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 
Dear Mark, thank you so much for your assistance with finding out if literary agents are real or scams. One more question for you: I have a novel finished and fully edited which is an unauthorized sequel to E. B. White’s Charlotte’s Web. I have attempted to place “requested” bits of it into innumerable traditional agent’s hands in hopes of getting the attention of Harper Collins who published the original, but to no avail. Have you any suggestions as to how to go about getting the work seen and passed on to a publishing destination? Blessings Tom g
Hi Thomas,
Happy to help, as it can see like the wild west at times. Re: your question, there’s no simple answer to that.
Here are my resources to help you get a literary agent, if you haven’t seen or used them all 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
Dear Mark,
I am wondering when you will contact me for our one-to-one conversation.
I paid the fee some weeks ago and filled in your extensive questionnaire as well.
I’m in the UK, the Isle of Wight , but regularly go up to London.
So maybe after Christmas?
My mobile phone number is 07958 454849 and my email is : annie@mactherapy.org
I’ve just self published my first novel EVEN LOVERS DROWN and have begun my second one: THE NUN’S DAUGHTER
Looking forward to hearing from you
Annie Walker
Begin forwarded message:
From: The Bestselling Author
Subject: Re: My completed questionnaire
Date: December 16, 2024 at 6:27:13 AM PST
To: Annie Macdonald
Hi Annie,
When are you planning to send the sample pages?
I don’t see them in the second file you sent.
No rush, just checking,
– Mark
Mark Malatesta
The Bestselling Author, LLC
Phone/Fax: (800) 928-5028
https://getaliteraryagent.com
244 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2406
New York, NY 10001
324 S Beverly Drive, Suite 410
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
Former literary agent reveals how to become a bestselling author
…for authors of fiction, nonfiction, and children’s books
Mark Malatesta December 20, 2024
Within the current context of fact-based exposure of high crimes and misdemeanors committed by political elites who for decades have been living above the laws by which We the People must abide, “Upside Down” has greater relevance with each passing day. From a long range historical perspective, it will be just as relevant in 100 years as it is today. The target audience for “Upside Down” is the entire civilized world. My credentials for making this bold statement include a career with General Motors, most of it with Chevrolet field sales, service, advertising, marketing, and dealer network development during which I was responsible for the sale and service of millions of GM cars and trucks.
If you have read it, you understand the exposure of the three Big Lies (four including the coup of Novembe 22, 1963) crosses all political lines. As Jesse Ventura said in 2012, “I hate Republicans, but I despise Democrats”. “Upside Down” was born within that context.
The most critical element to achieving happiness and joy in any human life is freedom. In all humility, “Uside Down” is the most important work of our times, because freedom cannot exist in the absence of Truth, and Truth cannot exist in the absence of God.
Of all 200 million or so published works, “Upside Down” stands alone in focusing on Truth that will set US free once again.
A week doesn’t pass without me receiving several “offers” to do this and that with “Upside Down”. I would love to believe that all proposals that are supposed to sell copies of my book are genuine, but there is never any real strategy, no real commitment, and only vague “proposals”. The one and only way to sell “Upside Down” is to put 100 copies of my book in each of the 600 Barnes & Noble book stores inside the main entrance in a stand-alone kiosk to which every shopper is immediately exposed.
The book will sell itself.
Finally, every agent and publisher who claim they can help me sell copies of my book want me to trust them when they all have absolutely no skin in the game.
That said, your latest E-mails got me thinking (dangerous) that perhaps we could strike a deal. For every copy sold, you make a certain amount, as do I. I already have a bunch of skin (my entire body) in the game, and, to a lesser degree, so would you. Nothing else is even close to acceptable.
If you want to talk, I’m all ears.
Dan Meyer danmeyer411@comcast.net www.upsidedownus.com
720.328.3391
Hi Dan,
I appreciate the offer, but I haven’t been an agent for 20 years or so now, and I’m focused exclusively on coaching/consulting at this point. I’m a fan of authors with meaningful books, so I hope you’ll query agents.
To that end…
Here are my resources to help you get a literary agent, if 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
When submitting the first 10 or so pages to a literary agent, do you start with Chapter 1? Or do you also include the Introduction if there is one? Thank you! Julia
Hi Julia,
You can go either way. For me, it’s case by case. I lean toward including it.
And…
Here are my resources to help you get a literary agent, if 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