Literary Agents

Literary agents are professional representative agents who wish to represent you as their client. Their job is to get you published--that's how they make their money; they get paid by taking a commission percentage of whatever you make. In some segments of the publishing industry--particularly the large, well-established publishing houses--getting a literary agent is a must, for the publishers simply will not talk to anyone but an agent. In other segments, it makes no difference. In this webpage I will tell you everything about agents literary.

Here is what a literary agent can do for you:

  1. An agent has connections. They know the publishers inside and out. They have social contact with the editors and publishers; they have lunch with them. They will make sure your manuscript gets into the hands of the right kind of publisher for you.
  2. Having agent representation gives you an instant degree of credibility. The publishers know that an agent screens out worthless manuscripts they never want to see. They understand that if an agent has agreed to represent a manuscript, there must be some merit to it.
  3. The money game. The agent has the skills and know-how to negotiate the best publishing contract for the writer. It makes sense--the more the author makes, the more the agent makes.
  4. After publication, the agent can continue to help manage the book's life progression. This includes paperback deals, foreign publishing, movie deals, TV deals, etc.

There are certain steps you should take in finding an agent:

Do Your Research and Choose the Right Agent for You. Find out who the literary agents are in your industry, where they are, and how to contact them. In most publishing industries, the list of literary agents is long. You need to understand what an agent's specialties, strengths, and preferences are, so you can narrow down the agent list and match up your material with their specialties correctly. Be thorough.

Approach the Agent Properly. Some agents want a call first, some want an email, some want a query letter, some just want a portion of your manuscript in the mail. You must show respect and approach them how they want to be approached--take the agent's advice; otherwise, they will not listen to you or view your material.

Learn to Shrug Off Rejection. On the average, 98-99% of submissions to both publishers and literary agencies get rejected, especially if you've never been published before. That's just the way it is. It will help if you can learn from rejection. Be open-minded. You may need to revise and try again. If you have talent and perseverance, you will succeed in getting a literary agent to represent you.

Some excellent books on agents and getting an agent:

  • The Writer's Market.
  • Jeff Herman's Guide to Book Editors, Publishers, and Literary Agents.
  • Novel & Short Story Writer's Market.
  • The Agents Directory.

Also, great online directories of literary agents can be found on the Internet: