43. How To Find Publishers and Agents
Posted on This post was first published in 2011 and is regularly updated.
If you have a book idea or a manuscript, one of your first questions is probably:
How do I find a publisher?
Or, if you’re more advanced in your knowledge of book publishing, you may ask:
How do I find a literary agent?
The good news: there’s no shortage of resources for researching publishers and agents. The bad news: you can really get lost going down the rabbit hole of available information!
In the United States, the most comprehensive resource (published since 1920) is the annual Writer’s Market directory, which is also available and searchable online at WritersMarket.com. It features more than 8,000 listings of where you can get published and includes literary agents. While it does cost to purchase the guide (or subscribe online), you can often find it at your local library or bookstore.
Alternatively, you can find a range of free and paid resources online. Some of the sites and tools listed below offer submission trackers, community message boards, and interesting statistics gathered from official site members.
Here’s a summary of the most well-known and popular places to find publishers and agents.
Where to Find Publishers
Be aware that most New York book publishers do not accept unagented submissions, so sometimes “searching for a publisher” really means finding an agent (see next list).
- QueryTracker. Free to start, with premium ($) levels.
- Manuscript Wish List. Editors and publishers often post on social media what projects they’re actively seeking. This site aggregates those mentions.
- Ralan. Free, focused on science fiction & fantasy.
- Poets & Writers. Free, but serves the more literary side of the writing community.
- Duotrope ($). Its strength is in detailing markets related to poetry, short fiction, and essays, but it also has book publisher listings.
- New Pages. This is a curated list of markets popular with creative writing programs and instructors; it’s a good place to go if you’re publishing short stories, poems, and essays.
Where to Find Agents
Before you begin a search in earnest, be sure to read my post: How to Find a Literary Agent
- PublishersMarketplace. Pricey ($25/month), but if you search the Deals Database at this website, you can study what books agents have sold going back to 2001, by category and keyword.
- Manuscript Wish List. Agents often post on social media what projects they’re actively seeking. This site aggregates those mentions.
- AgentQuery. Free, with excellent community message boards.
- QueryTracker. Free to start, with premium ($) levels.
- AAR Online. This is the official membership organization for literary agents. Not all agents are member of AAR.
Some writers really dislike conducting this research. While I think writers should undertake this task for themselves, if you prefer to hire someone to find appropriate agents and publishers for you to submit to, try Grad Student Freelancers.
For more information
Jane Friedman (@JaneFriedman) has 20 years of experience in the publishing industry, with expertise in digital media strategy for authors and publishers. She is the co-founder and editor of The Hot Sheet, the essential newsletter on the publishing industry for authors.
In addition to being a columnist for Publishers Weekly, Jane is a professor with The Great Courses, which released her 24-lecture series, How to Publish Your Book. Her book for creative writers, The Business of Being a Writer(University of Chicago Press), received a starred review from Library Journal.
Jane speaks regularly at conferences and industry events such as BookExpo America, Digital Book World, and the AWP Conference, and has served on panels with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Creative Work Fund. Find out more.