Let me start by saying I am by no means an expert on finding an agent. I can only share with you my trials and tribulations. It's taken me many years to aquire the bit of knowledge I possess about the weary process of agent submissions. Beginning with educating myself on what a query is and how to write one that could possibly catch their eye. It has been probaly the biggest learning experience of my author life.
First what is a query letter? Taken straight from Wikipedia, because sometimes it's just easier, is the simple answer—A query letter is a formal letter sent to magazine editors, literary agents and sometimes publishing houses or companies. Writers write query letters to propose writing ideas. In this sense, the query letter is an author's first step toward getting his or her manuscript published.
I'm not going to school you on the proper guidelines, the internet is filled with exmples that are probaly more concise, I do tend to ramble. What I'm going to do is skip straight to the agent.
Research—research—research. Make sure you are submitting to someone who fits with your work and who is CURRENTLY looking for your genre. Just because an agent lists genres they will read, doesn't mean they're in the market for that particuliar one. A good place to reveiw agents and their wish lists is - https://www.manuscriptwishlist.com/
They havd a plethora of listings and I'm sure you'll be able to find a few that fit your needs.
Okay, you've sent out a few queries and now you're excited to hear a response. Sit back, settle in and be patient. An agent can take months and on some occassions, years to respond. Some agents will have a timeline in their bio asking you to check back after so many months if you haven't heard anything. If patience is not a virtue you possess, you might want to do this so you can move on.
Agent or no agent, the choice is yours. Remember to grow, learn, and perservere if this is truly what you want. I'm reminded of a saying my dad always lived by, "If you throw enough things against the wall, eventually, something will stick." Good luck agent hunters, there's enough of them for all of us, so be kind, supportive, and rally for your fellow authors.
