You might be asking yourself what is an agent and why should I find one? If you read the blurb on my homepage, agents are, in fact, those trusted middle-men (and women) I referred to. They still exist, just not in the quirky way of my notions of yesteryear. Agents, also known as Literary Managers, are the author's champion. They're the ones with connections to publishers and the knowledge of what could be well-placed where. Agents are the inside people who actively look to sell what you wrote so you can reap the rewards of your hard labor.

Bear in mind though that just as you the writer have a preferred category or genre  you prefer to write about, what an agent will consider trying to market depends on that individual's personal taste too. Amassing an agent list can seem daunting, and yes, it will take some time, but it's necessary to progression. Decide which resources you would like to use in your search. My personal go-to is Publisher's Marketplace. There's a wealth of information to be had there to begin with, but they categorize agents neatly for reference. There's a slew of resources. Determine which are most logical for you.

The first agent list I ever made was in a notebook, and that's fine if that works best for you. These days I prefer keeping an Excel spreadsheet open for ease of access, and I can even color-code it. (Which I suppose you could still theoretically do with a notebook and colored pencils, markers, crayons or highlighters but it comes down again to time management and once done cannot be UN-done, should the need arise.)

If you haven't already, the first thing you need to ask yourself is, "What did I write?" In other words, what category does your piece fall into? Where does it fit in the literary world? There may be more than one answer to this, and that's okay. Figure out what you would primarily label it as. This becomes the basis for your A-list. Your B-list can be agents who work with authors in your particular work's subcategories. C-list will be agents who may not have very specific information in your references who will require further research down the road.

Example: you have a fantasy novel to pitch. Your A-list should be agents who work with fantasy writers. However, your fantasy could also fall under a commercial umbrella, or perhaps it would be appropriately marketed as YA. You can easily make a B and a C list to encompass the secondary categories. If you find agents who overlap your defined categories, even better! Definitely put them on your A-list. (This is the first instance where my color-coding gets implemented--I highlight the field on my spreadsheet. These should logically be the first agents you approach.)

IMPORTANT:  Wordcount will have a direct impact on where and how your book can be marketed. Please research guidelines and include this consideration in your search!

Upon determining whether an agency is a match for your work, record the information on your spreadsheet. Mine looks like this:

Agency     Address/Phone/Fax     Website     Agent's Name     Email     Instructions     Date of Query 

In order, the information under these headings would be the name of the agency; the agency contact information; the agency website; which agent you would like to pitch; the agent's email address; specific instructions for submitting to the agent/agency; date you submitted. I also have extra space to the side to track the results of my queries (date of response, turnaround time) and color-coding is again implemented here by me, depending on the results of a specific query.

A similar process can be followed if you choose to skip the agent and pitch to publishers directly. Just be aware that most large publishers will not consider a query from a first-time author without agency representation. However, many small, independent publishers are willing to take a gamble on an unknown author.

Create a list the same as you would for agents, only this time you're honing in on the company's editors. It's also a good idea to request a catalogue if available. This will give you an idea of how your book will ultimately be marketed from that publisher to the markets which purchase from them. Think like a consumer in this case. Which would you be more likely to choose a book from? A colorful and descriptive display that's nicely arrayed....or a black and white catalogue with blurry printing?

Don't be alarmed if all this information isn't provided in your primary reference. You may find a listing that has just an agency name and what they represent. This is just a baseline of information to gather and can be tailored to your own needs. Identifying the agencies most suitable for you is the first step. Each of your listings will require further research as you head into the next phase: