How to Get a Literary Agent – 5 Top Tips
If you have finished writing your book and feel that you are now ready for publication, you may want to try getting a literary agent to represent you and enhance your chances of securing that coveted publishing deal.
As many publishers don't accept unsolicited manuscripts, being represented by a literary agent will help your chances of being considered for publication. Sending manuscripts or query letters directly to a publisher may result in your book ending up in the 'slush pile'. Publishers receive many enquiries on a daily basis, so you want your book to stand out from the crowd and have the best possible chance of success.
Literary agents act as an intermediary between author and publisher, they have an in-depth knowledge of what publishers are looking for and can therefore submit manuscripts using a targeted approach. Here are 5 tips showing how to get a literary agent.
As many publishers don't accept unsolicited manuscripts, being represented by a literary agent will help your chances of being considered for publication. Sending manuscripts or query letters directly to a publisher may result in your book ending up in the 'slush pile'. Publishers receive many enquiries on a daily basis, so you want your book to stand out from the crowd and have the best possible chance of success.
Literary agents act as an intermediary between author and publisher, they have an in-depth knowledge of what publishers are looking for and can therefore submit manuscripts using a targeted approach. Here are 5 tips showing how to get a literary agent.
1. Carry Out Research for Your Genre
To get the right literary agent it helps to do a little research first. Have a look through your own books or those similar in genre to find out who the author’s agents are. More often than not, they will be acknowledged in the front of the book. With this information at hand, you will have a good starting point to send in your own manuscript to the right agent for you. Also, make sure that you adhere to their submission guidelines.
If you would like further resources, as there are hundreds of literary agents covering the various and numerous genres, please check out the recommended books on Amazon below.
If you would like further resources, as there are hundreds of literary agents covering the various and numerous genres, please check out the recommended books on Amazon below.
2. Prepare Your Manuscript Ready for Submission
The first task is to prepare your book properly. So as well as your manuscript being free from punctuation, spelling and grammatical errors, your book or novel should be written to the highest standard it can possibly be and the layout/formatting needs to be professional.
If you would like to enquire about using the services of an experienced book editor, who will help to ensure your writing is grammatically correct, engaging, flows well and is polished and professional before submitting, I provide proofreading, copy-editing and formatting services to finalise your manuscript ready for submission to a literary agent.
If you would like to enquire about using the services of an experienced book editor, who will help to ensure your writing is grammatically correct, engaging, flows well and is polished and professional before submitting, I provide proofreading, copy-editing and formatting services to finalise your manuscript ready for submission to a literary agent.
3. Write a Synopsis of Your Book
A synopsis is a statement detailing what is going to happen in your book. While you don’t want to give away any major plot points, it should serve to highlight as a brief overview of what to expect. The synopsis should be no more than a page and should be intriguing for the person reading it.
- Check out the Writers' and Artists' Yearbook website for their article Write a Great Synopsis.
- Also, the Writer's Digest website for their article Learn How to Write a Synopsis like a Pro.
4. Write the Covering/Query Letter
The query letter is just as important if not more so than the synopsis. The aim of this letter is to provide the literary agent with the reasons why you want to work with them, what the book is about and a brief paragraph about you. The letter should be professionally laid out and signed off formally.
Don’t rush into writing this as it needs to capture the attention of the agent; you have to carry out your research and give it some thought.
Agents receive a lot of query letters, so yours will need to be polished, business-like and provide the information they're looking for to increase your chance of being represented.
Don’t rush into writing this as it needs to capture the attention of the agent; you have to carry out your research and give it some thought.
Agents receive a lot of query letters, so yours will need to be polished, business-like and provide the information they're looking for to increase your chance of being represented.
- Check out the Writers' and Artists' Yearbook website for their article How to Write a Covering Letter.
- Also, the Writer's Digest website for their article The 10 Dos and Don'ts of Writing a Query Letter.
5. Be Realistic About Expectations
Literary agents are sent hundreds of novel and book manuscripts on a daily basis while at the same time managing their existing clients. You need to expect that you will receive rejections, but it is important not to get disheartened. The literary world is a competitive place with everyone trying to get their foot in the door.
Persistence and determination are key, as well as a confidence that your book is ready for publication, as you will see from the following article links detailing well-known authors who received numerous rejections before finally getting their work published.
If you would like to look at the option of self-publishing your fiction novel, non-fiction book or collection of short stories, check out my article How to Publish Your Book on Amazon Kindle Direct (KDP) for a step-by-step guide showing how to upload your book to sell on Amazon.
Book Editing Services is here to help you every step of the way. Whether you need a Proofreading Service, Copy-editing Service or an Ebook Formatting Service, my professional editorial services can help to ensure your finalised and published book becomes a reality. Please contact me using the link below to discuss your project, request a no-obligation quote or to check availability.
Persistence and determination are key, as well as a confidence that your book is ready for publication, as you will see from the following article links detailing well-known authors who received numerous rejections before finally getting their work published.
- 6 Famous Authors who once Faced Rejection via wildmindcreative.com
- The Most Rejected Books of All Time via lithub.com
- 17 Famous Authors and Their Rejections via mentalfloss.com
If you would like to look at the option of self-publishing your fiction novel, non-fiction book or collection of short stories, check out my article How to Publish Your Book on Amazon Kindle Direct (KDP) for a step-by-step guide showing how to upload your book to sell on Amazon.
Book Editing Services is here to help you every step of the way. Whether you need a Proofreading Service, Copy-editing Service or an Ebook Formatting Service, my professional editorial services can help to ensure your finalised and published book becomes a reality. Please contact me using the link below to discuss your project, request a no-obligation quote or to check availability.
Contact Book Editing Services
If you would like to get in touch, let me know about your book and which service you're interested in by using the secure Contact Form. You can also use the form to discuss your editorial requirements, request a no-obligation quote or check availability.
Please read my Terms and Conditions if you would like to use my editorial services so you are familiar with how I work and the requirements of both parties. I look forward to hearing from you.
If you would like to get in touch, let me know about your book and which service you're interested in by using the secure Contact Form. You can also use the form to discuss your editorial requirements, request a no-obligation quote or check availability.
Please read my Terms and Conditions if you would like to use my editorial services so you are familiar with how I work and the requirements of both parties. I look forward to hearing from you.
