep in mind that nonfiction sells much better than fiction right now, and agents can only afford to sign fiction they're really passionate about. Try not to take rejections too personally.
3. Be prepared to send to a lot of agents. Prepare a list of fifty or so agents and be ready to work your way through it. If, at the end of that, you still haven't come close to signing your novel, consider re-working the book or paying for professional advice and feedback. But don't give up or make drastic changes based on one or two rejections.

What You Need:

• Finished novel.
• "Guide to Literary Agents."
• Quality paper for cover letters.
• Quality printer for printing out your manuscript.
• Large manila envelopes.
• Business-sized envelopes.
• Persistence and patience. A sense of humor also helps.