literary agent offer of representation

Offer of Representation from a Literary Agent

by Literary Agent News | 6 December, 2022 | Looking for a Literary Agent

Home » Literary Agent Blog » Looking for a Literary Agent » Offer of Representation from a Literary Agent

When you get an offer of representation from a literary agent, what should you expect and do? Use this step-by-step guide to navigate the process of getting a book agent offer of representation. It’s part of our free 15-Part Guide About How to Get a Publishing Agent .

Offer of Representation From a Literary Agent – FAQ

• Questions a Book Agent Will Ask
• Questions to Ask a Publishing Agent
• Choosing a Book Agent
• Standard Book Agent Contract
• Publishing Agent Contract Terms
• Book Agent Contract Red Flags

Publishing Agent Lawyer

First Meeting With a Book Agent

What should you expect during your first meeting with a book agent? If a publishing agent suggests a meeting via phone, a video call, or in person (this happens rarely), it usually means an offer of representation is coming–or has already been made–but not always.

What do you need to consider when you get an offer of representation from a literary agent?

Approximately two thirds of the time, literary agents offer representation via email before the author has their first meeting with the book agent. On other occasions, authors are offered representation during their first meeting. And, in a smaller number of situations, authors are invited to a first meeting that doesn’t end with a literary agent offer for representation.

If you have a first meeting with a literary agent that doesn’t include an offer for representation, don’t worry. The first meeting will likely include an invitation to resubmit your manuscript after applying suggestions the book agent shares with you during the meeting. That is, if you decide to incorporate the suggestions.

In rare cases, writers will find themselves having a first meeting with a publishing agent that doesn’t include a representation offer or an invitation to resubmit. When a book agent does that, the manuscript feedback is simply a gift to help the writer improve their manuscript so they can improve their chances with other author representatives.

Questions a Book Agent Will Ask – offer of representation from a literary agent

Prepare for these questions a book agent might ask when you get an offer of representation from a literary agent. Publishing agents offering representation often ask questions about your book, past and future works, promotional plans, and more.

• How many queries have you sent out?
• Are other book agents reading or seriously interested?
• Has your book been submitted to publishers?
• Is the book previously self-published?
• What else have you written?
• Has anything you’ve written been published?
• What other books do you plan to write?
• What are your goals as an author?
• How open are you to manuscript revisions?
• What are your promotional plans for the book?

The above list of questions an author representative might ask is just a potential partial list. Some book agents ask very few questions. Each situation is different. However, the list above highlights the questions a publishing agent is most likely to ask.

Questions to Ask a Publishing Agent – offer of representation from a literary agent

These questions to ask when you get an offer of representation from a literary agent will help you avoid problems, and choose the best book agent. If you get a representation offer from a literary agent, you need to know what to ask about your book, the book agent, and the book agent’s plans for your book.

• Is there anything you believe I should change or do to make it more likely the manuscript would be successful with publishers?
• How many publishers do you believe you would submit the book to?
• When do believe you might start submitting the book to publishers?
• What do you believe our best-case scenario might be? (For example, how quickly an offer might come in, the size of the advance.)
• What do you believe a more modest success would look like?
• Would you be my agent, or someone else at your literary agency? (Only ask this if you know there are multiple book agents.)
• How do you handle subsidiary rights? (For example, international rights, feature film, television, etc.)
• How do you share submission updates and publisher feedback with your clients, since I know it might take a while for publishers to respond?
• How do you prefer your clients communicate with you if they have a question or an important update?
• Will you consult with me before accepting an offer on my behalf?

There might be additional questions to ask a literary agent that you should consider. Each situation is different, so the best questions for literary agents can vary. However, this is our standard list of questions to ask a literary agent if the book agent offering representation doesn’t volunteer that information.

Multiple Offers From Publishing Agents

Getting multiple offers from publishing agents doesn’t happen often. Do these four things to increase your odds of getting multiple offers from book agents–and to manage multiple offers from literary agents.

• Submit a large number of submissions to increase your chances of getting multiple offers. Divide the book agents on your submission list into two categories, based on your literary agent research : very successful and not as successful. Query one person at every literary agency you believe should be in your top tier of literary agencies.
• If you get an offer of representation from a book agent, immediately notify any other book agents who’ve requested more material but haven’t yet rejected the manuscript or offered representation.
• Decide how long you’re going to wait to get a final decision regarding an offer of representation from the other agent(s) considering your work. Don’t wait too long, though, as you can lose the first offer of representation from a literary agent.
• If you end up with multiple offers for representation from book agents, do more literary agent research to help you decide who to sign with. You should also follow our tips below about selecting the best author representative.

Choosing a Book Agent – offer of representation from a literary agent

Choosing a literary agent starts with knowing what to look for in a book agent. Not all book agents are created equal. Follow these four steps regarding how to pick a publishing agent so you can select a literary agent you’ll be happy with.

• Research the publishing agents. Look at our step-by-step guide to finding and researching literary agents . Then look on Google to find all you can about the book agents offering to represent you, including at PublishersMarketplace.com . It’s worth paying their small fee to get access to their deals database if you have two or more book agents offering to represent you.
• Make a pros and cons list for each book agent. Make a checklist of what’s important to you in a literary agent, then make a list of the positives and negatives for each author representative offering to represent you. Consider the research you found online, but also your interaction with the publishing agents.
• Talk to someone. Choosing a literary agent is an important decision. Don’t decide alone. Consult someone knowledgeable about the publishing industry to help you choose.
• Take your time to decide. Most literary agents offering to represent authors aren’t pushy. However, some are. It’s also easy to be impatient and impulsive when you get an offer from a literary agent for representation. Don’t rush.

Literary Agent Contract

Most literary agencies provide a literary agent contract when offering representation. Some don’t. The main thing a literary agent agreement does is ensure the publishing agent gets their literary agent commission if they sell your book. Here’s everything else you need to know about getting a publishing agent contract.

When you get an offer of representation from a literary agent, you can expect your literary agency to provide a written book agent contract. It might be a literary agent contract template or sample literary agent contract instead of a final book agent contract with your personal details.

After you review the publishing agent contract sample, you’ll be expected to ask questions if you have any, and negotiate any necessary changes. After that, the literary agent offering to represent you will send you a final book agent contract via email, postal mail, or a secure online file sharing service such as DocuSign, for your signature.

Literary agencies often send a publishing agent contract without a signature, then they countersign the document. Don’t worry if you don’t get your countersigned book agent contract right away. Some literary agencies take weeks or longer. If you don’t receive your final contract within two weeks, send a polite follow-up email to make sure it hasn’t gotten lost.

Standard Book Agent Contract – offer of representation from a literary agent

A standard literary agent contract includes clauses about the author, book(s) to be represented, term of the agreement, literary agent commission, and more. Here is a list of the typical literary agent contract clauses you can expect if a prospective literary agency sends you a literary agent agreement sample.

• Parties Involved: The legal names of the author and the literary agent offering to represent you.
• Book(s) To Be Represented: This clause reveals which book(s) of yours is/are included in the agreement.
• Term: This clause reveals the duration of the agreement.
• Renewal: Typical publishing agent contracts have “auto-renew” language that extends the agreement for an additional term unless you or the literary agency terminates the agreement.
• Termination: Most literary agencies include the ability for either party to end the relationship for any reason.
• Assignment: This covers the transfer of your agreement if the literary agency is sold or you want to leave your royalties to a family member, etc.
• Commission: This ensures your author representative gets paid if your book is sold to a book publisher.
• Expenses: If your literary agency charges expenses, they will be listed here.
• Payments: This says how soon you will get paid by your literary agency after they get paid by your publisher.
• Governing Law: This clause usually says the agreement will be governed by the laws of the state where your literary agency is located.
• Dispute Resolution: This clause usually says a mediator much be engaged if there is a dispute that can’t be resolved.
• Notices: This clause usually says that any legal notification regarding the agreement must be sent via certified mail.
• Authority: This clause says the author has the authority to sign the agreement.
• Entire Agreement: This clause says that anything not included in the agreement isn’t relevant.

Publishing Agent Contract Terms – offer of representation from a literary agent

Literary agent contract terms vary, but here are the standard terms you can expect to see in your book agent contract. Most literary agency agreements are similar. However, this guide will help you realize if a literary agency sends you something unusual.

• Some literary agents offering to represent an author only mention one book. Others include every book the author has ever written–and every book the author will write during the term of the agreement.
• The most common term or duration is twelve months. Some say six months, and others multiple years. The term might not matter to you if you have a good termination clause.
• Most book agents don’t try to “hold authors hostage” if they want to terminate their agreement. Instead, those literary agent have contract terms that say the author (or author representative) can terminate the agreement at any time.
• Book agent contract terms typically say the agreement will “auto-renew” at the end of contract term–unless the author or literary agency terminate it prior to the renewal date. You can usually get the literary agent offering to represent you to change that to say the agreement will expire at the end of the term unless the author extends the agreement for another term.
• Most publishing agents receive a 15% commission, and 20-30% for “subsidiary” sales such as movie or international rights that require sharing or splitting their commission with a sub-agent or co-agent.
• Some literary agencies include language in their literary agent contract terms about reimbursement for phone, photocopy, and courier costs associated with managing a writer’s work. This amount is usually $100-$350 per year.
• Most literary agent contract terms say the literary agency will send all author payments within 7, 10, 15, or 30 days of receipt from the publisher.

Book Agent Contract Red Flags – offer of representation from a literary agent

Watch out for these literary agent contract red flags when a literary agent is offering to represent you. Red flags are usually in these areas: term, books represented, termination, renewal, commission, expenses, and payments.

• Language including every book you’ve written and/or every book you’ll write during the contract term: Author representatives usually pitch one book (or series) at a time. Additional books can be added to your agreement later.
• More than a one-year term: One year, or less, is enough. Especially if there’s no termination clause that lets the writer terminate the agreement during the contract term.
• Termination: Many author representatives say you can only terminate your contract after the initial contract term. If your contract says that, it would be best to make sure the contract term is one year or less. Avoid any literary agency that charges a fee to terminate an agreement.
• Renewal: If your agreement says it will “auto-renew” at the end of contract term, make sure the renewal term isn’t longer than one year.
• Commission: If you’ve queried most literary agencies, only have one offer for representation, and the literary agent requires a higher percentage than 15%, it is worth considering. The book agent probably won’t reduce the commission unless you have another offer from another literary agency offering the standard commission.
• Expenses: Though many literary agencies require a small reimbursement for costs associated with managing a writer’s work (usually $100-$350 per year), be wary of those asking for more. Especially if the expenses are to be paid directly by you instead of from publisher payments.
• Payments: If your literary agency contract says it will take longer than 30 days to send you publisher payments, try to get it changed to 30 days.

What is a literary agent lawyer, and what’s the difference between a book agent lawyer and a literary agent? Here’s an explanation, along with the ten reasons a writer might hire a book agent lawyer.

• Review your literary agency contract
• Review your book publishing contract
• Your book content requires permissions
• Your book include content some might call libelous or defamatory
• Terminate a literary agency contract
• Terminate a book publisher contract
• Assistance with a writer collaboration agreement or dispute
• Register or protect your manuscript copyright
• Register or protect your trademark
• Register your company or DBA for tax purposes, etc.

Should you hire a publishing agent lawyer when you get an offer of representation from a literary agent? Most writers with books published by large publishing houses such as Random House don’t have a literary agent lawyer. They also don’t usually have entertainment lawyers. They simply rely on the advice of their book agents.

Literary agents advise their clients about contracts, but most author representatives aren’t lawyers. If writers want or need “legal advice,” they might decide to hire a literary agent lawyer. That way they can consider the advice of their publishing agent and their publishing agent lawyer.

This article about getting an offer of representation from a literary agent was written by former literary agent turned author coach Mark Malatesta , creator of The Directory of Book Agents , host of Ask a Publishing Agent , and founder of Literary Agent Undercover and The Bestselling Author .

Mark has helped hundreds of authors get offers from literary agents and/or traditional publishers. Writers of all Book Genres  have used our  Book Agent Advice coaching/consulting to get  Top Literary Agents at the Best Literary Agencies  on our List of Literary Agents .

Offer of Representation From a Literary Agent – Next Steps

Now that you’ve read about what happens when you get a representation offer from a literary agent, click here to:

• See the next part of this guide about What Happens After You Get a Book Agent.
• Visit our  Ask a Book Agent  page, where you’ll find a complete list of questions and answers about getting a publishing agent.

See more results...

• 84725 followers
• 11363 likes

How I Got My Book Agent

Successful Authors

Thanks in part to your query letter, manuscript suggestions, and support prioritizing agents, I received multiple offers from agents. Within two weeks of sending out the first query, I knew who I was going to sign with. I value our friendship.

