Fighting The Query Wars

It's a cliche, really, that everyone claims they have a book in them. But very few ever actually write that book. Well, this is for those of you who have done just that and now want to take the next step--finding an agent to represent your book.

And let me anticipate one of your questions off the git-go: do you need an agent. The short answer is 'yep.' And the longer version is you can go it alone through other venues that don't require an agent to get to an editor. Some of the publishing houses still take un-agented submissions but your submission will get dumped in the slush-pile. Chances for your book at that level are akin in my way of thinking to winning the lotto. E-publishers typically will look at submissions without going through an agent. Be careful going that route as there are certainly very good and totally legitimate e-publishers and this area is exploding by leaps and bounds, but just as there are excellent e-publishers there are bad characters out there as well. So tread carefully. Do your vetting. And there's vanity presses. Frankly, if I have to pay to have my book published I'd just as soon burn it first.

Okay, let's get back on point. Getting an agent. First, the good news. There are many excellent online sources available to research agents. The bad news (or perhaps more accurately) the cold hard reality news is that landing an agent ain't easy. It's a slog, really. And if you truly are committed to being published it's a process you cannot skip. It has a number of moving parts and if you expect to grab the brass ring, you're gonna have to jump through some fiery hoops (sorry about that ring and hoop thing).

A good place to research agents is Query Tracker: http://www.querytracker.net/. The basic service is free and if you want the full service there is a modest charge. Either way it was invaluable in organizing and implementing my query program that eventually got me representation. There are others similar to Query Tracker out there. I tried them but found this one superior in vetting their agent list. They are careful not to list potentially problem agents.

Another excellent source is The Association of Authors' Representatives: http://www.aaronline.org/. This is the professional organization for agents. In order to join agents must adhere to certain qualifications, regulations and rules. You are in good hands when dealing with these member agents.

Another source that is helpful in vetting agents as well is Preditors & Editors: http://anotherealm.com/prededitors/.

And then there's the Absolute Writer Water Cooler. The is a forum for published and unpublished writers on every subject near and dear to a writer's heart. Explore it. http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/

Okay, I've just touched the surface, but the above sources are a good starting point in compiling your query list of agents. In my next post I'll address the mechanics of querying--the good, the bad, and the ugly.