Ask a 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.
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 
In composing a query letter, what would a novice have to say about in a paragraph concerning ‘about competitors” or in a paragraph concerning ‘Marketing’? A literary agent may be interested is such, but as a novice writer, what would I know of such matters?
Hi Roosevelt,
You don’t need to speak to those things in your query, but it can help. See here: https://getaliteraryagent.com/how-to-write-a-literary-agent-query-letter/. Then spend some time on Google/Amazon getting more familiar with books that are in some ways a little or a lot like yours. That will help you do a better job talking about the competition.
You might find the following helpful also:
How to Get a Literary Agent (NEW 15-Part Guide)
https://getaliteraryagent.com/how-to-get-a-literary-agent/
Literary Agent Database (Directory of Literary Agents)
https://getaliteraryagent.com/literary-agent-database/
Literary Agent Advice (1-on-1 Coaching/Consulting)
https://getaliteraryagent.com/literary-agent-advice/
Also…
Don’t query agents in December, wait until January…a better time to query.
And if you want/need help with anything else, or have another update, post on my new “Ask a Literary Agent” page at https://getaliteraryagent.com/ask-a-literary-agent/.
I’ll always respond personally.
All my best,
– Mark
Mark Malatesta
https://markmalatesta.com
The Bestselling Author
https://thebestsellingauthor.com
Literary Agent Undercover
https://literary-agents.com
Hi Mark,
I was in email contact with you a long while ago when I was starting to write my Book – on growing up with ADHD. Your advice was incredibly helpful.
I just completed my Manuscript.
Post-Christmas I will send to selected Publishers who have expressed interest.
I understand 6 months to publication – so hopefully Summer 2023.
Thank you for your encouragement.
I love it, and my pleasure.
Thank you for the positive update, thank you for following through, and please let me know if/when you get any interest…from an agent or publisher. And the following might help if you haven’t seen them yet:
How to Get a Literary Agent (NEW 15-Part Guide)
https://getaliteraryagent.com/how-to-get-a-literary-agent/
Literary Agent Database (Directory of Literary Agents)
https://getaliteraryagent.com/literary-agent-database/
Don’t query agents in December, wait until January…a better time to query.
And if you want/need help with anything else, or have another update, post on my new “Ask a Literary Agent” page at https://getaliteraryagent.com/ask-a-literary-agent/.
I’ll always respond personally.
All my best,
– Mark
Mark Malatesta
https://markmalatesta.com
The Bestselling Author
https://thebestsellingauthor.com
Literary Agent Undercover
https://literary-agents.com
My second book is ready. It’s powerful. I almost died this year and ended up losing 115 pounds. Hurricane Ian destroyed our house and everything we owned. I wrote an intense and very funny book about it while I was laughing up in bed. I couldn’t hold a laptop, so I wrote the whole book on my phone.
It’s called, “All in the Fullness of Time – A Sabbatical Diary from a Broken NY Irishmen. Everyone who has read it believes this is good enough for traditional publishing. I need an agent.
I have 3,500 professional bylines and my first book, Pain Was My Friend, came out in 2015.
Hi Pete,
I’m glad you made it out alive from the storm.
If you haven’t seen the following yet, they’ll help you find and get a literary agent:
How to Get a Literary Agent (NEW 15-Part Guide)
https://getaliteraryagent.com/how-to-get-a-literary-agent/
Literary Agent Database (Directory of Literary Agents)
https://getaliteraryagent.com/literary-agent-database/
And if you want/need help with anything else, you can post on my new “Ask a Literary Agent” page at https://getaliteraryagent.com/ask-a-literary-agent/. I’ll always do what I can to point you in the right direction. And, on that same page, you’ll find my answers to the questions authors ask me most.
All my best,
– Mark
Mark Malatesta
https://markmalatesta.com
The Bestselling Author
https://thebestsellingauthor.com
Literary Agent Undercover
https://literary-agents.com
I’ve written a work of literary fiction that is just under 62000 words. I consider the manuscript to be complete. However, I read online that agents expect debut novels to be between 80-95,000 words and will reject it if “outside” this margin. Should I pause in my efforts to seek an agent and devote my time to lengthening the manuscript? (Incidentally, the ms. was rejected by an agent without any mention of the book being too short and/or feeling incomplete. On the contrary, she said the prose was too “elaborate” for her taste.)
Hi Celica,
Yes, you’ll increase your odds with the book if you do that.
And if you haven’t seen the following yet, you’ll likely find them helpful also:
How to Get a Literary Agent (NEW 15-Part Guide)
https://getaliteraryagent.com/how-to-get-a-literary-agent/
Literary Agent Database (Directory of Literary Agents)
https://getaliteraryagent.com/literary-agent-database/
If you want/need help with anything else, you can post on my new “Ask a Literary Agent” page at https://getaliteraryagent.com/ask-a-literary-agent/. I’ll always do what I can to point you in the right direction. And, on that same page, you’ll find my answers to the questions authors ask me most.
All my best,
– Mark
Mark Malatesta
https://markmalatesta.com
The Bestselling Author
https://thebestsellingauthor.com
Literary Agent Undercover
https://literary-agents.com