The role that agents play in the publishing process cannot be understated. They champion books for authors, utilizing their networks to get the word out, using their experience to get the best possible deal. Agents are vital to getting a book sold to a traditional publishing company.
Agents are also important to editors who are looking to expand their publisher’s catalog and establish their viability as editors. An editor who has a solid network of agents who know what the editor likes to acquire is a priceless line of communication.
But how do authors find a good match? And how do editors expand their agent networks when they’re buried under the responsibilities of their role at a publishing house? The first answer is networking. But in a world of internet connectivity, there’s another option to supplement face-to-face networking: QueryTracker (QT).
QueryTracker is a site designed to provide lists of literary agents and publishers, to provide information about them, and to track personal query information. It simplifies the process of tracking down agents who fit your criteria, all while collecting data like average response times, reviews, and comments from authors who’ve found their agents using QT.
Features of the site include forums for users to post questions and network, lists of top publishers and agents (and who they represent), as well as a place for users to keep track of all their query information.
For those of us looking into a career in publishing, it’s important to develop relationships with agents. QueryTracker is a good place to start becoming familiar with names of agents and smaller publishers.