A great literary agent can do wonderful things for your career. If you don't use a quality literary agent, your book may never be picked up by a good quality publisher. Even if it is picked up, a quality agent is going to negotiate a far more generous set of terms for you. Of course, not every literary agent is going to work in your best interests, if only because some agents just aren't that good. Taking some time to follow the tips in this article should spare you a lot of consternation.

Check Their References

A great set of references tends to accompany a great agent. If they don't have any references, you should probably look elsewhere. When a writer uses an agent successfully and gets their book onto tables, tablets and filling their bank account like a fountain, they'll happily gush over the experience. The only kind of agent who can't bring forth a couple of good references is either a very new agent or one who hasn't done very much for the writers they've worked with in the past.

Ask Why They Charge a Reading Fee

Many agents don't charge any kind of a fee to read what you've written. Some agents who do charge a fee are simply scam artists who never read anything, never promote anything and simply continue to collect fees. When an agent is on the level, you can be sure that they'll review your work and give you an honest critique. If you've carefully gone over your work personally and hired an editor to double check everything, your story should read well and be nearly flawless. However, sometimes an agent won't have the contacts to work with your particular style. The choice is up to you whether you're willing to pay a fee for an additional review. Many agents simply lack the time to read everything that crosses their desk without any kind of compensation.

Discuss Strategy

An agent is essentially a writer's business manager. As such, a business manager needs to be able to speak authoritatively on strategy. With strategy comes a level of clarity and trust. If your potential agent shrugs or sputters about the potential for a strategy, you might be dealing with an amateur. However, if your agent has a clear image of what audience you're out to reach, believes your writing will do so and has some literary connections, the conversation should go very well.