Finding an agent

I'd use agentquery to help draw up a list of possible agents (look for those who rep both YA/MG and christian). You can also go to the preditors and editors website to see if any of those have had complaints. I'd also look on the background checks in here to see compliments/complaints about those agents, too.

FYI - 89k is a bit long for middle grade/YA boy novels, IMHO (especially for a first-time author). I wouldn't go more than 55k to 60k or so--might be something to consider.

You have a very narrow market--christian MG/YA boys--so it might be hard for you to find an agent. I write YA, but not christian, and not for boys, so I may not be the best help. LOL

Another idea--have you tried looking in the acknowledgment pages of those books that fit your genre? Authors will often send kudos to their agents. Another way of getting names.

Publisher's Marketplace can also list agent sales, and you can see if any of them are in the christian genre.

Worst comes to worst, you can always try subbing it yourself to the publishing houses, though you may sit in a slush pile for over a year.

Good luck! Let us know how it goes. Hopefully, someone else on here may be better help for you.

Have you done any querying at all, by the way?

If you have $25 (I think), buy Sally Stuart's Christian Writers Market Guide. Her info is terrific, and in her agent section she gives what they rep.

But please, before you sign with anyone, look at our Bewares and Background Check Index. If there's nothing there, ask in the forum. Just because an agent or publisher claims to be Christian, doesn't mean they're not a scam.

For instance, you definitely want to steer clear of Christian Literary Agency.

Roger J Carlson said:

But please, before you sign with anyone, look at our Bewares and Background Check Index. If there's nothing there, ask in the forum. Just because an agent or publisher claims to be Christian, doesn't mean they're not a scam.

For instance, you definitely want to steer clear of Christian Literary Agency.

Click to expand...

Definitely. It's always good to doublecheck, even if they are listed in Sally's guide, things change quickly. You can call the office and confirm the agent's name and addy before sending.

Please, please, before you spend any money for anything consider joining a writing org. and/or going to a conference. In the Christian market the conferences are GREAT networking opportunities - Mt. Hermon, Sandy Cove are the biggies, there's another one that slips my mind now.
ACFW - American Christian Ficiton Writers if you are writing with Christian content you REALLY should be a member of this, lots of info, support and access to published authors and editors. acfw.com
RWA (RWANational.org) has a subchapter just for Inspirational romance
You need not be published to join either of these.
The first step is not an agent, it's networking to help you make the best of going for an agent.

Anne Jones - Sadie In Waiting (Steeple Hill - out Apr. 07 in mass market reprint)

Glorieta has one coming up in October, too. I hear it's good. Any opinions on that one by anybody here, perchance?

Thanks.

L.Jones said:

Please, please, before you spend any money for anything consider joining a writing org. and/or going to a conference. In the Christian market the conferences are GREAT networking opportunities - Mt. Hermon, Sandy Cove are the biggies, there's another one that slips my mind now.
ACFW - American Christian Ficiton Writers if you are writing with Christian content you REALLY should be a member of this, lots of info, support and access to published authors and editors. acfw.com
RWA (RWANational.org) has a subchapter just for Inspirational romance
You need not be published to join either of these.
The first step is not an agent, it's networking to help you make the best of going for an agent.

Anne Jones - Sadie In Waiting (Steeple Hill - out Apr. 07 in mass market reprint)

Click to expand...