One publisher's website recommends having an agent represent me. How do I go about finding an agent?
You can find lists of agents with descriptions and contact information in these books: Guide to Literary Agents (published annually by Writers' Digest Books), Children's Writers' & Illustrators' Market (published annually by Writers' Digest Books), and Jeff Herman's Guide To Book Publishers, Editors & Literary Agents (also published annually.) In combing through the listings, you should find several agents who represent the kind of books you write.
You can also find agents' names in the trade journal Publishers Weekly, or the website (which requires a paid subscription) PublishersMarketplace.com. Many websites feature interviews with agents, such as Cynthia Leitich Smith's blog (http://cynthialeitichsmith.blogspot.com/). If you are serious about having a long career in children's books, you should join the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators (www.scbwi.org). One of their free publications for members includes a list of agents who represent children's book authors and illustrators. SCBWI also sponsors national and regional conferences where agents speak. You could connect with an agent by attending one of these conferences.




