Agent Hunter
I’ve just discovered a fantastic new tool in the quest to get published – Agent Hunter! I’ve previously used an online agent-finding service that required a yearly subscription. I gave up on it eventually – it was old-fashioned in appearance, all the information on it seemed to be out of date, and although it had a search function, the agent details often hadn’t been updated for a very long time. To be honest, it was quite a depressing experience – the half-hearted site made me feel half-hearted about getting published before I’d even got going.
However, up until now there have not been any better alternatives. Of course, it’s possible to compile a list using Google, but the process is laborious and time-intensive, and it gets very disheartening after a while. And the information uncovered is very varied, uneven and often out of date.
Enter Agent Hunter! My new project is the memoirs of Anne Dee, the equine communicator. I’ve now written enough to make a convincing approach to agents, so decided to try it out and see what it can do.
To start with, the site looks fresh and modern. And then there’s the ‘search’ function. I had an idea of the sort of agent I was looking for – those interested in memoirs, in business for 5 to 10 years, with more than 30 clients, open to approaches from new authors and willing to accept submissions by email. In seconds, I had my list! Hundreds of agents narrowed down to six!
There is solid background information on each agent, and some very useful interview-type Q and As so it is possible to get a feel for the type of work they might be interested in. And there are even hints from the agents on the sort of things they like and dislike, to help customise the approach letter. It feels as if you can get to know the agents as real people. And the information is well presented – everything is there which is likely to be the most helpful to budding authors.
Another useful feature is that you can save your search and give it a label, so that you can have different searches for different novels. Great for those of us with more than one project on the go.
I had already written my approach letter, prepared my writing sample and also my synopsis, so all I had to do was make a few changes to the letter for each agent. Then I could make six approaches in a matter of minutes - a relief after the labour-intensive process that I’ve been through with my other novels. And all for a yearly fee of LESS than the cost of a Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook!
So I’ve made a spreadsheet with details of the agents I’ve approached. All I have to do now is cross my fingers and wait…and if I’m unsuccessful on this occasion, I know that I can very quickly and easily choose the agents to try next.
Give it a go – it’s head and shoulders above all the other so-called ‘author tools’ that we’ve all struggled with! A very professional site for serious writers!
Don’t take my word for it – try it out for yourself here: www.agenthunter.co.uk
I’ve just discovered a fantastic new tool in the quest to get published – Agent Hunter! I’ve previously used an online agent-finding service that required a yearly subscription. I gave up on it eventually – it was old-fashioned in appearance, all the information on it seemed to be out of date, and although it had a search function, the agent details often hadn’t been updated for a very long time. To be honest, it was quite a depressing experience – the half-hearted site made me feel half-hearted about getting published before I’d even got going.
However, up until now there have not been any better alternatives. Of course, it’s possible to compile a list using Google, but the process is laborious and time-intensive, and it gets very disheartening after a while. And the information uncovered is very varied, uneven and often out of date.
Enter Agent Hunter! My new project is the memoirs of Anne Dee, the equine communicator. I’ve now written enough to make a convincing approach to agents, so decided to try it out and see what it can do.
To start with, the site looks fresh and modern. And then there’s the ‘search’ function. I had an idea of the sort of agent I was looking for – those interested in memoirs, in business for 5 to 10 years, with more than 30 clients, open to approaches from new authors and willing to accept submissions by email. In seconds, I had my list! Hundreds of agents narrowed down to six!
There is solid background information on each agent, and some very useful interview-type Q and As so it is possible to get a feel for the type of work they might be interested in. And there are even hints from the agents on the sort of things they like and dislike, to help customise the approach letter. It feels as if you can get to know the agents as real people. And the information is well presented – everything is there which is likely to be the most helpful to budding authors.
Another useful feature is that you can save your search and give it a label, so that you can have different searches for different novels. Great for those of us with more than one project on the go.
I had already written my approach letter, prepared my writing sample and also my synopsis, so all I had to do was make a few changes to the letter for each agent. Then I could make six approaches in a matter of minutes - a relief after the labour-intensive process that I’ve been through with my other novels. And all for a yearly fee of LESS than the cost of a Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook!
So I’ve made a spreadsheet with details of the agents I’ve approached. All I have to do now is cross my fingers and wait…and if I’m unsuccessful on this occasion, I know that I can very quickly and easily choose the agents to try next.
Give it a go – it’s head and shoulders above all the other so-called ‘author tools’ that we’ve all struggled with! A very professional site for serious writers!
Don’t take my word for it – try it out for yourself here: www.agenthunter.co.uk