A Kitchen Table Writer asked me about how to get an agent.  Here is my response:

You never pay an agent. They get paid after they have sold your book.  There are some good listings of agents that you can search by category that might help you make a list for submission. This becomes a number game.  Also at conferences there are good opportunities to pitch to agents. The Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers conference is in Sept (www.rmfw.org ) and Pikes Peak Writers   (www.ppw.org) in April.

Fandango by Beth Lowell

The best resource is QueryTracker.org  where you can research and also keep track of your submissions. Another resource is with the past agent Mark Malatesta who also offers a service to help get an agent. I’d ask folks what they have benefited from him before you sign up.  His agent list is at

http://literary-agents.com/directory-literary-agents/literary-agent-directory/

There are many more sites to study agents including Poets and Writers (www.pw.org)  and AgentQuery.com. My suggestion is that you target about 20 agents and send them queries and samples of your work.  I’d be glad to help with the format for a query letter if you like.

I’d be glad to look at anyone’s query.  Email me: moc.g1679795096nitir1679795096Welba1679795096Tnehc1679795096tiK@h1679795096plodn1679795096aRenn1679795096A1679795096