How would a first-time author begin looking for an agent?
The route to finding an agent can be as circuitous and happenstance-filled as looking for a publisher. In general, I think it’s important for writers to familiarize themselves with the industry in which they are hoping to publish their work. Word of mouth is an important part of many industries — perhaps all the more true in the book-publishing world. Several agents with my agency, for example, accept new queries only from writers who have been recommended by one of the agency’s current clients. So how to look for an agent? Meet people, talk to people, ask questions of anyone you can find involved in the book business. Ask writers whether they would recommend their own agent — the response to that question will say volumes. There is, of course, always the Internet, and sources such as the Writers’ Union of Canada. What should the writer look for in an agent? As I often explain to new and prospective clients, the author/agent relationship is, in an ideal world, a long-term one. For th
