How to Approach Writing Agents With Your Book Project
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.
Writing agents are seen as the publishing industry gatekeepers who can potentially make your book deal dreams come true. And it’s true—working with one can be an invaluable asset to any writer's career. But knowing when and how to work with writing agents is key, as certain projects may not be the right fit for a literary agent and all writing agents have different skills and focus areas. In this article, I’ll discuss what writing agents do, the pros and cons of working with a literary agency, and the kinds of projects that might be a good fit for literary representation. I was a literary agent for five years, and will also speak to what makes a polished submission package.
What Do Writing Agents Do?
Writing agents usually work on behalf of aspiring authors to find publishing houses that are interested in their specific projects. Most writing agents specialize in a type of genre or type of book, but some tend to dabble across different categories. A literary agent will typically assess submitted manuscripts, approach publishers with polished projects on the writer’s behalf, negotiate publishing contracts, provide guidance on editorial changes or revisions (especially if they are an editorial agent), and give career advice.
Writing agents are also often involved in negotiating film rights deals and other multimedia opportunities such as foreign rights, audiobook deals, and other subrights. Additionally, they serve as go-betweens between authors and publishers—especially if conflicts arise—so that the author can focus on their craft while the publisher handles the business side of things. (Though nobody wants to think about conflicts happening, they do. It’s even somewhat common to fire your literary agent, which is why finding the right one is very important.)
The Pros and Cons of Working With Writing Agents
The main advantage of working with a literary agency is that it provides writers with access to resources they wouldn’t normally get on their own such as editors, publicists, marketing professionals, etc. Most major publishers don’t accept unagented submissions, so if you want to work with a Big Five house, writing agents are key. That said, there are also some drawbacks to consider before signing up with an agency. For example, writing agents typically charge fees for their services (often 15% for domestic sales and 20-25% of foreign and subrights sales). They remain the “Agent of Record” and entitled to their commission, even if the relationship ends. It’s also important to note that different agencies specialize in different genres and types of books, so you’ll need to focus your research on writing agents that are a good fit.
Writing Agents Don’t Represent All Types of Projects
When deciding whether or not to use a literary agency for your book project, it’s important to take the market for your manuscript into consideration. Is it fiction or nonfiction? Is it intended for adults or children? Is it memoir or commercial fiction?
Writing agents don’t generally represent short stories, individual poems, plays, or screenplays (film agents or managers do the latter). They tend to be most interested in book-length works. And those projects tend to be more commercial than niche or regional.
Certain projects may not be suited for representation by writing agents—namely those that don't have large potential sales numbers. (Writing agents are in commission-based sales, after all.) Additionally some genres (like children’s books tend to have very specific considerations associated with them, so not all writing agents will be appropriate for all projects.
How To Attract Writing Agents With Your Submission Package
When submitting your manuscript or book proposal (this mostly applies to nonfiction), you need to make sure everything is as strong as it can be, from the query letter to the synopsis to the manuscript sample. The goal is to show off your best self and your best work so that writing agents will pluck it from a very competitive slush pile. If you’re really looking to increase your odds, you might want to run your submission package by a critique partner or a freelance editor, ideally one with experience as a publishing insider. It’s possible to resubmit a project to a literary agent once they’ve already sent a rejection letter, but the better approach is to impress them the first time around.
Click here to purchase Successful Query Letters, my book on query letters, including over forty examples with comprehensive notes on each one. There’s a ton of submission advice, best practices, and insider information in these pages, and you’ll really enjoy seeing what other writers are doing in the slush.