5. CHOOSE AN AGENT
Agents will respond to your query in one of two ways: by phone if they're interested and by mail if they're not. So, that means the good news comes early. Typically, you're not going to be deluged by agents' phone calls. These people hear about book ideas every day of their life and you can be sure that they're pretty skeptical by the time your query landed on their desk. Expect a limited number of responses - one is all you need. When you do hear from someone, kick your project into high gear. Having an agent interested in your project is huge.First, be sure to return an agent's call and tell her how flattered and delighted you are that she has expressed an interest in your project and that you will be choosing which agent you will send your proposal to in a few days. Then, wait a few days to see whether you hear from any other interested parties. If you do hear from more than one, repeat the flattering phone call, but then begin the appraisal process. The best way to decide which agent to send a proposal to is research his previous work. You will want to go with the best agent for you, and reading about the titles she has sold previously will shed a lot of light on your decision-making process.
To decide which agent to send your proposal to, we suggest the following rough guide. Look up her entry in one of the Agent Guides and make a list of the books he has previously represented. To keep the calculation easy, simply tally up the number of books that are either written by an author you have heard of or published by a company whose name you recognize. That's a pretty crude calculus, but also an effective one for picking the most accomplished agent. And they know that.
After you've come to a decision, act quickly. Be sure to inform the agent of your choice that you are going to send her, and only her, the proposal.
