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If you do a Google search for “literary agent,” you’re likely to get a ton of results that are difficult to sift through. The sheer number of agents these days makes it hard to figure out how they differ from each other. In fact, I looked up how many agents QueryTracker (one of the largest industry databases) has, and they have over 1,700 listings.

So, out of all these options, how do you figure out who’s a great fit for your project? How do you determine who to reach out to? I’m going to share my tips for how to choose a literary agent to query.

It’s really important to tailor your queries and build a list of ideal agents, so you’re not just blast mailing your query letter to every agent out there, including those that aren’t working in the same genre as your book. This ensures a higher opportunity for success. I’ve compared finding the right literary agent to dating before, and it really is a process of figuring out what you like and making sure you match up with someone who suits you.

In this article, I’m going to walk through the top five qualities every writer should consider when choosing literary agents to reach out to. By taking this approach, your decision process will be more thoughtful and offer you the highest chance possible of scoring representation and getting your book traditionally published.

1. Consider Their Genre Specialties

The first thing you need to consider when researching literary agents is an obvious one: their genre specialty. This is the most important factor to consider when choosing literary agents, but it’s also a difficult and flawed element to use. If you’re an avid book reader, you know that genre can be difficult to decipher.

For instance, the suspense category encompasses both psychological thrillers and espionage novels, which are very different styles of writing that appeal to very different readers. An agent who prefers espionage is not likely to pick up your psychological thriller, and vice versa–even though they’re both considered suspense novels.

So when an agent just lists a broad genre category such as “suspense” on their list of preferred genres, it’s not super helpful.

Additionally, agents often specialize in multiple genres and might even represent both fiction and non-fiction authors. This makes their already-broad genre specializations even broader.

The biggest mistake I see writers make when querying is that they search for their book’s broad genre, such as historical fiction, and then reach out to every single agent that mentions historical fiction in their profile. This is not a great approach, as you’ll end up sending your book to agents who will immediately reject your manuscript as it doesn’t suit their tastes.

In order to better curate your list of agents to reach out to, you’ll have to dig a little deeper and be more deliberate with how you assess an agent. So, while genre specialties are critical, it shouldn’t be the only element you use to find an agent to query.

2. Look Through Their Past Projects

Since genre can be too vague of a deciding factor, another key element to look at is the agent’s past projects. Now, it is not expected that you will have read all the books that a specific agent has worked on. But by taking a look at those books’ plot descriptions or sample pages on Amazon, you can quickly see if they have a similar feel and tone to your novel. If you check the reviews, you can also see if they appeal to the same audience as the one you have in mind.

This is a great way to see what specific niche the agent is actually interested in without having to guess. Plus, if you determine that the agent would be interested in your manuscript through one of the books they have previously represented, you can mention it in your query letter.

You can say, “I saw that you represented so and so, and my book has a similar feel/appeals to the same genre.” This sentence does two things. It shows the agent that you’ve done your research and aren’t just randomly messaging every agent. It also shows them you’ve already thought about why the two of you would be a great match.

3. Find Their Level of Experience

A lesser-known but still relevant element when choosing agents to query is their level of experience. It may be tempting to reach out to the highest ranking agents at a literary agency. These are the agents who have decades of experience and lots of connections within the industry. Working with someone like this definitely has its pros, as they will be the best of the best with a demonstrated track record of selling books to major publishing houses. These facts make them very appealing to query.

However, there are benefits to reaching out to associate agents and junior agents as well. As they’re earlier in their career, each project they take on will help them build their own career. Thus, they are likely able to give more attention, dedication, and passion to your project.

Additionally, the junior and associate agents are typically more open to taking on new clients. Higher-level agents will often close their submission inboxes for long periods of time, as they have enough clients to sustain them for a while. As associate and junior agents are still building up their client lists, they’re more open to connecting with new writers, so I wouldn’t discount them from your potential agents list.

You can always query a mixed bag, querying some higher agents, some junior agents, and some associate agents. However, one thing to note is that usually a writer is only able to query a single agent from an agency, so be strategic with how you choose literary agents to query.

4. Determine Their Work Style

The next factor to consider is the agent’s working style. The relationship between an author and their literary agent is very close, as a book is inherently a sensitive and personal project that the author puts a lot of effort into. Your book probably means a lot to you, so you want someone who acknowledges that and understands you.

Agents, just like every other person, have a variety of personalities. Some agents are warm and personable and others are more formal and business-like, as, after all, this is a business transaction at the end of the day. While you can’t determine an agent’s working style before sitting down and conversing with them, you can still get a sense of their personality from their online bio as well as their Twitter feed, if they have one.

It’s also important to think about what working style you have and who you would jive with. For instance, if you don’t like small talk, a friendly agent might be difficult to work with. By reaching out to agents who you are excited to work with, not just as a professional but as a partner, you’ll increase your chance for successful representation.

5. Look Into Their Background

The final element to consider when finding literary agents is their background, which will be listed on their database bio or agency website. Literary agents come from many different backgrounds, with some having been literary agents for their entire careers and others having switched from another position in the industry, such as being an editor or a bookseller.

Some have even transitioned from completely different fields. They might have been a lawyer, which translates well to literary agent work as they deal with rights and representation. They might have worked in film, which also translates well as agents often sell film rights along with book rights.

Some agents are also published authors. Some have already published a few of their own books before transitioning to being a full-time agent, and others write in addition to their agent career. This can lend a unique lens to their comments and advice, as they understand where you’re coming from as an author.

So think about what might appeal to you. Would you like to work with someone who understands your creative writing background, or are you more interested in getting a film deal for your book and thus would like to work with someone with knowledge in that industry? Although this topic might seem niche, it can help you decide between one agent and another from a specific agency.

I hope this article has offered some perspective and knowledge on how to find the right literary agent for you. There’s more to selecting who to query than just genre, and by doing some research to tailor your approach, you can enhance your chances of success. Not only that, it will ensure that the agent you do ultimately sign with will be a good match for you, since you’ve already crossed any ill-suited agents off your list.

Thanks for reading, and happy querying!