Literary Agent Articles A-Z

Home » Literary Agent Articles A-Z – How to Find and Get a Literary Agent

Literary Agent Articles A-Z – Use our article library below to query book agents seeking clients. You’ll also find information about how to find new literary agents, established book agents, top literary agents, christian literary agents, black literary agents, and more. Our literary agent database includes all agents representing all genres: fiction literary agents, nonfiction literary agents, literary agents for children’s books, etc.

Use our Directory of Literary Agents and the articles below to learn more about all US literary agents. You’ll also discover how to get the best literary agencies requesting your work, and you’ll discover how to get the best literary agent offering you representation.

Author Platform
Author Platform – Pt 1
Author Platform – Pt 2
Social Media for Authors
SEO for Authors

Best Way to Publish
Literary Agents Pros and Cons
Self-Publish a Book
Should I Self-Publish My Book?
The Best Publishing Companies for Smart Authors

Book Editing Q&A
Book Editors FAQ
How Important Are Typos and Grammar?

Book Genres
Book Genres – Which Ones Are Best?
Commercial, Mainstream, General, or Literary Fiction?

Guest Posts
Entitlement in Writer Culture
“Chipping Out” your Book
Oh, I Swear!

How Agents Think & Work
Literary Agent Job Description
Best Time to Submit to Literary Agents?
Literary Agent Referrals
How Can a Literary Agent Reject a Book After the First Five Pages?
5 “Stupid” Things That Literary Agents Say and Do
Literary Lawyer vs Literary Attorney vs Literary Agent
The Best Query Letter Hook
Processing Fees, Reading Fees, and Other Paid Services
How Literary Agents Work – Personal Taste vs. Profitability
Inside a Literary Agency by Elizabeth Lyon
Interactive Q&A Chat Session – How to Become a Bestselling Author
Working with More than One Agent
Create Your Agent List
Query Response Rates
How to Choose a Literary Agent
How to Fire Your Literary Agent
How to Leave Your Literary Agent
Literary Agent Agreement
Questions to Ask a Literary Agent
Sample Literary Agent Contract
Literary Agency Contract – Would You Sign This?
What Happens AFTER You Get a Literary Agent?

How to Create An Author Website
Author Website Design to Get Literary Agents
Author Website to Get Literary Agents
Best Author Websites to Get Literary Agents

Mindset
Suspension of Disbelief
Your Book Isn’t Dead
Do Positive Thinking Authors Really Have an Advantage?
“Fantasy” Writing for Literary Agents
Lazy-A*s Authors Don’t Get Literary Agents
Sensitive Author Syndrome…and the Cure
How to Stop Writer’s Block
The 41 Best Writer’s Block Quotes
Three Feet from a Literary Agent
Not Writing – Author Excuses
How Many Queries Should You Send Out Before You Quit?
Nine Mental Traps to Avoid for Writers and Mental Illness
Why Writers Write

