Thriller Agents

MelancholyMan · Jul 15, 2008

Who are some agents/agencies that might be responsive to an international/espionage thriller about a North Korean nuclear weapons project? I've shotgunned queries in the past but this time around I'm really trying to be focused. Can anyone help in this regard?

Thanks,
-MM

blueobsidian · Jul 15, 2008

Here's a good place to begin your research:
http://www.agentquery.com/

IceCreamEmpress · Jul 15, 2008

Go into a bookstore or library. Find books that are roughly similar to yours, or that appeal to the same audience. Find out who represents those authors, either by checking the "acknowledgments" or researching on the Internet. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Linda Adams · Jul 15, 2008

Try International Thriller Writers. Agent members are listed on the Web site. I went down the list when I was submitting thrillers, plus through the Writer's Market and the individual agent Web sites.

narnia · Jul 16, 2008

Linda Adams said:
Try International Thriller Writers. Agent members are listed on the Web site. I went down the list when I was submitting thrillers, plus through the Writer's Market and the individual agent Web sites.

Expanding on Linda's excellent suggestion

, if you go to the link below you will find a list of agents who were present for AgentFest and participated because they handle thrillers.

Best of luck in your search!

http://www.thrillerwriters.org/thrillerfest/agentfest.html

MelancholyMan · Jul 16, 2008

MelancholyMan · Jul 16, 2008

IceCreamEmpress said:
Go into a bookstore or library. Find books that are roughly similar to yours, or that appeal to the same audience. Find out who represents those authors, either by checking the "acknowledgments" or researching on the Internet. Lather, rinse, repeat.

I have also read that anyone who represents someone 'important' won't have time for a noob so 'always' go for the lowliest list-building, schmuck at the agency.

-John

IceCreamEmpress · Jul 16, 2008

MelancholyMan said:
I have also read that anyone who represents someone 'important' won't have time for a noob so 'always' go for the lowliest list-building, schmuck at the agency.

I don't know where you read this, but I don't think it's accurate. Newer agents are more interested in acquiring clients than more established agents, it's true, but you can usually see if someone is taking on clients from either their agency website or their Publishers Marketplace listing.

MelancholyMan · Jul 16, 2008

IceCreamEmpress said:
I don't know where you read this...

Neither do I! It was just something I came across. My favorite was a book on getting an agent. It was written by Evan Marshall. It had several chapters on querying and tips for writing the perfect query. In the back it had several example query letters Mr. Marshall were good examples. His examples were all opposite in structure and content from his own suggestions! Argghhhh!!!! Why do we have to deal with people?!?

-MM

narnia · Jul 17, 2008

MelancholyMan said:
I have also read that anyone who represents someone 'important' won't have time for a noob so 'always' go for the lowliest list-building, schmuck at the agency.

-John

Nope, not true from my own limited experience. And I do believe that many of the folks who participated in AgentFest were not low on the totem pole at their agencies and knew that the majority of those pitching to them were noobs, if for no other reason than that was the nature of the event. In fact, the agents who showed the most enthusiasm for my paranormal suspense mss were the 'bigger' ones. These folks gave up an afternoon to sit and speed-date (we had three minutes at each agent to pitch), which had to be as stressful to them as it was to most of the folks in that room, so they must have been interested in looking for new talent.

Hope that helps!

JJ Cooper · Jul 17, 2008

I heard the speed-agenting session went down very well, Narnia. I have a feeling it will be huge next year once we see the results trickle in of those who got picked up.

I recommend the International Thriller Writers site as well (and not just because I'm on it).

JJ

narnia · Jul 17, 2008

JJ Cooper said:
I heard the speed-agenting session went down very well, Narnia. I have a feeling it will be huge next year once we see the results trickle in of those who got picked up.

I recommend the International Thriller Writers site as well (and not just because I'm on it).

JJ

Heh. Yeah, I'm jealous ...

(I'm on it too but not as a debut author ... Yet!)

Thriller Agents

MelancholyMan

Wear Thick Armor

blueobsidian

IceCreamEmpress

Hapless Virago

Linda Adams

Soldier, Storyteller

narnia

MelancholyMan

Wear Thick Armor

MelancholyMan

Wear Thick Armor

IceCreamEmpress

Hapless Virago

MelancholyMan

Wear Thick Armor

narnia

JJ Cooper

.

narnia