The Author’s Guide to Literary Agents, Query Letters and Submissions

So, you have a manuscript you want to publish, but don't know where to start. Below is a quick guide to get your book into the hands of the public. First, you will need a literary agent.

What is a Literary Agent?

An agent represents your work to publishers and sometimes film producers. They negotiate contracts, secure publishing deals and handle domestic and international sales rights. They’re an overall point of contact and support for authors – even offering some editing advice. They’re there to ensure the success of the author.

An agent is pretty much always required when traditionally publishing. So how do you get picked up by a lit agent? Well, you will need to submit a query letter.

What is a query letter?

This is typically a one-page formal letter that pitches your book to the agent and requests representation. It serves as an introduction, and the aim is to grab the agent’s attention. A good query letter has a good hook, a clear synopsis (characters, plot and most importantly the stakes), an author bio and a polite closing off requesting representation.

Keep the letter brief at 250-500 words. Be concise and polite. Personalize the letter to each agent, you can compare your work to similar book titles and authors that this agent has previously represented (called comp works).

How to submit query letters:

This step takes a bit of profiling. You will need to research agents who work with the genre you are writing in. You don’t want to ask an agent who works with self-help to represent your high fantasy novel. You will need to also take note of which age range they typically represent; whether it’s children’s, middle grade, YA or adult.

Now a quick Google will show you a plethora of results and this can be overwhelming. What I like to suggest is grab a favourite book of your chosen genre and turn to the acknowledgements page. 9.99999 times out of 10, the author will thank their lit agent. That’s your starting point. Find out what agency or publisher they work for via a quick Google or Linkedin search of their name. Find their submissions email and get to sending that query letter. You might feel slightly like a stalker, but let's just call it good research!

What this search also helps with is finding comp works to mention in your email, since you found their name in a book of your chosen genre.

It may be tempting to send a query letter to every agent you come across but remember there is normally a six to eight week waiting period. You want enough time to receive feedback that could help with your next submission, should you not be successful. Choose a couple agents a week, let's say 10. Choose two to three dream agents, then some agents who might still be a good fit and one or two newer agents who dabble in your genre (they tend to be quite eager to help).

Remember this is a long process with a lot of waiting time. Some agencies won't even respond at all after eight weeks if they are not taking you on. Don't let this discourage you, many now famous authors had to go through the same thing. Just keep pushing!