The Bestselling Author
ABOUT US
The Bestselling Author is an author coaching and consulting company for authors of all book genres. The founder, Former Literary Agent Mark Malatesta, has helped hundreds of authors get representation offers from literary agents. Mark is also the founder of Literary Agent Undercover and the creator of this guide about how to get a literary agent.
About The Bestselling Author
History
The Bestselling Author was established in 2011 to help authors get literary agents and book deals with traditional publishers–writers of all book genres and at all stages of development. The founder of The Bestselling Author is a former literary agent, former literary agency owner, former AAR member, and former Marketing & Licensing Manager for a well-known publisher.
How I Got My Book Agent
Successful Authors
Interviews/Tips from Successful Authors
Fiction/General - J. Jago
Fiction/Mystery - B. Harper
Fiction/Mainstream - K. Cox
Fiction/Christian - K. Sargent
Nonfiction/Business - D. Hamme
Nonfiction/Self-Help - A. Goddard
Nonfiction/Environment - J. Biemer
Nonfiction/Diversity - S. Peer
Narrative Nonfiction - D. Cohen
Memoir/Women - L. Lehr
Memoir/Christian - S. LeRette
Memoir/Family/Identity - S. Foti
Memoir/Multicultural - N. Aronheim
Memoir/Inspirational - L. Subramani
Memoir/Mainstream - E. Armstrong
Children's/Pic Book - M. Leshem-Pelly
Children's/Chapter Book - J. Agee
Children's/YA - C. Plum-Ucci
Children's/YA - D. Bester
Children's/YA - L. Moe
I just got an offer from Regnery Publishing! My agent has been great. I’m grateful for your advice, energy, talent, and kindness guiding me through this crazy maze. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
S I L V I A . F O T I
The Nazi’s Granddaughter, published by Regnery Publishing, with more than 50 books on the New York Times bestseller list, including numerous books at #1
Berkley Books recently published my book in hardcover after Mark helped me get multiple agents interested in my work. I was able to speak with literary agents from top agencies such as Janklow & Nesbit, Trident Media, Anderson Lit, and Folio. Having Mark on your side is incredibly valuable.
D A N I E L . C O H E N
Single Handed (Penguin Random House/Berkley Books)
Woot!!! I’m so excited I could cry. I spent about three years sending out queries before I found you. Anyone who has the great fortune to work with you should consider themselves lucky. You were my compass. You didn’t walk for me, but you showed me how to get there. You’re an angel, thank you.
M E L I S S A . B O N D
Blood Orange Night (Simon & Schuster/Gallery Books)
You’re a good teacher who’s smart and experienced, but you’re also generous and your heart is big. You launch people and their dreams, and you teach them how to fly. I’m happy to be one of your winged clients.
S A N D Y . G I N G R A S
Author of the novel Paradise Girls (St. Martin’s Press) and many gift books (more than 1,000,000 books sold) by publishers such as Andrews McMeel
I got the number one agent on my wish list thanks to Mark. Within 4 minutes of sending out my revised query letter, my literary agent called me on the phone. Less than 30 days later I had three major publishers making offers. And, a few days after that, I signed a deal with Random House. Mark’s query letter did that.
L A K S H M I . S U B R A M A N I
Lights Out (Random House)
Before I revised my query letter with Mark, I got no responses. When I sent out my new query, I got four requests for more material within 24 hours. The support Mark provides is fantastic. Mark is smart and reliable and working with him has made all the difference.
D A Y N A . D U N B A R
The Saints and Sinners of Okay County and The Wings That Fly Us Home (Ballantine)
How I Got My Book Agent
Successful Authors
Mark helped me get five different offers for representation from top literary agents. I signed with Stephanie Tade who got me a 6-figure book deal with Penguin Books, which published my book in hardcover! When Stephanie first contacted me, she was very excited and said, "I can’t get your book proposal out of my head. It’s brilliant - I mean, really, it's fantastic. Editors should be salivating by the time they get to the chapter outline." Working with Mark was completely worth it.
A M Y . J O . G O D D A R D
Woman on Fire (Penguin Books)
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authors we've helped get book agents and/or traditional publishers
finding and getting a Book agent
Free Author Resources
Enter your first name and email address for instant access to all our information about how to get a literary agent. Our resources for finding and getting a publishing agent include:
- The official Directory of Book Agents
- Our Author Training Library (text and audio archives)
- The Ask a Book Agent section of our website where you can read (and post) questions about publishing agents
- Our popular Book Genre Dictionary
- Insider Articles and Updates