Once you decide whether you're going to submit to agents or small publishers, you need to make a list of those who will be most likely to be interested in your manuscript. Different agents and publishers have preferences about the types of manuscripts they handle. If you write YA fantasy, it does you no good to query someone that handles only non-fiction.

Your job, then, is to identify agents or publishers that specialize in your manuscript's genre and category. Genre describes your manuscript's content. Romance, fantasy, science fiction, and mystery are common genres. If your novel includes more than one genre -- and many do -- what is its main genre? If you're having trouble narrowing it down, imagine looking for it in the bookstore. Where would it be shelved?

Category describes the age group of the target audience. There are three categories -- adult, young adult, and new adult. An agent who reps adult science fiction is unlikely to be interested in YA science fiction, so be sure the agents or publishers you include on your list represent both the genre AND category of your book.

Listed below, in order from most reliable (most frequently updated) to least reliable (most likely to be out of date), are resources for determining what individuals are looking for:

--Twitter. By following industry insiders and hashtags such as #tenqueries, #pitmad, and #MSWL, you can gain insight into what certain individuals are requesting NOW. Not all agents and publishers are on Twitter, but for those that are, Twitter is an excellent way to gauge who wants what.

--The agent's or publisher's blog. Again, not all agents and publishers keep a blog, and of those that do, not all update regularly, but those that do tend to keep the list of what they're looking for current as well.

--Recently-published books similar to your own. Check them out to see who published them. The author's agent may be listed in the acknowledgements. If not, try googling the author's name and "agent." The longer the book has been published, the more likely the agent information could be out-of-date.

--The agent's/agency's or publisher's website. The submission area of these websites can be fairly static, but they are directly under the control of the agent/publisher and thus fairly likely to be up-to-date.

--Online databases such as querytracker.net and agentquery.com. These databases are a fantastic starting point and have great tools to help you keep track of your submissions. They are not under the direct control of the agent or publisher, though, so they can be out-of-date.

--Printed books such as Writers Market, Guide to Literary Agents, or Writers & Artists Yearbook. These books often have great articles in them. They can be a trove of wonderful information! But the agent information may be out-of-date, even in a newly published book. The content for those books was fact-checked about 18 months before the book was released. These books can be a good starting point, but verify any information with another, more up-to-date source.

--Other lists, such as those maintained by writers' organizations or individual websites. They could be updated frequently, or they could have been posted years ago and forgotten. Definitely check information from sites like these against another source.

How to build your submission list:

1. Use one or more resources above to build a list of as many possible small publishers or agents that rep your genre. Make this as big a list as you can!

2. As you build your initial list, try to sort the names into "buckets" according to how eager you are to submit your manuscript to them.

Maybe you have a group of agents you've been following online and on Twitter who you just can't wait to submit your manuscript to -- those might be your "A" list. Those who seem like a really good fit, but you're less familiar with, might be your "B" list. Those who rep your genre but don't seem to be quite as good a match might be your "C" list.

3. Research each person on the list to determine if they are legit.

DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP.

Do not submit first and research only after they have responded to you.

Scammers are VERY skilled at making you want to work with them. They know what you want to hear, and they will say those things. They will LIE to you. They will tell you a lot of truth and just enough lies to confuse and mislead you.

You can avoid scammers COMPLETELY, however, if you check out the people on your list before you submit to them.

To determine if an agent or publisher is legitimate, check out the Bewares, Recommendations & Background Check forum (http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=22) on Absolute Write. Search the forum for the agent or publisher. If you're not sure how to do that, ASK for help. If you're not finding people, you're likely searching incorrectly. Ask for help.

If you can't find someone on Absolute Write, post the name in a thread in the Industry Insider club on Wattpad, and ask for information.

4. Compile your final list.

5. Create a spreadsheet (or use a tool like querytracker.net), and capture EXACTLY what each specific agent or publisher on your list wants included in the query package you send.

You'll do more with this spreadsheet. I'll talk more about it in the next chapter.

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Did this chapter answer a question you had? It would be great if you would press that little star graphic in the top right corner. If not, just carry on reading and vote for one you find more helpful. Oh, I'd be happy to answer your questions in the comments below, as well. --XG