At the moment, I am obsessed with looking at agents - mianly because I want to get one.
I came across this excellent piece in Mslexia - http://www.mslexia.co.uk/getpublished/getpublished_agents.php
Not only does it tell you whether you need an agent (not enough money in poetry and short stories apparently), but it tells you what an agent does. And, no, they do much more than take a cut of your earnings.
And, there's interviews with six very different agents who offer advice on how best to approch them.
