Agent Query
Our chat today is with Isis Riley, founder of Agent Query.
*********************************************************************************
Q: Please give my readers a brief overview of your website.
A: Agent Query offers the largest, most current searchable database of legitimate literary agents. Our literary agent database is updated everyday and is 100% free. It includes the detailed profiles of over 700 American literary agents. AQ users can perform searches based on specific criteria such as nonfiction or fiction genres, agency name, client name, AAR membership, and submission preferences such as snail mail versus email queries.
In addition to our searchable database, Agent Query offers tips about the literary agent submission process as well as an overview of the current publishing industry. Agent Query also provides links to various writer’s resources including national and regional organizations, writers’ residencies and conferences, and other helpful writers’ websites.
Q: What method did you use to gather your agent information?
A: When we first decided to create Agent Query, our biggest challenge was how to accumulate the data for the agents’ profiles in our searchable database.We had a choice. We could either A) solicit agents for the information or B) we could do the research ourselves. We choose option B, crossed our fingers, and whispered, “if we build it, they will come.” Then we embarked on the formidable task of building detailed agent profiles for over 700 literary agents. We researched each agent’s name and agency in reputable trade magazines such as Publishers Weekly and Variety and online resources such as publishersmarketplace.com, mediabistro.com, and publisherstrends.com. We also searched various press releases citing agents’ bios, client histories, and credentials. Finally, we culled information regarding the types of books each agent represents from the popular print literary agent guides. All initial information was crosschecked against multiple sources, including the agent’s current websites, before we entered it into each agent’s profile. 700 agent profiles later, Agent Query was born.
Q: How did you go about assembling your staff?
A: Agent Query was created with the help of a core group of writers, web programmers, and computer programmers—the AQ crew. We have known each other for years, and we are all professionals in our chosen fields who enjoy investing time, energy, and ingenuity into AQ endeavors. Daily operations are handled by a few, key staff members who have come aboard through professional referrals, and share a common desire to make Agent Query the best resource for researching literary agents.
Q: What criteria do you use to admit a literary agent into your AQ database?
A: All the literary agents in our AQ database are real agents with real book sales and real publishing contacts. Legitimate literary agents make their living from commissions on their sales, not by charging fees to their clients or potential clients. For this reason, we only list agents with verifiable sales. If the agent is younger and/or newer to the industry, he or she must be affiliated with an established agency or have previous publishing experience as an editor, editor’s assistant, publicity director, agent’s assistant, etc. to make the cut.
Q: How do you currently maintain the accuracy of each agent’s profile?
A: updates on our home page. In less than a year since our launch in December 2004, we have become the premier resource for writers searching for literary agents, and we receive many updates from our loyal AQ users. Moreover, in the last few months, we've seen an explosion in the number of emails we’ve received from agents, requesting updates to their AQ profiles.Ultimately, we love updates straight from the agents, but what sets us apart from other agent guides is the fact that we don't rely on the agents to supply us updates. Through our loyal AQ users and my dedicated AQ staff, we continually find and replace old information in our database. We actively track resources for agency moves, recent sales, and mailing address changes—with the same diligent research skills that we cultivated to create the database in the first place.
Q: I did not see fees on your site. Do you have fees? If so, what are the ranges or are they per individual need?
A: Currently, Agent Query does not charge anything to access any part of our site. It’s all 100% free, and we intend to keep it that way for a long time to come. Agent Query’s goal is to provide the most current resource for writers seeking a literary agent. We achieve this goal by offering hundreds of users the opportunity to verify its accuracy and inform us of necessary changes or updates.
Q: You talk about Phase II. What does Phase II include?
A: Our current Phase II will include the paid services portion of our website, which will be separate from our current free database and literary links. Originally, we expected to offer query critiques and other paid services by the summer of 2005. But honestly, we were simply overwhelmed with query critique requests, even before we were officially offering them. We have limited staff and resources, and we are still trying to decide on the best way to meet the current demand. For this reason, my brilliant web programmers are creating web technology that will help us effectively and efficiently offer paid services as well as build an ongoing literary community that will nurture writers.
