Navigating the World of Literary Agents
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.
If you’ve spent any time at all learning about writing and publishing, you know that getting your work out there is no easy feat. In fact, it can be downright daunting. With so many options available—traditional publishing, self-publishing, and hybrid publishing—it can be difficult to know where to start. Well, if you want to match with a traditional publisher, you might consider querying literary agents. But what exactly is a literary agent? And how do you find one? In this comprehensive article, I’ll cover everything you need to know about literary agents and their role in the publishing industry.
What Are Literary Agents?
Who are literary agents and what do they do? Essentially, literary agents are professionals who represent authors and their work to publishers and other media outlets. They act as a liaison between the author and the publisher, negotiating contracts and ensuring that the author's rights are being protected. They are only compensated when a book sells, and then they take 15% commission on each check issued to the writer for domestic rights, and between 20 and 25% on foreign and subrights sales. This means that they don't get paid unless you get paid, so they have a vested interest in making sure your work is successful.
Pitching Literary Agents
So how do you find a literary agent for your own work? One option is to research literary agents who represent authors in your genre or who write for the same target audience. Many literary agents have specific areas of expertise or interest, so it's important to find someone who is passionate about your work and can effectively represent it to publishers. Research resources include Manuscript Wish List, Agent Query, Query Tracker, and Publishers Marketplace. Make sure you do your research and find an agent who represents your genre and seems like a good fit for your specific project based on their previous sales track record or website submission guidelines.
Another option is to attend writing conferences or events where literary agents may be speaking or taking pitches. This can give you an opportunity to meet with them face-to-face and discuss your work directly. The slush pile—where your work will land when you’re first submitting—is very competitive, and not every writer gets a literary agent, even if they want one. Sometimes their writing craft is not professional enough yet, or their project doesn’t have a marketable premise. But if you find you’re getting a lot of writing rejection, keep learning and growing, and you can always try to submit again.
Foregoing Literary Agents
It's also worth noting that not all writers choose to work with literary agents. While these publishing professionals can certainly offer valuable expertise and connections within the industry, some writers prefer to self-publish or pursue other avenues for getting their work out into the world. Smaller publishers sometimes accept unagented submissions directly from writers, and it’s worth researching who you can reach out to on your own. (Though be careful of Googling “publisher for my book,” or similar. This will often yield a list of hybrid publishers, which will ask you to pay for the service of publishing your book. Traditional publishers will offer to pay you an advance or royalties and will not demand payment.
In the world of publishing, literary agents can be invaluable to aspiring writers looking to get their work into the hands of publishers and readers. However, it's important to understand that working with an agent isn't for everyone, and there are many different paths to success as a writer. By learning about the role of literary agents in the publishing industry, researching potential agents who specialize in your genre or niche, and carefully considering whether working with an agent is right for you, you can take important steps towards achieving your writing goals. Write on!
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