Searching for Agents
I really can’t believe how long it’s been. Two weeks after my last blog entry, I was going to do some yard work and then update my blog. Well, the yard work didn’t go so well and I am lucky to still have all of my left, middle finger. The people in ER were really nice and there was a beautiful statue in the parking lot. By the time I could type properly again, I was so far behind at work (the work that pays the bills) that I was doing overtime and couldn’t think about anything else.
When I was ready to write again, my wife came into the room with a little stick that had a pair of blue lines. We got some digital tests that spelled it out for us. My wife merely read “pregnant” but I am sure it said, “You are going to be a daddy!” Talk about a distraction! I couldn’t think of anything else for weeks. We are a little pro-active, so we are already rearranging the house, acquiring baby stuff (clothes, furniture, etc.), preparing to paint the baby room, and thinking about what we want to do to the back yard.
Now that I am over that high, I am back to writing. Somewhere in all that activity I realized that I could improve the intro of my book, significantly, so I started on that about three weeks ago. I have also started writing another book and like how it is turning out. Now I realize that it is time for another round of query letters.
My first round of query letters didn’t go as well as planned. I sent off seven queries and had three rejections in the first forty hours (including two on my birthday). I now have five rejections and one more where the time has passed the drop dead date – so there is a possibility that one agent might come back and ask for more, maybe, I hope, please, beg, grovel, grovel.
So I have spent some quality time with my query letter and have researched a few more agents. I actually enjoyed researching agents. It took my mind off of other things. I kind of formed a pattern that helped me feel confident about whom I was selecting.
I first found agents on Agent Query that matched my genre.
I then confirmed their tastes with Lit Match and/or Query Tracker.
I made sure they were not on Preditors and Editors bad side.
I looked at AAR Online to see if they were members and to see if the agent was recommended or warned against – although being a member or AAR was not a mandate in my search, just a preference.
I went to the agents web site and/or blog listed on Agent Query.
Lastly, I did a search (google or bing) to make sure there was nothing out there unusual about the agent.
I netted myself a nice list that I am hoping will turn into literary bite on my work. I will probably be contacting them next weekend; however, I am not going to rush my query letter again. I am also not going to underestimate the power of distraction that my hedger or wife can provide.
R. Garrett Wilson
www.rgarrettwilson.com
