The Agenting Process Explained: Part 2

Literary agents specialize in many kinds of books. But even when you find an agent who specializes in your book’s area, that agent might not be right for you--or you might not be right for him or her. How can you tell?

First, you have to find an agent with the right specialty. Usually, an agent’s areas of interest are listed in writer’s market guidebooks and on his Web site. Authors also generally thank their agents in the acknowledgment sections, so you may also find names by picking up books with topics that are similar to yours and looking for the acknowledgments. Agents who specialize usually have terrific contacts with editors and publishers in their areas of interest. They are familiar with all of their books, the competition, their current lists, and their wish lists.

But once you’ve found a specialist, have you found an agent who’s right for you?

Let’s say you approach the agent who just sold the hottest diet book with your time-tested diet book, based on your long-running newspaper column called "Eating Right." You're a certified nutritionist who lectures frequently—that certainly doesn’t hurt.

Since this agent has experience with diet books plus the connections and knowledge of what diet books editors and publishers are buying, you just might have contacted the right agent.

But on the other hand, she might not be right. Due to her recent success, she may have ascended to another level, representing only high-profile chefs and foodies with the most established national platforms. The bar might be set so high that you don't have a chance. Sometimes the only way to find out is to approach her.

But don’t give up yet. Some agents represent a variety of authors who write about many different fields. Some literary agencies have agents who specialize in different areas. If an agent or an agency doesn't handle your type of book, he or she usually can refer you to someone who does. And their recommendations can make a difference. Start thinking of yourself in terms of your specialty areas. Are you a parenting writer, a memoir writer, a true-crime writer, a business writer, or a gardening writer? The more precisely you describe what you do, the more effectively you will be able to communicate with agents or people who can connect you with agents.

Check out the national bestseller Author 101: Bestselling Secrets from Top Agents by Rick Frishman and Robyn Freedman Spizman with Mark Steisel.