This step-by-step, 15-part guide about getting a literary agent explains how to get a literary agent. It reveals the role of book agents, the chances of getting a book agent, how to find book agents, and what authors need to know about book agent submissions. It also reveals what happens after you get a publishing agent.
The information in this guide about how to get a publishing agent has helped authors of all book genres–fiction, nonfiction, and children’s books–get publishing agents and book deals. Click here to see How I Got My Literary Agent case studies. Authors at all stages of development, both new and established writers, in the U.S. and abroad, have used this guide to get literary agents.
Notable writers we’ve coached and consulted include Nelson Johnson, author of the NY Times bestselling book Boardwalk Empire, adapted for HBO and produced by Martin Scorsese; Scott LeRette, author of The Unbreakable Boy (Harper Collins/Thomas Nelson), adapted for feature film with Lionsgate Entertainment starring Zachary Levi and Patricia Heaton; and Leslie Lehr, author of A Boob’s Life, now being developed by Salma Hayek for an HBO Max TV series.
How to Get a Literary Agent – FAQ
- What Is a Book Agent?
- When Should You Get a Book Agent?
- Odds of Getting a Book Agent?
- How Long Does It Take to Get a Book Agent?
- How Much Does a Book Agent Cost?
- How Much Do Authors Make?
- Becoming a Literary Agent
- How to Find a Literary Agent
- Literary Agent Submissions
- How to Get a Book Agent for Fiction
- How to Get a Book Agent for Nonfiction
- How to Get a Book Agent for Children’s Books
- Getting a Book Agent after Self-Publishing
- Offer of Representation From a Book Agent
- What Happens After You Get a Book Agent?
1. What Is a Literary Agent?
Literary agents (also known as “book agents,” “publishing agents,” and “author representatives”) are essentially matchmakers who pair authors and their books with traditional publishers. Literary agents represent authors of all genres or categories: fiction books, nonfiction books, and children’s books. However, what book agents do also varies.
See more about what publishing agents do, how they work, and who they are at What Is a Literary Agent? in this how to get a literary agent guide.
2. When Should You Get a Book Agent?
Working with a publishing agent gives an author the best chance of reaching the biggest audience. Authors who want their books published by traditional publishers such as Random House, Scholastic, or Thomas Nelson need to know how to get a literary agent. Major publishers require all books be submitted via literary agents.
See more at When Should You Get a Book Agent?
3. Odds of Getting a Literary Agent?
The odds of getting a literary agent are 1 in 6,000. However, there are many things aspiring authors can do to increase their chances of getting a book agent. Book authors who are willing to get educated and do what it takes can give themselves a competitive advantage.
See more here about the Odds of Getting a Literary Agent, and see how you can increase your chances of getting representation.
4. How Long Does It Take to Get a Book Agent?
How long it takes to get a publishing agent depends on two things. First is the time it takes a book author to prepare everything needed to query publishing agents. Second is the time it takes an author to send out enough queries to get an offer for representation.
The time it takes to send out enough queries to get an offer(s) for representation is easy to calculate. The steps involved are the same for every author. No matter what type of books you write, you can get a book agent in 30 days or less–or it can take up to a year or longer. In most cases, it takes longer than one month. However, there’s no reason for it to take longer than a year to query every publishing agent who represents your type of book.
See more at How Long Does It Take to Get a Book Agent?
5. How Much Does a Literary Agent Cost?
Legitimate book agents only get paid via literary agent commission. In other words, publishing agents only make money when their authors make money. Most author representatives don’t charge additional fees, except sometimes a small amount deducted from author royalties to cover phone, photocopying, courier costs, etc.
See more at How Much Does a Literary Agent Cost?
7. Becoming a Literary Agent
Becoming a literary agent requires a great deal of book knowledge, as well as relationships with publishers who buy books. It also requires learning on the job via serving as a book agent reader, publishing agent intern, literary agent assistant, and/or literary agent associate.
See more at How to Become a Literary Agent.
8. How to Find a Literary Agent
Finding a publishing agent is a two-step process. The first step is understanding what to look for in a book agent, based on your unique situation. The second step is learning the best way to research publishing agents so you can find the most successful literary agents, who are the most likely to represent your type of book.
See more at How to Find a Literary Agent.
9. Literary Agent Submissions
Before you submit your book to literary agents, make sure you follow these guidelines about what to submit and how to submit it. You also need to know how many book agents to query, the best times to submit, how long to wait to hear back, how to follow up, how to interpret rejections letters, and how to revise and resubmit.
See more at Literary Agent Submissions.
10. How to Get a Literary Agent for Fiction
Guidelines about how to get a publishing agent for fiction are different than guidelines about how to get a publishing agent for nonfiction or children’s books. Novelists seeking book agents must follow the appropriate fiction submission requirements, and they must only query fiction literary agents seeking new writers.
See more at How to Get a Book Agent for Fiction.
11. How to Get a Literary Agent for Nonfiction
Guidelines about how to get an author representative for a nonfiction book are different than guidelines about how to get an author representative for fiction or kids’ books. Nonfiction authors must categorize their books correctly, but they must also adhere to each literary agent’s unique submission and author platform requirements.
See more at How to Get a Book Agent for Nonfiction.
