What is a Literary Agent, and How Can You Get One?

When it comes to traditional book publishing, the barrier to entry can often seem impossible to break through. What many don’t realize is that the process can be long and arduous, filled with waiting and rejection before you finally receive any good news. Getting a book published through a traditional publisher takes a certain amount of resilience and blind optimism in the face of failure. One of the very first hurdles is securing a literary agent.

What is a Literary Agent?

A literary agent is a professional who represents authors and their work. These professionals are there to sell your work to a publisher and get you the best deal possible. Literary agents are essentially the middlemen between a publisher and an author.

One common misconception is that all literary agents work as agents full time. Often, agenting will be a part-time gig, because agents don’t get paid until they sell your work. For the job to be sustainable full time, an agent would need a large roster of clients so that books are always being sold. The literary agents who do it full time have most likely been in the game for a while, so they’ve developed their client list over the years.

The Role of a Literary Agent

You might be wondering, “Why do I need a literary agent? Can’t I just reach out to the publishers directly?” Unfortunately the answer to that last question is usually no. Most legitimate traditional publishers will not accept work directly from a writer. Sometimes, indie publishers might do a very short un-agented submission period, but that usually only lasts a few days and can be highly competitive.

One reason behind the policy of only accepting agented submissions is simply to filter out a lot of the work that isn’t up to par. Going through an agent at least shows publishers that another publishing professional believes in and endorses the work. The role of a literary agent then is to get your book in front of publishers, increasing your chances of a book deal.

Once an agent chooses to represent you, they may work with you on edits to make it more appealing to publishers, but this process really depends on your agent. Some agents are more editorially-minded than others and may work with you on several rounds of edits before they decide to send out your book. Other agents might only take books they believe don’t need edits. That way you can get to the submission process more quickly. Depending on what you’re looking for in an agent, it could be good to ask about their process before you sign a contract.

After those edits are complete and the book is finalized, your agent will most likely share with you a list of editors and publishers they plan to reach out to. One of the benefits of having an agent is that they already know which editors are interested in what kinds of books, and they’ve formed connections in the industry so that publishers take them seriously.

The Submission Process

After finalizing the list of editors, it’s time for your book to go out on submission! Some agents might send your work out to all the editors on their list at once. Others, like my own agent, might choose to do rounds of submissions. For instance, they might have 10 editors in the first round. If those editors reject the work or don’t respond quickly enough, then your agent would move on to the second round of editors.

Usually the first round of editors will be the top choice publishers. Depending on the type of book you wrote, for many this selection could mean Big 5 publishers who are more likely to give you a higher advance.

The submission process is long. While there are stories of authors getting book deals in a week, that timeframe is actually quite rare for a debut author. The waiting period just to hear back from editors can even be anywhere between three months to a year, so it’s very much just a waiting game at this stage.

Offer Negotiation and Beyond

If a publisher or publishers express interest in your work, then your agent’s role is to negotiate an offer. Because agents usually get 15% of your book advance, it’s in their best interest to get you the highest offer possible. In this way, you and your agent are in it together because your success is their success. Once an agreement has been made, a contract is drafted, and then your agent’s role is to negotiate that contract, making sure the terms are fair and beneficial to you as the author.

Even after a book deal is complete, your agent may still be quite involved in the publishing process (though it varies agent to agent). Usually agents will serve as the liaison between you and your publisher. Whenever you have questions or concerns, your agent is there to handle it for you and reach out to the publisher with those concerns. While it can seem unnecessary and superfluous to still have that middleman, it often works out in authors’ interest. The agent understands the industry and is more likely to peacefully resolve any issues than if you were to reach out to your publisher directly.

Using a Literary Agent vs. Self-Publishing

Of course, not every author needs a literary agent. Many choose the route of self-publishing instead. When you self-publish your own book, you don’t need to worry about the bureaucracy of traditional publishing, and there’s no one you need to answer to. You also don’t need to share any of your profits with an agent or publisher.

Instead you may share a smaller amount of profit with a self-publishing platform. Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing, the most popular self-publishing platform, takes 30% of Kindle sales and 40% of print sales.

