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 
Hey, Mark!
Robert Fuller here, existing client. I’ll be ready in a week or so to e-mail my novel to you. Assuming you find it in good enough shape to market it, can you help me find an agent to shop it?
Hi Robert!
Email the completed questionnaire to me when it’s complete, and I’ll send you the scheduling info you need. Instructions are in the questionnaire file, and the email address to you. 🙂
Looking forward to our time,
– Mark
Mark Malatesta
https://markmalatesta.com
The Bestselling Author
https://thebestsellingauthor.com
Literary Agent Undercover
https://literary-agents.com
I am a published author and experienced journalist (see attached). One of my books in hardbound, Throwaway Nation, the ugly truth about American garbage, is bring re-released in paperback by my publisher, Rowman and Littlefield. I would like to take advantage of this second go-round of the book to increase sales, augment my brand recognition, and use it as an inducement to attract an audience to my other books.
I would like to self publish one of my other Space Tours, the ultimate adventure. (I have a book proposal, table of contents, and complete ms available). I would like to use another ms of mine The Many Ways Your Mother Can Kill You, preparing for and surviving natural disasters as a BOGO stratagem (also available is a book proposal, and compete ms that that project) for your perusal.
I am in progress with two other books (proposals available) concerning the topic of space. One is the business of space commerce: The Millions, Billions, and Trillions in Space, and the other is Making Space a Safe Place, protecting people and planets from pervasive pollution/or: The Sane Safeguarding of the Celestial Cosmos—a book concerning getting a head start of activism in the knowledge that growth in/on other celestial bodies should be carefully planned—especially when a pristine environment like the cosmos is scheduled to be exploited for resources—particularly in hindsight of the treatment of our home planet.
I have a basic blog and Facebook copy done and I believe I am in need for marketing-mentoring guidance and advice regarding all the whizbangs need for marketing.
Consequently, I would appreciate a short chat or explanation on how this best might be accomplished, both in content and expense (the Covid epidemic) left me a little short in funds), plus the publisher is notoriously tight on marketing and have advised me that the lion’s share of marketing labor and finance will be left to my own means.
Hi Jeff,
I don’t think I’m the right fight, unfortunately, as everything I do is geared toward helping an author get a literary agent.
See here:
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/
All my best,
– Mark
Mark Malatesta
https://markmalatesta.com
The Bestselling Author
https://thebestsellingauthor.com
Literary Agent Undercover
https://literary-agents.com
Hi,
I want to ask how to handle querying agents who accept children’s books but do not specifically state Early Readers as a genre? My books are usually 1300+ words and does not meet the picture book requirements. I have seen agents reference these as Early Reader Graphic Novels. How do I handle this situation?
Thank you,
Cindy Shirley
Hi Cindy,
You can simply call it an Early Reader, or reduce the word count and call it a picture book. I’d have to see it or read it to know if it seems more like one vs the other, or could be both. You might also have thoughts/feelings about which direction you want to go in. I don’t know. Either way, here are some things you might find helpful 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
Hi Mark,
Now I’m querying agents, and they don’t like attachments.
But many do want a sample of the book. Is there a way, or a guide, to formatting an email so it reads like a novel, or can be pasted to look like one?
I don’t want to lose indentations, double-spacing, centering, etc
Thanks!
Hi Leonard,
Trying putting everything for your email in a Word doc. Save it as an .html doc. Then copy/paste from that into the email. That often does the trick, or at least makes it somewhat better. 🙂
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