12. How to Get a Literary Agent for Children’s Books
Guidelines about how to get a publishing agent for kids’ books are different than guidelines about how to get a publishing agent for adult fiction or nonfiction. Children’s book authors must be aware of special considerations regarding word count, age appropriateness, submission material, and book genre classifications.
See more at How to Get a Publishing Agent for Children’s Books.
13. Getting a Literary Agent After Self-Publishing
Getting a book agent after self-publishing is possible, though some author representatives refuse to consider previously published books. It is more challenging to get literary agents for previously self-published books, but not impossible. In fact, some book agents specialize in finding publishers for self-published books.
See more at Getting a Literary Agent After Self-Publishing.
14. Offer of Representation from a Literary Agent
When you get an offer of representation from a publishing agent, you need to prepare for your first meeting. You also need to prepare for the possibility of getting multiple offers. You need to know which questions to ask, prepare to answer questions you’ll be asked, and prepare to review your literary agent contract.
See more at Offer of Representation from a Literary Agent.
15. What Happens After You Get a publishing Agent?
Understanding what happens after you get a book agent is as important as learning how to get a book agent. Not all author representatives handle the author/agent relationship the same way. Follow these guidelines to create a positive and productive relationship with your book agent.
See more at What Happens After You Get a Book Agent?
This guide about how to get a literary agent was created by former publishing agent turned author coach Mark Malatesta, creator of The Directory of Literary Agents, host of Ask a Book Agent, and founder of Literary Agent Undercover and The Bestselling Author.
Mark has helped hundreds of writers get offers from book agents and/or traditional publishers. Authors of all Book Genres have used our Literary Agent Advice coaching/consulting to get the Best Literary Agents at the Top Literary Agencies on our List of Literary Agents.
How to Get a Literary Agent – Next Steps
Now that you’ve read the introduction to our 15-part guide about how to get a literary agent:
- Click here to see the first part of this guide to getting a book agent called What Is a Literary Agent?
- Scroll below to submit your question about how to get a book publishing agent.
Ask a Question
How to Get a Literary Agent
If you have a question about how to get a literary agent that isn’t answered on our website, post it below. Visit our Ask a Literary Agent page first to make sure your question isn’t answered there.
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 am 85 years old and the child of a birth mother who was raped according to a public record. I was adopted and lost two other step “mothers” before I turned 6. Somehow I managed to survive and surmount all sorts of challenges that among other things, led to 4 degrees including a PhD from Stanford. I taught Government in a new public high school for 10 years and developed “cutting edge” approaches to teaching. My last class was in 1973 and not a week passes without an email or other contact from my former students. As a soccer coach, I won three league championships and took my team to England, Scotland and Wales where we broke pretty even. The interesting part is to this day I have never played soccer, not once. While still a student, my high school counselor said to my father, “I don’t think Paul is college material. Except for my four degrees including a PhD from Stanford, he was right. My 450-page dissertation was accepted “as written” at my oral defense. I have written lots of short pieces but my memoir is likely to take another year or two.
Hi Paul,
Extraordinary story.
When you’re ready…
Here are my resources to 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
I self published (Bless Me Father for You Have Sinned) true story and it inspired a documentary (Ugly Little Monkeys) screenings have begun. Alcoholic/pedophile priest leading a musical group of young boys.
Hi Wilfred,
I’m happy to help somehow if possible, if your goal is to get a literary agent.
If it is, 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
This subject matter is so important. I had it tucked away in the corners of my mind for decades. I finally put my experiences down on paper. It was the original youth mariachi group in the country that inspired the nation wide surge in school and youth groups. There is a very dark side so much so it inspired a documentary. The story absolutely needs to be shared to keep this from happening to other children. Please help me
Hi Wilfred,
If your goal is to get a literary agent, use the no-cost resources 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/
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 have poetry book title Muse published by a scam publishing company. And I don’t know if my poetry book Muse good enough for my target audience which it never reach. So I was wondering if you can help me . I would like to republishing the manuscript over again and change the title of the book . But I have to say that I’m a low income mother that has epilepsy so I can’t work and I wanted my poetry Muse to be the end of my family financial hardship. I received once a month a disability check that my family and I are still aren’t financially stable. What would it cost me if ; I can you look at manuscript and let me if my poetry is worth something or just a lost cost .
Apologies for a possible delay…
Resending my reply below sent previously (was notified today that some recipients have not received my July replies):
2024/07/28 at 4:45 pm
In reply to Angelyn Gumbs.
Hi Angelyn,
Too few agents handle poetry, so I don’t provide coaching for that, unfortunately. However, there are some agents who do poetry, and you can find them by doing a Google search.
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
This message previously sent on 2024/07/28 at 4:45 pm
Apologies for a possible delay…
I’m resending my reply below sent previously (was notified today that some recipients have not received my July replies):
In reply to Angelyn Gumbs.
Hi Angelyn,
Too few agents handle poetry, so I don’t provide coaching for that, unfortunately. However, there are some agents who do poetry, and you can find them by doing a Google search.
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 have written a comic 80 page work, mister Malaysia, and don’t know what to do to have your help with getting the interest of an agent who will help me with getting the work published thank you
Apologies for a possible delay…
Resending my reply below sent previously (was notified today that some recipients have not received my July replies):
2024/07/21 at 8:30 am
Hi Ken,
I’m happy to help.
Here are my resources to 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