Writers' & Artists' Yearbook

This isn't a direct answer to your question because I don't have a W & A subscription and I didn't use it for agent research. Instead I used the library's print copy to research UK publishers early last year.

What I found was that although the library had the most current print edition, in terms of publishers, the list was almost hopelessly out of date. Publishers had gone out of business, others that previously took unagented materials either changed that policy or had a submission freeze, the submissions policy had changed in other respects, etc.

I would still use the print edition as one source of research in terms of assembling a list, supplementing with the plentiful internet resources, but I wouldn't pay for the print edition (and again, I'm talking publishers).

I wonder if your library has a subscription to the online version that you can use? (or try to talk them into subscribing ... )

Which is the best book for lists of angents/publishers in UK and US?

I have always bought the Writers Handbook and I was about to order the newest edition on Amazon, but paused to wonder if it's still the best book out there on the subject.
I am based in Europe so I would be looking at UK agents and publishers first but wouldn't mind having a list of US ones too.
Thanks!

I find online to be a better, more up to date way of keeping track of who wants what. I tend to use Literary Rejections a lot.

Yep. Books have went the way of the pterodactyl. Everything you need to know is at your fingertips.

Plus, by the time they're printed and released, the paper versions are often woefully out of date.

I look at Agent Query and Publishers Marketplace, as well as specific genre databases. Here on AW in the Science Fiction section, for example, we have a very detailed and current list of science fiction and fantasy agents. When looking at recently published work, I check the front matter to see if the author thanks their agent. Amazon Kindle's 'Look Inside' feature is great for that.

Querytracker covers a decent number of UK agents, Agent Query's coverage is much sparser.
This site also has a listing http://www.writersservices.com/listings/uk-literary-agent-listing

Thank you, people, you've saved me the money!

While I'm at it, would it be too much to ask you where I can find out a specific agent's reputation?

The Bewares and Background check forum on AW . Seriously, it's invaluable--you'll get a lot of first-hand experience from people who've queried and been repped by particular agents. Querytracker also has a comment section for listed agents, but from what I've seen, it's mostly confined to query and response times (which is also excellent information to know!)

In terms of sales history in your genre, etc., you could take out a subscription to Publishers' Marketplace (I think it's $20 per month). It could get expensive, but it's definitely useful!

Best of luck!!

Don't forget you can get the Writers & Artists Yearbook from the library for free! So you don't have to spend anything.

I would get that and use online resources too. There never seems to be quite as much info on list sites for UK agents as there is US. I was looking around today and you seem to have to pay to get all the info on most of the sites, which I would never bother with.

The only decent free one I found today was Literary Rejections, as Jo Zebedee said up thread.

Yes, this specific forum. I never submit to anybody before I run a search on them here. I do a lot of googling to find the publishers and agents who handle what I write, and it's amazing (or maybe not) how often AW pops up. AW has been an invaluable help to me through this fiction writing thing that I've begun not all that long ago. Advice on the business and the art of fiction writing. I've placed books with two small publishers since I've been on this site, and really don't know that it would have happened without the help I've gotten here.

I'm anxious to return the favor, but honestly am still so uncertain of it all that I often bite my tongue--the only thing worse than no advice is bad advice. I'm still very much in the honeymoon phase with both of my publishers, who have acted responsibly and with consideration thus far, but as soon as I have more to report, good or even not so good, I will post here so others may either take advantage of what good I've encountered, or dodge a bullet.

Such a difficult thing we're all trying to do. I'll say it truly does my somewhat tainted heart 'good' to see all the passionate and well-intended artists on this forum. You are my favorite kind of people. We live in a negative world, and anyone who has the guts and the faith to fight that trend--please excuse the overused and the often undeserved expression--really is a hero to me. Win, lose, or draw, we fight the good fight. If you're rolling your eyes right now, I understand. But believe me, regardless of the messages we get to the contrary, it means something.

@Caopaux [h=1]Writers' and Artists' Yearbook 2015 and years backwards[/h]

I only see the one by firstwriter for 2016 on Amazon now, I thought it was the same one!

Writers & Artists Yearbook online - help!

Does anyone know if the Writers and Artists Yearbook online listings (which is £25/yr for a subscription) also includes the agencies in the Children's version, and if the online listings are searchable by agents who accept YA? Or am I better buying the physical book as a jumping off point? Ideally I'd subscribe to the online listings (with the usual caveat about quality), but I cannot for the life of me find out on their website whether or not that includes all the listings in the Children's version.

try your local library, they should have it

I don’t have a local library, and I don’t mind buying the book (it’s cheaper than the online subscription!), what I want to know is whether or not the online version has the same info as the children’s print version and if I can filter for that.

It's been a few years since I subscribed with them, but as I recall, the online version had even more than the print version and was also kept more up-to-date. And yes, I was able to filter and save entries. But I can't say whether any of that has changed. You could always email them and ask directly about the differences between online and the print version: writersandartists [at] bloomsbury (dot) com