The Writer's Market, The Litery Guide To Agents, Jeff Herman...what?

Best suited to the ROMANCE author is a membership in RWA, because then--you have the resources of the RWA National website at your fingertips, which includes a monthly updated list of agents by specific romance subgenre, a list of guidelines for romance publishers (which will now be expanded due to the elimination of the "recognized publisher" status) and the availability of the BookScan bestselling romance list and the whole of the membership to ask questions of.

However, of these two, I'd recommend the online version of Writer's Market. I prefer the web version because, again, it's updated more often. By the time the print version hits the shelf, it can be months out of date. The online version is also searchable, which is handy.

Just my .02, though.

If you want current information, use the internet. All that info is usually 6-9 months out of date before it's even gone to print. At least that's what one of the agent blogs said.

Read Donkey 2. It's kind of snotty, but accurate.

I think those books were useful 35 years ago when I first started subbing as a teen because there wasn't anything else to go by, but these days with immediate access to info on an agent's website, I think it's just a waste of money.

If you insist on using one, go to the library.

I agree that online Writer's Market is much, much better than the written one. Mine are sitting on my shelf and mouldering.

I bought Jeff Herman's book but I didn't find it all that interesting. Mostly run-downs of what only a few agents like in a client, etc. Unless you're hard-core on one agent, it won't do you much good if you're shopping around.

I personally like Publishers Weekly (which is expensive as all heck) and I like Romantic Times (because I am a romance writer). Locus if they write SFF.

Romantic Times is HUGE! It's been around for 25 years now, and is pretty much the leading authority on all things romance. Here's a link to get you started to see if it might interest you. Then you just have to tell your bookseller that you want them to order it every month.

Lorreign said:

No wonder I've never heard of it before, it's not sold within 100 miles of where I live lol. You have to go west of my state to find a place that carries it.

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I have the same problem. Nearest bookstore is 77 miles. But you can subscribe, too--which is what I do. They'll mail it right to your house. I pay extra to have it sent first class, but then I have reviews in there every few months, so I want to see what they say before it hits the shelf in the stores.

You didn't mention this as a choice, but you might want to check out Preditors and Editors, too.

http://www.invirtuo.cc/prededitors/