How to Approach a Literary Agency With Your Writing
By Mary Kole
Mary Kole is a former literary agent, freelance editor, writing teacher, author of Writing Irresistible Kidlit, and IP developer for major publishers, with over a decade in the publishing industry.
Writers often dream of being plucked from obscurity by a literary agency and having their work published, but the publishing world can be a treacherous and opaque one to navigate. Fortunately, a literary agency and the agents who work there can help you find success, a book deal, and make the process easier. But what exactly does a literary agency do? How does a literary agent help writers? And when is it a good idea to get a literary agency involved with your writing project? Let's outline some things every writer should know, from the experience of a former literary agent.
What Does a Literary Agency Do?
A literary agency is a business where one literary agent or multiple agents work. A literary agent is someone who works with writers in order to help them get their work published. In most cases, they might be an editorial agent and give writing notes before taking your work out to publishing houses. (There’s so much competition in the current marketplace that most agents will help you do a revision or two before going “on submission.”)
Agents typically act as middlemen between authors and publishers, negotiating contracts, royalties, and subrights opportunities on behalf of the author. This is often done with the heft of their literary agency behind them to get you the most favorable terms available. They also work with editors if any difficulties arise in the publishing relationship on the (long) road to publication. They can also offer advice and guidance on how best to market a book or other written work.
Pros and Cons of Working With an Agent
Partnering with a literary agency has its advantages—an agent can save you time by handling much of the legwork associated with getting your book published—but there are also drawbacks. First of all, not every writing project is a fit for a literary agency. Agents make their living selling books and will only look for the (potentially) most commercial projects. They also charge for their services (but only after a project sells, otherwise they’re likely running a publishing scam).
A literary agency typically takes between 15-20% of any money earned from a book, foreign, or subrights sale (15% is standard for domestic transactions, 20 or even 25% are standard for any sale where a co-agent is involved), meaning that if your book is successful, you will have less profit than you would without having used a literary agency.
A big word of caution: anyone can hang a shingle out and call themselves a literary agency. There are, unfortunately, many people out there who may not be reputable or knowledgeable about the publishing industry, so it pays to do your research before signing on with anyone. Writers are emotionally invested in their work, which makes it tougher to see a situation clearly sometimes. If it’s “too good to be true” or they ask for money right off the bat, they are likely not an ethical provider.
Is Your Project Right for a Literary Agency?
Not all projects are right for a literary agent—some may be better suited for self-publishing or submitting directly to publishers. (There are publishers that run slush piles and want to hear directly from writers, but they tend to be smaller. The major publishers by and large do not accept unagented submissions.)
When deciding whether or not to enlist a literary agency, consider the type of project you have in mind: if it is something more traditional then it might be worth exploring working with a literary agent. Ultimately, only you can decide which route is best for your project!
Attracting a Literary Agency With Your Submission Package
Once you’ve decided that working with an agent is right for your project, the next step is creating a polished submission package that will attract a literary agency’s attention. This should include samples of your writing (or the complete manuscript, if you’re writing a picture book, for example), along with a synopsis, and a query letter explaining why you believe this project would make a good fit for the literary agency. Finally, you’ll want to briefly mention who you are and any pertinent information (such as prior publishing credits). Do your literary agent research ahead of time, too. Most mistakes happen when writers send to the wrong literary agency for their project.
A literary agency and its agents can prove invaluable resources in helping authors get their work published—but only when used appropriately. Before enlisting a literary agent’s help on any given project, you should first consider whether your project is a good fit, and whether you are prepared for the challenge. By following these steps to getting a literary agency’s attention, you can maximize your chances in the publishing game.
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