Resources

I thought it might be useful to answer some of the frequently asked questions that crop up about literary agents – if there’s anything you feel is missing, please let me know using the contact form and I’ll add them here.

 

Do Literary Agents charge fees/cost money?

Agents don’t charge any upfront fees but we take a commission of any deals that we negotiate for you (depending on the agency and type of deal this is likely to be around 15 or 20 percent). We only earn money when you earn money.

When should I contact/query a Literary Agent?

The best time to start querying a literary agent is after you’ve finished your manuscript. But don’t ever send your first draft – put your manuscript aside for a few weeks then read it again and see if you can make any improvements. Find some beta readers to give you their opinion. Repeat this process until you really can’t see anything else you can do to improve the book.

While you’re setting the book to one side you can do some research on which agents to approach and work on your submission package – read through this preparing for submission article for some tips.

What do Literary Agents do?

A literary agent has many roles as you work together to launch your career as an author.

• They’re you’re first fan and champion
• They help shape your work editorially and strategize with you about what you should be working on next
• They’re a sounding board for ideas
• They maintain industry contacts so that they know which editors to send your work to
• They pitch your work to publishers to help find you a publishing deal
• They negotiate your contract
• They help you navigate the publishing process
• They step in and mediate if there are any issues during your publishing journey
• They help find other opportunities for your work (eg, international translations or film rights)
• They can put you forward for writing opportunities that come up

Is having a Literary Agent worth it?

I am a little biased here, but I think agents add a lot of value! They offer editorial support which can be expensive, they help make sure you get the best deal possible and they’re there to advocate for you if something goes wrong. But they’re also your champion, working by your side in an industry that can sometimes be baffling and bruising.

It can be a lot harder to access deals with the major publishing houses without an agent so they can open a lot more doors for you and your work, but there are many authors who manage perfectly successfully. Ultimately you have to decide what you want from your career and whether it’s worth it to you.

 

 

 

 

Read through the other articles in these resources, and feel free to apply for one of my Drop-In sessions if you’d like to meet an agent and ask some questions.