Q: Please explain what the paid services Agent Query expects to offer?
A: Because the development of our Phase II is still in beta testing, I prefer to wait to disclose the details of our paid services until we launch in the fall of 2005.
Q: What is your ultimate goal for AQ? What do you see the future holding for AQ?
A: Agent Query’s ultimate goal is to help talented, qualified writers find legitimate literary agents who will serve as their publishing advocate. Agent Query streamlines how writers find agents through our use of superior web technology and accurate information. But in the future, we hope that Agent Query will revolutionize how writers connect with agents. Right now, agents complain about being bombarded with unworthy queries from writers. And writers complain about their inability to get their foot in the door. Ultimately, Agent Query would like to break this paradox and fundamentally change how agents receive submissions from writers.
Q: What trends are you currently seeing in the submission process to literary agents.
A: More and more agents are accepting email queries, and more and more agencies actually prefer email queries over snail mail queries. In fact, we’re seeing more and more agencies state that they no longer accept snail mail queries. They are simply getting swamped with too much postal mail. Most writers love agencies that accept email queries, and writers often prioritize their submission list based on whether or not an agent accepts email queries. Personally, I think email queries save the writer time and money, but I think agents reject email queries much faster than snail mail ones. With email queries, most agents do NOT accept attachments, so agents immediately judge the merits of the proposed book by reading the query letter.
However, with snail mail queries, you have the option of including the first five pages with the query, even if an agent says, “send query only and SASE.” Most agents like to skim a small sample of the writing.If your query is marginal, but your enclosed first five pages are stellar, hopefully your writing will “hook” the agent, and she will request a partial, or even a full. Isn’t that the goal? For the agent to judge the merits of your writing? So…do you really believe in your query letter more than your writing? If so, keep shooting off those email queries, and cross your fingers.But be aware: agents are expecting shorter and shorter email queries.Thus, it’s becoming increasingly more difficult to “hook” an agent with a 150 word email query than a 300 word snail mail query and five sample pages.
Q: Talk about the honor you received from Writers Digest Magazine on being named as one of the Best Websites for Writers in their May 2005 issue.
A: We are very excited to be included in the Writers Digest Magazine’s 2005 list of top 101 Websites for Writers. Agent Query launched in December 2004 and WD’s list came out in May 2005, so it’s quite an accomplishment for our website to be included in their venerable list.
Q: What do you think is the most important factor for reaching success in any venture?
A: Originality. Credibility. Persistence. And offering the best product possible. Work hard, dream big, and have fun doing it.
Q: What advice to you have for authors seeking publication and success?
A: Make it a priority in your life and act like it’s a priority. Becoming a published author is not a fantasy. It can be a reality, but only for writers who treat it like a life-long goal and not a hobby. Writing is a hobby. Publishing is a business career. Writers who want to become a published author must make it a priority and advertise it as a priority to all their friends, family, co-workers. Everyone in your life must understand that you are committed to the life-long goal of publishing. And just because you haven’t published anything doesn’t mean you can’t take yourself seriously as a writer. Are you attending writer’s conferences? Applying to residencies? Reading trade magazines? Reading contemporary fiction and nonfiction? If not, you should be. Bottom-line: if you wait until you’re published to take yourself seriously as a writer, you’ll never be published. Unpublished writers can get literary agents and become published authors, but it starts with the commitment to learn the craft of writing AND the publishing industry. Finally, always be generating new writing and seize all the opportunities that exist for new writers.
More information @ http://www.northwestwriters.com
*************************************************************************
Free Newsletter for Writers – E-Mail newsletter@northwestwriters.com
Interview by M.M. MooreM.M. Moore has written for both national and international magazines, local papers, and on the Internet. Moore is the author of Hunting For Mr. Good Bargain and founder of NorthWestWriters.comhttp://www.northwestwriters.com
MSN Group: http://spaces.msn.com/members/NorthWestAuthors/PersonalSpace/
AOL Blog: http://journals.aol.com/northwestauthors/NorthWestAuthors
TypePad Blog: http://northwestauthors.typepad.com/northwestauthors/
*********************************************************************************
Q: Please give my readers a brief overview of your website.
A: Agent Query offers the largest, most current searchable database of legitimate literary agents. Our literary agent database is updated everyday and is 100% free. It includes the detailed profiles of over 700 American literary agents. AQ users can perform searches based on specific criteria such as nonfiction or fiction genres, agency name, client name, AAR membership, and submission preferences such as snail mail versus email queries.
In addition to our searchable database, Agent Query offers tips about the literary agent submission process as well as an overview of the current publishing industry. Agent Query also provides links to various writer’s resources including national and regional organizations, writers’ residencies and conferences, and other helpful writers’ websites.
Q: What method did you use to gather your agent information?
A: When we first decided to create Agent Query, our biggest challenge was how to accumulate the data for the agents’ profiles in our searchable database.We had a choice. We could either A) solicit agents for the information or B) we could do the research ourselves. We choose option B, crossed our fingers, and whispered, “if we build it, they will come.” Then we embarked on the formidable task of building detailed agent profiles for over 700 literary agents. We researched each agent’s name and agency in reputable trade magazines such as Publishers Weekly and Variety and online resources such as publishersmarketplace.com, mediabistro.com, and publisherstrends.com. We also searched various press releases citing agents’ bios, client histories, and credentials. Finally, we culled information regarding the types of books each agent represents from the popular print literary agent guides. All initial information was crosschecked against multiple sources, including the agent’s current websites, before we entered it into each agent’s profile. 700 agent profiles later, Agent Query was born.
Q: How did you go about assembling your staff?
A: Agent Query was created with the help of a core group of writers, web programmers, and computer programmers—the AQ crew. We have known each other for years, and we are all professionals in our chosen fields who enjoy investing time, energy, and ingenuity into AQ endeavors. Daily operations are handled by a few, key staff members who have come aboard through professional referrals, and share a common desire to make Agent Query the best resource for researching literary agents.
Q: What criteria do you use to admit a literary agent into your AQ database?
A: All the literary agents in our AQ database are real agents with real book sales and real publishing contacts. Legitimate literary agents make their living from commissions on their sales, not by charging fees to their clients or potential clients. For this reason, we only list agents with verifiable sales. If the agent is younger and/or newer to the industry, he or she must be affiliated with an established agency or have previous publishing experience as an editor, editor’s assistant, publicity director, agent’s assistant, etc. to make the cut.
Q: How do you currently maintain the accuracy of each agent’s profile?
A: updates on our home page. In less than a year since our launch in December 2004, we have become the premier resource for writers searching for literary agents, and we receive many updates from our loyal AQ users. Moreover, in the last few months, we've seen an explosion in the number of emails we’ve received from agents, requesting updates to their AQ profiles.Ultimately, we love updates straight from the agents, but what sets us apart from other agent guides is the fact that we don't rely on the agents to supply us updates. Through our loyal AQ users and my dedicated AQ staff, we continually find and replace old information in our database. We actively track resources for agency moves, recent sales, and mailing address changes—with the same diligent research skills that we cultivated to create the database in the first place.
Q: I did not see fees on your site. Do you have fees? If so, what are the ranges or are they per individual need?
A: Currently, Agent Query does not charge anything to access any part of our site. It’s all 100% free, and we intend to keep it that way for a long time to come. Agent Query’s goal is to provide the most current resource for writers seeking a literary agent. We achieve this goal by offering hundreds of users the opportunity to verify its accuracy and inform us of necessary changes or updates.
Q: You talk about Phase II. What does Phase II include?
A: Our current Phase II will include the paid services portion of our website, which will be separate from our current free database and literary links. Originally, we expected to offer query critiques and other paid services by the summer of 2005. But honestly, we were simply overwhelmed with query critique requests, even before we were officially offering them. We have limited staff and resources, and we are still trying to decide on the best way to meet the current demand. For this reason, my brilliant web programmers are creating web technology that will help us effectively and efficiently offer paid services as well as build an ongoing literary community that will nurture writers.
Q: Please explain what the paid services Agent Query expects to offer?
