How to Find a Literary Agent in 10 Easy Steps (Yeah. Right.)
Okay. So it’s not easy. But it is possible. Here’s how.
A literary agent is a person who represents an author and their work to publishers. They negotiate contracts, offer professional advice, and sometimes bring editorial skill.
For writers who want to publish traditionally, a literary agent is almost a necessity. I say almost, because I’m sure there are a couple of people out there who managed to get a publishing contract for a major publisher without one.
But they’re unicorns. Usually they’ve either self-published with very good results first or they’re already famous for some other reason. They’ve somehow by-passed the gatekeepers — and it’s rarely just by sending their manuscript to slushpiles.
Most of us need agents.
Looking for an agent is sometimes called “querying,” because it involves sending one-page sales letters called queries to literary agents in the hopes of enticing them to read your manuscript and then allow…
