If you want to query agents, you probably have a lot of questions. How do you find an agent? What should you submit? What are they looking for?

I’m in the query trenches right now, dear reader, so I’m sharing what I’ve learned.

First, a note: this post is about securing an agent for your novel. In fiction, debut authors must have a full manuscript before they query. I’m told most agents are not interested in short stories or poetry. They’re hoping to represent a larger work, which must be finished. If you’re interested in nonfiction, the process differs, and you’ll submit what’s called a proposal.

1. Before you do anything, pick up a copy of The Business of Being a Writer.

It gives tips on the query process in Part Three, but also it provides a comprehensive overview of the publishing business. It tells you not only how to query, but also what to do when you land a book deal.

2. Find agents by checking online resources.

Querytracker.net provides a database of agents. It also includes a forum where writers can share their experience with particular agents. Writers mention things like how long the agent took to respond or how nice the agent’s rejection was. Really. I don’t know about you, but I much prefer a nice rejection.

The Association of Authors’ Representatives is a place I recommend checking. Essentially it is a professional organization that enacts ethical standards upon its agent members. Translation: Most agents on this site are legit. One caveat: not all legit agents are on this site, but many times someone in their agency is.

WriterBeware. While we’re on the topic of legit agents versus not so legit agents, WriterBeware tracks this information. It’s one of the most trusted sites for up-to-date intel on agent scams. Tip: if an agent asks you to pay a reading fee, they aren’t legit.

Writer’s Digest publishes an agent guide every year. It’s a wonderful resource. Go to the back where they list agents by genre. They also have a Guide to Literary Agents blog.

Other resources to check: Publisher’s Marketplace for recent sales. Recent sales help you understand an agent’s tastes. Also, you want to confirm the agent has a track record of sales with publishers that interest you, or if she is starting out, the agency where she’s employed has a strong track record.

3. Create a spreadsheet.

Now that you have a list of agents you want to research further, enter their names in a spreadsheet. Start researching. Create columns for things like contact information and submission guidelines. Write down anything you find about their tastes. This will help you in two ways.

1. You’ll have a place where you can track submissions.
2. You’ll have done your homework and thus will save you and them time during the submission process. What I mean by that is you won’t be submitting to someone who adores women’s fiction when you write male-protagonist thrillers.

4. Query.

Most agents ask for a combination of your query letter and a sample of your work. Some will ask only for the query letter. Some will allow you to submit the first fifty pages of your manuscript while others will suggest five. The range varies tremendously.

Also don’t be thrown off if they ask for other things like a short synopsis, a list of similar works, and a bio separate from your query letter.

I’ll get into the details of query letters in a later post. For now, know that you are not the exception, so don’t act like it. Perhaps you will be one day. Awesome for you! But for now, you are not, so send them exactly what they ask for. No more, no less.

If they want the synopsis, five pages, and a query letter in the body of the email, send that. If they ask only for the query letter do not. I repeat send exactly what they ask for.

Note: many agents ask you to forego sending attachments. They worry about contracting viruses. So, they request that you send everything in the body of an email. Copy and paste from a word document, then convert it to plain text in your email. Then send away.

5. If you get a request for more, send exactly what the agent asks for.

If the agent would like a long synopsis (two pages, single-spaced) along with your full manuscript, send those two things. If she asks only for the full manuscript, provide it. Following directions is one of the keys to querying agents.

Once you send over the requested materials, put a note in your spreadsheet. Create a response column, so you can track agents that you’ve sent your manuscript to and agents that were not as interested as you hoped. Speaking of which…

6. Don’t panic when the rejections come in.

As Jane Friedman puts it,

“resilience in the face of rejection and disappointment is perhaps the biggest key to success in pitching. You can’t let “no” stop your progress. A single no is rarely meaningful. Even a thousand no’s might not be. Take the time to regroup and reflect – even wallow when a pitch fails – but then get back to work.”

Jane Friedman, The Business of Being a Writer, University of Chicago Press, 2018.

Rejection is an inevitable part of the querying process. Taste is subjective. Consider you own. You may love YA fantasy but hate anything that has to do with vampires. Hopefully if you did your homework in step two, you’ve found agents who you truly think would be interested in your work. That saves you and them time, but also it could have the added benefit of reducing your rejections.

Still, you will get rejected, so try not to get too disheartened. A recent workshop I attended led by Creative Capital mentioned that you should have a 5% return rate. That means for every twenty opportunities you submit to, you should receive one positive response.

Put another way, as Jenna Fischer discusses in her book The Actor’s Life, every rejection is building to a yes. You’ll collect a bunch of rejections before you’ll get to a yes. And that’s ok. It’s part of the process. So breathe, take a minute to vent, update your agent spreadsheet to mention their disinterest, then submit another query.

Consider also that most agents quote a rejection rate of 99%. I’m not mentioning that to further your dismay and disappointment. I’m mentioning it because it is absolutely certain you will receive at least one rejection. Even the GOATs received rejections. I found this HuffPost article by William Dietrich, which details how many rejections great writers received, incredibly helpful.

7. Follow Up

You’ll often find information about response times and processes on agency submissions pages, which can guide you on the timeframe of your follow up. If the agency says they don’t respond to queries unless interested, then that’s what they’ll do. Some will mention that if you don’t receive an automated response of receipt then follow up. The biggest thing I’ve learned: follow their directions. Are you sensing a theme in this post?

Generally speaking, if an agent requests a full manuscript, that’s a huge win. However, timeframes vary in terms of their response. Some might get you feedback and an answer on your full in one month. Others might take six.

In Friedman’s book, she recommends following up when you have an offer from another agent. You can tell Agent 1 that you would like a week or two to decide, then email Agent 2 that you’ve received an offer. Agent 2 might only have your query letter at this point or they may have already requested your full manuscript. Either way, Agent 2 likely will want the chance to read your manuscript and make a decision. It’s considered a courtesy to let other agents who are still in the maybe pile know about your offer.

A note on exclusives: agents understand that you’re querying multiple agents at a time. That’s part of the process. If they ask for an exclusive on your manuscript, you have a decision to make. If you decide to grant it, give them a time limit. Two weeks to a month will do. That way you have a date on which you can follow up, and you aren’t waiting six months, when you could have been querying other agents, to hear that they aren’t interested.

Another note on a response you might receive. It’s called a revise and resubmit or R&R. An R&R isn’t necessarily a bad thing, particularly if you agree with the agent’s feedback. Decide if you want to implement their suggestions. If you do, get to work, then resubmit. The agent is essentially saying, I’m intrigued, but you’re not quite there yet. Though it may feel like a lot of work to make the revisions, if you agree with their feedback, why not do it?

This happened to me recently and my manuscript is much stronger for it. I’m grateful to the agent who gave thoughtful feedback, which I agreed with. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have done it.

No matter what type of follow up you’re sending, be professional. Agents are busy. You are not their client yet. You are hoping to secure a business relationship, so act respectfully.

Alright, friends, good luck with the querying process. I’m excited for you. I’m excited for myself. The first step on the road to publishing that manuscript you’ve worked so hard on.