Hello, dreamers. January has arrived, and query prep is in full swing.

After much deliberation, based on the feedback I received in round one I’ve decided to “stand pat”, as I’ve been putting it. I’m going to move ahead without making any major changes to my manuscript or sample pages. I’ll admit I consider this a risk, but after the response I’ve received thus far, I’m interested in seeing how a different group of agents responds.

Part of the reason for this, to be fair, is that I have my critique group going through my manuscript as we speak, and I’m loath to make any major changes until they’re finished. If my trusted CPs feel the story works best as it stands currently, that would put my insecurities to rest. For now, at least. We’ll see how I feel after another round of queries.

Over the past few days, however, my query prep has ground to a halt through no fault of my own. Unfortunately, the first day after New Years fell on a Friday. Thus, most agents still haven’t formally opened to queries. This is particularly frustrating because most of them now use QueryTracker’s handy submission forms. While these forms are normally fantastic, they have the minor flaw of being inaccessible while an agent is closed to queries.

So, for the moment, I don’t know for certain which of the agents I’m targeting will be opening to queries next week, or precisely what query materials they will want. Until I know those things, I’m unable to produce the individualized query packets I compose before submissions. Thus, at present I cannot proceed further.

Readers who have never submitted a query may be asking the question, “So how the heck do you go about finding agents to query, anyway?” The answer, as I will explain this week, is…well, several places.

Finding Literary Agents

While the last important step before submitting queries is learning more about what agents want, the step right before them is actually finding said agents. There are a lot of literary agents. Even if you write genre fic (as I do), the pool is still substantial. And it’s always growing; while agents do periodically retire or move on to different careers, over the past several years their number has been outpaced by new agents emerging onto the scene.

When a writer first sets out to find target agents, it can be overwhelming. But there’s one obvious starting point.

QueryTracker

QueryTracker is the gold standard for querying writers, your handy “Start Here”. The website allows writers to not only search for agents by genre, but also to compile lists of agents they wish to query and (as the name suggests) keep track of said queries as they progress through the process. As I mentioned earlier, QT has even begun allowing agents to use their platform to accept queries, providing various field options so the agents can determine precisely what materials they’d like to receive.

QueryTracker is an excellent resource, but it isn’t perfect. Not every agent is on their site (though a great many are). They do, however, offer links to other platforms on the landing page for each agent, including a link to the other top platform for agents…

Manuscript Wish List

I’ve mentioned Manuscript Wish List more than once on these posts, and it’s worth mentioning again. MSWL is particularly useful for writers as it allows agents to create their own personalized profiles. The profiles often include brief bios and personal details in addition to more detailed lists of what they are and are not looking for (I often call it “Facebook for Agents”).

The key value in MSWL is the detail. Agents will often go into much greater depth than they do (or can) on their agency’s website. They’ll talk about their favorite books, and go deeper into the “why” about what they’re looking to represent, or might be a poor fit for. It’s not uncommon for them to talk about their personal lives, including their pets and hobbies. Any of that could be valuable information for querying writers (got a rom-com about a dog breeder? Look for an agent who loves dogs).

Of course, again their listings are incomplete. However, while many agents on QueryTracker are not on MSWL, there are, in fact, agents who are on MSWL who are not listed on QueryTracker.

Social Media

As I mentioned earlier, new agents are cropping up in the field all the time, and it takes time for them to get onto QT or MSWL. However, as many emerging agents began their careers as authors, many of them are already on social media.

Twitter (or X, if you prefer) remains the primary platform for writers, and thus the best place to find agents hanging out. Many agents just starting out use Twitter or Bluesky to get the word out on their new careers. Their profiles on those platforms often have links to their personal websites, which will usually have a page dedicated to their work as an agent.

Over the past year, I’ve come across several promising agents thanks to Twitter. Two of them were among the agents who provided personal (and encouraging) feedback on my last round of queries. Over time, the Twitter algorithm has begun pushing posts by literary agents to me. And they tend to crop up during major pitch events, like #QuestPit or #PosterPit.

Word of Mouth

Even still, randomly browsing Twitter or Bluesky hoping to just run into agents isn’t exactly a recipe for success. So it can be helpful to know other querying writers, who will point you in the direction of promising agents you’d otherwise miss.

In the writing community, our motto has always been “We’re all in this together”. We’re not in competition with one another; just because an agent picks up one person’s book doesn’t mean they’ll pass on all the others. So we’re always trying to help each other. I’ve had several fellow writers tip me off to promising agents opening to queries, and have passed information off myself. Podcasts are also a great resource.

I always point out that agents aren’t looking to just sell you’re book; they’re looking to form a relationship. If they offer to represent you, they’re hoping to form a lasting business partnership with you, one they hope will be productive and lucrative for the both of you. They don’t just want to know you’re a good writer; you’re querying a novel, so you probably are. They want to know you’re dedicated. That you’re professional and hard-working. That you’re going to keep writing into the foreseeable future. And that relationship begins with finding the right person for you.

There are plenty of places to find them. Actually grabbing their attention is the hard part. – MK