Several agents advertise their services on the Internet. Are they legitimate or crooks? Because they're listed in some of the agent listings, does that mean they can be trusted? In one word, no.

Please don't get me wrong. Some very respectable agents have Web pages and are listed in various places on the Net. But just like you can't always trust in "real life," you can't always trust on the Net. Protect yourself and your work. Check out any agent before mailing materials to him/her. Libraries or book stores have listings of agents, so check them out. Talk to friends. Understand that you could strike gold on the Internet with an agent, but you could also fall into a scam.

That said, let's look for some sites for agents on the Internet.

The Internet Directory of Literary Agents will only allow those agents who don't charge reading fees to be listed at the site. That's a definite plus, in my opinion. You can search for a particular agent there, or you can browse through their listings by name, agency, state, and even specialization. No doubt about it, some very reputable agencies are listed there--like Donald Maass Literary Agency and Elaine Davie Literary Agency.

Inkspot is a fabulous resource for writers. At this site, you'll find a Suggested Agent Checklist for Authors, where they recommend that you obtain a list of member agents from the Association of Authors' Representatives. The site also gives you several questions to ask prospective agents, such as: Do you issue an agent-author contract? And, how do you keep your clients informed of your activities on their behalf? An agent directory is included, and even suggestions of resources where you can research different agents.

Word Smith's WebBook contains a listing of agents on the Web as well as information on fee charging agents and how to query by email. They make it clear that no endorsement is implied by an agent's listing on the pages.

Authorlink! Literary Agent Directory contains a listing of literary agents and gives tips on what each agent is interested in, how to query, recent sales, special interests, what the agency handles, and even the number of clients.

The Writer's Marketboard serves as a place where publishers, agents, and writers in print and electronic media can connect with one another. Writers can find markets for their work, discover agents, editors, and other services for freelance writers, and post proposals for projects they are working on. Agents looking for new writers can post notices here. It's an excellent resource.

Literary Agents, a Guide for Poets and Fiction Writers, is a site sponsored by Poets & Writers, Inc. The site contains basic and advanced information about agents, as well as a listing of reference books to help you in your search for an agent.

Does your grammar need a little brushing up? In the next issue, we'll search the Internet for sites that will help us get our grammar skills back up to par.

See you then!

Robin Nobles is a freelance writer who can be reached at robinnobles@robinsnest.com.

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