Literary agent
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A literary agent represents writers and their written work to publishers and film producers, and assists in the sale and deal negotiation of the same. Literary agents most often represent novelists, screenwriters and major non-fiction writers. They usually earn their living by taking a percentage of a writer's earnings, traditionally ten to twenty percent.
Authors often turn to agents for several reasons. First, many large publishing houses do not accept unagented submissions. As these typically pay the largest advances and have the greatest promotional muscle behind a work, they're typically much sought after. As agents accept only a tiny percentage of authors who query them (typically well less than one percent), they act as a filter, removing low quality material from the potential submissions pool.
If an agent accepts a work, they can add a good deal of influence toward getting the work sold. An agent with a great deal of success can have their works get a much more favorable read by a publisher. Additionally, as agents are paid by a percentage of the work's profits, it is in their best interest to bring in as much money out of the deal as possible.
In general, an agent will have around a dozen clients whose works they're trying to sell at a given time. An agent with a very successful client may stop taking on new work in order to focus exclusively on that client. Expenses are incurred by the agent in the process of selling the work (photocopying, mailing, any necessary trips or fees, etc), and these are billed to the client. However, the expenses are not charged until after the point of sale, and are waived if the agent cannot sell the work. An agent that insists on any payment before sales, be it a reading fee or general expenses, is often a sign of a scam.
Typically, agents have very narrow areas of focus. An agent may represent just Science Fiction, or Romance, although many handle several genres. Film rights are typically subcontracted to a different agent that specializes in them.
Clients typically establish relationships with an agent through querying, although an agent may be met at a writer's conference, through a contest, or via other means. A query is an unsolicited proposal for representation, either for a finished work (fiction) or unfinished work (nonfiction). It typically begins with a query letter (1-2 pages) that explains the purpose of the work and any writing qualifications of the author. Sometimes a synopsis or outline are requested. Often, the author sends five to ten pages of their work. Lastly, for written queries, a SASE (Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope) is standard for inclusion in written queries. E-queries are popular among authors, but many agents do not take them for a variety of reasons.
If an agent is interested in a work, they will request a partial, which is typically either three chapters, fifty pages, or somewhere in-between. If they really like a work, they will request a full, which is the full manuscript (minus any dedications or other things that are not added in until publication). If the agent thinks that they can sell the full, they will accept the author. Often, and traditionally, contracts between agents and clients are simply verbal; however, an increasing percentage of agents are turning to written contracts to make the deal explicit. If a written query is rejected (which happens to the vast majority of queriers), the response is sent in the SASE. Typically this is a form letter; getting a rejection that isn't a form letter or has a hand-written comment (especially a message to the effect of "query me for other projects") is typically taken as a very good, if disappointing, sign.
Literary agents in Wikipedia, past and present
- Gerald Drayson Adams
- Ari Emanuel
- Stacey Glick
- Rod Hall
- John Hodgman
- Otis Adelbert Kline
- Harold Ober
- Larry Shaw
- Toni Strassman
- Amanda Urban
Further reading
- Curtis, Richard (2003) How To Be Your Own Literary Agent: An Insider's Guide to Getting Your Book Published. ISBN 0618380418
- Herman, Jeff (2005) Jeff Herman's Guide To Book Publishers, Editors & Literary Agents, 2006. ISBN 0977268209.
External links
- [How to get your book published?]: Good, in-depth article.
- [Agents for Writers and Illustrators]
- [A database of literary agents]
- [Miss Snark]: An agent's blog that delves into the details of the publishing world.
- [Preditors and editors]: A guide to literary scam artists
- [Writer Beware Worst Agents list]: The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America list of the 20 worst literary agencies in the United States
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