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 
Thank you, but I no longer believe book agents have a primary — or secondary — interested in books. Their income is largely dependent upon an author’s platform and or celebrity status. If I were a literary agent, I would follow that exact same business model.
Hi Charles,
Are you saying you no longer want to remove my newsletter?
If so, please let me know and I’ll take care of it.
If you’re writing nonfiction, platform is much more important. There are ways that anyone can improve their platform, fortunately, and you don’t need to spend money or years doing it. You will have to spend time though. If you’re writing fiction, agents aren’t expecting much or any platform, though they almost always ask about it. Wishful thinking, mostly.
Let me know about the newsletter, as I don’t want to bother you with things you don’t want.
As before, you can post here at https://getaliteraryagent.com/ask-a-literary-agent/.
Have a good weekend,
– Mark
Mark Malatesta
https://markmalatesta.com
The Bestselling Author
https://thebestsellingauthor.com
Literary Agent Undercover
https://literary-agents.com
I know I’m going to get reamed for asking such questions but I think this is not a unreasonable question–In submitting to agents it is obvious, very obvious, that the vast number of literary agents are women. I think they must be 80% or more. This has to color and influence the kinds of submissions that are let through the front gate. Women and men are different, despite the people who try to rub out that difference. I won’t go into detail about how they might differ in terms of their interests in submissions, but tell me why male writers should not feel they are at a disadvantage because of this.
Hi Gene,
One book I represented, as a male agent, was called, “The Women’s Guide to Legal Issues.” Gender matters less than you might think. If you’re writing work that can appeal to lot of readers, re: of the demographic, it can be successful. However, your concern is legitimate, in that 70% of agents are women…and, 80-85% of all books are bought by women. As a result, it’s an opportunity to make one’s book as female friendly as possible, if and when possible.
Either way…
Here are my resources to help you get a literary agent, in case you haven’t seen or used 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/
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
So sorry to hear about your home flooding. Sending along my best wishes and blessings for safety and happiness. Take good care,
Brenda Shoshanna
Thank you, Brenda, and I hope things are going well for you and your work.
Have a wonderful weekend!
🙂
– Mark
Mark Malatesta
https://markmalatesta.com
The Bestselling Author
https://thebestsellingauthor.com
Literary Agent Undercover
https://literary-agents.com
I am looking for an agent who knows how to sell my four memoirs which detail my life as a gay man born 1939. These books detail the history of their time, the London blitz, being evacuated to terrible boarding school, realising being gay, avoiding aversion therapy, finding gay life in London’s Soho, failing school, finding work, going to the USA to discover the world and this is just in the first book “A Cock-Eyed Optimist”. Self published as an e:book on Amazon. Written for family and friends whose enthusiasm suggests that there is a big market for these books which just requires the right agent/publisher.
Hi Nigel,
I’m happy to help.
Here are my resources to help you get a literary agent, including my agent directory that lists agents seeking authors of all genres (divided/searchable by genre, including memoir and LGBTQ):
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