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 
Hi,
I wrote a science fiction/action book of 544 pages (110K words) in Turkish. I want to find a literary agent but some are asking 10 pages while some ask whole text. How can I approach them before translating entire book? It might cost quite a considerable amount of money and time. Should I be the one to bear whole translation cost or later publishers can handle that? I don’t want to be ignored if I state the entire book is not translated yet. Can you give some guidance on that?
Hi Anonymous,
Consider getting the first 50 double-spaced pages and/or the first three chapters translated, only, for now. That’s the maximum amount of content most literary agents ask for initially. If you get some serious interest, ask the interested agent(s) if they will require you to get the rest of the book translated (likely) before pitching the book to publishers. At that point, you’d have more reason to invest in the additional translation.
Here are some other 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/
If you want/need help with anything, you can post again 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,
Thank you for taking the time to answer.
The truth is that getting an agent didn’t even cross my mind… shocking I see now as I read what you recommended.
This is why:
I was eager to put the book out having worked on it for so many years (12), covid was on its way out and it is one of these “initiatory books”, where people can experience a healing/self-realization as well as being entertained. So I wanted it to go out, more than anything else. I was never associated with any vanity press.
My not thinking about looking for an agent was also partly due to the fact that I didn’t imagine it would be as well received as it was by readers, so a case of thinking of people first, myself last (yes with low confidence in storytelling ability).
it’s only in the past three months, having seen the awards coming in, good editorial & readers reviews that I realize that it has some commercial value.
I also now realize that I am doing all this back to front…
My question is: I only wrote to 3 agents so far a few weeks ago (June), one of whom I would like to work with very much. Is there any point in writing to them and explaining the above?
Thank you again, I still want to redo my letter, which announces in the first few lines that it is already self-published.
Thank you again,
Warmly,
With gratitude, Mahayana
Hi Mahayana,
My pleasure, and there’s no benefit to sharing that information with those three agents.
All my best,
– Mark
Mark Malatesta
https://markmalatesta.com
The Bestselling Author
https://thebestsellingauthor.com
Literary Agent Undercover
https://literary-agents.com
Is it necessary to have a noticeable public platform before trying to get a memoir published? I’m reading a lot that publishers “won’t take a chance” on an unknown person in 2023.
Hi Jack,
Good timing, as I recently posted the following: https://getaliteraryagent.com/author-platform-definition/.
Short answer is it’s less important for memoir than most other nonfiction genres, but platform can certainly help boost an author’s chances of getting an agent.
If you want/need help with anything, you can post again 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 a well- established Chinese-Canadian writer with a substantial following of about one million on Weibo, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter. I am currently seeking the representation for my chapter fairy tale book. Professional translator has helped complete the translation from Chinese to English. Before Olga Wieser loved one of my book….Can you introduce me several agents? Thank you!
Hi Lin,
Here are some things 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, you can post again 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