QUERYING PART 2: AGENTS AND PUBLISHERS
QUERYING PART 2: AGENTS AND PUBLISHERS
There are a few steps you'll want to take to succeed in making that all-important connection, and here are some useful online tools to help get you there.
HOW TO FIND AN AGENT
Top 100 agents
"Should You Pitch (and Sign With) a New Literary Agent? The Pros and Cons…"
Querytracker.net - A free online database of over 1,500 literary agents, which includes information such as query response times and discussion forums about the querying process for each agent.
Directory of Literary Agents
AgentQuery Connect
"How to Find a (Real!) Literary Agent"
"How to Land (and Keep) a Literary Agent"
How to get an agent – query, etc.
The Pitch to editors – various agents
WHAT AGENTS ARE LOOKING FOR/NOT LOOKING FOR
Agent Manuscript Wishlist
What Literary Agents Are Reading
Publisher's Marketplace - What people are publishing in today's market.
AGENTS/SCAMS TO AVOID
Writer Beware – Literary Agents - Red flags that let you know to run the other way.
Victoria Strauss - It's Not a Jungle Out There (Or An Ocean, Or Whatever)
INFO ON THE QUERYING PROCESS
"Why You Should Only Query 6-8 Agents at a Time"
"On Querying and Subbing Simultaneously"
Sub It Club - "A support group for writers and illustrators who are submitting (or thinking about submitting) their work. Writers of any genre are welcome to join us. We talk submissions, critique query letters, help each other with pitches, share tips, and more."
25 Things Writers Should Know About Agents
PUBLISHERS
Want to skip the agent and go directly to the source? Here are a few places to find out more information on publishers, many of whom take direct submissions from authors.
"5 Horror and Dark Fiction Publishers Accepting Unsolicited Manuscripts"
"5 Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishers Accepting Unagented Manuscripts from Writers"
"7 Horror Publishers Accepting Submissions Directly from Writers - No Agent Required"
"Book Publisher Markets" (Ralan.com) - List of publishers of speculative fiction.
Internet Publishing (Piers Anthony) - A prolific speculative fiction writer, Piers Anthony has compiled an extensive list of publishers with a short blurb to let you know about each one.
"Publishers Accepting Unagented Manuscripts"
Small Presses (Poets & Writers) - A highly reputable writing site, you can search their database by genre, subgenre or just browse their list from A to Z.
CONTESTS
There are a TON of contests out there that will take your unpublished manuscript and help you polish it up, get an agent, and/or sell it to a publisher. Here are a few great ones.
"Crits and Contests" (Miss Snark's First Victim)
Nightmare on Query Street (Michelle Hauck)
Pitch Wars
#PitMad
Query Kombat (Michelle Hauck)
Sun versus Snow (Michelle Hauck)