Easy-to-follow guide with articles about looking for a literary agent, for authors of all genres (fiction, nonfiction, and children’s books).
Understanding the history of literary agents—and how their role has changed over time—can give you an advantage as a writer. Many writers think of literary agents mainly as gatekeepers or people who decide which authors get access to traditional publishers and which...
Are you a writer who looks at bestseller lists such as the New York Times bestseller list and gets inspired—or discouraged? Either way, there are nine things that writers of all genres can learn from looking at what books are selling. Some writers look at the list,...
Subsidiary rights in publishing are a valuable opportunity for authors of all types of books: fiction, nonfiction, and children’s books. There are many ways to package, distribute, license, adapt, and share the content in your book—including unexpected ones—that can...
AALA literary agents—some things that were previously required of literary agents are no longer required. Understanding that will cause you to look differently at which literary agents you decide are good, great, or not so great. If you’ve ever researched literary...
What's the best email address to use querying literary agents—and what email deliverability issues do you need to know about? Most writers spend many years preparing their manuscript, book proposal (mainly for nonfiction authors), synopsis, and query letter. Yet they...
What’s the best time to submit to literary agents? Sounds simple. It isn’t. And it’s a question I wanted to revisit because publishing has changed in ways that make the answer more complicated than it used to be. Many agencies now use portals, category restrictions,...
What's your target market for literary agents and publishers? Many writers don't realize a book's target market isn't equally important in every query, and it's not always equally hard to address. Some target markets need explanation. Others are so obvious that...
There are more writing organizations for authors than most writers realize. You can save a lot of time, stress, and money with the support of a professional organization. Unlike other articles that simply feature a list of writing organizations, this one will also...
Book scams are getting harder to spot. Some are obvious. These days, many are not. Thanks in part to AI, scams targeting writers and authors have become more polished and convincing than ever. Instead of trying to list every book scam—which would be impossible in a...
Writing the most effective bio isn’t just about saying the right things. It’s about saying enough, but not too much. It’s about putting the right details in the right order. And, in most cases, it means having more than one bio. This article, which is part of our free...
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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 Literary Agent Undercover and The Bestselling Author. Mark's authors have gotten six-figure book deals, been on the NYT bestseller list, and published with houses such as Random House, Scholastic, and Thomas Nelson. Click here to learn more about Mark Malatesta and see Mark Malatesta Reviews.