N E L S O N . J O H N S O N

NY Times bestselling author of  Boardwalk Empire , produced by Martin Scorsese for HBO, and Darrow's Nightmare: The Forgotten Story of America's Most Famous Trial Lawyer

After following your advice, my book was acquired, the prestigious PW gave it a great review, and Time Magazine asked for an excerpt. Thank you for believing in my book, and for helping me share the surprising truth about women’s most popular body part!

L E S L I E . L E H R

Author of A Boob's Life: How America's Obsession Shaped Me―and You , published by Pegasus Books, distributed by Simon & Schuster and now in development for a TV series by Salma Hayek for HBO Max

Fine Print Lit got publishers bidding against each other [for my book]. I ended up signing a contract with Thomas Nelson (an imprint of Harper Collins) for what I’ve been told by several people is a very large advance. What cloud is higher than 9?

S C O T T . L E R E T T E

Author of The Unbreakable Boy (Thomas Nelson/Harper Collins), adapted to feature film with Lionsgate starring Zachary Levi, Amy Acker, and Patricia Heaton

AHHH! OMG, it happened! You helped me get three offers for representation from top literary agents! A short time later I signed a publishing contract. After that, my agent sold my next book. I’m in heaven!

M I R I . L E S H E M . P E L L Y

Author/illustrator of Penny and the Plain Piece of Paper (Penguin Books/Philomel), Scribble & Author (Kane Miller), and other children’s picture books

Interviews/Tips from Successful Authors

Fiction/General - J. Jago Fiction/Mystery - B. Harper Fiction/Mainstream - K. Cox Fiction/Christian - K. Sargent Nonfiction/Business - D. Hamme Nonfiction/Self-Help - A. Goddard Nonfiction/Environment - J. Biemer Nonfiction/Diversity - S. Peer Narrative Nonfiction - D. Cohen Memoir/Women - L. Lehr Memoir/Christian - S. LeRette Memoir/Family/Identity - S. Foti Memoir/Multicultural - N. Aronheim Memoir/Inspirational - L. Subramani Memoir/Mainstream - E. Armstrong Children's/Pic Book - M. Leshem-Pelly Children's/Chapter Book - J. Agee Children's/YA - C. Plum-Ucci Children's/YA - D. Bester Children's/YA - L. Moe

Find answers to all your book agent questions. Search our  Ask a Literary Agent FAQ and/or post your question(s).

Privacy Overview

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

News and updates to get a literary agent, publisher, and book deal.

You've successfully subscribed!

• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar

Nathan Bransford | Writing, Book Editing, Publishing

Helping authors achieve their dreams

How to handle an offer of representation

April 9, 2018 by Nathan Bransford 19 Comments

The day an agent offers you representation is one of the most incredible moments in your publishing journey.

I’ll never forget when my agent, Catherine Drayton , called me to offer representation for Jacob Wonderbar . I had doubted myself nearly every step of the way before that point and hadn’t even told my friends and family I was working on a novel. But suddenly there was someone else who believed in my novel’s potential! A publishing professional, no less!

Since you’ll inevitably experience a rush of euphoria, it’s all the more reason to plan out your strategy for handling that offer ahead of time. Don’t immediately yell, “YES, DEAR LORD YES” even if you really want to. Take your time to make sure it’s the right fit.

This is a crucial conversation. A bad agent (or a bad relationship with your agent) can do more harm to your writing career than having  no agent. If an agent sends out your work to publishers, that’s your shot.

Having been on both sides of this phone call, as both an agent and as author, here’s my advice for how to handle an offer of representation from a literary agent.

Also, I offer  online classes with exclusive resources  about finding and working with literary agents that you can take at your leisure. They will help you every step of the way!

And if you need personalized help, I can help  edit your query letter  or you can  book a consultation  to ask questions.

Thank the agent and set up a different time to talk

Even if your agent calls to give you the good news, sure, have a conversation with them, thank them for believing in you, but schedule another time to talk through the logistics.

You’ll probably need some time to mentally prep for the conversation, as well as to handle any necessary follow-ups with other agents who have your manuscript (more on that in a sec). Give them a time-frame for the conversation that accounts for these follow-ups.

Don’t worry about putting off the full conversation, you’re not going to offend the agent. They  expect that you’ll take some time to think it through and make sure it’s a good fit. (And if they’re putting pressure on you to decide, don’t necessarily run away, but be wary).

Also don’t worry about the agent thinking you’re weird for being a blubbering, excited mess. They’ve seen it all (and they’re excited too).

Follow up with the other agents who have your work

If other agents have already requested your manuscript, it’s customary to give them a heads-up that you have received an offer of representation and give them a reasonable time frame (7-14 days) to consider your work.

Opinions vary a bit on whether to follow up with agents who only have just your query and haven’t requested your manuscript. I don’t personally advise this, but some agents do expect it, and if you have a dream agent on that list, it’s not likely to kill your chances with the first agent if you are getting back to them in a reasonable time frame.

Regardless of what you decide on that, I wouldn’t advise taking that offer from the agent and blasting out a million new queries to everyone else on your list. That’s not cool. Be respectful to the agent who jumped first.

Also, follow through with the outreach on this step even if the agent who offered you representation is at the very top of your wishlist. You’ll benefit from the additional conversations even if you go with the original agent, and you’ll be more confident in your choice.

Triple-check once more that the agent is reputable

You should have already done this step when you researched your list of literary agents , but it couldn’t hurt to check again.

Make sure you know your rights as an author .

Prep your list of questions

It’s okay if you have a million questions. Here are the ones I think are especially important:

• What did they like about your book?  This is such a simple but crucial question. Hopefully the agent already communicated this when they offered you representation, but if they didn’t: ask. Why? 1) If they’re faking their enthusiasm you’ll know it (and if they’re a scammer or bad agent they’ll probably stumble through it) and 2) Their answer will help you make sure they “get” you and your book.
• What is their communication style? This one is super important. Agents vary greatly in their approach to the information they communicate to their clients and how often they communicate it. Some agents share everything, including all rejection letters, some check in at periodic intervals and just share a summary. Some agents get back to you in 24 hours, some take a month or two. And some give their clients discretion over what they see. Try to suss out their style and make sure it works for you.
• Is there an author/agency agreement? Most agents (though not all) have author/agency agreements that you’ll need to sign in order to become a client. Make sure that you understand and are comfortable with everything in the author/agency agreement and that there’s a reasonable termination clause if things don’t work out. Note that most agents will have the right to receive commission for deals they initiated even if you then part ways (so you can’t get a deal and then just bounce on them to avoid the commission). PLEASE NOTE: I’m not an attorney and don’t construe this as legal advice. Consult a publishing attorney if you have any questions.
• What’s the normal time-frame for remitting advances and royalty payments? The author/agency agreement (as well as your eventual agreement with a publisher) will likely have a provision that will direct the publisher to pay the agency, who will then subtract your commission and pay you the balance. Find out how long this turnaround usually takes.
• What incidental charges will you be responsible for? As you should know by now, agents shouldn’t charge you anything up front (they get paid when you get paid). The exception is that they may recoup incidental charges (like copying and things like that). Make sure you know what these charges are and that you’re comfortable with them.
• Are they interested in you for just this book or for others as well? How will that work?  This isn’t necessarily the time to pitch the agent on the seventeen manuscripts in your drawer, but you should understand whether the agent is interested in more projects from you no matter what happens with this particular book. They may well want to focus on this first one and see what happens, but find out how and when they want to discuss future book projects.
• Do they plan to only submit to the major publishers or will they submit until the bitter end? I’m a little hyperbolic with that last part, but this is really important. Bear in mind that an agent receives a 15% commission on any advance, and small presses may well only offer in the low $1,000s of dollars. Multiply $1,500 x 15%, calculate the hours involved in submitting a project for the agent, and you’ll see they’re lucky to crack minimum wage. Some agents are still willing to go to small presses in the hopes of building up an author over the long haul, others may want to stop at the majors. Make sure you’re satisfied with the agent’s approach.
• How does the agency handle subsidiary rights like audio and film?  Some agents have in-house departments to handle film rights, some will work with other outside agents. But make sure you understand how it works.
• Does the manuscript need any changes or are you good to go?  Some agents are hands-on and will work with an author on revisions, others only take on projects they think are ready to go. Don’t be alarmed at either answer, but if they do want changes, make sure they’re consistent with your vision for the book.
• Can you talk to some of their other clients? Bear in mind that almost by definition, these authors are likely to be happy with their agent and/or will be unwilling to speak ill of them. So don’t look to these conversations to help you with an overall verdict, but you can try to suss out or double-check some of the things that are important to you, like communication style. When I was an agent I hesitated to facilitate these calls–not because I had anything to hide, but because I didn’t want to put my clients in the position of taking time out of their day to speak on my behalf. So if an agent declines, it’s not necessarily a sign they’re disreputable. Approaches here just differ.
• Anything else that is important to you . Seriously. Now’s the time.

Go with your gut

Try to be as calm as possible for this conversation, be honest and transparent with everyone throughout the process, listen to what the agent (or agents) have to say, and the answer will become clear.

And then you’ll have that advocate who believes in your work.

For a more lighthearted take on this step, check out The Publishing Process in GIF Form!

Need help with your book? I’m available for manuscript edits, query critiques, and coaching ! For my best advice, check out my online classes , my guide to writing a novel and my guide to publishing a book . And if you like this post: subscribe to my newsletter !

Art: Detail of A Lady Reading a Letter by Gerard ter Borch

Reader Interactions

April 10, 2018 at 3:38 pm

A challenge heartily to be desired! Thanks for this informative view from both sides of the fence, Nathan.

April 20, 2018 at 2:58 pm

I found your article very interesting. I am wondering (since I write mostly nonfiction for the Christian market), if the points in the article would apply to nonfiction? Would there be any points that need to be added? Thanks! Janis

April 20, 2018 at 3:11 pm

I can’t think of anything that would be different.

April 20, 2018 at 7:20 pm

What do you mean by going to small pressed to “build up the agent over the long haul”? Can you please flesh this out? Thank you! Great article!

April 20, 2018 at 8:03 pm

correction: I meant to flesh out “build up the author”…

April 20, 2018 at 10:09 pm

Small presses can potentially be a great avenue for authors to find their niche and some go on to be nominated for awards and things like that and build their audiences through time. A literary agent in it for the long haul could see a small press deal as an investment that could reap dividends down the line as an author’s career builds (or they might just be happy to try to do right by the author even if it’s not totally lucrative).

April 22, 2018 at 8:13 am

Thank you for this. I was worried small presses wouldn’t have the oompf in getting the book out on the market in the ways a larger press would. But, shall I understand that small presses have the same influence in getting the book to independent bookstore, chain book stores, and online retailers in the same way as large presses?

April 22, 2018 at 9:07 am

I definitely wouldn’t necessarily say “the same” influence, and it varies a lot from publisher to publisher. But there are definitely small presses who have strong relationships and reputations with bookstores and can give an author a lift. There are other small presses who don’t do that much more for an author than they’d be able to do on their own. It really depends.

April 29, 2018 at 4:15 pm

Thank you for sharing your inside info, Nathan. This is really helpful. I so agree that the right agent is important. The same applies to a publisher. Maybe that’s another blog! Warm blessings.

January 29, 2019 at 9:25 pm

When an offer of representation is made, do you recommend sending a courtesy email to only queried agents who have requested additional materials (partial/full) or also to those who have recently (in the last 4 weeks) been queried but have yet to reply? Thank you in advance!

January 30, 2019 at 11:56 am

I think I address this in the post?

January 30, 2019 at 12:52 pm

HA, you sure did. Sorry! Hadn’t had my coffee yet. Great post 🙂

February 4, 2019 at 4:03 pm

When updating agents about another’s request for a full MS, do you need to name the requesting agent or not? Just wonder how they know you do have a legitimate request for full MS otherwise… Thanks!

February 4, 2019 at 8:34 pm

I’m a bit confused by the question because I don’t recommend updating other agents on a request for a full manuscript?

February 5, 2019 at 4:17 am

Hi Nathan. Some UK agents state on their website to update them with “any interest or offers of representation” and I just wondered what the etiquette was about naming other agents. Thanks.

February 6, 2019 at 5:11 pm

I think it’s customary to update when there’s an offer of representation, but not that there’s been another manuscript request.

In terms of telling them who the other agent is, it’s up to you. I don’t know that I’d proactively offer them the information, but it’s okay to tell them if they ask.

May 12, 2019 at 10:51 am

Are you a literary agent yourself Nathan? If a book was rejected in the past by publishers but has been completely re written since does it have a chance to be published through an agent and must we inform the agent that it has been rejected in the past?

