This week I wanted to share some sites that I have used for researching Agents to query my novel. I found them helpful to track my queries, as well as to see Manuscript Wish Lists of agents and gauge if my novel fits what they're looking for.
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Query Tracker:
This site is really great because it allows you to search agents, and see if they are open to new queries. It also helps you with tracking where your submission generally is in an Agent's slush pile. The site also has a comment section for each agent, which I find helpful to gauge the response rate of an Agent, as well as find out if the agents tend to use a form rejection when replying.
Most of the features that I mentioned are not available for free, but the annual fee for them is not much. It's only $25. I think it's well worth the cost, and it's very helpful on tracking your submissions on a project. Prior to this I was just using a spread sheet to track my query submissions, but this site makes it much easier and fluid.
Publisher's Marketplace:
This is another great site to use if you have access. When trying to choose an agent, it is helpful to know if they are selling books. Publisher's Marketplace allows you to search agent pages, as well as see their recent sales, and see what kind of books they are selling.
Unfortunately most of those features comes with a price tag for membership. Unlike query tracker, it can be a bit more expensive. Better to check with your writing community friends to see if they have a membership to check on an agent for you if you can't afford it. If you are interested in getting a membership, they have three options for payment:
$25 for a month
$140.00 for six months
$275.00 for a year
You can still search the agent profile pages for free, and some agents have their recent sales listed there so you can review.
Manuscript Wishlist:
I love this site. Why? Because it answers the question authors have for agents directly, "What do you want!?"
With Manuscript Wish List you can search agents, and see what they are actively looking for in books. These profiles are managed by the actual agents, and they are able to list books they like, genres they are searching for, and you can learn a little more about the agents with their short biographies. Remember when choosing an agent, you are not only looking for someone to represent your book, but someone you will be willing to work with for a long time.
As with all the other sites I have mentioned, it's a good idea to make sure that you are actively checking multiple sites at once for an agent. I have found that Manuscript Wish List is not always updated, and some agents might have changed agencies since they last updated their page. So always check the agency's website and make sure that the Agent still works there before you query them.
Twitter:
Twitter is the best place to see agents. They are always posting their manuscript wish lists. All you have to do is search for the hashtag #MSWL. It's also good because you can get to know the agent more on a personal level, and see if this is someone that you would like to work with.
Agents also post about the industry news, and changes in the industry. Remember selling books is a business, so you want to be familiar with what's trending too. It's also a good source to see if an agent is open to queries, or if they have moved to a different agency.
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I hope you find these webpages as useful as I have in researching agents who you want to query for your novel.
As always, if you have questions or just want to connect with me, you can find me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.