In my hunt for an agent, I have spent several weeks researching agents and agencies. I have learned so much! I started with zero knowledge about the publishing industry, and now I feel like I have some understanding of how things work. When I started looking for an agent, I looked at Publisher’s Marketplace, Querytracker, Google, Manuscript Wishlist. I watched youtube interviews and read articles. I tried to piece together an idea of who each agent is and what they are looking for. Some agents seem to be a perfect match, others less so.

I may never know what makes an agent ask for pages, and what makes them pass. At this moment, before I’ve had any responses, before my letter goes out, the world is my oyster. I have not been accepted or rejected. I’m like a sports team before the season starts, a sprinter on the starting block, poised, waiting for the crack of the starter’s pistol. I haven’t won or lost yet. But whether yes or no, the answer to the question you never ask is always no.

Agents are the gatekeepers to the publishing world. I won’t know what an agent will say regarding my work until I put it before them, and it’s slightly maddening. I’ve spent so much time preparing for this moment, and whether it’s silly or naïve, I feel as if the perfect agent is out there, and that they are destined to find my book.