How To Research and Find The Perfect Agent

There are a sea of agents out in cyber space. There are a sea of agents in books. There are a lot of agents--period. So, where is newbie writer supposed to start looking for one? I've been researching for several months and here is a useful process I've come up with for finding the agent of my dreams. This isn't foolproof, I don't have an agent yet because my book is only halfway done, but I do like to jump the gun on things and I love to research. Without further ado, my tips:

1. Start with the books: Go to a bookstore or a library near you and peruse the genre you're currently working on writing or have already written a book that fits. Do a quick inventory of the stacks. Which specific publishing company/companies published the most books in your genre? Write them down and make the list as long as you want it to be. Now, which books catch your eye in terms of cover art, font, blurbs? Write down these guys, too.
2. Move to the Web: You already know which publishing companies are available to work in your genre based on the numbers you got from the bookstore research. A good publishing company choice is one whose always printing out books in your specific genre because that means there will be no shortage of work for you once you've signed with them. You also already know which books you thought were well represented by certain publishing companies. Now take that information and backtrack with it. Google each companies website and find out which one of those companies requires an agent beforehand. That way if you can send out a manuscript without an agent you can be marketing to editors and agents at the same time. As long as a publisher takes multiple submissions this procedure isn't frowned upon.
3. Get a feel for a publisher's site: You've identified which companies require agents and which do not so from there you can move on to perusing their websites. Which one's appeal to you and seem to have books that you would read? Revise your list of publishers based on your own set of "need" criteria, what you need from a publishing company based on the information given by the company.
4. Predators and Editors: Go to this website, click on agents, and start researching. You're going to want to research any literary agent that catches your eye whether by awards or name. In general, once you've gotten to an agents website they will have listings of the books they've published and where they've been placed for publication. Does that agency have a track record with one of your top publishing houses on your list? Does it seem like a comfortable environment that will take care of your individual needs or a book mill? If you answered yes to these two questions check to see if they are still taking queries and their submission guidelines.
5. Amazon Listings: Take the agencies that you've narrowed down, those that feel comfortable to you and will help you reach your favorite publishing companies, and pick a book from their site. Compare that book in sales on Amazon.com to see how well that agency did in placing that particular book and the netted sale. You might have to do a few different books before you can decide whether or not that agency is effective. Not everyone makes the NYT list.

Now you have a general outline of agencies with which you'd like to work. You've seen what they've done for other authors, how they run their businesses, sale numbers, who you'll be dealing with in terms of representation, and that they work hand in hand with publishing houses you want to represent your writing. So, it's all there. All you have to do is start submitting.