Submission Time

You've finished your manuscript and edited it.  You've written an attention-getting query and the dreaded synopsis is polished.  Now what?

You try to find an agent-that's what.  Or at least this is my ideal method.  There are other options.  Some publishers will take your submissions directly and that's a path you can take.  You can also upload your work directly onto a site like Amazon and try to sell it yourself.  As I've said before, I want an agent.  If you do indeed become a successful writer, you'll likely need one eventually anyway.  I would like someone with me every step of the way.  Maybe that's just me.

All that aside, you will probably proceed with a submission, in fact several of them.  You will just as likely get rejected.  An entire post could be reserved for rejections, and maybe I'll do that later.  This is now the time to pour over sites listing the particular agents out there and their preferences.  Query tracker and AgentQuery are examples of these sites.  You can narrow by your genre and find a great deal of info about the agent or agency.  This information should be cross-referenced with the agent's own website, Publisher's Marketplace and Preditors and Editors.  The agent's own website will give you the most current information.  Is that agent currently accepting submissions?  Has the agent narrowed their focus to only upmarket women's fiction vs romance?  Has the agent shifted their submissions to only email?  All important information only their website will tell you.  Publisher's Marketplace will give you stats for that particular agent.  Recent and previous sales can both be found here as well as how many agencies the particular agent has been with.  Finally, Preditors and Editors (among others) will tell you if the agent has complaints against him/her or maybe they're highly recommended, even better.

I recommend dotting all your i's and crossing all your t's before you push send on your email.  You learn so much and you'll be prepared and professional.  This may not seem important, but it is.  A professional submission will get your foot in the door better than an unprofessional one.  Also, nothing is worse than to waste your time submitting to an agent who isn't taking unsolicited submissions anymore or has changed their interests.  Focus your time and energy on the ones who have a greater likelihood of wanting your novel.  Do your research.  You won't regret it.