November 14, 2021 at 1:26 am

Hi Nathan – I found everything you’ve written very interesting and helpful, but I do have one question. I’ve noticed there are some agents who request or state that they’re not interested in books or authors who have sent queries to numerous agents, and who want to be given a certain period of time for exclusivity on the opportunity to represent you. This seems pretty limiting, and not very realistic for new authors who are looking to find a good agent and get their work published. Should an author really sit back for at least a month until they receive a response from this agent, (or no response at all) they have sent a query letter to? That doesn’t seem like a wise choice for a new author, or a fair request from an agent. What do you think? Thanks for you info and help! Linda

November 14, 2021 at 12:37 pm

I cover that in this post: https://nathanbransford.com/blog/2008/08/exclusives-and-literary-agents

Requesting an exclusive at the query stage is really odd and I probably wouldn’t go with any agent who has that requirement. It’s a bit more common at the manuscript request stage, but you’re within your rights to say no. The only time I personally think it’s really warranted is if the agent is working with you on a revision and investing time in your work. But otherwise, I think it’s poor practice on the part of the agents.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

• Editing Services
• Blog Directory
• Privacy Policy

Get a free course on writing and selling the book of your dreams.

• Daily (3-5 posts per week)
• Weekly on Fridays

Subscribe to the newsletter for free classes on writing craft, industry tips, and more.

Sign up for the newsletter for tips on advanced writing craft, querying, marketing, and more.

• Submissions

When An Agent Offers to Rep You

It was a question of both professional etiquette and wise decision-making.

I advised her to send a brief email to the other agents, politely reminding them that she’d sent them XYZ Proposal. Then say something like, “I wanted to let you know that I’ve received an offer of representation from a literary agent. Would you like a chance to respond to my proposal before I finalize the arrangement with the other agent?” This should solicit a response from the others fairly quickly. They’ll probably either say, “Hold it! I’d like a chance to discuss this with you!” Or they’ll give their blessing for her to accept the offer she has, and wish her the best.

Fairness and common courtesy can help you make the right move in almost any situation. When in doubt, err on the side of the most respectful thing to do.

Eventually you’ll make a decision, and then you should follow up with the agents whom you didn’t choose to work with. Send an email, thanking them for their consideration and letting them know your project is no longer available, and that you’ve accepted an offer. Usually there’s no point in being evasive about it—feel free to let people know exactly which agent you’ve chosen, or which publisher.

Think of it this way: In any situation in which you’re not sure of protocol, be polite, treat people with respect, and avoid making enemies. Mind your manners, just like your mama always told you.

The author I told you about? She let the other agents know she had an offer. As I suspected would happen, she received another offer for representation, so she had to make a choice. She ended up making a fantastic decision, and we’ve been partners and friends ever since.

Do you have any questions about what to do when you receive an offer of representation? If you already have an agent, how did you respond when you got that call?

Rachelle Gardner

58 comments.

[…]  When An Agent Offers To Rep You […]

As soon as I at first left a comment I clicked the Notify me whenever new comments are added checkbox and currently every time a remark is added I get 4 emails with the same comment.

Another very entertaining post. Ive been reading through some of your posts and finally decided to drop a comment on this one. Please feel free to visit my site colon cleanse tablets

I just want to tell you that I’m very new to blogging and site-building and truly loved you’re web blog. Likely I’m likely to bookmark your blog post . You surely have very good stories. Thanks a lot for sharing your blog site.

Visitor recommendations…

[…]one of our visitors recently recommended the following website[…]……

Undeniably believe that which you stated. Your favorite reason seemed to be on the internet the easiest thing to be aware of. I say to you, I certainly get annoyed while people consider worries that they just do not know about. You managed to hit the nail upon the top as well as defined out the whole thing without having side effect , people can take a signal. Will probably be back to get more. Thanks

Thank you for always being straight-forward and real in your posts, Rachelle. Your posts are very encouraging and great reality checks.

Rachelle, I agree with you and think it is a wonderful suggestion on how to encourage the additional potential agents to respond, but how long is it acceptable to make the original agent that did make the offer wait?

Dan Koepke – Author WATDOT:List of Twenty

I signed a contract with an agent to rep me. Usually, how long must a writer wait before following up? Two months, six months? What’s a reasonable amount of time?

Coach Theresa

I have a question: supposing Author Sally has written a really good book. She’s learned from her past mistakes, spent years practicing her craft, and waited until the book’s really polished…

So then she happens to bump into well-known Agent Fred (a good agent with a proven track record) at a networking event and tells him about the book. Fred requests a full, and two days later offers representation.

Sally’s really tempted by Fred’s offer, but she just knows in her gut that she’s written a winner and feels that other agents would also be interested. She doesn’t want to just jump at the first offer (even though she’s waited years for the moment).

My question: how long could she reasonably expect Fred to wait? Should she commit to getting back to him by a certain deadline?

For all you authors just starting out, it’s a wise idea to try to be published first in a literary magazine. I found a really good one the other day, http://www.raglitmag.com .

Good luck future published authors!

I’ve been querying agents for a bit now and have had some positive rejections but am still waiting for the call…lol. I think when I finally do get the call, I’ll look just like the picture you have posted at the beginning of the blog and I’ll forget all the wonderful suggestions you’ve posted here. I’ll just be thrilled if I can talk 🙂

This happened to me and I jumped at the first offer. I knew if the agent loved my story half as much as I did she was a winner. In fact, my A Marked Past book trailer came out today. Take a peek and see if you love it 🙂 http://vimeo.com/28443440

I remember meeting my agent at the ACFW conference (which I unfortunately won’t be attending this year) in Denver. We agreed to work together and he sent a contract for me to read and sign. It’s amazing how that piece of paper felt like standing in front of a church vowing “to have and to hold…” You’ve shared about proper etiquette and being professional but I’m curious as to how weighted the decision seems from the agent’s perspective. For a new author, choosing an agent appears oh-my-goodness-what-should-I-do daunting (as your other readers suggest in their posts).

E Anderson Consulting, Yorkshire, are a leading UK based company that specialises in Bid Writing for some of the major organisations in the world.

This is great advice. I actually didn’t follow it when you offered me representation. I had my book out with two other agents who were interested, but once I talked to you, I felt like we “clicked” so I wrote an email to the other agents and told them thank you, but I had already found representation. Why give them a chance if you’re not going to take them up on their offer should they offer?

Writing stops being a hobby, regardless of our motivation, and becomes a business venture when we mail or email our first query letter. Anything after that point should be treated as business with proper respect and etiquette. Period. This refers to all parties involved, agents and writers. Only through mutual respect and courtesy we can build honest and real working relationships with each other as business partners and clients.

Unpublished writers of today are the new authors of tomorrow that will flood the book market with their stories, one way or another.

Hi Rachelle, This is a fabulous post that is really helpful to authors seeking representation. I have a question about agenting that I was hoping you could answer. A friend of mine has an agent interested in her first novel, but the agent has not made an offer of representation. Instead she has asked my friend to hire a book editor (done), beef up her blog and platform (done), and finally get blurbs from famous authors (on an unpublished manuscript, but this is done now too). Today the agent said she has interest from two big name editors and will hopefully hear back by the end of the week. This seems really unsual to me, but I don’t want to squash my friend’s dream. Don’t most agents offer representation BEFORE going to publishing houses? My friend is too intimidated by the agent to ask these questions. I’ve been following you for a while, and you offer such fabulous advice to authors, so I thought maybe you could comment on whether this is some kind of new norm in the agent world. To top it off, the agent asked my friend to keep track of the names of editors she’s submitting. Maybe I’m missing something here, but isn’t that the agent’s job?

Interesting comments about courtesy to agents especially on the heels of the “No response Blog” and all of it’s controversy.

I am a writer currently looking for representation and I,of course,want to be courteous to anyone who would take a second to look over my query. I am also a person who is putting my heart and soul out there with that query and would appreciate a little courtesy also.

Should I appreciate the fact that, the few seconds it would take to send a’no thank you’ to someone else, might mean you could spend more time on me. That is exactly who I try not to be.

I was raised to believe there is no excuse for bad behavior. I try not to exhibit any.I pray none is inflicted on me.

Wow, great notes here, Rachelle. When in doubt, treat others with respect – is a great rule for life in general 🙂

I suppose dancing up and down in front of a possible agent wouldn’t be the best thing to do either. I guess I’ll have to take Kathryn’s hint on that and wait until I’m in a somewhat private place to openly celebrate, especially with the discoordinated way I dance 🙂

I would be polite, professional and request a reasonable amount of time to discuss my options with both my husband (sounding board) and the agents involved. Then I would hang up, scream and quite possibly, faint.

What a great, positive position to be in, first of all! So true that in any business or personal interaction in life, it’s always best to proceed respectfully and honestly. Golden rule always applies. 🙂

Rachelle, good topic. I appreciate how kind and helpful you were with advice to this author. That sort of moment is fraught with so much confusion.

Professional etiquette rules always apply. The important thing, as a writer or author, is to be professional.

I like your thought: “In any situation in which you’re not sure of protocol, be polite, treat people with respect, and avoid making enemies.”

Sia McKye’s Thoughts…OVER COFFEE

I received the call and got in on a small agency. I thought it was the bomb, but even after doing searches and talking to other clients in the agency small things began leaking out. Agent holding a completed manuscript for months after telling the client it had been sent, gossip about clients to clients, no record keeping. Thank heavens for RWA booklet on how to divorce. Again you are so right about minding manners. Sometimes,even with all the right steps it goes wrong. Great article. Thank you for posting so we can see what a real agent does.

Equity. Honesty. Courtesy…..and smart business. Great advice! Thanks!

I think she was a little too concerned with the other agent’s feelings. Who cares? They don’t care. If their slush piles are anything like they describe, how would they ever remember you? If you came to me Rachelle and said you wanted to represent me, I’d say YES. After being treated harshly by snarky agents who don’t even bother to tell you one way or another, if someone like you with your honorable integrity was interested in my novel there would be no hesitation what so ever.

Well put, Joan. I wholeheartedly agree. Unfortunately, I don’t think Rachelle represents the genre I am writing, but I am confident I will find an agent just as great as Rachelle. 😉 <3

What is an appropriate amount of time to ask an agent to wait before I accept an offer of representation? I’m assuming when I get that call I will at least have queries (if not partials and fulls) with other agents whom I would I like to contact and let know.

I want to be fair to the agent offering representation, who I presume would be chomping at the bit to get working on prepping the ms for submission. But I also want to be fair to those other busy agents who might want to read my ms.

Thanks for taking our questions, Rachelle!

I didn’t have that particularly wonderful kind of problem — that said, you were always my number one agent choice, so I consider it nothing short of a miracle that it happened!

As for the call, I was a complete rambling wreck. I had to quickly put my kids in front of a Scooby Doo movie and threaten them not to interrupte me unless there was blood (great quantities) involved. I forgot to grab your list of questions to ask an agent when I sequestered myself in the basement, and I was sweating even though it was February! I do remember laughing a lot during our conversation, though, and it felt so natural to talk to you — you put me right at ease, and I thank you for that!

Wouldn’t that be a wonderful problem to have! 😉 And I know several dear friends who are now your clients, so this kind of post just gets me so excited. 😀

What fabulous advice! I hope to find myself in this situation some day, and when I do I want to be prepared to make it the best moment I can. I have no doubt that I’ll be like Wendy (and others I’m sure) who just lets the excitement bubble over. As it should! Getting published is exciting for everyone involved, right? 🙂 Thank you so much for such fabulous posts!

I’ve always wondered about this, should I be in a place where the choice or conversation would need to happen. This was very helpful.

I think the only question I’d add for you to answer is – is there such a thing as too many questions for a potentail agent? I want to make sure he/she and I will be the perfect match but I don’t want to overload them with questions if it’s inappropriate.

Side note: I love your last little bit. I bet whomever it is your talking about wants to give you a big hug. I’m looking for an agent that always has my best interest at heart and was just as elated when I said yes to the offer 🙂

I hope someday to find myself in that position. When I do, I will remember your wise words. Hopefully it will be very soon! LOL

Congratulations to you both on your *fantastic* decisions. 🙂

Great post.

The email…I generally freaked out (in a good way), responding with an overwhelming yes. I had no doubt. And I’d been extremely selective, querying very few agents. After I read the email I remember phoning loved ones and something vague about corralling my children inside because they were screaming their mom got an agent and the wee one was in the buff. 😀 The call to follow…pure craziness. Without power after a hurricane. Two cell phones with few bars. Had my notes outside because that was the only place either phone would work at all. But as had been the case in the past, I loved connecting with my new agent. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again…you rock! ~ Wendy

Oh my goodness! This sounds just like our house…but without the the agent calling. Good to see that there are mom’s of wonderful rowdy little ones that get some writing done too. I have 3 boys ages 3,5, and 7 and they are great. May God bless you today and may some of those blessing not involve a household pet and peanutbutter.

