Friday, July 22, 2011

100 sites for fiction writers: #35 - AgentQuery

This is an ongoing series looking at websites that can be of help to fiction writers with their craft and career.


AgentQuery


For decades book writers have been seeking the services of literary agents to help get their manuscripts before editors and publishers, and potentially to sell the rights to the books. Literary agents are supposed to be part of the "in" crowd, knowing what particular editors are looking for, knowing the publishing business, etc.

Digital publishing has come along and is starting to change how many literary agents work, and some writers' opinions of using agents in the first place, but one thing is still true: Plenty of writers out there continue to want to work with an agent.

To that end, the site AgentQuery exists.

Imagine a search engine that focuses specifically on finding a literary agent, and you'll have a pretty good idea of what AgentQuery actual is. You can go to the site and use the Searchable Database to find an agent, and each agent and/or agency listed has a complete profile, which can help you decide which agents draw your interest.

But this website offers more.

If you are a beginning writer and not sure just how literary agents can work for you, check out the site's About Literary Agents link. If you need to learn the basics of writing a query letter, go to How to Write a Query Letter.

There are also plenty of other resources, such as Websites for Writers, information about Grants and Foundations, and the basics on How to Publish an E-book. All that is just the tip of the iceberg, because there is much more information for writers at AgentQuery.

On a related note, in some of today's writing circles, agents are somewhat frowned upon. But that doesn't mean the right agent for you can't give your writing career a boost and help keep you focused. Just be wary when you are considering an agent, and make sure to ask questions of any agent or agency interested in your work.

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