Are you in the market for an agent? You may want to look into AgentInBox. Launched last November, the site is reportedly free--for now. That will change at some point, when the "initial introductory period" ends, though the site specified no date.
A recent Publishers Weekly article talked about the site's growth and the first successful match between 26-year-old YA author and an agent who sold the author's debut novel to Simon & Schuster's Atheneum Books for Young Readers imprint. Not bad for a first attempt.
The PW article didn't mention how many agents participate in AgentInBox, but said only that the number was "growing," which could mean anything. Nor did it mention how many authors have signed up, although I imagine after this bit of news, that number will grow by leaps and bounds.
AgentInBox seems to be on the up and up. According to its web site, it assists authors in preparing "high quality" queries, and then sends the submission out for the authors to "the right" agents. This alone is a huge timesaver.
Other features include tutorials on how to prepare "perfect query letters, manuscript samples, and non-fiction book proposals."
The fact that AgentInBox doesn't charge, and participating agents receive no payment up front makes it seem legit. Do they have a screening process to weed out scam agents? PW didn't say. But, as with any agent search, keep an eye on the Preditors & Editors site to be sure.