Miscellaneous
Six Figure Book Deal – Why This (Former) Agent Walked Away
14 of the Best Electronic Gifts for Writers
Tax Deductions for Writers
Why I Love Writers
Book Contests
How to Become a Literary Agent
6 Important Updates Every Author Needs to Know About
Author Armageddon – “Disaster” in Sedona, AZ
Author U Extravaganza Annual Event
Author You – New Book by Judith Briles
Authors Behaving Badly – Literary Agents, Publishers, Media, Fans
Be An Entrepreneur Author to Get a Literary Agent
Blogs By Popular Book Agents
Book or Brand for Literary Agents?
Book Writers Forum
Drink Lemonade, Get Published
Fifty Shades of… Green?
Getting a Book Published – The #1 Thing You Need to Know
Guidelines for Book Agents
Happy Holiday Weekend!!!
How FAST Are You?
How to Be a Famous Author – Literary Agent Undercover
How to Become a Bestselling Author – For Any Book Genre
How to Find the Perfect Home for Your Book
How to Get a Book Published – Literary Agents
How to Get a Literary Agent – 3 Things Every Author Needs to Know
Interview with Former Literary Agent Mark Malatesta
It’s a Book by Lane Smith
It’s Not What You Say…
Literary Agent Biographies
Finding the RIGHT Literary Agent
Literary Agents and Edit Ink – The Skeleton In My Closet
Literary Agents Interview – Mile Hi Radio
Literary Agents Q&A Chat Sessions
Literary Agents Roundtable – The Hollywood Reporter
Literary Agents Q&A for Children’s Book Authors and Illustrators
Make Money As An Author
Nicholas Sparks Debate – Is He a Hack… or Hot Stuff?
Nicholas Sparks’ Literary Agent – Directory of Book Agents
Preemie Publishing – Literary Agents
Publish Your Book Before It’s Too Late – Literary Agents
Selling Your Book to Literary Agents
Sometimes “Bestseller” Is a Bad Word
The “Author Activist”
The Agency Group – Literary Agents Directory
The Best Way to Submit Query Letters to Literary Agents
The Most Important Decision You’ll Ever Make As An Author
The Most Successful Literary Agents – Famous Literary Agents
The Nemesis You Never Knew About|
Too Good to Be True? – An Important Message for Aspiring Authors
What’s Your Decision?
Would (Should) You Say This to A Literary Agent?
Write a Book for Your Business
Writing a Book and Query to Get the Best Literary Agents
Writing Blind for Literary Agents – Don’t Do It
Writing Contest Sponsored by Literary Agent Undercover
Yes or No… What Do You Think?
You Can’t Say That!
Your Wake-Up Call

Movies & TV
Good News for Authors about the Publishing Industry–and Movie Industry
Literary Agents for Writing with Cinematic Appeal

Prejudice & Diversity
Are Literary Agents and Publishers Prejudiced?
Literary Agents Looking for Diversity
Young Authors Warning About Submitting to Literary Agents
Old Authors Beware When Submitting to Literary Agents

Previously Published (Including Self-published) Authors

Protect your Writing
How to Copyright a Book – Book Copyright FAQ for Authors
Nondisclosure Agreements or NDAs for Literary Agents
How to Backup Your Writing, Blog, and Social Media
Protect your Ideas from Other Authors

Rejection Letters
How to Overcome, Interpret, and Avoid Literary Agent Rejections
Why You Should (Sometimes) Ignore Literary Agent Rejection Letters and Criticism

Trends
Are Literary Agents Obsolete?
Are You Looking for “Signs” to Help You Reach Your Goals?
Are eBooks Changing Publishing?
How is the Economy Changing Publishing?
Publishing Industry Statistics – Literary Agent Blog

Who Represents…
JK Rowling’s Literary Agent
John Grisham’s Literary Agent
Stephen King’s Literary Agent
Stephenie Meyer’s Literary Agent
For Dummies’ Literary Agent
Oprah Winfrey’s Literary Agent
Carl Hiassen’s Literary Agent

Writing Tips
How to Write a Bestseller
Understanding High-Concept
Raise the Stakes
It’s Not Your Book
Considerations for Naming Your Book

International Literary Agents
Literary Agents Cleveland
Literary Agents Indianapolis
Literary Agents Las Vegas
Literary Agents Miami
Literary Agents Pittsburgh

Humor Literary Agents
Literary Fiction Agents
Memoir Literary Agents
New Age Literary Agents
New Literary Agents Looking for Clients
Paranormal Literary Agents
Romance Literary Agents
Short Story Literary Agents
Sports Literary Agents
Thriller Literary Agents
Young Literary Agents
Cookbook Literary Agents
Gay Literary Agents
Graphic Novel Literary Agents
Horror Literary Agents
Literary Agents Crime Fiction

Ingrid Elfver

Guide to Literary Agents
Book Marketing Ideas and Advice from a Former Book Agent
Brandt & Hochman Literary Agents

Book Marketing Ideas
Book Marketing Services
Literary Agents Looking for Authors
Literary Agents in the Early 20th Century

