Literary Agent Blog – By a Former Literary Agency President
This literary agent blog by former NY Times bestselling book agent Mark Malatesta reveals everything you want and need to know about literary agents, and everything you wouldn’t know to ask.
The categories on this literary agent blog are named and organized in a way that makes it easy for you to find exactly what you’re looking for. Scroll below to browse the latest posts on our publishing agent blog, or use the category links in the sidebar on the right!
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Literary Agent Blog – Welcome
This literary agent blog has information about literary agents, literary agencies, writing, getting published, and book marketing. You’ll even find a section on our book agent blog where you can submit your questions to a former book agent.
It’s called Ask a Literary Agent.
Many authors find this part of our literary agent blog as valuable as the articles. They appreciate the thoughtful answers to their questions, posted by former NY Times bestselling book agent–and AAR member–Mark Malatesta. But they also find themselves learning a great deal by reading other authors’ questions (and answers) on our literary agent blog.
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Recent Posts on Our Literary Agent Blog
Best Time to Submit to Literary Agents?
What's the best time to submit to literary agents? Are some days better than others? Is there a best time of year to query book agents on our List of Literary Agents featuring the Best Literary Agents at the Top Literary Agencies? And, is there a best time of day to...
Soo Peer Success Story Interview – Author of The Essential Diversity Mindset
Soo Peer Success Story Interview with Mark Malatesta - During this insider interview on our literary agent blog, you'll meet Soo Peer, author of The Essential Diversity Mindset: How to Cultivate a More Inclusive Culture and Environment, published by Career Press, an...
Jon Biemer Success Story Interview – Author of Our Environmental Handprints
Jon Biemer Success Story Interview with Mark Malatesta - During this insider interview on our literary agent blog, you'll meet Jon Biemer, author of Our Environmental Handprints: Recover the Land, Reverse Global Warming, Reclaim the Future, published by Rowman and...
Silvia Foti Success Story Interview – Author of The Nazi’s Granddaughter
Silvia Foti Success Story Interview with Mark Malatesta - During this insider interview on our literary agent blog, you'll meet Silvia Foti, author of The Nazi's Granddaughter, published by Regnery Publishing, with more than 50 books on the NY Times bestseller...
Literary Agents Not Connecting With Voice–What That Actually Means
Leslie Lehr Success Story Interview – Author of A Boob’s Life
Leslie Lehr Success Story Interview with Mark Malatesta - During this insider interview on our literary agent blog, you'll meet Leslie Lehr, author of A Boob's Life, now in development for a TV series with HBOMax by actress and producer Salma Hayek, who says the book...
Kerry K. Cox Success Story Interview – Author of Money Bear and Successful Scriptwriting
Kerry K. Cox Success Story Interview with Mark Malatesta - During this insider interview on our literary agent blog, Kerry K. Cox, co-author of Successful Scriptwriting, published by Writer’s Digest Books (more than 65,000 copies sold), and author of Money Bear, the...
What Literary Agents Want–and Why You Shouldn’t Care (Too Much)
Coronavirus COVID-19 Impact on Authors and the Book Publishing Industry
Due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, I've received many questions from writers (including my coaching clients) about the virus impact (current and future) on book authors, Literary Agents, Literary Agencies (including the Best Literary Agents at the Top...
Stone Kraushaar Success Story Interview – Author of Hug Therapy
Stone Kraushaar Success Story Interview with Mark Malatesta - During this insider interview on our literary agent blog, Stone Kraushaar, author of the nonfiction book Hug Therapy shares his best advice for authors of all genres about how to write, publish, and/or...
The Chances of Getting a Book Agent | How to Improve Your Odds of Getting a Literary Agent
A Lesson About Publishing—from My Cat
Sometimes wisdom comes from unexpected places. For example… A few weeks ago, one of my two Siamese cats (Fudge) taught me a lesson. It was completely unexpected, and that made the experience much more impactful. Now I’m sharing what happened, as I hope it will have a...
Literary Agents Q&A for Children’s Book Authors and Illustrators
A former literary agent answers questions for children's book authors - find out how to improve your chance of getting a top literary agent, publisher, and book deal. This new section of my website is for children’s book authors and illustrators who want to get the...
Literary Agents for Writing with Cinematic Appeal
This article about literary agents and managers for writing with cinematic appeal is part two of a series. It reveals how writers and authors can get their work picked up for stage, TV, or feature film. It also explores important differences between the publishing and...
Authors Behaving Badly – Literary Agents, Publishers, Media, Fans
I wrote this article about authors behaving badly to help you avoid becoming one. It’s about several writers whose unusual antics got them into hot (make that boiling) water with the publishing industry (including literary agents), the media, and their fans. Even if...
6 Important Updates Every Author Needs to Know About
Every author needs to read this post. It contains six important updates about our websites, other people’s websites, and your website (if you’re thinking about creating one, or already have one). Make sure you read all six (6) notifications below. At least TWO of...
FAQ – What Happens AFTER You Get a Literary Agent?
What happens after you get a literary agent? This question is important for two reasons: 1) If you don’t have an agent yet, this article will help you understand why it’s important to query The Best Literary Agents working at The Top Literary Agencies, and 2) If you...
Nine Mental Traps to Avoid for Writers and Mental Illness
This is the first time I’ve talked about writers and mental illness—or, writers and the various mental traps that can get in the way of publishing success and happiness. It doesn’t matter how smart or successful you are in other parts of your life. If your writing is...
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"Berkley Books recently published my book in hardcover after Mark helped me get multiple agents interested in my work. I was able 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 Media and a short time later I had a publishing contract! Having Mark on your side is incredibly valuable." [Click here to see all Mark Malatesta reviews]
About Mark Malatesta
MARK MALATESTA is a former literary agent turned author coach. Mark now helps authors of all genres (fiction, nonfiction, and children's books) get top literary agents, publishers, and book deals through his company Literary Agent Undercover and The Bestselling Author. Mark's authors have gotten six-figure book deals, been on the NYT bestseller list, and published with houses such as Random House, Scholastic, and Thomas Nelson. Click here to learn more about Mark Malatesta and click here for Reviews of Mark Malatesta.About Mark Malatesta
MARK MALATESTA is a former literary agent turned author coach. Mark now helps authors of all genres (fiction, nonfiction, and children's books) get top literary agents, publishers, and book deals through his company Literary Agent Undercover and The Bestselling Author. Mark's authors have gotten six-figure book deals, been on the NYT bestseller list, and published with houses such as Random House, Scholastic, and Thomas Nelson. Click here to learn more about Mark Malatesta and click here for Reviews of Mark Malatesta.* * *
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