Live Links: QueryTracker

livelinks2This week I continue on my quest to find the ideal agent database. I believe I’ve found it in QueryTracker.

QueryTracker (http://www.querytracker.net/) offers many useful features, most of which are FREE, but you must sign up and log-in to perform any of them.

The database contained 1289 agents at my last check. There are several search criteria available, including 29 genres of fiction, location (North America, USA, or UK), gender of agent, query method, agent acceptance of new clients, and membership in AAR.

Using the same search criteria as for AgentQuery (Women’s Fiction and accepting queries) and narrowing the search for USA-based agents produced a list of 243 agents. You can alphabetize your list by agent or agency and assign a priority number to an agent. As with AgentQuery information about agents is minimal but includes many live links to possible information sources (including AgentQuery).  Users’ comments about agents can provide helpful feedback about such topics as agent response time.

One of the best parts about QueryTracker, especially if you are someone who can use a little structure to get organized, is the tracking feature. This feature allows you not only to add an agent to your agent list but also to keep track of your inquiries and agent responses. Your agent list appears with a series of easy to understand icons summarizing your search process. QueryTracker provides several useful videos on how to use its various features.

To get optimum use of this database, a $25 per year Premium Membership lets you track multiple projects and provides additional data on each agent (based on data that QueryTracker collects from its 67,000+ members), such as percentage of queries that result in requests for pages/manuscripts, query load, and best time of year to query. These extra features for tailoring your search seem worth the price if you are actively querying and you are not cowed by charts and graphs.

Overall Rating: For size of database, range of useful features, and user friendliness, QueryTracker receives my “stroke of genius” five star rating:

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With this database at my disposal, I’ve run out of excuses to avoid querying.

 

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