Agent Hunting

I am in the midst of trying to find an agent, and am wondering if you went thru any agent site to find the agents to submit your work to, or did you do the research on your own?


I've heard of people having limited success finding an agent via a search/matching site, for lack of a better term, but I've always found this a little weird. I mean, to me, you're the one who is completely responsible and in control of your career, and why would you pass this off to someone else and rely on him or her to be the one to suggest good matches? Again, this is just my opinion, but I wouldn't feel comfortable with it.


Not to mention, that there's enough information on the web that you can (and should) do this on your own. AgentQuery.com and PublishersMarketPlace.com offer such a wealth of knowledge that you should be able to find and target agents who are right for you, as well as learn more about them and get their contact info. Does it take some time? Sure. But as I've said before, part of being a good writer is being a good researcher, and I can't think of many things that are more important than finding the right agent, so time shouldn't be much of a concern.


But I'm open to changing my mind. So what say you readers? Have you guys used these search firms and have they worked? Or would you be open to using them or do you believe in the old-fashioned way of landing representation?


Btw, I'm headed to California through mid-next week. Have a great holiday weekend. Until then!