Agent Query

[XXStillwaitingXX]

I emailed Maggie Stiefvater for advice after reading her young adult novel 'Lament' and got an impersonal but informative email back suggesting I use Agentquery.com. I was wondering if anyone around here has had any success or stories in their dealings with AQ?

[Jeanne Gassman]

Yes, AgentQuery is quite good. You can also post your query for critique in their discussion forum. The database allows you to search for agents by genre.

Another excellent resource is QueryTracker. If you are a premium member ($25.00 a yr), you not only have access to ALL of the information in their database, but you can create your own tracking sheet, insert notes about agents, see what the agent's response times are, etc. It's extremely useful.

People on both QT and AgentQuery often post their success stories in the discussion forums.

Jeanne

[XXStillwaitingXX]

Oh, I glanced over AQ and didn't even notice a discussion forum. Thank you for pointing it out.

[Lea Zalas]

Yes, I've used it and also joint QueryTracker. Excellent. But then I decided to heck with finding an agent and put my book out as an ebook through B&N, Amazon, and Smashwords. Never regretted it.

[SusanH]

How about "filthy lucre," Lea? Have you gotten any of that in return for your talent and efforts?

[Lea Zalas]

I've gotten some and have had sales on almost every ebook venue. While I haven't sold hundreds of copies (yet), I have garnered some very good reviews and a few small royalty checks. Which is better than 95% of the author-generated ebooks.

And when compared to the sales I would have generated with an agent (which look to be none - although I did get a few personal and favorable rejections), that's about 1000% more sales generated by doing it myself.

I did the agent query route for over a year. I feel that I gave my attempt at traditional publishing a fair shake, and many dollars in postage. But publishers are publishing fewer books each year, which means agents aren't able to get as many clients hooked up with a publisher. And it's not just the mediocre or even the absolutely horrible writers who can't get traditionally published, there are many, many fantastic writers with amazing manuscripts who are getting turned down because of the flux going on in the publishing world. And sometimes, when I see some of the garbage that does get through and is published, I admit to losing my faith in those who are supposed to know a great manuscript from a piece of crap.

[SusanH]

Lea, I went to Amazon and saw your book. Very cool. Congrats.

[Lea Zalas]

Thanks, Susan.