Transparency, targeting, Twitter: what it means to be a literary agent now | The Bookseller

In the past, authors had to rely on buying printed books which listed the agencies in the UK and how to approach them. But agenting is now increasingly transparent. You can google agencies in the UK, and within a few minutes have a ready prepared submissions list. Rather than just sending to a generic mailing address, you can target your approach hugely: choosing the individual agent based on their client list, their sales track record, their interests and even their personality. Sites such as Agent Hunter, or QueryTracker, allow authors to record their own experiences of agents, whether it is what they seem to be focusing on in their client list, or how long it takes them to reply to submissions. Advice abounds on Twitter and forums (some accurate, some not so much!) as to how to make your submission stand out, or the best questions to ask an agent who offers you representation.