How do I find a literary agent that will help publish/edit my book?
The first step is to complete your novel’s first draft, then rewrite and polish it until it can’t possibly be improved. This may take years. You want to get it in tiptop shape yourself, not count on an agent wanting to edit. Why? Because the agent can either choose your book, which needs editing, or any of the dozens or hundreds of others physically in his or her office which don’t need editing. Next up, identify agents who have recently sold other novels like it. Visit large bookstores. Note titles, authors, and publishers of the books in your genre. Get online and try to determine which agent sold each book. You can find other agents seeking work in your genre through “Writer’s Market” and “Literary Marketplace” (US) or “Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook” (UK). Check the publisher listings, too, which will include “agented submissions only” or not. (Maybe you don’t even need an agent.) Research each agent. Find websites with career history, sales, personal bio, blogs, AAR membership, etc.