I’m ready to have that kind of decision to make! Thanks for the advice on what to do when the situation occurs (positive thinking)!!!

When I received an offer of rep, I notified the other agents who had, not only my MS, but my query as well. I’d read that most agents would prefer this. This resulted in an influx of requests for fulls, and ultimately 3 more offers of rep. To make things easier (on me, I guess), I gave everyone a deadline. I said, “I would appreciate your response by this date.” That way, if they didn’t respond, I would know it was a pass.

I did have one agent email after the date specified and asked if I’d made a decision yet, as she’d been on vacation (I had). But usually, giving a date will simplify things. Try to be courteous and do give enough time for agents to make an informed decision about your work, though.

Happy Monday!

I wanted to add one thing. I almost found out the hard way that when you email agents to tell them you have an offer you should email their direct email and not their query email. I sent my update about having an offer on the table to the same email as the query and the agent I ended up with didn’t see it until hours before I said i was going to make my decision. She said it would have been appropriate to send it to her direct email, and advisable because she might be weeks behind in ready her query email address.

But did these agents even give you their private e-mail? I mean if we don’t know how to contact them, are we obliged to do it anyway?

What you advise makes perfect sense, Rachelle.

But I have another question (a bit off subject). What do you do when you don’t hear back and assume that it’s that it’s a pass?

Is it time to politely thank the person for considering it? Or just let it go?

When you made the call to me, I did have my stuff out to one other agent, who I greatly admire and respect. However, the more I thought about it, the more I knew that I wanted YOU as my agent, even if this other agent offered me representation.

I remember my husband asking: If this other agent offered to rep you, what would you do?

And without even blinking, I said: Accept Rachelle’s offer.

So instead of asking this other agent if she’d like to look at my stuff b/c I had an offer, I sent her an email thanking her for taking my stuff, but I received an offer from an agent I met and clicked with and am going to accept this offer. She replied back with a very gracious (and funny!) email congratulating me and telling me I won’t regret it – “Rachelle is great.” 🙂

>err on the side of the most respectful thing to do.

>be polite, treat people with respect, and avoid making enemies.

Great advice for pretty much every situation.

….still waiting….lol

Rachelle, what a timely post. I can’t thank you enough for this sage advice. I’m taking this to heart as I continue this journey as a Christian Author and Speaker. WOW. Sometimes it all gets so overwhelming. It is good to have someone come aside and offer guidance. Blessings.

I would not have felt comfortable about querying lots of different agents at once. I carefully chose the one who seemed most appropriate by looking at client lists, and sent my query just to her.

Nice post! I’m sending this to writer Habib R. Sulemani who wrote a novel, The Terrorland, tracing the roots of global terrorism in the backdrop of the terror attack on the United States. Unfortunately, the manuscript was stolen before publication by the secret agencies—which declared it against the “national interest” of Pakistan… thus the writer become a victim of the ‘typical’ wrath of the almighty military establishment. They are trying to stop its publication in the country. The writer after three attacks on his life is living in solitary confinement for over 17 months.

Actually I do have a related question, and it might have an obvious answer, but I wanted to make sure:

When one agent requested a partial from me, she also asked that I notify her if another agent requests a partial. I sent off the partial, and at the time I didn’t have anyone else interested in my work. But if someone were to request, would I have to notify the first agent of the name of the second agent, or the literary agency? What’s the etiquette there?

Same goes for offers of rep, I suppose. If someone were to offer a writer representation, should that writer let the other agents who have material from him/her who precisely the agent in question is?

I’m sorry if this is a silly question; my gut tells me the writer should always keep it anonymous, but I truly don’t know the answer to this question.

Thanks in advance! 🙂

Rachelle, are offers for representation “gentleman’s agreements” (pardon the antiquated term) or do they result in actual signed contracts with clearly defined language and terms? I imagine it would be difficult to rescind a thank you notice your manuscript is no longer available to others, and I’m predisposed to want something of this magnitude in writing before relying on it. Is that unrealistic with regards to agent representation?

Man, talk about a dream come true! Ahhh, if only… *big sigh*

When I sent out my ms (that I ended up deciding was not “finished and polished) more than a year ago, I heard back from less than half of them so this may not be right or proper, but if so many do not respond to me, the writer, why should I give the agent a 2nd chance? I mean this IS a question, but I guess it is a rhetorical one. As they say “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.” I think I would want to go with the agent who read my ms WITHOUT my having to say “Hey, someone else wants me. Do you still want a chance.” Am I so totally unethical?

I, too, sent out my ms before it was really ready to agents who requested it. It is ready now. And now I have new opportunities.

The 4 agents who read the less-than-fully-polished version were polite in that they all responded, even though it was a rejection. I only hope the few who have my super-polished version act in kind.

I really hope I wind up in a position to use this advice some day..! As it stands, my novel isn’t quite dolled up to the point where I’m ready to send it out. Soon!

I do have a question in a similar vein, though. It might sound silly, so I apologize in advance.

I am currently seeking representation for a picture book (as an author, not an author/illustrator). I know the demand for picture book texts is not high at the moment, so I’m not expecting much of a response.

But if I DO land a representation deal, will I be expected to stick with that agent when my YA novel is ready? Is it considered uncouth to query other people with a different style of project when someone else has helped you into the publishing world?

Again, sorry if this sounds silly–I know I’m not supposed to count my chickens before they hatch, but I would like to have a properly sized coop ready all the same. I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes because I’m going in blind.

Thank you in advance!

I am in a similar situation in that I write for different genres. I have two self-published children’s picture books and am currently seeking representation for a few others through traditional means of publication.

I also write Women’s Christian Non-fiction and recently obtained representation for my WIP (woot-woot!). Even though I have representation, my agent does not represent picture books and so I am still seeking an agent for those. It just depends what your soon-to-be-agent chooses to represent and what he/she does not. Make sense?

Just thought I would throw in my .02 cents.

Blessings, Jenny

I would say stick to Rachelle’s premis and do the most decent thing. From conversations I have had (sadly not first hand experience) what you are asking will depend on a number of things, not least of which what arrangement you first agree to with your agent. Common sense says that you offer anything to your own agent first. It will be up to him or her to say if they want to represent you in respect to it. The tricky bit will come if there is any clause in your agreement that says your agreement with your agent is exclusive – but I would not expect any agent who did not wish to represent you on a project elsewhere blocking you from offering it to another agent or publisher – or for staying your agent very long if they did 🙂

I think for me I would have a hard time remembering your wise words on what questions I should ask the agent. I have been searching agents since I started twitter and I have no idea how I would choose one over another aside from genera. I used a self publisher for my first book which just came out. I have started my second book in the series which is SiFi Fantasy and I would like to find an agent for that book. How do you choose?

Your Path to Publishing

• Self-Publishing
• A Writer’s Life

Popular Posts

How to Write a Terrific Author Bio

How to Get Published

How to Find an Agent

How To Write A Query Letter

How To Write a Book Proposal

How To Title Your Book

Literary representation: by the numbers

In a recent Book Broker interview, literary agent Harvey Klinger told us that he receives hundreds of queries annually. "I lost count years ago," he said. Of those, he requests a full manuscript from 10-15% percent. If "hundreds" can be taken to mean at least 200, that's around 30 full requests per year, but likely more. Of those full requests, he will go on to offer representation to 10-12. 

These acceptance rates aren't unusual. In fact, they are more forgiving than most agents we've asked about this. But take this to mean that in order to catch an agent's attention, your manuscript must at least be better than 85% of what's in circulation. And in order to land representation, you need to be in the top 6%. In fact, with most agents, your manuscript must stand out in the top 1%.

We've recently included this question in our literary agent interviews :

Approximately how many query letters do you receive per year? Of those, how many will you respond to with a request for a full manuscript? And of those, how many are likely to receive an offer of representation?

Here are some of the responses we've received:

As an agency, we receive about 200-400 submissions a month. Of those, we only take on a few a year. This is the same for most agencies but we have a dedicated reader who looks at every single submission we receive and recommends them to agents. — Carrie Plitt

At an average of 300 per month, that's about 3,000 annually, and with only a few taken on per year (let's assume four), that's an acceptance rate of less than 1%.

On average, I receive about three to five queries a day so… out of the approximately 1500, I probably request 1-2%. And of those… maybe a handful. — Karly Caserza

Again, this is an acceptance rate of less than 1%.

Our agency receives hundreds of query letters a year.  I ask to read about 50% of them and of that percentage I might reach out to three or four people to ask them to come with us. — Jane Dystel

This works out to about the same number of queries as Harvey Klinger said he receives annually. However, Jane Dystel requests more widely, yet offers representation to fewer than half as many.

It's interesting to see how some agencies receive a lot more queries and so they can afford to be pickier, but most seem to take on only a "handful" or so new clients each year. 

As an agency we receive several thousand submissions per year. I already work with a fair number of authors, so I have occasional periods when I am closed to queries. I probably request about 20-40 manuscripts per year and take on about two or three new clients annually.  — Sarah Davies

I’m rounding the numbers here, but I get about 5,000 queries a year. I might respond to fifty or so with a request for a full, and of those, I may offer on ten. — Carlisle K. Webber

In conclusion, though it's doubtful many querying writers are under the impression that this is an easy road, the point is still worth underlining: it's not easy. Many authors who finally succeed in landing an agent have a number of "practice manuscripts" under their belt, either left by the roadside or returned to the back-burner. 

It's critical to keep honing your craft, keep reading, and keep writing. There is no way around it: success as a novelist comes only after a tremendous amount of dedication and hard work.

David Griffin Brown is an award-winning short fiction writer and co-author of Immersion and Emotion: The Two Pillars of Storytelling . He holds a BA in anthropology from UVic and an MFA in creative writing from UBC, and his writing has been published in literary magazines such as the Malahat Review and Grain. In 2022, he was the recipient of a New Artist grant from the Canada Council for the Arts. David founded Darling Axe Editing in 2018, and as part of his Book Broker interview series, he has compiled querying advice from over 100 literary agents. He  lives in Victoria, Canada, on the traditional territory of the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations.

• Share Share on Facebook
• Tweet Tweet on Twitter
• Pin it Pin on Pinterest

About the Darling Axe

Our editors are industry professionals and award-winning writers. We offer narrative development, editing, and coaching for every stage of your manuscript's journey to publication.

Related Posts

Rainforest Writing Retreat

Story Skeleton—The Picture of Dorian Gray

Story Skeleton—The Scarlet Letter

Leave a comment.

Thanks! Your comment has been submitted for approval. Please be patient while we weed out the spam ♥

• All Editing
• Manuscript Assessment
• Developmental editing: use our editors to perfect your book
• Copy Editing
• Agent Submission Pack: perfect your query letter & synopsis
• Our Editors
• All Courses
• Ultimate Novel Writing Course
• Simply Self-Publish: The Ultimate Self-Pub Course for Indies
• Self-Edit Your Novel: Edit Your Own Manuscript
• Jumpstart Your Novel: How To Start Writing A Book
• Creativity For Writers: How To Find Inspiration
• Edit Your Novel the Professional Way
• All Mentoring
• Agent One-to-Ones
• London Festival of Writing
• Pitch Jericho Competition
• Online Events
• Getting Published Month
• Build Your Book Month
• Meet the Team
• Work with us
• Success Stories
• Novel writing
• Publishing industry
• Self-publishing
• Success stories
• Writing Tips
• Featured Posts
• Get started for free
• About Membership
• Upcoming Events
• Video Courses

Literary Agent Etiquette: What You Need To Know

By Harry Bingham

Good News From An Agent

Some time ago, a writer called Chloe wrote this to me:

I had two full manuscript requests for my novel this week (I gave it to both agents non-exclusively). One of the agents has now offered to represent me. I plan to tell him that I’d love to meet up and discuss it, etc., etc. I also plan to tell the other agency that I’ve had this offer (I think it’s polite and professional – is that right?). I’ve been trawling around trying to find out what agents expect in this situation and the etiquette. I don’t want to offend the agent that’s made an offer by looking like I’m holding out for another one, but I also want to make sure I’m with the right agent.

Anyway, the bit of etiquette I can’t find an answer to is whether I should tell the three other agents I’ve submitted my partial to, or not. At the moment, presumably, my MS is sitting on their slush piles. Should I tell them that I’ve got an offer? Should I just tell them if/when I sign to an agency? They may well not be interested – I’ve had one other rejection already – but I want to be polite and do things “properly”.

(By the way, my first attempt at novel writing was critiqued by you and, although I didn’t find an agent for that, I learned so much from the  critique … Thanks very much!)