A: Because the development of our Phase II is still in beta testing, I prefer to wait to disclose the details of our paid services until we launch in the fall of 2005.
Q: What is your ultimate goal for AQ? What do you see the future holding for AQ?
A: Agent Query’s ultimate goal is to help talented, qualified writers find legitimate literary agents who will serve as their publishing advocate. Agent Query streamlines how writers find agents through our use of superior web technology and accurate information. But in the future, we hope that Agent Query will revolutionize how writers connect with agents. Right now, agents complain about being bombarded with unworthy queries from writers. And writers complain about their inability to get their foot in the door. Ultimately, Agent Query would like to break this paradox and fundamentally change how agents receive submissions from writers.
Q: What trends are you currently seeing in the submission process to literary agents.
A: More and more agents are accepting email queries, and more and more agencies actually prefer email queries over snail mail queries. In fact, we’re seeing more and more agencies state that they no longer accept snail mail queries. They are simply getting swamped with too much postal mail. Most writers love agencies that accept email queries, and writers often prioritize their submission list based on whether or not an agent accepts email queries. Personally, I think email queries save the writer time and money, but I think agents reject email queries much faster than snail mail ones. With email queries, most agents do NOT accept attachments, so agents immediately judge the merits of the proposed book by reading the query letter.
However, with snail mail queries, you have the option of including the first five pages with the query, even if an agent says, “send query only and SASE.” Most agents like to skim a small sample of the writing.If your query is marginal, but your enclosed first five pages are stellar, hopefully your writing will “hook” the agent, and she will request a partial, or even a full. Isn’t that the goal? For the agent to judge the merits of your writing? So…do you really believe in your query letter more than your writing? If so, keep shooting off those email queries, and cross your fingers.But be aware: agents are expecting shorter and shorter email queries.Thus, it’s becoming increasingly more difficult to “hook” an agent with a 150 word email query than a 300 word snail mail query and five sample pages.
Q: Talk about the honor you received from Writers Digest Magazine on being named as one of the Best Websites for Writers in their May 2005 issue.
A: We are very excited to be included in the Writers Digest Magazine’s 2005 list of top 101 Websites for Writers. Agent Query launched in December 2004 and WD’s list came out in May 2005, so it’s quite an accomplishment for our website to be included in their venerable list.
Q: What do you think is the most important factor for reaching success in any venture?
A: Originality. Credibility. Persistence. And offering the best product possible. Work hard, dream big, and have fun doing it.
Q: What advice to you have for authors seeking publication and success?
A: Make it a priority in your life and act like it’s a priority. Becoming a published author is not a fantasy. It can be a reality, but only for writers who treat it like a life-long goal and not a hobby. Writing is a hobby. Publishing is a business career. Writers who want to become a published author must make it a priority and advertise it as a priority to all their friends, family, co-workers. Everyone in your life must understand that you are committed to the life-long goal of publishing. And just because you haven’t published anything doesn’t mean you can’t take yourself seriously as a writer. Are you attending writer’s conferences? Applying to residencies? Reading trade magazines? Reading contemporary fiction and nonfiction? If not, you should be. Bottom-line: if you wait until you’re published to take yourself seriously as a writer, you’ll never be published. Unpublished writers can get literary agents and become published authors, but it starts with the commitment to learn the craft of writing AND the publishing industry. Finally, always be generating new writing and seize all the opportunities that exist for new writers.
More information @ http://www.northwestwriters.com
*************************************************************************
Free Newsletter for Writers – E-Mail newsletter@northwestwriters.com
Interview by M.M. MooreM.M. Moore has written for both national and international magazines, local papers, and on the Internet. Moore is the author of Hunting For Mr. Good Bargain and founder of NorthWestWriters.comhttp://www.northwestwriters.com
MSN Group: http://spaces.msn.com/members/NorthWestAuthors/PersonalSpace/
AOL Blog: http://journals.aol.com/northwestauthors/NorthWestAuthors
TypePad Blog: http://northwestauthors.typepad.com/northwestauthors/
posted by NorthWestWriters.com @ 10:06 AM
1 Comments:
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