* * *

Enter the Agent Directory – Find an Agent

Interviews/Tips from Successful Authors

Literary Agents Near Me

Coaching Success Stories

“Mark, finding you has been both a treat and a treasure—I just signed a contract with my new literary agent!
My career has spanned publishing, TV, and feature film. I’ve served as Creative Dir. for the Magazine Group, TIME Inc.; Dir. of Time World News Service, a Founding Dir. of TIME-Life Films; Exec. Prod. for both the CBS and NBC TV Networks; Prod./Dir.: Movies of the Week: CBS Cinema Center Films and Universal MCA.
In today’s publishing marketplace, agents come and go. They also very often seem to just want an easy pathway to make a buck. Many authors are let go by their agents because their last book didn’t do well enough and the agent doesn’t want to devote the time to help the author. That’s not what you’re about Mark. Even established authors need this type of support in today’s marketplace."

Nathaniel Lande
Author of ten fiction and nonfiction books

* * *

“I’m psyched to have this be official. After getting five different offers for representation from top literary agents, I signed with Stephanie Tade who got me a 6-figure book deal with Penguin!
Getting multiple agents interested in my work was really important to me. I’ve dealt with agents before and gotten screwed on things contractually so I wanted to do it differently this time. I wanted choices.
Having you help me create that, and navigate my options, was really helpful. I heard other authors talk about their great relationships with their agents and it made me want the same thing. Now I have that."

Amy Jo Goddard
Author of Woman on Fire (Penguin Books)

* * *

“After sending out the query Mark revised for me, I had the opportunity to speak with literary agents from top agencies such as Janklow & Nesbit, Trident Media, Anderson Lit, and Folio. I signed with Don Fehr at Trident and, a short time later I had a publishing contract with Berkley Books, which recently published my book in hardcover.
Before that, I sent my query letter out on my own to 30 or 40 agents and got a lot of rejections. I then found Mark online while I was researching agents. I was surprised that he offered so much during his initial consultation—for a very modest amount of money.
I don’t know what would have happened if I hadn’t worked with Mark. I can’t even imagine that now though, because of the grief and detours I experienced before we worked together. It was a time-consuming pain in the neck. If you want to get the attention of top literary agents and publishers, there is no substitute for working with an insider. You can’t beat experience. And having Mark on your side is incredibly valuable."

Daniel Cohen
Author of Single Handed (Berkley Books, a Division of Penguin Random House)

* * *

“AHHH! OMG, it happened! I got three offers of representation for my children’s picture book in the United States, even though I live abroad! When I woke up and found the first offer for representation in my email in box, I wanted to scream. But my family was still asleep so I couldn’t. 🙂
Just 8 minutes after I sent a query letter to one of my favorite agents, she replied and asked to see my manuscript. A short time later we had a lovely conversation. She was interested in representing me and sounded very positive and enthusiastic about my book. Since I also got offers from two other agents, I had to turn two of them down. One of them was upset and it felt like I was breaking her heart, but you just have to do it. I kept reminding myself that this is a good problem to have!"

Miri Leshem-Pelley
Author/Illustrator of Lon-Lon’s Big Night and many other children’s books

* * *

“Mark, after you helped me land a top literary agent, I got publishing offers from THREE well-known publishers: Amacom, Palgrave Macmillan, and McGraw-Hill (they’re publishing my book in hardcover)!
I was at Disneyworld with my family, in the Haunted Mansion, when I got the call. I went outside and listened to the voicemail message from my agent. A huge smile came over my face. It was a fantastic feeling. For a moment I felt like life was perfect and the angels were singing.
You’re filling an important need so I’ll say this to every other author reading this testimonial. Mark showed me that getting a top literary agent is a science. If you’ve written a book, or you’re in the process, you’ve already invested a lot—a lot more than money. Don’t stop yourself from getting out there to fulfill your purpose and dreams. Thank you so, so much, Mark!!!"

