Guide to Literary Agents – Free Guide to Book Agents

This Guide to Literary Agents is a 9-part introduction to book agents: what they are, what they do, and how they work. You’ll explore the pros and cons of hiring a book agent, find out how agents get paid, and learn the requirements to be an agent. You’ll even learn a brief history of agents and, perhaps most important, find out if you need an agent. Scroll below to begin. Or click here to take a tour of this website, completely devoted to helping you get Book Agents interested in your work.

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The Ultimate Guide to Literary Agents

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Part 1: Guide to Literary Agents

What is a Literary Agent?

What is a literary agent, to the author who wants to be published by a traditional publisher like Random House or Simon & Schuster? That’s the first question I answer in this Guide to Book Agents. In short, a book agent is everything. That’s because most publishing houses no longer accept book submissions or book ideas directly from authors. You have to go through an agent. So book agents are essentially gatekeepers. Click here to find out more about what a literary agent is in this Guide to Book Agents.

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Part 2: Guide to Literary Agents

What Does a Literary Agent Do?

What does a literary agent do for the authors he represents? That’s the second question in this Guide to Book Agents… and the answer to that question is, “It depends.”
That’s because there are just as many types of book agents in the world, as there are books. Okay, not exactly. But it’s true that the only thing all agents have in common is their desire (and hopefully ability), to sell your book and negotiate the best contract possible. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Most agents bring a lot more to the table. Click here to find out what else a literary agent does in my Guide to Book Agents.

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Part 3: Guide to Literary Agents

Do You Need a Literary Agent?

Do you need a literary agent to help you publish your book? Find out now by reading this article from my Guide to Book Agents. Whenever I talk to people about how to sell their book (or book idea), I always start by explaining the three different ways to publish a book. There are a lot of misconceptions on this topic and authors often make bad choices, simply because they don’t know better (until it’s too late).

In other words many authors:

• Spend months or years going in the wrong direction
• Waste thousands (or tens of thousands) of dollars
• End up feeling deceived and betrayed

Don’t be one of those authors…

Click here to find out if you need a literary agent in my Guide to Literary Agents.

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Part 4: Guide to Literary Agents

Literary Agents Pros and Cons

Literary agents pros and cons are important for you to be aware of. I’m going to help you understand the pros and cons of working with an agent in this article from my Guide to Book Agents. If you want to get a traditional publisher, you have two choices:

1. You can get a literary agent who will approach publishers for you
2. You can attempt to approach publishers yourself

To help you decide which option is best for you, click here to look at literary agents pros and cons in my Guide to Book Agents.

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Part 5: Guide to Literary Agents

How Does a Literary Agent Work?

How does a literary agent work? I’m going to explain the process step-by-step in this article from my Guide to Book Agents. I’ve broken everything down into seven simple parts. Agents at every level follow these steps, whether they’re old pros or brand new to the business. Click here to find out how a literary agent works in my Guide to Book Agents.

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Part 6: Guide to Literary Agents

How Is a Literary Agent Paid?

How is a literary agent paid and are some literary agencies involved in fraudulent activities that you need to know about? The answer to both of these questions is yes… and this article from my Guide to Book Agents will tell you everything you need to know. Click here to find out how a literary agent is paid in my Guide to Book Agents.

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Part 7: Guide to Literary Agents

Literary Agent Commission

Literary agent commission questions are common for first-time authors. What’s a “normal” agent commission? And, are there any non-standard practices that you need to know about and watch out for? I’m going to answer both questions in this article from my Guide to Book Agents. Click here to find out about literary agent commissions in my Guide to Book Agents.

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Part 8: Guide to Literary Agents

Requirements for a Literary Agent

The requirements for a literary agent are few, but I explain them here in this short article from my Guide to Literary Agents. In truth, it’s more accurate to say that there really aren’t any requirements for a literary agent. That’s because literally anyone can call himself an agent, create a website, print some business cards, and get listed in some of the print and online literary agent directories. Scary, but true. Click here to find out about requirements for a literary agent in my Guide to Book Agents, so you can choose a literary agency that is reputable.

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Part 9: Guide to Literary Agents

Literary Agents in the Early 20th Century

Literary agents in the early 20th century paved the way for modern agents. But did you know that the first literary agent set up shop in Britain in 1875? Or that literary agents in the early 20th century are credited (or blamed, depending on how you look at it) for increasing author advances? Those are just a few of things you’ll learn about in this basic history of literary agents, from my Guide to Literary Agents. Click here to learn about literary agents in the early 20th century.

Click here to read the first article in this 9-part series and
answer the question: What Is a Literary Agent?