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 
What is the best way to expedite quick publishing of this VERY TIMELY material?
Rule of law being replaced by rule of opinion? You want that? Except for some 20 Billionaires expecting to become Trillionaires out of the chaos required to end the Republic, no one on all sides are SAFE. Anyone worried about hanging on to what they’ve got is market for Feel Good Again About America Book. Aimed at all, initially a niche market book for those smart enough to seek new thinking to better oppose new threats. This time the enemy is a much worse phase of a 50-year, unreported, Neoliberal Revolution raging since ’75, Thatcher and Reagan. The 1890s Gilded Age was rough but arguably constrained by a long-standing general sense of decorum. This time, all such sentiments are GONE!, replaced by this 16-word summary of Atlas Shrugged. ‘You can take. Good. And they can’t take back? YOUR GOOD! All the rest is furniture. They now own the Executive, Court, and Congress. Social media is already gone, and mainstream media is going fast. That leaves ONLY US to protect US. What to do? Einstein once said, ‘We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking that caused them’. This book attempts to better enable us individually and/or collectively to become Ayn Rands’ worse nightmare, a whole lot of people who understand the underlying principles of being an American in the current idiom.
Hi Dennis,
Nice to meet you, and 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 Mark, I was recently approached by a traditional publishing company, yet in their correspondence they have asked for the following:
“ Proof of Ownership (Country Rights, Foreign Rights and the Intellectual Property.”
How do I as an author go about obtaining this data to prove myself?
Hi Cat,
I’m sorry to say that sounds like a scam.
Read this, if you haven’t seen it yet, should help: https://getaliteraryagent.com/how-much-does-a-literary-agent-cost/#alert
After that…
Here are my resources to help you get a legitimate literary agent and publisher:
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
Hi! I received a rejection today that I’m struggling to interpret, and wondering your thoughts on best course of action.
“ I really wanted to love this one, but it felt like the plot stopped progressing and I really need that intensity to grow. As is, this is a pass, but I see so much potential here and would be open to seeing it again in the future.”
The agent saw my synopsis and first ten pages, half of which are prologue. I’d love to work with this person and it seems like she’s open to seeing the same manuscript again, but there’s no way for me to clarify her feedback on which part of the submission was problematic through QueryTracker.
I’d love your thoughts on how I could approach this one. Thanks so much!
Hi Katie,
Hard to imagine an agent saying that after just ten pages, but, if it wasn’t a note for someone else accidentally sent to you, the only thing to consider is making more happen and putting more at stake in the first ten pages. Then you could submit to the agent again, with a note referencing the agent’s previous comments, hoping the agent will reconsider!
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
Mark,
I am pitching a 99000 saga contemporary romance novel with 6 explicit sex scenes between my 6 married couples.
I am in a quandary now on how to describe my book
sexty, explicit, erotic. My focus, in writing this book, was to create a family saga with loving relationships-now I am worried it might look like a porn book-not my intention at all!
I appreciate your feedback, Mark.
Thank you
Rosemary
Hi Rosemary,
I just saw this second note from you. RWA resources should be a big help with this.
All my best,
– Mark
Mark Malatesta
https://markmalatesta.com
The Bestselling Author
https://thebestsellingauthor.com
Literary Agent Undercover
https://literary-agents.com