First off, congratulations to Chloe. Woo-hoo for her, and I’m delighted that we played an important role in the early part of her journey. Seeing someone make this huge leap from unrepresented to represented (or published) writer is always the most thrilling aspect of what we do.

But what about this question of etiquette? What do you say to agents if you’re in Chloe’s fortunate position?

It’s Not Tea, It’s Business

Let’s start by dropping the idea that etiquette has anything to do with it. You’re not going to tea at the Ritz; you are about to enter one of the most important business transactions of your life. Naturally, because you’re a good sort of person, you will behave truthfully, courteously and professionally at all times — but you will also look after your own interests with fierce single-mindedness. This is your career, and it matters!

So of  course  you want to do what you can to maximise the chances of securing multiple offers of representation. That way, you can meet the various different literary agents and see who you feel most comfortable with. It’s like getting quotes from different builders – the only difference being that this relationship will likely last longer, have more influence on your career, and (you hope) be of greater financial significance.

Suggestions For How To Respond

I’d suggest that you try this.

With the agent who has your full manuscript, you drop a note saying something like this: “I’ve had an offer of representation elsewhere, but I don’t want to say yes or no to that offer until I’ve heard whether or not you might have an interest in this MS. If you do, I’d love to talk to you. Is there any chance that you might be able to read the manuscript within the week and let me know your thoughts? If that was feasible for you, it would be wonderful for me.”

An email along those lines is truthful, polite, a tad flattering – and it will serve your interests very well. In the meantime, it’s best simply to tell the agent who has made you the offer that you’d love to come in and see him but, gee, the next few days look difficult, is there any chance of coming by a week from Thursday…? Agents are much more used to competing for authors than you might think — so while no agent  wants  the competition, they’re unlikely to be offended.

What About Agents With Partials?

Then there’s also the question of what to do with those literary agents who have partial manuscripts, but not full ones. I would definitely try to loop those guys into your ring too. I would simply send an email – with the full manuscript attached – saying: “I’ve had an offer of representation, but don’t want to commit to it until I’ve heard back from you. I know that you may have a lot on your reading list, but if there was any chance of moving this manuscript up that list, I’d be delighted.”

That might sound pushy to you, but really, an email of that sort is welcome to most agents. After all, at the moment, they’ve got 100 manuscripts in the slushpile at their elbow. They know that they might have a real decision to make about 1, maybe 2, manuscripts in that pile at most. By sending the email I suggest, you essentially save a mountain of work for them, by alerting them to precisely the manuscript that is likely to be of most interest to them.

And when you do accept that sweet offer of representation from an agent, be sure to write to everybody and let them know that you’ve accepted representation elsewhere!

You don’t need me to remind you that tastes differ, and the market is hard. What boils one person’s kettle may leave another’s stony cold. But the fact that things are difficult and unpredictable only means that you should look after your interests as carefully as you can. These things matter and are for the long term. I’ve had at least eight editors in my life as a writer, not to mention numerous publishers and more publicists than I can shake a manicured fingernail at. But I’ve only had two literary agents, and I’d be quite surprised if I don’t stay with my current one until one or the other of us retires.

Best of luck, Chloe!

If you’re also searching for agents,  this may help , as may  this .

Happy writing!

Feedback from literary agents

Ready to meet your dream agent?

Receive one-to-one feedback from a literary agent on your query letter, synopsis and first 5000 words, and learn how you can make your submission pack shine.

About the author

Harry has written a variety of books over the years, notching up multiple six-figure deals and relationships with each of the world’s three largest trade publishers. His work has been critically acclaimed across the globe, has been adapted for TV, and is currently the subject of a major new screen deal. He’s also written non-fiction, short stories, and has worked as ghost/editor on a number of exciting projects. Harry also self-publishes some of his work, and loves doing so. His Fiona Griffiths series in particular has done really well in the US, where it’s been self-published since 2015. View his website , his Amazon profile , his Twitter . He's been reviewed in Kirkus, the Boston Globe , USA Today , The Seattle Times , The Washington Post , Library Journal , Publishers Weekly , CulturMag (Germany), Frankfurter Allgemeine , The Daily Mail , The Sunday Times , The Daily Telegraph , The Guardian , and many other places besides. His work has appeared on TV, via Bonafide . And go take a look at what he thinks about Blick Rothenberg . You might also want to watch our " Blick Rothenberg - The Truth " video, if you want to know how badly an accountancy firm can behave.

Most popular posts in...

Advice on getting an agent.

• How to get a literary agent
• Literary Agent Fees
• How To Meet Literary Agents
• Tips To Find A Literary Agent
• Literary agent etiquette
• UK Literary Agents
• US Literary Agents

Help with getting published

• How to get a book published
• How long does it take to sell a book?
• Tips to meet publishers
• What authors really think of publishers
• Getting the book deal you really want
• 7 Years to Publication

Get to know us for free

• Join our bustling online writing community
• Make writing friends and find beta readers
• Take part in exclusive community events
• Get our super useful newsletters with the latest writing and publishing insights

Or select from our premium membership deals:

Premium annual – most popular.

per month, minimum 12-month term

Or pay up front, total cost £150

Premium Flex

Cancel anytime

Paid monthly

Privacy Overview

Helping Writers Become Authors

Write your best story. Change your life. Astound the world.

• Start Here!
• Story Structure Database
• Outlining Your Novel
• Story Structure
• Character Arcs
• Archetypal Characters
• Scene Structure
• Common Writing Mistakes
• Storytelling According to Marvel
• K.M. Weiland Site

When a Literary Agent Says Yes: Evaluating an Offer (or Offers!) of Representation

If it’s not a good match, you’ll have to break up—and that’s never an easy move. Parting with an agent stalls your career, and it also puts something of a mark on your record. When you leave that agent and seek different representation down the road, those other agents may wonder what exactly went wrong that caused you to leave Agent #1, fearing that perhaps you were a less-than-ideal client to work with.

So, whether you have one literary agent offer or several, you can be more certain of a good fit if you find out a lot about an agent’s skills, goals, and style by asking them specific questions when you speak on the phone. But if you’ve done your homework—researching each rep, looking at their sales, and reading online interviews—you already know plenty of info before you ever speak to them personally. So all questions below may not apply to you.

15 Questions to Ask a Literary Agent Before You Sign

1. how did you become an agent.

Learn about their background. You want an agent who has a history in the publishing business. Almost all agents start their careers as interns, agency associates, or editors. This gives them a necessary knowledge base for their job, as well as valuable industry contacts. Good agents do not become agents overnight.

2. What Books Have You Sold Recently?

By learning what they’ve sold, you learn what kind of titles they have the ability to sell in the future, as well as the breadth of their selling skill and depth of their contact list. Please note that if the agent is new and they have no sales, that is not a dealbreaker. New agents can bring valuable elements to the table, such as time and passion and hands-on editorial help.

3. Tell Me About Your Agency. How Many Agents Are There, and How Do You Work Together?

This will help illuminate whether your agent is part of a larger, powerful team that shares resources and contacts. This is one reason signing with a newer agent is not a bad thing—because she utilizes her co-workers for help and leads.

4. What Did You Like About My Book? What Attracted You to This Project/Story?

You’re looking for passion and enthusiasm from an agent. Indeed, it is the passion and enthusiasm that will keep your agent up late working for you to see your book come to life.

5. What Editors Do You See Us Submitting This Book To, and Have You Sold to Them Before?

If you fear the agent lacks proper contacts to move your work, ask this straight out. The question tests not only her plan for where to send the manuscript, but also her connections and clout. Do not expect her to reply with a comprehensive list. After all, this discussion is just the beginning of the beginning. You’re just looking for her to have some targets in mind.

6. If Those Target Editors Turn It Down, Will You Continue Submitting, or Would It Be Best for Me to Work on a New Project?

Some agents only aim to sell books in “larger” deals to sizable publishing houses and well-known editors. This might not be what you have in mind, so learn her strategy now. It’s an unfortunate situation when an agent fields a dozen rejections for a book and declares it “dead,” even though you protest that many more markets exist. Sometimes all you want is for the book to find a loving home and get released in the world, but your agent wants “a fantastic deal or nothing.” Resentment can build quickly if you’re not on the same page.

7. What Changes Do You Think the Manuscript Needs Before We Submit?

If the agent has grand thoughts on revising the work pre-submission, you need to know that before you sign with them. You don’t want to sign a contract and have them surprise you by suggesting you “cut 30 percent of the book.”

8. Are You an Editorial Agent?

Having an agent that offers editorial suggestions and gets their hands dirty in the editing process can be very important to some authors.

9. May I Contact Some of Your Current Clients?

Most agents will be happy to pass along a few names and e-mails. But if your agent happens to represent a famous New York Times bestselling author, don’t be surprised if you don’t get that phone number. Some agents are more reluctant to pass along names and info. They like to make each of their clients feel extremely special and important. If multiple writers considering the agent start calling that client, it reminds the client his is simply one of many authors in the agent’s stable.

10. What Can I Do to Help You Sell This Book and Secure the Best Deal Possible?

This is a great open-ended question for two different reasons. First, it immediately shows you’re a helpful, proactive writer who wants to be involved. If the agent had any doubts about you, those doubts may dissipate for the time being. Secondly, this question gives the agent an opportunity to honestly convey suggestions and thoughts concerning how you can truly make a difference moving forward. Perhaps she’ll say, “Start a website so editors know you’re a professional.” Or perhaps she’ll say, “I can probably sell the book as is, but if you can find a way to trim five thousand words, I’ll have an even better chance.” Listen to what your agent suggests and take her concerns seriously.

11. Take Me Through the Process of When You Submit to Editors. How Involved and Updated Will I Be?

This question allows your agent to be upfront concerning how many phone calls and spreadsheets you will get during the process. When you know what to expect, you will not feel like you’re being left out of conversations—or bogged down with information.

12. If, for Whatever Unforeseen Reason, You Were to Step Down as an Agent in the Future, Would I Be Passed to a Co-Agent?

The first thing an agent will say when asked this question is probably, “I have no intention of leaving, so this is not a concern.” But don’t give up; press her for an answer. You deserve to know if, in the event of any circumstances leading to the agent temporarily or permanently leaving her work (such as, God forbid, a major illness), you will have the safety net of being passed to a co-agent. If the agent works alone and has no co-agents, you can ask if she will refer you to agent-friends in the industry.

13. If You Switch Agencies, Would I Transfer With You?

If your agent is part of a larger agency, do not skip this question—because this area gets real tricky real fast. Agents switch agencies all the time. But the agent may have signed an employment contract that says, if she leaves, the clients stay with XYZ Literary. If you make a deep connection with an individual agent, it’s not an ideal situation to know you legally cannot stay with that agent should she find employment elsewhere.

14. Will You Represent Every Book I Write?

Just because an agent signs you does not mean she will be willing to send out everything you write. She has signed you based on the strength of the book you submitted, and the ideal scenario that everything you continue to write will also connect with her in some way—but that isn’t always the case.

An agent should be forthcoming with you if she doesn’t feel that your most recent material is marketable or appropriate for their editors, as it is her reputation at stake. From an agent’s point of view, it is very, very difficult to gain an editor’s trust—and an agent doesn’t want to lose such an important relationship simply because a client pushes them to submit something she doesn’t want to submit.

Ask an agent about how future books will be handled. Some agents, if they don’t connect with the book, will offer editorial notes on how to make it better. Other agents will simply “pass” on the work and invite you to send your next book when it’s complete. Obviously these two approaches are extremely different, so make sure you know what you’re getting into before you get into it. If you believe in a book that the agent does not, you have to know if the agent is okay with you sending it to publishers on your own.

15. How Much Do You Think I’ll Be Paid for the Book?

Most writers will not ask this question during this initial conversation, and I consider that a good  thing. I only include the question because some authors—most often nonfiction author-personalities and up-and-coming media figures—may want to know this upfront to see if the book will be worth their time.

That aside, it’s next to impossible for agents to speculate how much money a first book, especially a novel, will garner in an advance from the publisher. (Money estimates are easier to pinpoint when dealing with a sequel or second book, because the track record and payment for the first book can help paint a clearer picture.)

Here’s the danger and complication involved in asking this question: When my agent and I began to pitch our first nonfiction book together, I asked this question at some point, and the answer told to me was a medium amount. But then several key publishers passed on the work, and our target estimate suddenly dropped 40 percent. More publishers said no, and the estimate continued to drop like a rock again. We finally got one offer on the book, which we would eventually turn down. The amount? $1,000 and bad royalties. Needless to say, my agent’soriginal target estimate was that figure many, many times over. I learned a valuable lesson from that experience even though the book never got published: Have loose or no financial expectations going in, because you never know what the offer will be.