With the agent route, a literary agent gets 15% of your advance. Then, with a traditional publisher, once you earn out your advance, you can start collecting royalties. However, you’ll usually only get 10% to 15% of sales, with the rest going to your publisher. With self-publishing, while you won’t get an advance, you will get anywhere from 60% to 100% of your sales, giving you more long-term earning potential.

However, self-publishing comes with its own set of difficulties, primarily that you’re doing everything on your own, without the backing of a publisher. As the author, it’s your sole responsibility to find an editor, perhaps a book cover designer, and anyone else you might need to assist you. You’re also paying out of pocket for the costs of production, either directly or by giving up a percentage/fee to a publishing platform and/or printing company. With a traditional publisher, you don’t need to worry about those costs.

Traditional publishers also handle marketing and bookstore distribution (although many say that the marketing and publicity of traditional publishers is severely lacking these days). With a self-published book, it’s much more difficult to get that book into bookstores. Purchases come primarily from online sales. You’re also doing all the publicity on your own, or spending money on a private publicist, which can cost an average of $12,000-$24,000, with some publicists charging more or less.

Essentially, there are pros and cons to both self-publishing and traditional publishing. You’ll have to figure out what works best for you, depending on your time and resources.

How to Find a Literary Agent

Perhaps the greatest challenge before book submission is finding a literary agent. I often get asked how that process works. Many people see it as mysterious and difficult. Unfortunately, the publishing world is often not very transparent, with a great deal of gatekeeping.

However, the process is not actually as mysterious as one would think — although it does take work and patience. I’ve broken it down step-by-step below:

Step 1: Do Your Research

The first and possibly most important step is to do your research. One of the biggest mistakes people make is reaching out to agents who do not represent the type of work that they write. If you’re writing a sci-fi novel, for instance, make sure to only reach out to agents who represent sci-fi novels.

The first quick and easy way to find out which agents represent work like yours is to check out the acknowledgments of books that are similar to yours. Writers will almost always thank their agents in their acknowledgements. So if there’s a book you admire in the same genre or style you’re writing in, look at the acknowledgments and see who the agent is for that book.

Another way to figure out what agents represent certain books is through the website, Publisher’s Marketplace. Publisher’s Marketplace lists every single book deal, with information about who the agent is. Some agents will even have a Publisher’s Marketplace page with the types of work they’re looking for and instructions on how to pitch them. The only caveat is that to access Publisher’s Marketplace, you need to have a subscription, which costs $25 per month.

When you’re ready to reach out to agents, I recommend getting a one-month subscription, doing your research and compiling a list of agents within that time. Then you can cancel the subscription. Depending on your financial situation, having access to that information for a month could definitely be worth the $25.

If you want a more general list, you can also simply Google the information. For instance, a Google search for “agents who represent fantasy novels” will give you various websites like Reedsy, Writer’s Digest and more, where you’ll find lists of agents. From there, you can do your research on the individual agents either through the agency website or through Publisher’s Marketplace.

When doing your research, you’ll also want to make note of the agency each agent works for. It’s considered bad practice to reach out to two different agents from the same agency. Make sure there are no conflicts in your outreach list.

Once you’ve completed your research, you can then compile a list of agents you plan to reach out to. You can reach out to as many or as few as you want, but I recommend having a list of at least 10 you can potentially reach out to, even if you don’t end up contacting all of them.

Agent Events

Another way to find a literary agent is through events and meetups. Throughout the year, there are events hosted by Writer’s Digest, universities or other organizations where writers can meet agents face-to-face and pitch their work in person.

For instance, Writer’s Digest is hosting their annual conference this July, and attendees have the option of getting a one-on-one consultation with an agent. The consultation includes a 15-minute meeting with an agent where you can pitch your work, get feedback and ask questions. The downside to these events, though, is that they can be very expensive. To attend the Writer’s Digest conference, it costs $549, and the price goes up the longer you wait to register. Then, there’s a $50 add-on to get an agent consultation.

Step 2: Write a Query Letter

Now that you have your list of agents, it’s time to write a query letter. A query letter is a letter to an agent where you introduce yourself, introduce your work and explain why you want that particular agent to represent you.

