I in no way endorse any of the links here, but provide these as is. Some will prove useful, some may not, but inasmuch as I have no way to check these out, buyer beware is appropriate here as always. If anyone has positive or negative experiences from any of these or discovers that they charge readers fees and have other concerns please email me so I can note them here or if the problems are too great, remove them.
        The necessity of an agent prior to your first published book is somewhat debatable depending on the genre, while in other genres there is no choice except to have an agent. In this you are well advised to peruse the magazines geared to writing, the conventions in your genre and other avenues to find out what the state of the publishing industry is at the point at which you are trying to sell your manuscript. Being knowledgable about the business of writing is part of what it is to be a professional writer. Good luck