Asking an agent questions is a delicate process. Definitely do not skip any hard questions if you have pressing concerns or if the agent has a small track record. The agent is used to such inquiries and will respect you for politely asking them. At the same time, agents do not like to be pushed too hard too fast—as if a writer is forcing them to “prove their worth.” In other words, ask questions, but do not “grill” the agent or come off too pointed. Again, you should have already done plenty of homework and known this agent was a good fit for you.

Wordplayers, tell me your opinion! What would be your top question for a potential literary agent representing your work? Tell me in the comments!

Sign Up Today

Related Posts

Chuck Sambuchino ( @chucksambuchino ) of Writer's Digest Books edits the Guide to Literary Agents and the Children's, Writer's, and Illustrator's Market . His Guide to Literary Agents Blog is one of the largest blogs in publishing. His 2010 humor book How to Survive a Garden Gnome Attack was optioned by Sony Pictures. His latest humor book When Clowns Attack: A Survival Guide (Sept. 29, 2015) will protect people everywhere from malicious bozos and jokers who haunt our lives. His books have been mentioned in Reader’s Digest , USA Today , the New York Times , The Huffington Post , Variety , New York Magazine , and more.

Thanks so much for sharing with us today, Chuck!

I wouldn’t have any questions – let alone “top questions”. In the event that she accepts The Representative, the agent who’s currently assessing my work need have no concern whatsoever about questions being put to her.

Why? Because despite how supreme it is, The Representative’s an absolute pain in the arse..

I shouldn’t have had to persevere for 800 days, but I’m educated enough to recognise the validity of my having had to preserve for 800 days; the fiction I’ve created is its own reason for being discriminated against!

I explained all this to the agent. I explained to her that her reason for not wanting to represent The Representative is the “very reason” that there is no reason to not want to represent The Representative – The Representative is the only one of its kind.

I explained to her, that writing is writing, but that what deserves priority over that is the fact of my having preserved for so long! (And it has to, in my judgment – as important as it is, packaging shouldn’t be the only thing that’s acknowledged by the publishing industry)

The Representative is “history”.. Hence why I’m willing to break with pattern, and not place any requirements on any agent.

Good food for thought, not there yet, as first-time fiction writer. What about agents by genre? Are there specialists in areas of fiction such as mystery, fantasy, history, etc.?

Typically, agents represent a variety of genres – it’s more the minority who represent just this or that genre.

Try “Writer’s Digest”, or “Literary Rejections”.

“Literary Rejections”? Thank you for replying, but I’m not familiar with this reference. I’ll seek a web site, but looking for a potential agent in a place called ‘rejections’ seems to be an odd place to start seeking.

They’re an elegant site – the design of it makes one feel like they’ve left central reality.

Your responses, while very appreciated, raise further questions ..’left central reality”? Which one is that? The one we all pretend to ‘share’? I’ll definitely check it out. Always looking for new ways o leave my central reality!

I mean like Sabrina the Teenage witch, or Charmed etc.. The site’s colours made me think about those sorts of realities.

or, perhaps, psychedelics? Altered states?

WOW! This is something that I really need to check out, despite in my country we don’t have an agent to reach the publisher

The question that I will ask is “why did you choose my novel to represent?” I can handle all sorts of ways of working but it would be very important to know that my agent is passionate about my work, or less so maybe – passionate about its ability to do well in the marketplace. Thank you so much for this – very helpful.

Much if this research could/should have been done before you pitched the agent. It’s on the agency website. A few thoughts:

1. This should be on the website. 2. Ditto. 3. Ditto. Although, for the most part, each agent works his own accounts. Some agencies are big enough to have an editing specialist, a marketing specialist, a foreign rights specialist, and other staff who handle all client accounts. But this is rare; most agencies are 1-3 people and work out of their homes. 4. Reasonable. 5. You want names? I probably haven’t made that list yet. Don’t kill me if I can’t tell you a list spontaneously on the phone. 6. I don’t understand the question. If everyone says no, what’s left? 7. You will definitely know this before I offer a contract. 8. You shouldn’t expect this in advance. 9. This question always puzzles me. My clients are listed on my website, and their contact info is easy to find. Just call them! 10. This should be on your proposal. In any event, we will definitely have that discussion before I offer a contract. 11.Good. 12.This may be unknowable. Will my fellow agents want your business? They might already have more work than they can handle. 13. Some agency contracts forbid this, both for client and agent. But generally, we are both free to quit the agency and then re-connect elsewhere. 14. My contract says only that you must give me the first look. 15. Unknowable. If you insist on an answer, I will always lowball it.

[…] So, whether you have one literary agent offer or several, you can be more certain of a good fit if you find out a lot about an agent’s skills, goals, and style by …read more […]

[…] 15 Questions to Ask a Literary Agent Before You Sign By Chuck Sambuchino https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/when-a-literary-agent-says-yes-evaluating-an-offer-or-off&#8230 ; […]

[…] works, and she gives us a great list of questions to ask a potential agent. Chuck Sambuchino adds 15 questions to ask an agent before signing. Agent Danielle Burby of HSG Agency seeks YA, mystery, women’s fiction, and fantasy, so try […]

[…] When a Literary Agent Says Yes (K.M. Weiland) – Tucking this one away for future reference! […]

[…] Katie posted later in the week about ‘the call’ and the questions you want to ask when considering an offer of representation. […]

[…] When a Literary Agent Says Yes: Evaluating an Offer (or Offers!) of Representation, from Helping Writers Become Authors: I’ve read quite a bit about the sorts of questions you should ask an agent who’s interested in representing you, but this article had some that I hadn’t come across before. It’s definitely something to take a look at it if you’re getting ready to query. Excerpt: “The relationship needs to be a good fit to work well and last decades. Many writers and agents describe the partnership as a marriage, and you must make sure that you’re compatible in terms of goals and careers as well as each other’s strengths and weaknesses.” […]

[…] https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/when-a-literary-agent-says-yes-evaluating-an-offer-or-off…&nbsp ; […]

[…] Evaluating agents – by KM Weiland […]

[…] https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/when-a-literary-agent-says-yes-evaluating-an-offer-or-off&#8230 ; […]

[…] Questions to Ask an Offering Agent — Even if you aren’t expecting this call anytime soon (the call where an agent offers to represent you), it’s good to know where your head will be at. What questions do you ask that agent to get a sense if they are a good fit? […]

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

• Novel Outlining
• Storytelling Lessons From Marvel

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Write Your Best Book

Check out my latest novel!

( affiliate link )

Free E-Book

Subscribe to Blog Updates

Subscribe to blog posts rss, sign up for k.m. weiland’s e-letter and get a free e-book, love helping writers become authors.

Return to top of page

Copyright © 2016 · Helping Writers Become Authors · Built by Varick Design

Improve your writing in one of the largest and most successful writing groups online

Join our writing group!

What is a Literary Agent?

by Holly Riddle

If you have your sights set on a career in traditional publishing, then chances are, you’re going to need a literary agent.

Here’s everything you need to know about what a literary agent is, what makes a good agent, why you might or might not want one, and how you can start the process of finding the best literary agents for your career goals as a writer.

What is a literary agent?

A literary agent is someone who represents your book or books to traditional publishers, including all major publishing houses. A literary agent also helps you improve your work and opens doors to new publishing opportunities. Most publishers will not consider your work for publication without a trusted agent acting as the intermediary, which means an agent is necessary for many authors.

A literary agent will usually have a background in business, traditional publishing, or law, as a good portion of their job revolves around ensuring that you receive a fair contract from the publisher when selling your work. Regardless of their background, though, they have a passion for literature, bringing books to the market that they love, and helping authors grow their careers.

Many literary agents start out in assistant roles at an established literary agency (or at multiple literary agencies), where they can learn from senior literary agents who’ve been in the business for years, if not decades.

From there, legitimate agents will work their way up throughout the business and publishing world, at which point they might land a senior role at an established agency or branch off to create a new agency of their own.

What does a literary agent do?

A literary agent’s job is extremely varied. They perform many roles during every step of the traditional publishing process. An agent’s typical responsibilities include guiding the author through their publishing journey and ensuring they secure the best deal possible.

Before an offer of representation

When reputable agents are open to submissions, they’ll receive hundreds, even thousands, of book pitches (called query letters ), from writers all hoping to be represented.

The agent will sift through these query letters as they’re able (sometimes this can take months, though, just due to the sheer volume of queries received) and then, if a query letter intrigues them, they’ll request either sample chapters or all of the completed manuscript for further reading.

Note that most agencies won’t accept unsolicited manuscripts right away—they’ll let you know if they’re interested in seeing more once they review your query letter.

After reading the entire book, the agent will then let the author know if they’d be interested in representing them. Once an author accepts an agent’s offer of representation, that’s where the real work begins.

After an offer of representation

Once the agent ushers you into the business side of publishing, there are a few steps you’ll go through before getting that book deal.

The editorial stage

After the offer, most agents will work closely with the writer to fine-tune their manuscript for submission for publication. This will look different for every author and every agent.

Good literary agents are very editorial, helping writers make a book absolutely perfect. They might ask the writer to rewrite certain parts of the book or to make other edits.

Other agents, however, are a little more hands-off and might allow writers to drive the editorial direction of their work, relying on them to get most of the edits and proofreading finished on their own.

The submission strategy

Once the agent and the author agree that the manuscript is in its best shape possible, the agent will begin putting together a submission strategy. This means looking at all of the publishing house options that are available to the author and working alongside them to decide which publishing opportunities would best align with their career goals.

From there, they’ll compile a list of book publishers (and, more specifically, editors that work for those publishers) that they plan on submitting the book to.

Submitting to a publishing house is similar to the querying process. However, while the author submits a cover letter to agents in pursuit of representation, the agent will be responsible for submitting your book pitch to publishers on your behalf, hoping for a sale and to get the book published.

During the submission process, again, each agent’s and author’s process will differ. Some agents will let their clients know every time they send a submission to a new publisher. Some agents will share rejection letters and feedback from publishers. Some agents won’t give the author any updates at all, unless there is a sale.

The R&R, or “Revise and Resubmit”

Sometimes, a publisher will ask for what’s known as an “R&R” or a “revise and resubmit.” This means that the publisher likes the book enough to consider it a second time, but they’d like some changes to the book first.

The publisher will pass along feedback and what they’d like to see changed (either via email or a phone or online meeting). If the author is interested in making those changes, they’ll work with the agent to ensure the changes are made according to the publisher’s requests, then resubmit the book to that publisher for a second consideration.

The submission process last until a sale is made, or until the agent has exhausted all potential publishers that they could possibly pitch your work to (and this can take over a year, in some cases, depending on how many publishers your agent feels are viable options).

Getting an offer from an editor

If a publisher and their editor offers to buy your book, the agent now has to let all of the other considering publishers and editors know. When one publisher is interested in a work, it usually signals to other publishing houses that a book is worth a closer look—so, if you get one offer on a book, it’s not out of the question to receive even more offers. (Everyone wants what’s in demand, after all).

From there, you and your agent will negotiate contracts and consider which book deal will be best for you, in terms of your career goals.

Maybe your primary concern is money, so you want to go with the book contracts that will give you the highest advances. Maybe you’d prefer to go with a publisher with impressive distribution resources (because who wouldn’t want to walk in to any Target and see their book on the shelf?). Maybe you want to go with a publishing house that’s offering you a deal for not just the one book, but for several books that you haven’t even written yet!

Whatever the case may be, the agent’s job is to negotiate publishing contracts to get you the best book deals possible, helping you make the best decision for your written works and needs.

After the book sells

Once you accept a publisher’s offer, your agent’s work is still not done. They’ll act as an intermediary between you and the publisher, making sure your contract is upheld, ensuring the publisher pays you in a timely manner, reviewing royalty statements, etc.

This is also the only time that your agent gets paid in the entire process. All of the work up until this point has been done completely for free, with the expectation that your work will sell in the future (which is why agents can be so picky about the clients that they take on; they want to know that you’ll make them money eventually).

Your agent will take a small percentage of whatever the publisher pays you. This commission generally ranges from 15% to 20%.

But this isn’t the end!

Once your book sells, you’ll likely want to start on another (and, in fact, many writers start on a new manuscript as soon as their agent begins submitting their previous book to publishers). For new works, you and your agent will work together to determine what concepts might be best for the marketplace, based on prior sales and successes, or lack thereof.

Having an agent: Pros and cons

The topic of literary agents can be a divisive one within the writing community.

Some say that agents aren’t worth their fees and that they’re just glorified middlemen.

Others say they could never navigate the complicated, it’s-all-about-who-you-know world of publishing without them. They appreciate that they can simply write the book and let their agent take care of everything else.

However, regardless of your feelings on literary agents, it’s just the truth that major publishers will not consider your book for publication without one—and that’s not likely to change any time soon.

