2 Quick Questions (Just 2, that's all)

#1 Querytracker, AbsoluteWrite, and AgentQuery are, IMO, the best agent resources.

#2 Depends on the agent. Go to their individual websites and see if they have a preference.

#3 There may be one or two agents lurking, but most likely none will respond here.

honeysock said:

#1 Querytracker, AbsoluteWrite, and AgentQuery are, IMO, the best agent resources.

#2 Depends on the agent. Go to their individual websites and see if they have a preference.

#3 There may be one or two agents lurking, but most likely none will respond here.

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Ditto. And to expound on #2, I usually go with "Query: BOOK TITLE" - unless otherwise stated by the agent/agency's preferences.

1. I use www.agentquery.com www.querytracker.com is also good. You don't need to get a book or subscription. However, if you insist on subscribing to something, I'd recommend Publisher's Marketplace. It lets you see who's selling what, to whom, and as such, can be useful (though by no means a necessity.)

2. Query for [Insert Book Title Here] or Query for [Insert Genre Here] would both work.

3. I am not an agent. But there are some agents/editors that frequent this site. The vast majority of us are writers, however.

Good luck with your project, and happy holidays.

Most agents who respond here do so either in the specific thread for their agency in the Bewares, Background checks, and recommendations, or they are the agents who have agreed to be the special question answering guest person.

There have also been a few (very few) posters who've gotten bites from bits posted in Share Your Work.

A Named Pen said:

.#1: Where do I find lists of agents to send my query to? Do I have to get one of those books on Amazon? "Writer's Market" just sounds so... depressing. I found a website which asked me to buy a subscription before it would let me see contact information for agents. Would it be worth it? Paying for information is so totally 20th century.

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I personally adore querytracker.com and agentquery.com. It's very easy to search by genre there. Google the names that pop up and you'll probably come across some agency websites and/or interviews. If you can't find any information beyond the genres listed on the first few websites, don't worry about it.

A Named Pen said:

.#2: What do agents like to see in the subject header of a query email? Should writers attempt to stand out, or just stick with some strict standard?

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The only things that should stand out about your query are your writing and plot. Never try to be original when it comes to presentation. That said, the standard for subject headers isn't super strict for most agents. As long as the word "query" is in there, and ideally your title and/or genre, you're fine. Query: BOOK TITLE (genre) is my preference.

A Named Pen said:

.#3: Are any actual agents even reading this?

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Yeah, some hang around this forum, but getting a reply is fairly rare. Luckily, there are a ton of super knowledgable writers, so you'll probably still get the information you need. *g*

I think Writer's Market is one of the best resources out there. Twentieth century or twenty-first century, you still usually get what you pay for.

But no matter where you find an agent's name, always check out her website thoroughly before submitting anything, and try to read a fair number of books she's represented.

Corinne Duyvis said:

As long as the word "query" is in there, and ideally your title and/or genre, you're fine. Query: BOOK TITLE (genre) is my preference.

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Heh, I'm such a ditz, I just put the title and forgot the "Query: " bit. Luckily it was to an agency who have a separate email address for queries. Don't try this at home, kids!