Unfortunately, most writers can't make it to conferences. So, they are left with the task of writing query letters. (Even if you do find an agent at a conference, you are not off the hook. You still have to write a query.)
Whether you meet an agent in person, or look one up online, you have to do your research. Does the agent represent your genre? Is he/she willing to take on new clients? Does she/he have a good track record for sales? Which publishers has the agent worked with? How does he/she treat clients?
All of these questions are important, and all can be answered by researching agents online. These are the steps to take for researching an agent.
1) Go to AgentQuery. Not all agents on agentquery are members of the AAR, but all are established. You can search on an agent's name, or you can search by genre. If you search by genre, make sure you do a full search and filter for agents who are actively seeking clients. As you find agents who are taking on clients in your genre, make a list. This site has lots of great resources, including a list of twitter handles for agents, how to write a query letter, and lists of publishers and literary magazines, to name a few.
2) Go to the agent's or agency's website. (You can do this directly from agentquery.) Is the agent still taking clients? Does the agent still represent your genre? How does the agent sound? Does he or she appear helpful. and supportive? Does the agent charge a "reading fee"? (If so, cross the agent off your list. No reputable agent will charge a fee for reading a manuscript. No reputable agent will use a submission as an excuse to offer "editing" services either.) Very few agents post their contract on their websites, but when they do, read those contracts carefully. Literary agents, unlike talent agents, do not represent you, they represent your book. (Only one.) Contracts that demand representation rights for all your work, or for prequels or sequels, should be avoided.
3) Google the agent. Look for "querytracker," and "absolute write" entries. Both of these will give you insights as to turnaround time, and whether authors have had positive (or negative) experiences. You can also go straight to querytracker and look the agent up directly. If there are interviews posted online, read them. Interviews are a great way to discover what the agent does and does not like in a query letter, which genres he or she is particularly interested in, and other useful details.
4) Join QueryTracker. This is a great resource for finding agents. You can search for agents with the fastest response times and who reps whom (which agents represent specific authors). Unlike some other sites, Querytracker is up date to date. It will tell you which agents are closed to queries, and which agents are newly minted. (New agents are always actively seeking clients.)
5) Google "agent [agent's name]". When authors publish a book, they almost always thank their agent in the "acknowledgements" section. Often you will find something like this: "I want to thank my agent, [name of agent] for her tireless support and encouragement." If the book has been listed on google books, this search will find all such acknowledgements. This is a good way to see how many books the agent has represented, which is particularly useful if the agent does not include a list on his or her website.
Once you have assembled a list of agents who meet all your requirements, it's time to send queries.
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Also see:
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Also see:
What Agents Want: Making Sense of Submissions - Definitions of terms agents use
Agents Seeking Clients - An extensive list of agents with their preferred genres
Getting an Agent: Schmooze or You Lose - A guide to writers' conferences
Finding an Agent: Look Before You Leap - The best print guides for finding a literary agent
Writers who attend conferences, will always enjoy a huge advantage over those who don't. And I mean yuuuuuge, Mr. President.
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