How to Navigate Query Tracker: The Best Platform to Find Literary Agents
- Aug 7
- 3 min read
Hello aspiring author hoping to land a book deal and launch your career!
Since you clicked on a post about Query Tracker, I bet you want to become traditionally published. I also bet you found out mighty fast that you need an agent to even get a chance at submitting your book to a publishing house like Penguin Random House or HarperCollins.
And the best place to look for agents is ...
Query Tracker is a platform where aspiring writers query agents.
Plus, it's FREE. However, for less than thirty dollars a year, you can get access to agent statistics (like rejection rates and how many queries an agent receives), but a free account is all you need to send queries.
How to Use Query Tracker
First, make an account. So far so good.
After making your account, go to Agents. Once here, I suggest you do these 3 things:
Ensure you're on Full Agent List not My Query List.
Ensure Hide Closed Agents is on. (You don't want to find a dream agent only to realize they're not accepting queries. Been there, and it's not fun.)
Find your genre(s) in Search by Genre and toggle all that apply. This will weed out agents who aren't looking for books like yours. If you have a subscription, you can use the Advanced Search option which lets you choose other specifics, like what country an agent is from and what gender they identify as.
Once you've completed this, you'll see a list of alphabetized agencies/agents who are open to queries and actively searching for manuscripts in your genre.
But you can't send queries to each and every agent on the list. That would be too easy.
Query Tracker Is the Starting Point not the Destination
Now that you have a list of agents who are likely to enjoy your book, it's time to open a prepare yourself for some googling.
Say the first agent on your list is Julia Churchill from A.M. Heath & Co. Ltd. After clicking her name, you'll be taken to her agent profile.
From here, resist the temptation to go to the online form and send a query. Instead, click on the website for her agency.
Once on the website, I encourage you to go to the section listing their agents, and read the bio for every agent who is open to queries. Many agencies only allow you to query one agent per book, so you want to make sure you're shooting your best shot.
After reading through the agent bios, check to see if your top contendors have a profile on Manuscript Wish List. This website allows agents to give in-depth explanations of what types of manuscripts and authors they're looking for, including tropes, character types, settings, and author backgrounds. Agents will often mention things they DON'T want in a manuscript, like a European setting, vampires/werewolves, or upsetting content like abuse. Read their likes and dislikes very carefully.
At this point, there should be one agent who stands out. Keep their wish list open, and return to Query Tracker. Click on their form, and fill in your information.
However, when it comes to your query letter, add a sentence or two explaining why you think your book would be a good fit for that specific agent. For example: "I'm reaching out to you because, based on your Manuscript Wish List, you're looking for A, B, and C." This proves you've put in effort doing research and you know what that agent is interested in. Trust me, this sentence is crucial.
At this point, you've probably filled out all the required elements in the agent's submission form, so you can go ahead and send it off. Query Tracker will automatically update your query data and send you an email with the agent's response (which might take a few months, so don't expect a quick reply).
Of course, Query Tracker is not the only platform where you can find agents, but it is favored by the majority of agents when it comes to accepting queries, so you'll have to use it at some point.
But if you've exhausted your agent options on Query Tracker, don't panic yet. There are other ways to find agents, which will be covered in another blog ;)
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