How do you find literary agents for your genre?
- Combine three databases: QueryTracker, MSWL, Publishers Marketplace.
- Build a list of 50-100 names over 4-6 weeks.
- Verify each agent’s recent sales (last 12-18 months).
- Cross-check against the agency’s website for current open submissions.
- Avoid agents who haven’t made a sale in your genre in 18+ months.
You find agents for your genre by combining three databases: QueryTracker (active agents accepting queries), Manuscript Wish List (agents publishing what they want), and Publishers Marketplace (recent deals showing genre-active agents). Build a list of 50-100 names over 4-6 weeks, then verify each through the agent’s recent sales and submission guidelines.
Chapter i·Why it matters
Most queries are rejected for genre mismatch — sending literary fiction to a thriller agent, or YA to a children’s-book agent. Building a genre-matched list takes 4-6 weeks but is the highest-leverage research a querying writer can do. Skipping this step is the leading cause of "auto-reject within 24 hours" rejections.
Chapter ii·What to include
- QueryTracker: filter by genre, status (open), and response time.
- Manuscript Wish List: search for keywords matching your book.
- Publishers Marketplace: filter recent deals by genre and agent.
- The agent’s agency website: confirm they are open and verify guidelines.
- Twitter or X: follow agents to see #MSWL posts and recent activity.
- A target list document with agent name, agency, genres, recent sales, guidelines URL.
Chapter iii·Example
A debut adult fantasy author spends six weeks building a 67-agent target list. She uses QueryTracker to identify 120 fantasy-active agents, narrows to those with recent sales (Publishers Marketplace), and reads each agency website to verify open submissions. The 67 final names are all active, current, and genre-matched. Eighteen months later she has an offer of representation.
Chapter iv·Related questions
In WriteLoom
Stop running your query on a spreadsheet
WriteLoom’s Pitch studio builds agent target lists from current databases, filtered by your genre and recent activity.
Not ready for a workspace yet? Get the free six-part series on winning the writing game: finishing drafts, editing in the right order, querying with real math, and launching on a runway.