So...

As a good little boy, I'm meant to research potential agents and only send the things I have to sell to the people who want to sell that kind of thing.

Then I click on a link to see who else is on their books and find a catholic list as long as a very long thing that covers, almost without exception, the entire gamut of non-specialist adult literature with huge names who feature on mainstream school syllabus reading lists to small names who feature on occasional tweets somewhere out there in the ether.

Does my book fit?

Well...

Yes, if I cherry pick the authors and works from that list to compare against with consummate care.

No, if I shift my choices either up or down by one place in the list.

Do I send my book into them?

Gah.

Ignorant of Dublin

I would. Most agents are generalists; as long as they represent books which are the kind of thing you write - main genre, approximate level of literariness - i.e. they know the kind of editors who might want yours - then go for it.

And if for some reason they particularly don't like a particular kind of subset of books aimed at a subset of that market which you particularly happen to be writing, it's almost impossible to second guess that anyway, so there's not a lot of point in trying.

It's hard for us to remember that when they say "research the market" what they really mean is "Don't send me fantasy, poetry, cookery...".

Emma

I would.

Think I may have to anyway! I finally got a line that actually says what I mean to say and I have to send it somewhere or I'll go mad.
G

Do...and good luck!

Good luck!

Most agents do have a style or a distinctive taste, but I agree that can be very hard to work out from their webpage, particularly when you have to factor in all the people they represent kind of by default, like clients inherited from former agents or estates that belong to the agency as a whole, etc etc.

I think when they say "do your research" they just mean, check that this is within the bounds of sense - ie don't send something highly, highly literary to an agent who reps mainly crime, don't send short stories to an agent who only does non-fiction, don't send genre to someone who only does general lit fic, don't send children's to an adults-only agent or vice versa, and so on.

That's all. Beyond that it's so extremely random and unpredictable that you can't do more than make a lucky guess.

I think if you can find SOMETHING on their list that fits roughly with what you write, that's doing pretty well.

Yes definitely. That's exactly where to send it. An agency with catholic taste (small c) is perfect.

I would. You only have a stamp to lose! If they have a specific dislike of a particular genre, it should say in their profile. Otherwise, I'd press the button, and send! Good luck, Gaius

Yes, send. It's the only way you'll find out if you fit their bill!