Ask a (former) 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 
I have a prescriptive manuscript on a business topic. It has lots of illustrations and diagrams, so consequently about 20,000 words.
Also, it might suit a bigger than average page size, for example similar size to cookery books.
Hi Neil,
If your goal is to get a literary agent, I’m happy to help. That’s what I do. To that end, here are my resources to help authors get literary agents:
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
I am an award-winning author of children and young adult books. One of my books, The Old Mainer and the Sea, was traditionally published in 2017. It sold over 3,000 but the publisher did not reprint as he was in the process of selling his company. The new publisher is very complimentary about the book but has her own publishing agenda and said she would not be reprinting it and is returning the rights to me. Is there any publisher who might be interested in a previously published work?
Hi Jean,
Congratulations on your success, though I’m sorry to hear about the complication with your publisher. To answer your question, yes, you might be able to find a literary agent and/or publisher interested in the book.
To that end, here are my resources for getting an 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
Hi Literary brilliant folks,
Agents, hello!
Obrey Brown here, an author with a vaguely-named non-fictional book, A Sports Writer’s Connection, which I’m considering re-naming almost every day.
As a newspaper reporter between ages 16 and 66, mostly in sports, I’ve got to a writing corps that has identified a great number of famous, historical or record-setting athletes who have connected with Redlands, Calif. — located around halfway between Los Angeles and Palm Springs.
I deeply believe there are sports fans — young and old, male and female, so many different sports — that this write-up would get to.
NBC’s Bob Costas contacted me one time over a column I printed about baseball’s drug usage.
Onetime Villanova basketball coach, Jay Wright, brought his team to play at a small university in Redlands. What a story.
Another coach, Gregg Popovich, brought a small school to play at Redlands, eventually winding up coaching NBA legends.
Tiger Woods in Redlands?
Ever hear of Willie, Mickey & The Duke? I’ve interviewed two of those guys, getting the other guy’s closest friend.
A white man playing basketball for the Harlem Globetrotters? Imagine that.
Ronald, I’ve written about contacts on the Olympics, World Cup, PGA, NASCAR, NFL, major league baseball, a cool interview with a guy seven decades after being a teammate of 1912 Olympic legend Jim Thorpe.
Legendary Jerry Tarkanian in Redlands? There’s a cool story connected with that basketball coach.
I could go on and on.
I’ve got nowhere to start in getting this book published. I need help. I need expertise. I need some kind of friendly approach on ways to deal this book into the world.
Personal note: After living in California my entire life, I’ve retired to two sports — South Jordan, Utah, leaving for Tallahassee, Florida during winter months.
Cheers,
Obrey Brown
(909) 645-8592
Hi Obrey,
I’m happy to help, especially as it sounds like you’ve paid your dues more than most as a writer and might have a better chance of getting a literary agent as a result.
Here are my resources to help you get an 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
Is there a list of agents who deal specifically in Christian prophecy books?
Hi Bill,
I don’t think you’ll find anything quite that specific online, but you can find all Christian nonfiction literary agents accepting submissions online, including in our agent directory.
Here are all my resources to help you get a literary agent, including the above:
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.
Also, sorry I was slow to respond.
Took some time off recently for a bit of a summer break.
Back at it now.
All my best,
– Mark
Mark Malatesta
https://markmalatesta.com
The Bestselling Author
https://thebestsellingauthor.com
Literary Agent Undercover
https://literary-agents.com