Writing.Com General Discussion

Yes, don't do that.

Most agents have a website on which they will lay out their submission criteria. Follow it to the letter, and one thing they won't be asking for is your manuscript, just a sample of the of the first 50 pages or so. Any deviation from their instructions will most likely find your submission heading toward the trash can.

Many agents no longer accept hardcopy manuscript, so email is your only option unless they state otherwise. Don't use a boilerplate cover-letter (or at least, don't use one that looks like a boilerplate). Look for lists of agents that handle your kind of story, and Google for more. Expect lots of rejections, because the biggest reason for rejection has nothing to do with your story or writing - it's simply that the agent isn't looking for a new author right now.