You’ve got a great idea for a book or you’ve just finished a manuscript, but you don’t know how to get an agent in New York or anywhere else.

We know: How To Get A Book Agent Fast

It’s not as difficult as you might think. If you have a finished manuscript or a partial manuscript and an outline, or a nonfiction book proposal, just follow these 5 steps to getting a book agent.

1. Get Your Manuscript or Proposal Ready

Most agents would like to see a completed manuscript, especially if you’ve never published anything before. This is true for both fiction and nonfiction books. Many agents will also look at the first three chapters and an outline of the rest of the book. Your work needs to be neatly-type and double spaced.

2. Prepare a Synopsis and Query Letter

Write a one-page synopsis of your book. This should sound a little like what you read on the jacket cover of a book, summarizing the plot. Then write a QUERY letter to accompany the synopsis. The letter should include:

a brief paragraph about the book, saying that it’s fiction or nonfiction and giving a one or two sentence description
a paragraph saying who you think the audience for the book will be
a paragraph or two about you, that is, a short bio, including any writing you’ve published and anything that makes you an expert on the subject
a paragraph telling the agent just what you have to show, e.g., a completed manuscript, three chapters and an outline, or a proposal

3. Where to Get a List of Potential Agents

You can get a list of agents online by subscribing to a website, such as the Writers Market website, for about three bucks for a month. These are great because they’re updated all the time. You can also buy or borrow books with the same information, such as the Writer’s Market or the Literary Market Place.

4. Select the Agents You Want to Contact

Look over the descriptions of what each agent is looking for and find agents and agencies who match your material, i.e., fiction, nonfiction, romance, adventure, thriller, how-to etc. Now you’re going send your query letter and synopsis to all the agents who are potential matches for you. (Don’t send the manuscript or sample chapters.) YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEND YOUR SYNOPIS AND LETTER BY EMAIL if the agent has an email address. Otherwise, mail out your synopsis and letter, and put in a stamped self-addressed envelope for their response.

5. Follow Up and Response

When you look up the agents online or in a book, most listings will include the agency’s response time. ONLINE queries often get a faster response, so using one of the websites like Writer’s Market can make the whole process much shorter.