Write On! Review: AgentQuery

Navigating the business of writing isn’t always easy. Sure, there are countless books, websites, and blogs dedicated to both the craft and business of writing, but is there a one-stop destination for agents and writers to find each other?  Inquiring minds want to know.

I present to you AgentQuery: a searchable and constantly updated database of more than 900 literary agents.

When I first accessed the site, I figured it must cost a lot to access …  I was wrong. It’s free. How is this possible? I dug further.

Since I never believe “free” really means free, I’ll address this before reviewing the site in its entirety. Here’s the AgentQuery answer to cost:

Because free is fun, inviting, and just plain good. Heck, we’re not internet entrepreneurs. We just want to help writers. The main reason we created Agent Query was because we were sick to death of spending hour after hour, trolling through random website after random website, just to glean teeny weeny bits of information about a handful of literary agents. And we guessed everybody else was sick to death, too. So voilà—pay nothing now and thank us later in the acknowledgements of your first published book.

I don’t know about you, but I am suddenly in love with this site.  Let’s see if it delivers.

How do we know these agents are real?

AgentQuery’s number one rule is all listed agents must have a proven track record of sales and affiliation with an established and reputable agency. They do the vetting for you, so you can search their database with confidence. Score one for the often ripped-off writer!

Can an agent update their profile themselves, so we writers are confident the information is current?

Absolutely. The site offers agents log-in access with tips on the best way to update their profiles to attract the appropriate writer to their query in-box. Score one for both the agents and writers.

Free? Check.  Reputable agents? Check.

Next step, how user-friendly is AgentQuery.com?

No matter what web page you are viewing, on the left sidebar is a search box that allows you to search via Non-fiction Genre, Fiction Genre, agent name, or book title. Once you define what you’re looking for, the appropriate list of agents, with full contact information, appears. I literally gasped. Could this be the writer jackpot? I’m thinking I just saw a leprechaun run by.

Your pot of gold has only just begun to be filled, because not only can you access agents, but you can also get information on how to submit to agents, how to write a query, and tips on how to identify scammers in the writing community.

Still want more gold?  Then, check out their publishing tabs on both major and small presses, literary magazines, and webzines. Cha-ching!

Before you start wheeling that wagon of gold to the bank, fill it up more with their resource section, including websites for writers, information on conferences, seminars, residencies, colonies, grants, and more.

AgentQuery delivers on its promise to help writers navigate the overwhelming amount of information out there. However, before you click the site and race off to query an agent, remember, your job is to provide a polished, eye-catching, reader-grabbing novel to submit. AgentQuery will be there when you’re ready.  Don’t blow it by jumping the gun.

AgentQuery is a site every novelist should bookmark.

5 purple pencils