How to get a literary agent
Getting a literary agent often starts with getting to know this guy. Image credit: Rachael Funnell
If you are wondering how to get a literary agent then first of all, you’ve earned a congratulations. Writing a book is one of the most gruelling but rewarding processes in life, it certainly took me years. The bad news is that the work is far from over if you want to get your book published, but the good news is that there’s a clear path you can take to get there.
Getting a literary agent is the first step.
How to get a literary agent: Manuscript submission
Literary agents are faced with thousands of manuscripts from prospective authors, which means they’re going to have to say no to a lot of people. If you’re writing fiction, you need to have finished the book before you start looking for an agent. If you’re considering sending off your first few chapters and finishing the rest of the book while you wait, it’s important to note that not all agents take months to get back to you. When I queried for my debut novel, I had several people ask to see the full manuscript within a few days of me contacting them. Turning a book around in that time would’ve been impossible, and admitting you’ve queried them without having finished the work is going to sour your relationship before it’s even got going.
If you want to get a literary agent you need to give them as few reasons to doubt you or your work as possible, ensuring they make it to the end of your sample chapters wanting more. To do that, you’re going to need some help. Fresh eyes are one of the most valuable tools in the editing process. You can freshen up your own tired peepers by putting your finished book away for at least six weeks before coming back to it to search for typos, inconsistencies, and dodgy dialogue.
While you wait, you can also employ the help of friends and family by getting them to read your book. They might not be trained editors but they will hopefully be free and willing, increasing the odds that any problems will get brought to your attention. Alternatively you can invest in your work by getting a professional to look it over, but you will need to be choosey here as you want to find the right editor for your book. Editing takes time and so getting it done professionally is justifiably expensive, which means you don’t want to blow a hefty investment on the wrong service.
How to get a literary agent: Query process
Querying agents can be exhausting, but attention to detail here will really boost your chances of seeing success. For a lot of people, it starts with the Writer & Artists’ Yearbook: an absolute brick of a publication that’s stuffed with advice for soon-to-be authors. As well as providing insights from the best in the business, it contains a directory of every literary agent in the UK, and overseas, and what genres they represent.
Creating a spreadsheet will help you keep track of who you want to query, how far along the process you’ve progressed, and what requirements they have for queries. While the Writer & Artists’ Yearbook is a good jumping off point, you’ll want to go to the individual agents’ websites to find up-to-date information on what they want to see from writers.
Typically they’ll be after a sample of your writing in the form of the first few chapters. Some agents can be very specific when it comes to the email subject line and method of contacting the agent(s), so make sure you stick to this if you don’t want your email to go straight in the bin.
How to get a literary agent: Choosing an agent
Literary agencies range from individual agents to teams of people, with smaller businesses often describing themselves as “boutique”. There’s no hard and fast rules as to who will be the best fit, and going with a big agency over a small one isn’t necessarily going to guarantee you more success. It’s all about finding the agent who connects with your work, because they need to be convincing if they’re going to sell it to a publisher.
Researching agents will greatly improve your understanding of who seems like they might be a fit for your work. The literary agent’s website is a good place to start, but a Google search of their name may yield interviews or articles that give you extra insight into what they’re looking for. Check out their socials to see what they’re posting about too, you’re saving everyone time by making sure you only query the right agents for you.
Once you’ve found someone who seems like a good fit, add them to your spreadsheet with their name, contact details, query requirements (word count for chapters, synopsis, and cover letter etc.), why they are a good fit, and how long they typically take to respond. As your list grows, you’ll likely start to see that some agents feel much more appealing than others, so when you’re ready to start sending out queries you’ll know who to start with.
How to get a literary agent: Be prepared
Once you’ve got your list of suitable agents and you’ve researched what they want from you, it’s time to start sending out queries. A word of warning, this bit can be long and very painful. You are probably going to get rejections, you are probably going to have to wait (sometimes for months) to get a response, and sometimes you won’t get a response at all.
Getting a literary agent means finding just one person who connects with your work and can see its potential. Finding one person that likes it doesn’t mean everyone will, in the same way that receiving a rejection doesn’t mean that every agent is going to say no. Your book won’t be for everybody, and that’s fine, because somewhere out there is a person that’s going to love it. I found that with my agent Jenny Todd at The Literary Office, but not before my inbox got its fill of “thanks, but no thanks”.
How to get a literary agent: The takeaways
If you’re writing fiction, finish the book before you even start thinking about agents
Give yourself a six-week break from the book before trying to edit it, and get friends and family to read it while you wait
Only query agents who represent your kind of work, and listen to their query guidelines
Don’t lose hope, rejections are almost inevitable, but they don’t mean everyone will say no
Keep going!
Reaching them is a case of persistence, endurance and a killer cover letter. If you’d like tips on how to write a query letter, you’re in luck. They’re coming soon.