That said, there are a lot of writers who don’t care whether or not they’re published by a major, “Big 5” publisher (the Big 5 in publishing are Penguin/Random House, Hachette, Harper Collins, Simon and Schuster, and Macmillan—including all of their dozens of imprints).

If you want to go the self-publishing route, or would like to publish through an indie or small press, you don’t need an agent. In fact, you may find that, if you want to go with an indie or small press, not having an agent may work in your favor since they won’t take a cut of your earnings.

Another unfortunate fact about most literary agents is that they often have a certain type of book, and certain genres, they like to represent.

Maybe they represent both adult and YA, but not children’s books, or they represent fantasy and sci-fi, but not mysteries. Even fewer represent short stories, essay collections, and/or poetry.

So, if you’re a writer that likes to jump genres a lot, you may struggle finding an agent who will represent, and sell, everything that you like to write or want to write one day. (Luckily, some literary agents work under the assumption that they’ll like anything in your writing style, but many agents do have their definite not-interested genres.)

A word on bad literary agents

Yes, there are, in fact, bad literary agents out there. Not all agents truly have your best interests at heart.

Some could say this is because the publishing industry is a cut-throat business and everyone has to look out for their own interests. But when you’re going into partnership with someone—and both your livelihoods depend on the other person—you likely want to know that they have your back.

Bad literary agents include those that stall your writing career by taking forever to get back to you on projects, or who take multiple months to help you prepare your manuscript for submission; those that are unwilling to talk to you about their submission strategy and whether or not it aligns with your career goals; and those that do not care about negotiating contracts for your best interests (instead, they’re just trying to make a quick buck).

Unfortunately, bad literary agents aren’t always easy to spot. Most authors are forced to rely on heresy from other writers to learn about who they should or shouldn’t query. A good place to double check reputable literary agents is Writer Beware , which highlights noted scams and disreputable agencies and publishers swanning around the industry.

If you’re planning to query agents soon, you may want to make an effort to network with other querying or recently agented writers, to see what information and advice they can provide.

Finding the best agent for your needs

If you’ve decided that you want to work with a literary agent, in order to avoid bad agents or just agents that aren’t right for your needs, sit down and think about your career goals as an author.

Do you dream of a big contract for multiple books, distributed worldwide, and a big advance check? Do you want to sell the foreign rights or film rights for even more money?

Then you’ll want to do some research to find literary agents that have a track record of snagging those types of deals for their clients. (A handy place to find this information is on Publisher’s Marketplace.)

Do you want a heavily editorial agent with lots of industry knowledge who will help you polish up your book to gleaming perfection?

Then look for agents that follow that process. Ask agented writers about their agents’ processes and, if you get the chance to talk with an agent, don’t be afraid to ask about the same.

Do you want to jump genres and hop between age groups?

Find an agent who represents everything you could ever want to write.

Then, when you find agents that tick all the right boxes and you do receive an offer, heavily vet the offering agent—via referrals, networks, etc.—just to be sure you’re making the best choice for your needs and picking the right agent for your career.

Should I work with a literary agent?

You should work with a literary agent if you want to be traditionally published by one of the Big 5, you want that extra editorial touch before presenting your work to publishers, and/or you want a career partner that will help you reach your goals (albeit for a cut of your income).

You maybe might consider not bothering with a literary agent, though, if you would prefer self publishing or to publish with a small or independent press. Likewise, if you work in more experimental genres or formats, you may struggle with finding an agent, as well as a traditional publisher.

It all depends on your goals as a writer. Whatever you decide, there are myriad paths to publication. Getting an agent is just a step along one of those paths.

Get feedback on your writing today!

Scribophile is a community of hundreds of thousands of writers from all over the world. Meet beta readers, get feedback on your writing, and become a better writer!

Join now for free

Related articles

How to Write a Query Letter, with Examples

How to Pitch a Book Idea to a Literary Agent

Manuscript Format: How to Format a Novel, with Examples

Comp Titles: Why You Need Comp Titles in Traditional Publishing (and How to Find Them)

How to Find a Literary Agent

How to Write a Hook for Your Query Letter

How to Write and Publish Children's Books

When You Get an Offer of Representation

This is the situation every querying writer is looking forward to: getting an offer of representation. Awesome. Now what? Well, I want to write several posts on this issue, but here’s the first thing you need to do… let other agents know.

Literary Agent Offer: What About the Other Agents You Queried?

Don’t let everyone you queried know that you received another literary agent offer. Let only the agents who have responded with a partial request, a full request, or any other kind of encouraging sign, and have not given you their decision yet. The only exception is with a picture book submission, where you’ve queried with a full manuscript. Since you sent the full manuscript, contact all the agents you queried. Write them the following email and put “OFFER RECEIVED” in the subject line:

Dear Mary, I know you’re still reading BOOK TITLE but I wanted to let you know that I’ve received an offer of representation. I’d like to see if you’re also interested in the project. Please get back to me by X day and let me know. I look forward to hearing from you! Author

Offer of Representation: Timetable for Response

Give the agent a week to respond. Within the day, you should hear back from agents. They’ll either say, “Yes, I’m still reading and will get back to you within the week” or, “You know, I should probably step aside at this point.” Then you wait for the agents who still want to consider to either bow out or toss in their own literary agent offer. But yes, let them know immediately. It’s not being pushy. Someone already sees the value in your work, so you can call attention to yourself in this situation.

I hope all of you get to experience what it’s like to receive an offer of representation! Once you’ve crossed that hurdle, follow the link to read my post on questions you should ask your potential literary agent .

My  editorial services  aren’t just for manuscripts. I also offer confidential and discrete consulting services for authors who have questions about literary agents and career trajectory.

32 Replies to “When You Get an Offer of Representation”

Spot on! Timely post, Mary. Thanks for the example of the letter you’d like to see.

Mary, the example letter is extremely helpful. Sometimes we have a general idea on what we should do, but absolutley no idea on how to execute it properly.

Thanks, Mary. Like Cat, I greatly appreciate the example.

Thanks! The idea of telling an agent “Please get back to my by X day” is scary, but maybe I’ll feel braver if somebody has actually told me my work is good…

Melissa — Exactly. You’ve already got an offer. You’re not just some slush-dweller. We’re just people. You have a business matter to discuss with us. End of story.

Oh how I dream of the day when I must write such a letter!

Hey Mary – Awesome post. Good to know. Hope to experience it in 2010!

See you soon!

• Pingback: uberVU - social comments
• Pingback: Tweets that mention Kidlit.com · When You Get an Offer -- Topsy.com

This sort of email seems like the only letter more difficult than a query to write. It’s so hard to strike the balance between assertive and humble. Thanks for the example!

Deliliah — Now you don’t have to write it. That’s the email, right there. No ego necessary. It is just delivering information. No need to read into anything or freak out. I guarantee your recipient will only spend 5 seconds reading it. Then they’ll move on to considering your submission and their response, which is the most important part.

Folks. It’s a business email to hash out the details of a certain thing. Remember: WE WANT TO WORK WITH GOOD WRITERS AND HAVE THEM AS CLIENTS. When we know someone else has offered, that tells us you’re a hot, desirable writer, and WE IMMEDIATELY LIKE YOU. What’s to freak about?

Thank you for the example! 🙂

Thanks for the helpful advice, especially the example letter. I was just wondering about this topic. One question I have is if another agent expresses interest, how quickly do you try to move the decision of that agent so that you can get back to the first one?

Natalie — I don’t know what you mean by “try to move the decision of that agent”? As I said in the post, once you receive an offer, give everyone else who’s reading your partials or fulls one week to respond.

Mary, the one thing that I always is wonder is whether we should mention the name of the agent offering representation. Do most agents see the example you posted as insufficient, or may it come off as being ‘secretive’?

Weronika — Not necessary. Of course, I’m human and I ALWAYS want to know who I’m up against. However, I usually don’t ask. Don’t feel pressured to offer the information if you don’t want to. The letter — and y’all don’t seem to believe me for some reason — is perfectly sufficient. Obviously, don’t make up that you got an offer to try and galvanize agents. That is absolutely shady.

Thanks! It feels too simple, that’s why, but I’ll use this exact example in the future, if I’m ever in this position.

Just dreaming of the day when I can tell several agents I got an offer. I’m just starting the query process though so fingers crossed.

What do you say to the agent who made you the offer? That you have to decide whether they’re the right person to represent that book? Or that you some time to let the other agents chime in? I’d be worried about offending the first person who want to shop my material around.

Charles — It may be your first time getting offered representation but it’s definitely not our first time offering it, so we know that every writer has most probably submitted to other agents, too! Good question — AGAIN, STOP FREAKING OUT ABOUT OFFENDING US — and here’s the answer:

“Thank you so much for your offer. It was really great talking to you (or whatever). I’ve got the full out with a few other agents right now. I’m going to give them a courtesy week to chime in and I’ll let you know by next Wednesday (or whatever). I’m really excited for this opportunity.”

BAM! Call me the publishing Emeril.

Mary, your comment to Delilah, “folks, it’s a business email,” is what I’ve been waiting to hear from an agent. Most of the time there’s a mystery curtain draped over the agent’s door, and if you touch it wrong terrible things will happen. Goodness.

I plan to enter your current contest, and have posted a link on Linked-in and Facebook for you. I hope they stir further interest.

BTW, in the right-hand column of this page, just about opposite the reply box I’m writing in, there’s apparently a link to “Editorial Ass.” Well. I know some people have a low opinion of editors, but, Mary, I don’t think you should let it hang out there like that!

Margaret — Thanks for your kind words and I got your nod on LinkedIn today. And if you click on Editorial Ass, you’ll see that’s the name of the blog! She’s the one hanging out there! (I hope your comment was a joke but if not, just clarifying.) 🙂

Thanks for your answer to Charles’ question. That was really mine, though not articulated that well. Your advice is really helpful.

Natalie — Oh, got it! Glad I answered. Sorry I didn’t get it the first time. 🙂

Excellent post. I was just thinking about this today.

Thank you for the examples – what an embarrassment of riches that would be! I appreciate you taking the time to keep us writers on the right track. It’s great to get a little guidance in these things.

Thanks for all the frank and fearless advice on your blog! I’m wondering what a writer should do if they are ever in the most enviable position of having more than one agent wanting to represent them? How do you go about choosing one, without burning your bridges with the other? Are there any pitfalls to avoid?

Or is that a situation that only exists in dreams?

Thanks again for all the great advice. I wish I’d found your site at the beginning of my query journey.

This is a wonderful article about agents, but I wonder if the same rules apply with a publisher? I’ve come across a couple publishers interested in my manuscript, but then I don’t know how to go about conducting business with them to be beneficial to my story.

Ashley — My advice would be to get an agent. Otherwise, follow the submission guidelines the publishers gave you when they expressed interest and submit. However, there are a lot of bogus publishers and vanity presses out there. You should never pay a cent to have your manuscript published and no reputable publisher would demand that from you. If you receive an offer, do the above.

This is great advice for all looking for an agent! I just started to read through your blog and I can’t wait to finish 🙂 there are so many great tips and hints! Thanks for taking the time to do this!

• Pingback: Kidlit.com · Getting Offers from Multiple Agents
• Pingback: Getting Offers from Multiple Literary Agents | Kidlit

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

Looking to publish? Meet your dream editor, designer and marketer on Reedsy.

Find the perfect editor for your next book

1 million authors trust the professionals on Reedsy. Come meet them.

Guides • Understanding Publishing

Last updated on Feb 10, 2023

What is a Literary Agent, and How Can They Help You Publish?

A literary agent is someone who works on behalf of and with an author to help them sell their book to a traditional publishing house . They negotiate the best possible terms for their authors' book deals and support them throughout the publishing process and with any future manuscripts. 

The vast majority of large publishers don’t accept direct submissions from unagented authors, meaning that agents effectively act as the gateway to traditional publication — so let’s examine what that looks like in practice and what agents do in broader terms.  

Literary agents are your entry to traditional publishing

Fast forward a couple hundred years: many more writers now want book deals than publishers can take on. To handle this influx of new books and authors, presses have come to rely on literary agents as a quality control measure, saving editors from looking through thousands of manuscripts at a time. 

With very few established publishers open to “unagented submissions,” securing representation is an almost essential step for any fiction author who want to land a book deal.

They are often your first editor

“I love you, you’re perfect, now change.” Some authors think this when agents give them notes on a manuscript that has just won them representation. It’s worth remembering that agents often take on authors not because their manuscript is flawless and a guaranteed bestseller but because they see the potential — in the concept, story, or writing style.

Many agents come from an editorial background (just as many book editors have previously worked as literary agents). With their understanding of what makes a book work — and what makes it sellable — agents will work with their authors to whip their manuscripts into shape , ready to pitch to publishers.