There are many examples of good and bad query letters online, and I suggest reading a few of those before you start writing. Query letters are generally short: about three paragraphs and under one page.

In your letter, you can write a short bio and perhaps list some of your published work if you have any. You should also have a one-paragraph summary of your book that draws the agent in. Then, make sure you very clearly state why you’re reaching out to that specific agent. Maybe they represent another book you really like and is similar to yours. If so, mention it in the letter.

Step 3: Send Your Queries

Once your letters are written, it’s time to send them out. For each agent you plan to query, make sure to go to their website or the agency website to find out how to pitch them. Different agents have different policies. Some prefer a direct email, while others might have an online form. In rare instances, you might have a better chance with physical mail.

Step 4: Wait to Hear Back

The waiting part is always the most frustrating. Once you’ve sent out your query letters, there’s nothing else you can do.

When you do finally hear back, an agent will either reject the query outright or ask you for pages. Don’t take the rejections too personally, though. Maybe your work just isn’t the right fit for that particular agent, or maybe they have too much on their plate at that moment. Whatever the case may be, a rejection is not a statement on the quality of your work.

If an agent does ask for pages, they’ll usually either ask for the full manuscript or the first 50 pages before asking for more. Once they have that content, you just have to wait some more. If the agent has your manuscript, I advise only following up after a month has passed to make sure they have had enough time to read it.

Step 5: Sign With an Agent

The final step to the process is finally signing with an agent. If an agent has read your manuscript and expresses interest, then it’s time to make a decision. Almost always, you’ll have a call with the agent first where you can ask any questions you might have. During the call, they’ll usually say nice things about your book because they are trying to sign you. So remember, you have more power at this stage to accept or reject their offer.

If you decide to accept the offer, they’ll send over a contract, and I can’t stress enough how important it is to read your contracts. You want to make sure you’re aware of everything you’re signing. If you’re eligible to join the Author’s Guild and can afford the membership, they also offer free contract review with Author’s Guild lawyers. You can send over your contract and have them look it over to make sure the terms are fair for you.

What Happens After You Sign with a Literary Agent?

After you’ve found the right literary agent and signed your contract, you’ll most likely do a round of edits with your agent. Of course, every agent is different. Some may get deep into the work, giving you developmental edits. Others might be more focused on line edits.

After the edits are complete and your book is ready to go, your agent will share with you the list of editors they plan to submit to. Once your book goes out on submission, all you can do is wait.

How to Spot a Scam Literary Agent

The most surefire way to spot a scam literary agent is if they ask for any upfront fees. A real literary agent will never ask you for money upfront. Your agent gets paid only when you get paid, and that money comes directly from the publisher as a percentage of your advance. If they ask for any money upfront, then it is 100% a scam.

If an agent does reach out to you, and you’re unsure, then simply conduct a search either on Google or Publisher’s Marketplace. If they’ve sold other books, you’ll know they’re a legitimate agent. Always check the sales track record if there’s any doubt.

Some agents will also promise you publication, and that’s another red flag to watch out for. Your agent cannot guarantee your book will sell to a publisher. All they can do is put out the best pitch possible. In the end, however, your work has to speak for itself.

Breaking Into Traditional Publishing: Why It’s So Competitive

Breaking into traditional publishing isn’t easy. There are a number of barriers in place that writers must break through before they get their foot in the door. The publishing world also moves slowly, so it can take years to see any progress. If you’re set on breaking into traditional publishing, you need to go into it with an understanding that there will be rejection. At times, it can seem hopeless or like your work isn’t good enough.

The key is to not take every rejection as an indicator of how good or bad your work is. The industry requires resilience, patience and a thick skin. For most people, the difficulty of that process isn’t worth it.

Even beyond getting your foot in the door, authors these days are also expected to do a bulk of their own promotional work. Being an author means putting on many hats. You’re a writer, a publicist, an aspiring influencer and more. Unless you’re a big-name author, or you’re one of the few lucky authors a publisher decides to put their resources into that year, you’re most likely hustling to get your book seen and to build a successful career.

However, it’s not impossible. Many people do find success in traditional publishing. Authors just need to go into the process understanding that it could be long and arduous.