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 
Hello, my name is Angela. My question is about children’s books (fiction) genre.
I am writing a series of children’s books that I believe to be in the early reader or picture book genre, however, it could also be a first-chapter book. I realize knowing your genre is critical to gaining representation.
It would seem every online site I go to, the variations on the description of each category are different which is confusing me.
My series of books are aimed at ages 2-8 (meaning the book can be read by an adult to a child, and the book can be read by a child that has learned to read (an early reader, grade 1-2). Page count may be 50-61 pages which will include illustrations on every page, and word count under 1,000.
I no longer see the term “early reader” on literary agent online sites. I see only picture books or first-chapter books. Has the early reader morphed into a different name?
Not knowing which category of the children’s fiction book genre my series falls into is inhibiting me from writing as I fear being rejected by an agent, for it not being in the proper genre/category.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
*I am also working on 2 different adult novels, as well as other children’s books. I enjoy writing in multiple genres and hope to see my stories published and enjoyed by people who love to read.
Hi Angela,
I share your frustration. A big part of the confusion is that agents often aren’t clear enough, saying they do “children’s books” and/or “juvenile fiction,” but not being more specific. So, if/when pitching an early reader, and yes, they still exist, you’d want/need to query those agents, understanding many won’t be open to early readers, but that you often won’t know until querying them.
It’s a bit messy.
More agents do picture books.
You might be able to go either way with this book.
Either way…
Here are my resources to help you 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/
Literary Agent Advice (1-on-1 Coaching/Consulting)
https://getaliteraryagent.com/literary-agent-advice/
If you want/need help with anything else, you can post here at https://getaliteraryagent.com/ask-a-literary-agent/.
I’ll do what I can to point you in the right direction.
And writing in more than one genre is okay.
But…
It’s usually best not to say that when pitching.
🙂
– Mark
Mark Malatesta
https://markmalatesta.com
The Bestselling Author
https://thebestsellingauthor.com
Literary Agent Undercover
https://literary-agents.com
I wrote a book (crime) but different. Mostly true, the heists actually happened. Its about a Bronx kid who learned how to make the hard, necessary decisions and become very successful. It is not a gangster movie but borders on it and the unique “middle guys” who make a lot of money and are not wise-guys. The story covers this man’s life. The how to and what fors and how he ended up. I need to find an agent who will read this
Hi Robert,
I’m happy to help.
Here are my resources to help you 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/
Literary Agent Advice (1-on-1 Coaching/Consulting)
https://getaliteraryagent.com/literary-agent-advice/
If you want/need help with anything else, you can post here at https://getaliteraryagent.com/ask-a-literary-agent/.
I’ll do what I can to point you in the right direction.
All my best,
– Mark
Mark Malatesta
https://markmalatesta.com
The Bestselling Author
https://thebestsellingauthor.com
Literary Agent Undercover
https://literary-agents.com
Dear Mr. Malatesta,
My name is Morton Grosser. I’m an MIT and Stanford alumnus, and a prior client of the Curtis Brown Agency. During my PhD tenure at Stanford (Astrophysics/ History of Astronomy) I was encouraged by my late friend Ken Kesey
to enter the international competition for the Stegner Creative Writing Fellowship. I was fortunate to win it, and Wally Stegner became my mentor and close friend. While
a Stegner Fellow, a book version of my thesis titled The Discovery of Neptune was published by Harvard University Press (direct first submission). It received very favorable lead reviews in The New Yorker and Scientific American, and was subsequently issued in four editions and five languages. I also submitted my first short story at that time, and it was bought and published by The New Yorker.
Wally urged me to contact Curtis Brown. I became a client, and that firm sold my next three books to Houghton Mifflin and Atheneum. At a social event in New York I was strongly recruited by Julian Bach and became a client of his agency. He sold my next five books to Houghton Mifflin, David & Charles, Dover Publications, Michael Joseph Ltd., Macmillan, and Zenith Press, and fiction, non-fiction, and poetry to many periodicals including Harper’s and The Atlantic. In addition to the Stegner award I have won the Golden Sower Award and the Commonwealth Club medal for literature. Since Julian’s passing I’ve been working in the Venture Capital Industry and am now without an agent. A factual current résumé including an abbreviated publication list is available as bona fides.
I recently finished writing my ninth book, a collection of 14 essays on a wide range of subjects, titled CONGRUENCE. It has provoked enthusiastic praise from a group of highly qualified pre-readers: (“The two essays on war should be published online immediately, and in Vanity Fair or The New Yorker.”). I haven’t submitted to periodicals yet, but would be willing to do so pending agent recommendation. What agencies would you recommend that I contact to submit this book? Please let me know. Thank you very much,
Morton Grosser
Hi Morton,
Your background is impressive, and with a good query you should have no problem getting top agents looking at your work. You can find all agents in my agent directory, searchable by genre, here:
Literary Agent Database (Directory of Literary Agents)
https://getaliteraryagent.com/literary-agent-database/
If you want/need help with anything else, you can post here at https://getaliteraryagent.com/ask-a-literary-agent/.
I’ll do what I can to point you in the right direction.
All my best,
– Mark
Mark Malatesta
https://markmalatesta.com
The Bestselling Author
https://thebestsellingauthor.com
Literary Agent Undercover
https://literary-agents.com
Can I pay you to edit my query letter?
Hi Ken,
See here:
Literary Agent Advice (1-on-1 Coaching/Consulting)
https://getaliteraryagent.com/literary-agent-advice/
And…
If you haven’t seen them yet, here are my other resources to help you 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/
If you want/need help with anything else, you can post here at https://getaliteraryagent.com/ask-a-literary-agent/.
I’ll do what I can to point you in the right direction.
All my best,
– Mark
Mark Malatesta
https://markmalatesta.com
The Bestselling Author
https://thebestsellingauthor.com
Literary Agent Undercover
https://literary-agents.com