Agents of the Literary Kind, Part 3: When Should I Look for an Agent?

In our previous posts in this series, we learned what an agent is and what this advocate can do for you, and we determined that you do need an agent for your current writing project. The next question is:

When should you start looking for this important business partner?

Short Answer: When you have a completed manuscript

Longer Answer: You're ready when you have completed the following three items:

A completed manuscript ready for submission to a publisher. This means...

You have edited your manuscript at least twice
Your manuscript is formatted in standard style: Courier 12 font (Times New Roman will do , too), double-spaced. The agent may ask for something else, but having a standard copy allows you to quickly make changes as needed.
The manuscript has gone through an outside review, and you've incorporated the comments. This outside review may include any or all of the following:

Reading by a critique group, preferably writers who know your genre and have given you feedback;
Entering a writing contest in your genre where judges give feedback;
Reading by at least three fellow authors who have given you feedback;
Editing by a professional editor and/or proofreader whom you've hired to provide feedback.

The more eyes the better,

the more editing the better,

the more rewrites the better.

But Wait! There's More!

Your reading market(s) identified

You've read extensively in the book market(s)
You can describe how your book fits into the market(s)

Yes, of course you've written a unique work, but your book must match a readership, so you can pick the RIGHT agent, and the agent can submit it to the RIGHT publishers. Agent also have their own reading and selling preferences, experience, and contacts. When you begin your search in earnest, matching your work to the agent's preference will be critical.

Your marketing pieces written for submission

During the submission process, different agents will ask for different marketing pieces, depending on the agent and their agency's preferences and the preferences of the editors with whom they deal. I'll be blogging on these important tools in the future. For now, if you don't know how to craft these vital marketing pieces, start looking on the Internet for blogs and articles; there is plenty of help out there. In order of importance, your marketing pieces are: