How to get a literary agent

The Fundamentals of Submitting Your Work

by Oscar Janson-Smith

Like most major life accomplishments, getting a book deal is not an easy thing to do. However, there are a few things you can do to give your book the best possible chance of being picked up by an agent and, in turn, dramatically increase your chances of landing a deal with a publisher.

All agents are different – publishing is a highly subjective industry, and each editor, publisher, agent, and agency will have their own preferences, so it really pays to spend some time trying to understand what these might be before approaching them. However, I believe there are a few fundamentals to try and get right when submitting your work, no matter who you’re sending it to.

Firstly, make sure your work is in its best possible state. It sounds obvious, and perhaps it is, but if you feel there’s more you could do to improve your work, don’t submit it. Make those edits. Leave the project for a while and come back to it in a few weeks with fresh eyes – you’ll be amazed at what you spot. Of course, an agent will help you to refine your work before sharing it with publishers, but in order to reach that stage, you will need to do your bit, and ensure that the potential of your work is clearly identifiable. Anyone brave enough to share their work deserves an enormous amount of credit; writing a book is a uniquely personal process, and in submitting it for consideration, you’re making yourself vulnerable. Given this, it’s important to ensure you’re not falling at the first hurdle when submitting – no matter how brilliant the work is, it’ll stand a much better chance of being picked up by an agent if it is submitted with the care it deserves. It doesn’t need to be perfect, but passion is what drives publishing, and if the care isn’t evident in your work, then it raises some questions as to how seriously you’re taking it all. This doesn’t stop with the quality of the writing; it’s imperative, particularly when submitting non-fiction, that you’ve researched the market, and spent some time looking at comparable titles. What are you bringing to the market that’s new, and why are you the best person to write the book you’re proposing to have published?

Once you’re satisfied that your proposal is ready to go, one of the most effective things you can do when submitting is to conduct some preliminary research, and to take a reasonably strategic approach to the submission process. Not only do most agents have social media pages (mainly Twitter, although I prefer Instagram), and agency websites, but there are also places like the Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook, and the Association of Authors’ Agents site, which are full of verified information. There are also trade press sites, like The Bookseller and Book Brunch, which allow you to keep up to date with the comings and goings of the trade, including the acquisition of new titles. The articles on these sites can be incredibly useful in identifying agents suitable for your book.

Another good tactic is to really consider the genre of your book. Is it very literary, or would it sit more comfortably alongside more commercial titles? Is it practical, or narrative? What are its key themes? Who is your reader? While there are, very occasionally, titles and authors that transcend the need for restrictive categorisation, the chances are that you will need to establish yourself within a certain genre. Try visiting a retailer’s website and see how they categorise their books. Once you’ve identified a genre in which you fit, consider next the authors you might compare yourself to – try and look at this through the lens of a consumer; if someone bought your book, who else’s might they buy? Then, once you’ve done that, see if you can find out who their agent is.

Once you’ve drawn up a shortlist of agents, it’s time to begin writing to them. The ability to compellingly encapsulate your novel and its essence into a few hundred words is important, because, frankly, that is what will carry the book from your head onto the shelves. An agent needs to be able to pitch your book to commissioning editors, those editors need to be able to pitch it internally, and then, once it’s been acquired, the publisher’s sales team need to be able to pitch the book to retailers. A compelling summary is integral to the entire process. Brevity is useful. If you’re able to succinctly summarise your book, and convey all that it’s about, who it’s for and why you’re the best person to write it in a couple of paragraphs, then that’s ideal. I’d advise perfecting that summarising paragraph, and then using it as the core of all your submission emails – just ensure you remember to personalise the contextualising copy around it. I once received an email addressed to someone named Alice – it’s a great name, but it’s not mine. 

Given the time, passion, and effort required to produce a good proposal, or a manuscript, I am often surprised by the lack of care taken with the accompanying submission emails. Agents are, if they’re lucky, busy, and as much as it pains me to say it, given the aforementioned cognisance of all it takes to write a book, if the submission email I receive is impersonal, lazy or even flippant, it is unlikely I will want to continue reading, as experience has taught me that the standard of the query often corresponds with the standard of the material itself. I am, of course, only talking about extreme cases here, and do endeavour to give everything that comes in a chance – but a good email really does help!

By ‘good email’, I do not mean a rhetoric-laden essay that showcases your writing talents, but simply something that shows some semblance of thought and effort; using an agent’s name, and personalising your approach is all it takes, really.

As far as fiction goes, good writing and a well-constructed plot will, I like to think, nearly always shine through. My top tip here would just be to ensure that you’re really thinking about who you submit to – a targeted approach will go a long way. When it comes to non-fiction, there are two things that’ll help your proposal to stand out above anything else – namely, an accreditation or a platform relevant to the topic you want to write about – if you have both, even better. I appreciate that for many people, the idea of building a platform is somewhat antithetical to their perception of what it is to be an author. However, clearly definable, valid reasons as to why you should be commissioned to write your book are a necessary element of a successful submission there must be a reason consumers will select your book off the shelf, and marking yourself out as a credible authority on the subject on which you wish to write your book is a very good one.

One thing that I’d advise aspiring authors to be mindful of when submitting anything at all, is the socio-political climate in which we exist. If your book is in any way opposed to the recent leaps we, as a society, have made when it comes to equality, then it is unlikely to be picked up. I always suggest reading as widely as possible in order to help further your understanding of the market, as well as what society is currently engaging with. This goes for both non-fiction and fiction; you can learn just as much about things from the latter as you can from the former.

Querying an Agent: Top Tips about Submission

by Catherine Cho

I have a lot of faith in the submissions process. It is how I’ve found nearly all of my authors writers who just happened to send me a query email along with their first few chapters. As an agent, I try to remember that behind every submission, there is a story. I share these tips in the hope that it will give some insight into the querying (submission) process. It’s a dream for me to fall in love with something I’m reading – and I feel that sense of possibility every time I open my submissions inbox.

My first tip has to be about revision. The most important thing will always be the quality of the work. When you have finished your book, there is often a compulsion to send it out to agents straight away. This is completely natural; you’ve finished your work and you want someone to read it. However, it’s important to resist this feeling and give yourself the space to read your book again, and revise. Never send out a first draft. A first impression is the best one, and you’ll need time and space away from your project to be able to read it with perspective. If you can, set the book away for a month or two, and then re-read it again. Edit it again.

The querying process is not the place to receive feedback. Sometimes we hear writers say that they will send out a project to see what agents will say about it, but this can be a very discouraging approach. It’s a terrible feeling to send out a project that you know is probably not ready and, most of the time, agents will not give feedback. I often have writers ask me if I can give editorial advice, but I resist doing this unless I have a clear idea of what I think would improve the book. Firstly because it is subjective, but also because, if I’m not able to give a considered and thoughtful response to a manuscript, I don’t think it’s helpful for me to offer a quick reaction.

Remember that there will always be more edits after signing with an agent, and even more after receiving a publication offer. The best thing you can do for yourself ahead of the querying process is to make your manuscript as strong as it can be, so you feel confident that you’representing your best work. When I finished my first draft, I was really excited to share it because I couldn’t believe I’d finished. I wanted to share it with an agent, but I fought that urge and set it aside for several weeks. When I opened it again, I realised it wasn’t ready, and so I redrafted. I think the version I eventually sent to my agent was my 11th or 12th draft. I would go on to do another three drafts with my agent, ones that completely took my book apart. Each time I felt I’d gone the furthest I could go – but we kept pushing, and the book kept getting better.

10 Tips to Help You Manage the Submissions Process

by Clare Povey

1. Understand what a literary agent actually does (then do your research on who might be best for you to approach)

This first point might sound obvious, but you will want to have an understanding of what a literary agent actually does before you start sending your book out into the world. A lot of the disappointment and confusion that surrounds the submission process, I think, stems from a lack of understanding about what a literary agent does as part of their day job. For example, most agents are reading new submissions outside of their actual working day. Their 9-5 mainly consists of work for their existing clients, negotiating contracts, admin, editorial feedback and much more. It is a demanding, fast-paced job and most agents probably believe that there are definitely not enough hours in the day…!

So how can you find out more about literary agents? At Writers & Artists run lots of different agent events throughout the year, and my colleague James Rennoldson has written the W&A Guide to How to Hook an Agent, a Q&A guide that was structured around a series of real-life questions regularly raised by writers at these events. Meanwhile, both the Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook and the Children’s Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook are updated annually and contain contact information for literary agencies, as well as articles on the different roles and responsibilities of an agent.

But enough with the shameless self-promotion! Every literary agency has a website where you can read individual agent profiles and understand the sort of writing they are looking for. Some literary agents are really active on Twitter and generous with their time in demystifying the ‘industry gatekeeper’ tag that they’ve been labelled with. There are interviews and ‘Days in the Life of’ pieces that make for hugely interesting reads. By combining all of this information you’re suddenly much better placed to make an informed decision about whether or not you want to submit your work to agents, and if so, particular agents that you’re going to select.

2. Work on something else

After spending all of your time and energy on making your book the best it can possibly be, it can feel strange when you start to submit to agents. This thing you’ve created, that was yours alone, is now going to be read by people who read for a living. So instead of refreshing your emails every day (bad idea, believe me), why not look at some of the other ideas you’ve got noted down somewhere? Even if you’re just writing by the seat of your pants at this stage, immersing yourself into another story idea is a great way to distract yourself. Also, literary agents who like your writing will probably want to know if you have other book ideas- after all, they want to represent you for the whole of your career – so it’s good to have some developed writing in your back pocket.

3. Live your life outside of your head?

Granted, point three is easier said than done. When you’re in the midst of submitting and are starting to receive replies – whether they’re standard rejections, rejections with feedback or full manuscript requests – it is very easy to acquire tunnel vision and think about nothing else.

4. Respect agent guidelines

Although submission guidelines can differ between agencies, it is imperative that you follow agency guidelines word for word.

Is it time-consuming to format your submission package in different ways? Yes. BUT guidelines are there for a reason. They aren’t there to trip you up or make the process just that bit harder for you. Every literary agent wants to find amazing stories, but there are hundreds of stories out there. Submission guidelines make it easier for agents to find those amazing stories. Don’t send a children’s fiction literary agent your 100,000 adult sci-fi manuscript.

Like you have organised yourself when submitting, agents need to organise and manage the volume of submissions that are sent to them, and submissions that follow their guidelines help them do this.

5. Turn your serious spreadsheet into something less scary

Keeping track of the agents that you have submitted to is a must. It prevents you from submitting to the same agent twice (it can happen!) and having all of the information in one place – date you submitted, average response time, etc. – will save you a lot of hassle in the long run.

Although submitting your work can feel like applying for lots of different jobs, there’s no reason you can’t make the whole process a bit less intense from your end. The spreadsheet I created, where I kept track of all my submissions, had unusual headings. So instead of the ‘Response’ column, I changed it to ‘Hmm Whatcha Say’ because, well, it didn’t feel as scary when I imagined a Jason DeRulo x Imogen Heap duet in my head.

6. Submit in batches

Separate your chosen agents into different batches. Round 1 can include 7-8 of your ‘preferred’ agents. You might have an idea of literary agents you’d love to be represented by, but you also might not. And that’s fine. As long as you have done your research and you are submitting to agents likely to be interested in the sort of story you’re writing, then allow yourself to be open. Don’t pin all your hopes on just one agent.

It’s a balancing game, because submitting in batches might mean it is slow going if you’re waiting on replies. At the same time, if you get any personalised feedback from agents who might pass on offering you representation, it could be useful to consider this feedback before you start your next round of submissions. Writing is subjective, but if you get similar feedback from a number of agents then maybe it’s something to consider changing.

7. Just keep reading

Remember why you started writing in the first place. You were probably an avid reader first, right? You have experienced the magic of picking up a book and escaping into other worlds and would love to be that author who creates magical moments for future readers.

It’s so important to not disconnect with that feeling. Receiving rejections can be heartbreaking, and the waiting game is never easy; it is all too easy to lose the spark of excitement. So grab one of your favourite reads – or pick up something entirely new – and go back to the words on the page. You started writing because you had a story that demanded to be told. Remind yourself of the power of stories and learn something along the way too. I maintain that one of the best ways to develop your writing skills is by reading as much as you possibly can

8. Celebrate every win, small and big

The writing and publishing journey can be a wild ride. There are lots of ups and downs, and our brains like to linger on the negative for longer than needed. So, I implore you to celebrate every win. No matter how big or small.

If you get a full manuscript request, treat yourself! Buy that beautiful Papier notebook you’ve had your eye on, or inhale the good Hotel Chocolat truffles you were saving for a special occasion. If you get personalised feedback from an agent, crack open that bottle of wine or add double the amount of marshmallows to your hot chocolate! So much of the submission process is out of your control, but rewarding yourself is most definitely something you can.

9. Updates are okay (when necessary)

If you’ve had full manuscript requests from a number of different agents then be sure to let the other agents know. If you’ve received interest from an agent who is reading your full manuscript then let the other agents know as well. You might feel like you’re being a pain, sending this sort of email, but in this case they are necessary. Agents get an awful lot of submissions and if you let them know that other agents are requesting the full thing and enjoying it, then they will almost definitely prioritise reading your submission.

Don’t send email after email, but making agents aware of interest from others is important.

10. Support

Last but by no means least, share your trials and tribulations with people close to you. Friends. Family. Having a support network is so important. Writing can often be a lonely process, especially when you’ve sent your story into the world and are waiting for feedback. Don’t be afraid to talk about your experiences. Fellow writers will definitely be able to relate.

The brilliant author Rashmi Sirdeshpande recently described rejection on Twitter as ‘passes,’ which I think is a great way to look at this whole process. Stories are subjective. No one can ever reject your writing, not really. All they can say is that it’s not for them and decide to pass.

Experiencing those passes will be easier if you also support yourself. Acknowledge that finding a literary agent doesn’t happen overnight and believe in yourself and your story.

What Should a Covering Letter Include?

By James Rennoldson

It is your covering letter’s job to help the agent to whom you’re submitting form a clear picture of the book you’ve written, and also gain a positive impression of what it might be like to work with you.

Here are some things a good covering letter should include:

• Salutation, including the agent’s name, correctly spelled
• Framing devices – book title, word count, genre and/or intended reading audience, suitable comparisons if relevant (literary or otherwise)
• Your pitch. What’s at the heart of your book? What is its USP? Why would someone want to read it?
• Information about you – name, contact details, any relevant writing experience, anything else of interest that’s relevant to your book. Mention formal writing qualifications (a recognised course, something previously published or shortlisted) if you have them, but there’s no need to say you don’t have any experience
• Agent-specific reasoning. Why have you sent your work to them? Are you aware of (and admire) some of the authors they represent? Have you met them at an event or follow them on Twitter and felt encouraged to send your work to them
• Politeness. This is a minimum expectation in forming a good working relationship
• Confidence. Believe in your book! If you don’t, why should anyone else?
• Professionalism. Adhere to submission guidelines, use a spellchecker, etc.
• Brevity. Less is more. The covering letter is a preamble to the beginning of your manuscript. Let the manuscript do all the talking on your behalf

What follows is a quick-fire list of common mistakes writers make within their covering letter to literary agents.

• ‘Dear Sirs’. Tailor your covering letter to individual agents; don’t ‘Send To All’; and definitely do not assume every agent you submit to is a man because most are not.
• Referring to one’s self. Don’t leave out your contact details (email and phone number); it’s a risk to sign your letter off using a nom de plume; and would you write any other application in the third person?
• Mistakes. If you’re sloppy in your covering letter, then even before they’ve started reading your opening chapters an agent will have begun to wonder about the amount of editorial time they’ll need to spend on your manuscript.
• Arrogance/unrealistic expectations. Is your book really going to be the next multi-million selling phenomenon? Is it really your place to say it’s better than the work of an acclaimed.
• author? And don’t mistake having an appreciation of the marketplace as an excuse to do someone else’s job for them. There’s no need for statistics, graphs or tables around the potential marketability of your book.
• Apologies. Don’t be self-deprecating or dismissive of your work before an agent has even read the first page.
• Waffle. Don’t overload an agent with lots of details about the book; don’t include superfluous information about yourself (‘I have two children and three dogs, Their names are … ’); and don’t waste words with statements like ‘I’ve always written since I was a child’. Anyone could say that; what can you say that’s remarkable?
• Gimmicks. Your manuscript submission should stand out for your writing only (although a solid proposal could be enough for non-narrative non-fiction writers). Don’t undermine it with other ‘features’, such as wacky fonts, bullet-pointed lists, accompanying gifts, photos of yourself, illustrations, and similar.
• Lies. You’ll get found out if you make a claim about your book that’s untrue, and ruin any chance of trust with a prospective agent.

In isolation, one of the above errors is probably not going to mean an agent doesn’t look at your sample section of writing. A clutch of these sorts of mistakes, however, is likely to make the agent wonder about whether they could work with you.

How to Write a Good Synopsis

By William Ryan

Writing a synopsis is a task that even professional writers with a number of novels under their belts struggle with. The good news is that the quality of the synopsis itself is important, but not as important as you might think. The primary purpose of a synopsis is relatively simple – to give the agent or publisher an overview of your novel’s plot and reassure them that it has a beginning, a middle and an end, and a story that is clear, engaging and commercial. If your novel has the required elements and if you follow a relatively straightforward format then you should be able to produce a synopsis that will more than meet the expectations of your audience.

Start with a short, snappy summary of the story’s concept

What you’re trying to do here is hook the reader by giving them a sense of your novel’s story and its setting, as well as a flavour of its tone and a reason for them to look forward to the rest of the synopsis with anticipation. The hook summary (that’s what I call it anyway) should only be a sentence or two long and be placed it in its own paragraph. You can then differentiate the hook summary from the main body of the synopsis by placing it in italics and leaving a double line space between them. This is important as you may well repeat yourself later on in the synopsis, but the differentiation will make that acceptable.

The hook summary is not essential, however, and if it’s proving too difficult or doesn’t look quite right then you can always drop it altogether or wait until inspiration strikes. It is, however, a nice thing to have. Let’s imagine we were writing a synopsis of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. We might start with a hook summary along the lines of the following:

In Georgian England, sparks fly when Miss Elizabeth Bennet, a proud young woman who believes she should only marry for love, meets the rich and aloof Mr Darcy. With circumstances separating them, and misunderstandings aplenty, will they be able to overcome their own pride and prejudice to find happiness together?

Okay so it’s a little tongue in cheek but it does give the reader important information about the story. Firstly, it identifies the main characters and tells the agent a little bit about them. It also explains that it’s a love story and indicates when and where it’s set. It outlines Elizabeth’s objective, which is “happiness together”, along with some of the obstacles she will have to overcome to achieve it. All in two sentences. What’s more, the hook summary ends with a question that links into the title of the novel. Posing a questions encourages the reader to proceed in order to discover the answer.

Tell us who the central character is, what their situation is and why we like them. Indicate what their objective is over the course of the story

We’ve moved on to the main synopsis now, which means that there will be some repetition from the hook summary (but that’s okay). Here we want to briefly introduce the central character, their situation, why we like them and what they are hoping to achieve.

Miss Elizabeth Bennet is the second of five unmarried daughters to a rural gentleman of modest means in Georgian England. Her mother is concerned that her daughters should be wed to suitable husbands, but despairs of the intelligent and witty Elizabeth’s desire to marry solely for love and mutual respect.

This introduces Elizabeth and her admirable attributes. It also tells us that her objective is to marry for love. It also tells us that her position is far from financially secure, which would have been a disadvantage at the time and therefore a significant obstacle.

Tell us about the event that triggers the central character’s engagement with the story and introduce any other characters who will be particularly important

This is really the moment that Elizabeth’s story begins, which in Pride and Prejudice is when she meets Mr. Darcy.

When the amiable Bingley rents a nearby estate, Elizabeth’s older sister Jane is much taken with him. Bingley’s friend, Darcy, is less amiable, seeming overly conscious of his superior social and financial position. Elizabeth and Darcy clash when he displays pride in his position and prejudice against those of lesser station and of less than perfect comportment (in particular some of Elizabeth’s family). Elizabeth, in turn, displays pride in her own worth and prejudice against Darcy’s perceived arrogance.
And yet, there is a spark between them.

Tell us about an initial obstacle that your central character must face and overcome, as well establish their conflicts with other characters. You may also want to mention any characters who will help them towards their objective.

Your novel will almost certainly contain obstacles and challenges that your central character will have to overcome in order to achieve their objective. Generally they will build in difficulty, so try and replicate that incline in your synopsis.

Mr. Collins, Elizabeth’s unappealing cousin who will inherit, on her father’s death, the house her family live in asks for Elizabeth’s hand in marriage. She refuses, thinking that she could never love him. Her more pragmatic friend Charlotte accepts him however, even though she doesn’t love him, as the alternative is spinsterhood. Elizabeth’s mother is furious but Jane and her father are supportive.

Clearly if Elizabeth had accepted Collins, it would have been a short and very unsatisfactory novel but it still represents a bump in the road for Elizabeth. Fortunately, she sticks to her guns, even though this puts her into conflict with her mother who wishes to see her married to someone of means, irrespective of their suitability. Jane and Mr. Bennet’s approval indicates that she has allies she can rely on.

Tell us about an inciting incident. The moment where the story takes a different direction

The key plot points in your novel may not follow the exact structure that plotting experts may recommend, or that I’ve suggested for this synopsis, but there are going to be hugely dramatic moments where your story’s shifts dramatically. You need to mention them, if not necessarily at this point.

To her amazement, Darcy asks Elizabeth to marry him, which she refuses, confronting him about his behaviour towards Jane and Wickham. The next day, Darcy delivers her a letter, revealing that Wickham lied about the inheritance, which he received but gambled away, and also that he attempted to seduce Darcy’s fifteen-year-old sister for her inheritance. Elizabeth realises she may have been mistaken about Darcy.

Elizabeth is clearly surprised by Darcy’s declaration, but she also realises that her forthright refusal was based on misunderstandings and misconceptions which, if her own pride and prejudices hadn’t blinded her, she might have avoided. Our reader can see that this obstacle to Elizabeth and Darcy’s happiness has become more complex.

Some things to bear in mind as you make progress with your synopsis

It is a good idea to lay out your synopsis in four paragraphs. The first paragraph is the “hook summary” or introduction. The second, third and fourth paragraphs relate to the beginning, middle and end of the novel and follows the usual structure of novel. The second paragraph, therefore, is where we introduce the main characters, the setting and the objective, as well as mention any backstory that is important to the story. The third paragraph covers the middle of the novel and, as a rule of thumb, this should probably take around half of the total length of the synopsis, as this is where the central character overcomes the escalating obstacles, conflicts and challenges that prevent them from reaching their objective. The final paragraph is the ending of the novel, where the goal is achieved after the final challenge is overcome. This is also where you can tidy up any loose ends.

It is a good idea to step back from your synopsis and check that it reads smoothly and has a
logical progression.

Your synopsis should also remove anything that does not either describe an event in the novel or explain why an event happens. So, if Elizabeth rejects Collins, it is important the synopsis explains why. Likewise, it is important that it shows the changes in Elizabeth and Darcy’s feelings for each other.

It sometimes helps to keep your first attempt at a synopsis to a maximum of 300 words, with 75 for the beginning or set up, 150 for the middle and 75 for the ending. If you focus on the key plot events in this draft, without much explanation as to why they happen, it will help the structure.

Your next draft should be about 600 words, with the same proportional split as to word count. In this draft, you can explain the events of the story, focusing on conflicts, characterization and logic. Once you think you’ve achieved this aim, go over it once again, attempting to create a smooth, engaging read.

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