4 Places to Find Literary Agents for Your Book

Where to look, how to narrow your list, and where to get help writing your query letter.

You do not need a personal introduction to start looking for a literary agent. Public directories can help you find names, learn what agents represent, and locate their submission instructions. The work is narrowing those names to people who might be right for your particular book.

First, decide whether seeking an agent fits your publishing goals. If you want to pursue publishers that accept submissions through agents, representation may be part of your path. If you want to self-publish, you can move forward without an agent. Still weighing the options? Start with Should You Self-Publish or Seek a Publisher?.

Our mission at Wildebeest Publishing Co. is to help people publish their stories, whether they work with us or not. That includes making the research easier to find and helping you recognize when outside assistance would be useful.

Start with These Literary Agent Directories

These resources give you several places to begin:

Use directories to build your list, then visit each agent’s official agency page before submitting. An agent may change agencies, close to queries, or update what they want to receive. Follow the current instructions at the destination where you will submit.

You do not need to search every directory before taking action. Start with one, identify a few plausible matches, and use the others to expand or check your research.

Build a Shortlist for Your Book

Before searching, write down your book’s genre, intended age group, word count, and a short description. These details help you distinguish a relevant agent from someone whose profile merely sounds appealing.

For each candidate, check:

• Genre and audience: Do they represent your kind of book for your intended readers?
• Specific interests: Is there a clear connection between your manuscript and what they say they want?
• Professional background: What relevant clients, books, or agency experience can you verify?
• Submission status: Are they currently accepting queries?
• Agency instructions: Can you query another agent at the same agency, and under what conditions?

“Represents fiction” is a starting point. “Represents adult mysteries and is looking for stories with complicated family relationships” gives you a more useful reason to investigate.

Do not reshape your manuscript around every wish-list item you encounter. Look for people whose interests fit the book you have written.

Prepare the Materials They Request

The introductory letter is usually called a query letter. Its purpose is to introduce your book and give an agent a reason to consider the requested material.

A query generally includes the title, genre, word count, a concise pitch, and relevant information about you. Personalization and comparison titles can help when they are accurate and appropriate. QueryTracker’s query-letter guide explains these elements and links to examples.

Keep the pitch focused. For fiction, help the reader understand who the central character is, what they want, what stands in their way, and what is at stake. For nonfiction, make the subject, intended reader, and value of the book clear.

Check each agent’s requirements for a synopsis, sample pages, proposal, or completed manuscript. A query and a synopsis serve different purposes, so do not assume one can replace the other. Prepare the requested documents before submitting, including anything you would need to send if the agent asks for more.

Get Help with the Query If You Need It

Writing a book and describing it persuasively in a short letter are different tasks. You can work through the letter yourself, ask knowledgeable peers for feedback, or hire someone to help.

For a free first pass, give your draft to a reader who does not already know the story. Ask them to explain what they think the book is about. If their answer differs from your intention, you have something specific to revise.

For professional help, Reedsy offers query-letter review services. Look for an editor with relevant genre experience and read what their service includes. A review may cover an existing letter, while a broader package may include a synopsis or opening pages.

If you need someone to help write the letter from the beginning, say that explicitly. Reviewing a draft and developing a draft are different assignments. Do not assume that purchasing a critique includes writing the letter for you.

The Editorial Freelancers Association provides another route through its member directory and job list. You can search for relevant editorial skills or describe the work you need. Access to those hiring tools is free, while the freelancer’s services are paid.

Before hiring, ask:

• Have you worked on queries for my genre and intended audience?
• Are you reviewing my draft, helping me develop it, or both?
• Will you read the synopsis or manuscript pages for context?
• How many revision rounds and follow-up questions are included?
• What will I receive, when will I receive it, and what is the total cost?

A useful inquiry might read:

I’m preparing to query agents for an adult mystery. I have a draft query, a synopsis, and opening pages. I’m looking for help clarifying the pitch and deciding which story details belong in the letter. Please let me know what you would review, whether a revision round is included, your fee, and your availability.

Paying for editorial help is optional. It buys a defined service, not representation or a publishing offer.

Send Queries You Can Track

Create a spreadsheet or use a submission tracker. Record the agent and agency, the official instructions, why they fit your book, the date sent, the materials submitted, and any response.

Keep a copy of each version of your query. If you revise it later, you should be able to tell which agents received which version.

Consider starting with a manageable group of well-matched agents rather than sending to your entire list at once. This leaves room to correct mistakes or reconsider your materials. A few rejections or unanswered queries do not, by themselves, identify what needs changing.

Follow each agency’s stated response and follow-up policy. Some provide an estimated response window. Others explain that they respond only when interested. Use those instructions when deciding whether to follow up or mark a query closed.

Decide How Long You Want to Search

Choose a review point before querying becomes an open-ended project. You might give the search three months, six months, one year, or two years, depending on your goals and willingness to wait.

That is your decision window, not a prediction of how quickly an agent will respond or offer representation.

At your review point, look at the evidence. Did you find enough suitable agents? Have you received requests for pages? Are you still waiting on responses within the agents’ stated timelines? Do your materials need work, or would another publishing route better suit your priorities?

You can extend the search, revise before continuing, pursue another project, or reconsider your publishing path. The point is to make that choice deliberately.

Know What Comes Next

An offer of representation is an opportunity to evaluate a working relationship. Ask how the agent sees your book, what revisions they anticipate, how they communicate, and how they would approach submissions. Representation is not itself a publisher’s offer.

When you reach a conversation with a publisher, use 22 Questions to Ask Before You Commit to a Publisher to examine that separate relationship.

If you want a workshop or feedback session along the way, our guide to What to Expect from Publishing Workshops & Guest Speaker Events explains what to check before registering.

Start with five agents whose interests fit your book. Verify their submission instructions and record why each belongs on your list. Then prepare the materials those agents actually request.

Directories, submission windows, and service offerings change. Check the linked source before submitting or purchasing help. Find more guidance on our free publishing resource page.