Getting to know you (aka agent-stalking)

I'm not stalking ... just curious

Hopping on the query train is a scary thing for any number of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that you're looking for more than just someone who thinks you have potential and therefore will try and fix/sell your work. In many ways, you're looking for a partner ... as Anne would say: 'a kindred spirit.'

You've made your spreadsheet, with all the names of potential agents, and the work they've repped in the past, some of it (hopefully) somewhat in the same literary universe as yours. You've read at least one or two or twenty of the novels they've represented. You've got some sort of rating system where by  gut instinct use of an elaborate algorithm derived from years of research, you've determined your exact agent-writer matchability score. But then you start to personalize your query letters and you panic. 'How well do I really know this agent? Are we really the best fit? What are their pet peeves? What do they like to see in a query letter and what don't they? Do they like a personalized intro first or the pitch first? Is this book right for them right now? Will they even like me??'

Interwebs to the Rescue!  -- Agent Interviews
Thankfully the internet is a beautiful place, and much of this information is right at our fingertips. In addition to QueryTracker, Agent Query, Publisher's Marketplace, there are all sorts of places to find transcripts of interviews where agents dish on their likes/dislikes and generally provide all sorts of useful insight for the nervous querier. Here are some of the best sites I've found for agent interviews:

• Literary Rambles - Agent Spotlight
• Stacey O'Neale - Literary Agent Interviews
• Mother. Write. Repeat
• Writer's Digest - Agent Advice
• Winnie Griggs - Industry VIPs
• S.R. Johannes: Market My Words
• Sharon K Mayhew: Random Thoughts
• Writing Raw Interviews
• Literally Human  (links to interviews)
• Writerlious - Agent Spotlights
• MIG - Meet Our Agents
• The Last Word (hilarious -- also has author/editor interviews)

Haunting author blogs and twitter feeds are also great ways to get to know your potential future agent. And remember, it's not stalking, it's research! ; )

What about you?  What are your tips for researching literary agents? How do you personalize your queries? Have you ever launched an agent to the top of your list based on the personality you've seen shine through in blogs posts or interviews?