Ask a (former) literary agent your question about how to get a publishing agent here. You’ll also find answers to questions other authors have posted. This article is part of our free 15-Part Guide About How to Get a Book Agent. It was created by, and is curated by, a former literary agent who’s now helped hundreds of authors get book agents as an author coach and consultant. See successful authors at How I Got My Literary Agent.
ASK A Literary Agent – FAQ
This Ask a Literary Agent FAQ answers questions about: the definition and role of a book agent, who publishing agents are, when you should query literary agents, how much representation costs, the best way to find book agents looking for authors, submissions to literary agents, how to handle an offer for representation, what happens after you get a book agent, and more.
The Bestselling Author™Get a Literary Agent(Everything You Need)450+ writers have gotten offers from literary agents and/or traditional publishersUse our article and audio library, and the official Directory of Literary Agents™Your Information is confidential
Author Representative definition and role
When you Should Get An Author Representative
How Much An Author Representative Costs
Finding An Author Representative
- How to find a literary agent?
- How to research book agents?
- Who are the best publishing agents?
- Who are the top 10 book agents?
- How to find publishing agents near me?
- Licensed book agents?
- Established publishing agents?
- New book agents?
- Publishing agents to avoid?
- Book agents seeking submissions?
- How to do a publishing agent search?
- Find a list of book agents?
- Publishing agent database?
- Book of literary agents?
- Where to meet publishing agents?
- Book agent events?
- How to Pitch a Literary Agent at a Conference?
Submitting To An Author Representative
- Literary agent submissions?
- How to contact a publishing agent?
- What to submit to a book agent?
- How to write a publishing agent query letter?
- How to write a synopsis for a book agent?
- How to write a publishing agent proposal?
- How to submit a book to a literary agent?
- How many publishing agents should you query?
- Best time to submit to book agents?
- How long to hear back from publishing agents?
- Book agent response time full manuscript?
- What happens when a publishing agent requests your full manuscript?
- Book agent not responding?
- How to follow up with a publishing agent?
- Book agent rejection letters?
- Revise and resubmit to a publishing agent?
Representation Offer From a Book Agent
- Getting an offer of representation from a literary agent?
- First meeting with a book agent?
- Questions a book agent will ask?
- Questions to ask a publishing agent?
- Multiple offers from publishing agents?
- Choosing a book agent?
- Literary agent contract?
- Standard book agent contract?
- Publishing agent contract terms?
- Book agent contract red flags?
- Publishing agent lawyer?
What Happens After You Get An Author Representative
Mark has helped hundreds of authors get offers from literary agents and/or traditional publishers. Writers of all Book Genres have used our Literary Agent Advice coaching/consulting to get Top Literary Agents at the Best Literary Agencies on our List of Book Agents.
Ask a Literary Agent
Due to time constraints, we can’t answer questions that have already been answered. Please make your question clear, and concise, since the submission form below is limited to 500 characters.
If you want to remain anonymous, type “Anonymous” in the name field. You’ll receive an email when a reply has been posted (usually within 48 hours). We look forward to helping you get a book agent.
MARK MALATESTA is a former literary agent turned author coach. Mark now helps authors of all genres (fiction, nonfiction, and children's books) get top literary agents, publishers, and book deals through his company
dEAR Sir ma’am,
Thank you for your time and attention. I have written a short biography of anti-Nazi protester Sophie Scholl, intended for middle grade readers. I would like to submit it to Scholastic Books, but they do not accept unsolicited manuscripts.
Can you assist me in getting my manuscript to Scholastic or some other publisher of juvenile nonfiction, please?
If we develop a comfortable rapport, in a few years time, I will need an agent for adult speculative fiction and/pr romance.
Hi Susan,
I received your message and I’m happy to help.
See here:
Free Resources to Get a Literary Agent
https://getaliteraryagent.com/#find_and_get_a_literary_agent
And here:
Literary Agent Advice (1-on-1 Coaching/Consulting with Me)
https://getaliteraryagent.com/literary-agent-advice/
Anything else, let me know.
You can post questions more for me here:
https://getaliteraryagent.com/ask-a-literary-agent/.
I will respond personally, and promptly.
All my best,
– Mark
Mark Malatesta
The Bestselling Author, LLC
Phone/Fax: (800) 928-5028
https://thebestsellingauthor.com
https://getaliteraryagent.com
Established in 2011, we’ve helped 400+ authors get offers
from literary agents and/or traditional publishers
Hi Mark, thx 4 UR past help! Now, how would I search by subject on your agent list, for an agent to represent alternate history fiction, or maybe, Christian history?
Hi Leonard,
The dropdown bar in the agent directory will let you scroll all the common genres that literary agents typically list and identify with. If your book is at all fictional, don’t pitch as nonfiction/history. Should pitch it as fiction.
Anything else, let me know.
You can post questions more for me here:
https://getaliteraryagent.com/ask-a-literary-agent/.
Have a great day,
– Mark
Mark Malatesta
The Bestselling Author, LLC
Phone/Fax: (800) 928-5028
https://thebestsellingauthor.com
https://getaliteraryagent.com
Established in 2011, we’ve helped 400+ authors get offers
from literary agents and/or traditional publishers
In your coaching call description you write that you’ll review the first 50 pages of a manuscript and elsewhere mention an author sending a book(s). So can I send more than one children’s book for the session? I have 3 stories under 1,500 words each, 3 poems which could each be spread into individual books and a coloring book with 16 animal poems. I need advice on which ones, if any, are publishable and help with a query letter. A question I’ll have during a coaching session will be if the query letter should cover the 3 stories since the agent requires 3 to be submitted. Thank you.
Hi Melinda,
I’m glad you asked. Yes. 🙂
Everything you asked is normal for your genre.
Here’s that page link again for easy reference if you need it:
Literary Agent Advice (1-on-1 Coaching/Consulting with Me)
https://getaliteraryagent.com/literary-agent-advice/
I’m looking forward to your work, and our time together.
Anything else, let me know.
You can post questions more for me here:
https://getaliteraryagent.com/ask-a-literary-agent/.
I will always respond personally, and promptly.
All my best,
– Mark
Mark Malatesta
The Bestselling Author, LLC
Phone/Fax: (800) 928-5028
https://thebestsellingauthor.com
https://getaliteraryagent.com
Established in 2011, we’ve helped 400+ authors get offers
from literary agents and/or traditional publishers
If agents will only rep what they personally feel passionate about, and more than 80% of agents are women who prefer to read female characters with some agents openly stating that they will not represent men or books featuring male protagonists, how would a male writer go about approaching agents in 2026? Is it better to conceal your gender in the hopes of getting past the implicate (and sometimes explicate) bias? Thank you for any advice you have on this.
Hi Alex,
I received your message and I’m happy to help.
See here: https://getaliteraryagent.com/how-a-writers-gender-impacts-literary-agents/
You might find these things helpful also:
Free Resources to Get a Literary Agent
https://getaliteraryagent.com/#find_and_get_a_literary_agent
And here:
Literary Agent Advice (1-on-1 Coaching/Consulting with Me)
https://getaliteraryagent.com/literary-agent-advice/
Anything else, let me know.
You can post questions more for me here:
https://getaliteraryagent.com/ask-a-literary-agent/.
I will respond personally, and promptly.
All my best,
– Mark
Mark Malatesta
The Bestselling Author, LLC
Phone/Fax: (800) 928-5028
https://thebestsellingauthor.com
https://getaliteraryagent.com
Established in 2011, we’ve helped 400+ authors get offers
from literary agents and/or traditional publishers