Dave Hamme
Author of Customer Focused Process Innovation (McGraw Hill)

* * *

“I got a book deal! After I started sending out my new query letter I had 6 literary agents request my manuscript in a short amount of time, which is awesome. Then, within 2 weeks of my agent starting to pitch my story to publishers, we had an offer. I signed a book contract yesterday. A little while later my agent told me that a TV co-producer asked for more info about my book.
By the way, the acquiring editor that fell in love with the manuscript jumped in with both feet and we just worked out our timeline for publication. She’s as passionate about getting my book out as I am, and that means everything. She read the manuscript in two days and said she couldn’t put it down. And the book is going to be published as a hardcover!"

Erika Armstrong
Author of A Chick in the Cockpit (Behler Publications)

* * *

“Thank you Mark! After you helped me get a well-known agent with Hartline Literary Agency (for my previously self-published murder mystery), he got me a deal with an American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) approved publisher. I’m hard-pressed to find anything that I had an expectation for that you didn’t deliver on.
Before I worked with you I sent out queries, but no one ever requested my complete manuscript. Comparing your new version of my query to the one I wrote before, I can see a vast difference.
I’ve been in business for 35 years so I’m not just saying this… what you’re doing is phenomenal. There are other people offering similar services, but the difference is your success. Others might say they do similar things but, if you research them, they don’t have your background or track record."

Michael Thompson
Author of The Rector

* * *

“Mark, you’re a miracle worker. Thanks to your help with my book, query letter, and synopsis… I now have a legitimate publisher who described my book as ‘Powerful Magic’ and it’s now available in bookstores and online!
I’m a lifelong academic writer who one day found myself writing inspired short stories that came to me in dreams and I began thinking of them as novels. That’s when I had a momentous conversation, an introductory coaching call with Mark Malatesta, the American creative writing coach, or rather, to be precise, a how-to-sell-yourself-and-your-work adviser. It was the best-spent money of my life apart (possibly) for my wedding ring."

Professor Ruth Finnegan FBA
Author of The Black Inked Pearl

* * *

“Within 4 minutes of sending out my query letter, a top literary called me on the phone (the #1 agent on my wish list). Less than 30 days later I had three major publishers making offers. A few days after that, I signed a deal with Random House. Mark, your query letter did that.
My agent talked about the query letter you helped me create for a long, long time. When he first called me on the phone, he hadn’t seen any of my sample chapters. It was just the query letter that did it. Communicating the right thing is so important. You are a wonderful medium helping authors find their voice and elevate their writing from just a hobby to a real business… a source from which they can both learn and earn."

Lakshmi Subramani
Author of Lights Out (Random House) Bangalore, India

* * *

“MARK, MARK, MARK!!!!!!! Holy smokes… I just signed my book deal. First, two well-known literary agents asked to represent me. One of them responded to my query letter in less than 4 minutes!!
Then THREE different publishers wanted my book and started talking about making offers. The publisher I chose is perfect for me because they produce titles for the trade, educational, and scientific markets. And they agreed to publish my book as a hardcover!!!
When I met you, Mark, it was a pivotal time. I was under the belief that I could self-publish my book with a vanity press and then seek a publisher. I didn’t know what a literary agent was, why I needed one, or how to get one. I was wandering in the dark. You guided me in the right direction and gave me a solid plan."

Mardell Hill
Author of Intestinal Health (Rowman & Littlefield)

* * *

“Boom!!! I just signed a contract with Thomas Nelson/Harper Collins for (what I’ve been told by several people) is a very large advance for a first-time author. Before working with Mark I submitted my book to agents but didn’t get any interest. This time around I got a top NY literary agency (Fine Print Lit). What cloud is higher than 9?
I had several agencies interested before deciding to go with Fine Print. And, to be honest, all of the attention didn’t surprise me. The query letter and proposal that Mark helped me develop were incredible. Agents actually said things to me like: ‘Scott, I read your proposal and I’m just blown away by it!' Mark is extremely talented at what he does. If you have the opportunity to work with him, take advantage of it."

Scott LeRette
Author of The Unbreakable Boy (Harper Collins/Thomas Nelson)

* * *