💡Curious about sellability? Have a look at our checklist for authors researching their book’s market potential . 

Give your book the help it deserves

Polish your manuscript (or query letter) with professional help. Sign up for free to meet our editors.

Learn how Reedsy can help you craft a beautiful book.

Agents know how to sell your book

As your chaperone into the world of traditional publishing, your agent isn’t just someone who can walk you through the front door. They also know which doors to approach.

Because they know the industry inside out, agents can carefully pick the editors they know will be most excited to see your manuscript and whose tastes align the most with your project’s aims, effectively increasing your chances of getting a deal. If you’ve written a military thriller, they’ll know which presses are looking for titles to sit alongside Tom Clancy in their backlist. They’ll also know which companies are looking to diversify their list — and whether they can promote your book properly.

A good agent will have a solid professional network and personally know editors at publishers large and small — they’re in a position where they can call an editor and say they have an exciting new manuscript to share and have the editor listen actively and attentively.

Having helped you find the right home for your book, let’s see what they can do once you get to the paperwork.

They negotiate the best deal on your behalf

Once your manuscript is in great shape, an agent will pitch your book to a hand-picked selection of editors and publishers. So what next?

If more than one editor is interested, they’ll arrange an auction — a series of phone calls where the agent relays any offers back and forth until every publisher makes their best offer. All you have to do as the author is think about which editor’s offer appeals to you the most — each will submit an edit letter laying out their vision for how you can work together , as well as a plan for how their company can market your book .

It’s their job to sweat the small stuff

In these discussions with your publisher, your agent will help you make decisions about translation rights, as well as try and help you retain the rights to film and TV adaptations (as you’ll make more money if you don’t have to split any film/TV earnings with your publisher). For Caroline Leavitt , editor and author of the NYT bestseller With or Without You , an agent’s input is invaluable. “If you've ever seen a book contract, they're impossible to understand. I've published 12 books. I still do not understand my contract, but I trust my agent to understand.”

In Caroline’s experience , many of these issues can be complex and technical, so your agent’s job as the mediator is to get you the best possible deal for you while ensuring there is no friction between you and your publisher.

If any friction  does  arise, your agent will help you manage it without damaging your relationship with the publisher.

Agents will talk to your publisher on your behalf

Award-winning author Eve Porinchak (also a former agent) points out that a literary agent’s job doesn’t end once you have an offer on your book from an acquiring editor at a publishing house. “Your literary agent serves many different roles — coach, cheerleader, business manager, advocate, and negotiator for terms of the contract (including advance money, special clauses, subsidiary rights), and conflicts with the publishing house.”

Even with a deal in the bag and the best possible relationship between the author and publisher, Eve knows it’s not always plain sailing. “Problems can include: not getting paid on time, lack of communication, missed deadlines on editorial feedback, title , and cover issues, and contract breaches, among other things. It's an agent's job to chase down advance and royalty money and serve as liaison to the acquiring editor in mitigating business conflicts.”

As Eve explains, having an agent as an intermediary allows the author to concentrate on their job as a creative, keeping harmony in the author-editor relationship so that those two individuals can focus on the art of storytelling.

You can trust your agent to defend you as fiercely as you would defend yourself because your interests are aligned: they care for you as their partner and depend on your success to get paid.

Literary agencies work solely on commission

Let’s talk about how agents get paid. An agent’s earnings are made up of commission on author earnings. This includes a percentage of the author’s royalties and advance — and, often, a cut of any adaptation deals. If a book isn't sold, agents simply don’t get paid.

💡If you aren’t too clear about how advances and royalties work, check out our post on author earnings .

Penguin Random House editor and former literary agent Matt Belford explains that, while there is no standard legal obligation for agents to only take a certain percentage of their authors’ earnings, there is something of an unspoken rule. “Generally speaking, literary agencies abiding by the canon of ethics from the Association of American Literary Agents take 15% of what they negotiate in terms of advances and royalties domestically, and that can go up to 20% for foreign deals.” 

Legitimate agents never ask for upfront payments 

Matt emphasizes that with most agencies (which abide by the rule above and the AALA’s ethics code), agents do not get paid until their authors get paid, as they take their commission at the point when author payments come in from publishers, not before. 

“This means there shouldn't ever be a reason for an author to pay an agent directly out of their pocket. Agents are fiduciaries, and most often, publishers pay literary agencies directly into a non-interest-bearing account. The agency takes 15% and then passes the money along to the client.” 

In Matt’s experience, many publishers are increasingly willing to split the payments on their end and send the commission to the agency and the rest of the payment to the author. Before signing a deal, you should clarify how payments will work, so you aren’t left wondering.  

Exercise caution if an agent you’re in talks with asks you for an upfront payment. Your writing career and savings are at stake, so ensure you’re dealing with an honest professional. Research their background and agency, look for evidence that they are legitimate (like successful clients or positive testimonials on social media), and consult a literary lawyer if you’ve got a contract they can scrutinize.

The same applies to agents who contact you out of the blue, saying they’d like to represent you — do your research. If you can’t find out much about them, you could directly ask this agent for information on their background. Or, as Justin Brouckaert of Aevitas Creative Management suggests, ask that they put you in touch with a client who can serve as a reference, something he’s always happy to do for prospective clients.

“While I know that the clients I put forward as references will have good things to say about working with me, those conversations still offer writers the opportunity to ask pointed, granular questions and to sniff out any potential red flags.”

Ultimately, if you aren’t convinced that an agent is legitimate, it is always best to be safe rather than sorry.

Finally, let’s look at whether you’ll need literary representation, as your publishing plans may mean you don’t strictly need one.

Some authors don’t need agents

From a financial viewpoint, going without an agent does mean you get to keep a larger share of the pie, so if that’s your top priority, perhaps you should consider self-publishing , which can be more lucrative. Generally speaking, though, most traditionally published authors find that the industry knowledge their agents contribute is more than worth their fees. After all, there’s a reason the system is set up the way it is.

If you aren’t sure which publishing path is right for you, worry not. We’ve got a super quick quiz you can take below:

Is self-publishing or traditional publishing right for you?

Takes one minute!

To begin your search for literary representation, check out our post on finding a literary agent , and these related resources:

• Our directory of literary agents — you can filter this by genre and location to find suitable candidates.
• Our guide to query letters includes tips on writing one, examples of query letters that work, and advice on choosing ‘comp titles’ wisely.
• Our self-editing tips , to help your manuscript sample move past the slush pile.

To a stressed writer hoping to get published , it might feel like agents are the literary police, but let’s be clear: agents are just zealous readers who are passionate about bringing great writing to the reading public and are often overworked, having to do much of their manuscript reading on nights and weekends. They aren’t cultural elites who relish sending rejection letters: they want authors to succeed more than anyone.

For agents like WordLink’s Zeynep Sen (also an editor on Reedsy), helping debut authors realize their dream is a big part of their motivation. “Holding a new manuscript in your hands, knowing it’s something special and that you can help deliver it to readers who’ll love and be impacted by it… There’s nothing quite like it.” Look for an agent who feels like that about your work, and you'll be part of a great and rewarding partnership.

In the next part of this guide, learn how you can track down and contact a literary agent who's perfect to represent your book.

Join a community of over 1 million authors

Reedsy is more than just a blog. Become a member today to discover how we can help you publish a beautiful book.

No agent? No problem.

A Reedsy professional can polish up your submission. Ask for a query review.

1 million authors trust the professionals on Reedsy. Come meet them.

Enter your email or get started with a social account:

BOOKENDS LITERARY AGENCY

• BookEnds Talks to Lynn LaFleur and Kimberly Dean
• BookEnds Talks to Kathy Brandt
• BookEnds Talks to Michele Scott
• BookEnds Talks to Jolie Mathis
• Question of the Month, Part 1
• BookEnds Talks to Sue Owens Wright
• BookEnds on the Radio
• Question of the Month, Part 2

Form Letters for Authors: Notification of an Offer

• By: Jessica Faust | Date: Apr 26 2017

This is a post I’ve been wanting to write for a while. For some reason, for some authors, notifying agents of an offer (either of a publisher offer or offer of representation) seems to be tricky. There are subtle nuances that go into the way you inform the agent that can make or break their desire to “play” as we say.

Sometimes we’ll get notifications that say, “I want to let you know that I got an offer” …okaaay. Does that mean you accepted and are pulling it from submission? Or are you looking to turn it into multiple offers?

Sometimes we get this: “Another agent offered representation today and I’m really excited, but before signing I wanted to know the status.” So you’re planning on signing anyway? Because no agent wants to read a manuscript with an eye toward representation if you have no intention of considering her offer of representation. Don’t just offer us a chance to “be nice.”

Sometimes this, “I got an offer I really want to accept, but as a courtesy if you’d still like to review the material I’d be happy to let you do so.” Again, in this case simply let me know you’ve accepted another offer. I’d rather not put all my clients and everything else on hold to read something when I’m not even in the running for it.

I’ve always pushed authors to turn an offer around into something bigger. This is your chance to really interview and find the agent who is right for you. That being said, you also need to make sure you’re as honest with yourself and with agents as possible. If the agent who offered is the perfect fit and you strongly feel there’s no one else, then just accept. Sure, we’ll all feel a little hurt, but it’s better than wasting hours reading a book that we never had a shot at anyway.

When notifying agents let’s make this easy:

Dear Agent: I’m [excited, please, thrilled, overwhelmed] to inform you that I’ve just received an offer of [publication, representation] for TITLE OF BOOK. I’ve told the [offering agent, publisher] that I’ll need time to [find an agent, make my decision]. If you are still interested, could you let me know by DATE? Or I’d love to gauge your interest before accepting. Could you let me know by DATE? Thank you so much for your consideration. I’m looking forward to hearing from you.

While you should write in a way that best reflects your style, you can see here the tone is encouraging and the details are all in there. This gives everyone a clear idea of what you need and also lets other agents know that you are still very interested in working with them. Because, well, agents can be just as neurotic as authors 😉

Good luck and congratulations if you’re currently using this form.

Share this:

• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

20 responses to “Form Letters for Authors: Notification of an Offer”

Since the agent is the only person who understands his/her schedule and workload wouldn’t it make more sense if he/she was the one to respond with a date, and asking the author if he/she can wait that long?

Responding “I would love to let the other agent know by May 15” means that if the agent isn’t available to start reading until May 16, then you may get a rejection even though you were perfectly willing to wait another week or two.

I’ve gotten similar from agents, who were upfront about when they could read, and it’s always been appreciated. Just my two cents.

Emily: The other part of this is that the agent who offers first is waiting for you to make a decision. If you’re really excited about that first agent, you won’t want to keep her (or him) waiting indefinitely on another agent’s deadline. I was surprised how many agents were able to read my manuscript in my week timeframe. I did have one bow out due to time constraints, which of course was understandable, but my timeline was based on my desire to make the decision efficiently and the respect that I had for the initial agent who offered.

It seems pretty simple to me. Agent 1 makes an offer. You go back to Agent 2 and say you have an offer and ask when they would be able to read your book. Agent 3 says “In three weeks.” You go back to Agent 1 and say “My MS is out with another agent and I’d like to give that person a chance to read, can I give you my decision in three weeks?”

I doubt any agent NEEDS to sign you up by a specific date or civilization collapses. It seems like things would run more smoothly if there was more straightforward communication between all parties, and since it is the writer who is constantly being told not to “bug” the busy, busy agents, it seems as if it’s up to the agent to give a time frame.

I was wondering about that as well. I am also uncertain as to how much time we should give an agent to respond after we’ve received an offer of representation from another agent. One week? Two? I thought maybe ten business days would be appropriate since this is a business transaction.

I think any of those are acceptable. I think too long only makes the author more impatient and anxious.

Very helpful blog on a part of the business often overlooked. Hope to see you at Malice. I would love to just say hi as I’ve followed your blog for years and learned so much from you and your team. Much appreciated!

Please do seek me out. I would love to meet you.

Will do. We are attending the funeral of my sweet MIL Friday so won’t be arriving till Saturday morning. Safe travels!

Agreed! Always appreciated.

I like the way you think. I would love for you to become my Literature Agent.

This is brilliant, Jessica. Thank you.

[…] see the manuscript through PBParty and also those who I had queried but never heard back. I used a great template for this letter, which included advice to (politely) give the agent a deadline to […]

Would you also recommend notifying agents when you get requests for full?

I wouldn’t bother.

Thank you for this extremely helpful advice! 🙂

Is it considered a professional courtesy to disclose the name of the original agent who has offered representation? I am little unsure of how to approach this part of the process since it’s my first time being offered representation.

It’s not necessary but you absolutely can, if you want to.

Most Popular Posts

Pin it on pinterest.