Publishing
Read submission guidelines before preparing the file
Treat submission instructions as a specification for this recipient, then check the actual package against it.
Define the book before searching
Start with a concise description of the project: fiction or nonfiction, broad category, intended readership, approximate length and the feature that makes it distinctive. If those details are unsettled, agent research can become an attempt to make the manuscript fit whichever profile sounds promising. A clear description helps you recognise genuine alignment.
For fiction, distinguish subject from reading experience. Two novels can concern the same historical period while offering very different kinds of story. For nonfiction, distinguish expertise in a topic from an interest in the proposed form. An agent who handles narrative history may not be seeking a technical reference book on the same subject.
Use agency websites and individual profiles as primary information. Published interviews and acknowledgements can suggest names to investigate, but confirm current affiliations and submission status through official channels. Lists compiled by third parties can become outdated.
Record a reason for each name
For every candidate, write one factual sentence explaining the fit. It might refer to a stated interest, a relevant area of the list or a specific kind of work sought. If the sentence says only that the agent is successful or well known, you have not yet established why this project belongs on the shortlist.
Do not assume that representing one comparable book means an agent wants another with the same premise. Look for broader interests and assess the actual guidance. Penguin's account of finding an agent encourages research into appropriate representation; use that research to make a considered selection rather than collecting the largest possible number of contacts.
Include the official submission link, current status, requested materials and any restrictions on approaching multiple agents within the same agency. Keep this information brief and dated. A research document that becomes too elaborate to maintain can be less useful than a small, accurate record.
Choose a manageable sequence
Prepare the manuscript and submission materials before sending a first group. A manageable group lets you verify the process and maintain accurate records. It does not provide a scientific experiment: different agents have different tastes, schedules and available capacity, so a handful of responses cannot prove that one sentence in the query caused the outcome.
Use any specific feedback thoughtfully. A repeated concern about the pitch's clarity may justify revision; a standard decline usually provides little evidence about a particular passage. Avoid rewriting the entire submission after every response. Keep the version sent to each recipient identifiable.
Review the shortlist periodically. An agent may close to submissions or describe a new interest. Check again immediately before sending rather than relying on the date when you first added the name. The result should be a current set of plausible approaches, each with a clear reason and a package prepared for that recipient's instructions.
