For anyone planning to query in the US

[E G Logan]

I have just found the following:

Who's Using QueryManager

querymanager.com

It lists literary agencies A-Z with the QM contact details for those agents using it. Because it gives only the absolute basics, it's necessary for the would-be querier to check out the agency and the agent. Which they should be doing anyway.

It does not sort the agencies in any way – e.g. size, location, scope (such as TV and scriptwriting included, or only children's, etc) – and it is careful to point out a listing is not an endorsement. As with all lists of this type, it seems to be up to the individual agents to keep their entry updated, hence one or two I've found are not.

Because of the brevity of the details, I've found it is time-consuming to use, with many false starts for agencies that specialise in areas other than what I'm looking for. And the number of agents who are now 'Closed to queries' or (my pet hate) 'Closed to unsolicited enquiries' ...!

Apologies if you already knew about this.

 

[Karen J]

I have just found the following:

Who's Using QueryManager

querymanager.com

It lists literary agencies A-Z with the QM contact details for those agents using it. Because it gives only the absolute basics, it's necessary for the would-be querier to check out the agency and the agent. Which they should be doing anyway.

It does not sort the agencies in any way – e.g. size, location, scope (such as TV and scriptwriting included, or only children's, etc) – and it is careful to point out a listing is not an endorsement. As with all lists of this type, it seems to be up to the individual agents to keep their entry updated, hence one or two I've found are not.

Because of the brevity of the details, I've found it is time-consuming to use, with many false starts for agencies that specialise in areas other than what I'm looking for. And the number of agents who are now 'Closed to queries' or (my pet hate) 'Closed to unsolicited enquiries' ...!

Apologies if you already knew about this.

Hi E G,

Hopefully this will be a little helpful. For narrowing down contacts, Click on the Agents tab down arrow & choose Search for agents. Make sure the Search by name is empty & Full agent list is marked. Now click Search by Genre and choose fic or non-fic. Then comes the trick -- 'Any' will be ticked/checked. Click Action/Adventure even if you don't want that genre. Now you can use your up/down keyboard arrow to pace your way thru the options to choose what you want. BEFORE clicking OK, arrow back up to the top & uncheck Action/Adventure (unless you do want it) then click OK. Only the genres you want will show. And you can mark 'Hide closed agents'.

The downside to this is while it eliminates agents you don't want if they don't want your genre at all, there are a good many agents who, either themselves or whoever works for them, will mark every genre when their acct is set up. There is even one whole agency where every agent marked every genre even though the ONLY books they contract are picture books for 4-7 yr olds. I don't know their reason behind it but IMHO saying, as an agent, that you want a fully drawn graphic novel of slasher Horror or explicit Erotica to market to a 4yo just seems sick. So even a pared down list still needs to be cross-referenced.

There is a paid version which offers more options which I have been thinking about--only have free version at the moment.

As for sorting, I switch between 'last activity' which shows who I've recently queried or added to the list, and 'agency' which goes alphabetical with every agent I've picked from the same agency together -- a god send to keep from querying 2 at the same time. I also like the 2nd to last column with the dog earred paper, bell, & eye. I use the paper to note the date & what I've sent that agent if in the Query Methods column they don't use the 'cloud' --the QT online form which is supposed to keep track. The caveat to this is if their page 'says' they use the online form but when you click that link it takes you to their agency website to submit there instead. QT can't track this as they've not used the official QT form--the only way to know you've tried them is thru the notes.

LOL and for anyone who has read through all of this --- now you know why I'm having to edit so heavily. I let the teacher part of me take over far too much.