Be sure to read this great blog for advice directly from Agents in the business!
Who better to get some insider tips from than from the very agents that represent new authors?
This is an especially exciting time for writers beginning their careers because the information is so easily accessible. There are also a lot of agents out there that WANT to help us succeed. We have more options than ever when it comes to publishing our work, so the best thing we can do for ourselves is to research all the possibilities.
ADVENTURES IN YA AND CHILDREN’S PUBLISHING – Agent Round-up: Reading as an Agent
Mary Ann Writes For Kids 
Maryann, this link isnt working for me…but perhaps its just me! The more we can learn about how to read like an agent with our own work – the better though. I’m a first reader for the Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency and find universal problems across the genres I read. In becoming aware of them myself in reading other manuscripts being submitted, it also greatly helps me become a better writer.