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U, I'll try to encapsulate the process for you. First, I've been researching agents and such for a couple of years. I use Writers Market a lot. It's pretty exhaustive, though it's best used to narrow down a search. Some agents aren't listed there, but most are. You can't necessarily get a detailed handle on them, but it can help you to narrow down the list and the Submission Tracker is an ultra-handy tool, too. You can get the WM information in book form, online, or both. I use the online version exclusively.

In addition to WM, I frequented active online writers' boards for a long time. The real value there, I'm sorry to say, is more social than anything else. On any such board, 90% of the participants are going to be unpublished or barely published writers themselves, all looking for that edge. A few genuine experts can be found, but very few.

When the time came to actually start my agent search, I used AgentResearch and purchased their "Custom Fingerprint" service. I gave them all the details about me and my novel, and they selected five likely top-tier agents and furnished detailed reports on each. These people at AR are insiders and know the industry on a detailed basis. The one big drawback is that they for the most part recommend the UBERagents. Sure, all agents take on new clients, but at this level they are naturally VERY selective and it's often hard to even get their attention. The second drawback is that reality is: It takes virtually any new writer more than five queries to land an agent. AR also offers a VERY informative newsletter that you can subscribe to for $35 per year and I HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend it. It will give you a real finger on the industry pulse.

Another invaluable site is Publishers Marketplace. The research value of this site is huge, U, just huge. And the fact that it's a paid site ($15 per month for full access) tends to keep out the not-as-serious writers and vastly improves the quality of the site. There is no other site on the net that comes close to the value of PM. On three or four different occasions, I had top-tier agents and/or editors from MAJOR publishers initiate contact with me and ask for my manuscript. No other site can boast such a claim IMO, not truthfully anyway.

In the end, here's the real nutshell version of the game: AFTER you've created a saleable piece of work, this thing becomes a numbers game that requires undying persistence. Because the truth is that you'll have to hit the right agent with just the right query or just the right manuscript, on just the right day, at just the right time, and in just the right mood. Everything is SO subjective that it can drive you NUTS. One person will love it. The next hates it. It's an emotional rollercoaster that can truly wreak havoc with your soul.

The query letter must be strong as garlic. Mine evolved over a period of months and in the end it was indeed strong. I queried dozens of agents. About a third of those I queried asked to see either more sample chapters or the whole manuscript. Out of those, I had three offers of representation. I couldn't buy into the first guy's vision for marketing this book and my future books. The second lady was right on track and tack-sharp but was just coming out of the Christian market and into the broader secular market. I agonized over whether to sign with her because she was on fire for the book, but in the end her lack of experience in the secular thriller market made me gunshy. The third was a perfect match and I hooked up.

Since I write primarily thrillers, I of course looked for agents with a strong record in the genre. I write in a very "cinematic" style, so I paid attention to agents' track records in selling not only novel rights but also movie rights. The agent I signed with is ultra-strong in this regard. He works as both a literary agent and a movie producer and has offices in both New York and L.A.

Hope this helps...