How does a person find an agent to represent my book to a publisher?

Question

After 25 years in the cleaning and maintenance industry I sat down and wrote...a guide to cleaning your home in 90 minutes or less...any information would be appreciated

Answer 1

I found this excerpt from "Finding an Agent" by Judith Bowen on absolutewrite.com.

Check out books in the library that list literary agents. See if they are members of reputable professional organizations. Go to writers' conferences. Talk to other published authors. Gradually put together your own short list and send out query letters describing your manuscript--the fact that yours is completed is a plus-- starting with the first agent on your list and working your way down. Chances
are, none of them will take you on.

Don't give up. Get out there and sell your manuscript to a publisher. Contrary to what you might have imagined - that it's the agent's job to sell your book - the truth is, your book is going to have to sell itself, whether you send it out or an agent does. Then, when you're offered that contract, contact your short list of agents again, starting at the top, and mention you've got a contract to negotiate and you'll be pretty pleased to find that the response will be quite different. Maybe your first choice or your second still won't be interested, but your third or fourth will. If you've done your research, he or she will still be a fine agent with a good reputation.

Answer 2

The information in the previous answer is valuable. Some books that may interest you follow.

Literary Agents - Michael Larsen

The Insider's Guide to Getting and Agent - Lori Perkins

A Guide to Literary Agents, published by Writer's Market.

Both Larsen and Perkins attend writers' conferences (or in the past they have). I believe you will find conferences to be an excellent place for you to learn more about the business of writing and interact with other writers, agents, publishers, etc.

Good luck with your book.