The Writers Market Guide v. Jeff Herman's Guide to Literary Agents

I started out writing this entry as a review of the literary agents I encountered in my search for one of my very own. In short order, it became clear that I wanted a guide to navigate the online jungle of literary agencies. I know a little of the basics (for instance, reading fees are a bad sign). With this tiny bit of information, I charged forward and found a site called WritersNet that has a list of agencies.

Awesome! I can look at the entries and Google them to do more research. Great idea, right?

It seemed so until the first in the list was on the SciFi Writers of America list of worst agencies, and the second was out of business.

However, there are two books that will help you wade through the jungle: The Writer's Market Guide to Literary Agents and Jeff Herman's Guide. Here's a link to an article that compares the two.

To begin my search, I went to Barnes and Noble and bought Jeff Herman's guide. As a beginner, I like it better. It lists the basics, like the Writer's Market guide, but also goes beyond that. The answers are gleaned from the agents themselves, and provide a deeper perspective of their individual likes and dislikes. Using this information, you can tailor your query to match the person you're pitching. For me, an unpublished author, any advantage I can get, I'll take.

The Writer's Market Guide has many more agencies listed, but Jeff Herman's guide has more information, and the information comes directly from the agencies. Jeff Herman's guide also has how-to information, as well as lists of publishers and editors. If you have to chose between them, I'd recommend Jeff Herman's guide. You can get both guides for a little over $60, though. It beats having to comb the Internet and try to figure out who's reputable and who isn't.