What Literary Agents Do (and Don't Do)
- Savanna
- Mar 23, 2017
- 3 min read
Ever see a widely successful book and wonder how it became popular? While a lot of the success is attributed to the writer (obviously), there is another key player that can help authors achieve the success they’ve been dreaming of: the agent.
What are literary agents and what do they do (and don’t do) for the author? If you are trying to publish your first novel, having someone there to help you navigate the publishing industry can be crucial in determining your success.
What They Do
Sell your book
The most difficult part of the post-writing phase of a book is getting people to pay attention. That is where an agent comes in. The main focus of their job is getting your book into the hands of publishers, securing you a contract, and making sure your book is successful. According to WritersRelief.com, the goal of the agent is to pitch your book to publishers and get the best deal on the market. How much they earn through commission (usually 15% on domestic sales) depends on how well your book sells, so they will want your book to succeed just as much as you do. They also have an established network of contacts they work with and will help secure an editor that best suits your book.
Take Care of Business
Another important role of the agent is handling your business affairs with the publisher. This includes contract disputes, royalty statements, and collecting money among other duties. According to WritersDigest.com, they will also help in negotiating contracts with publishers. While there is the chance that your agent may also be an attorney, that isn’t always the case. However, they are all well versed in contract terms and authors’ rights and will help you navigate the conditions that work best for you.
Offer Guidance
Since their job revolves around the publishing market, they are well versed in what is selling and what isn’t. They keep up-to-date on trends and will offer suggestions on how to reach a broader audience, career advice, and the ins and outs of the publishing industry. A good agent may offer constructive critiques on your book. This can also include a light edit of a completed manuscript. Note completed manuscript. You should only approach an agent once your book is finished, professionally formatted, and carefully polished. While agents do a lot of work for you, you have to gain their interest first. An unfinished or sloppy manuscript can be a quick turn-off for agents.
Always On Your Side
Agents will always be an advocate for the author. They will only bring contracts to the table that are in the author’s best interest and make sure that the author retains as many rights to their book as possible. If you make money, they make money. They want you to be as successful as possible and will put you on the right path to do so.
What They Don’t Do
Guarantee Success
While securing an agent can be viewed as checking a step off the success list, this isn’t always the case. An agent can cast your book out to their network of contacts, but whether the industry bites or not is up to, well, the industry. If an agent really believes in your book, they will work hard to secure a deal, but it is helpful to remember that it may not work out as planned.
Edit Your Book
While agents can offer you suggestions based on experience in the industry, they are not substitutes for professional editors. According to Blog.BookBaby.com, the role of the agent is to find a proper editor for you. Think of agents as matchmakers: they read your manuscript, then match it with the editor and publishing house best suited for it.
Act As Your Publicist
Agents are known for keeping up with popular book trends, but that doesn’t mean they will help you with social media or organize a marketing campaign. That’s up to the PR and Marketing department of your publishing house, or in some cases, you.
Act As Your Therapist
While you can certainly form a strong, professional relationship with your agent after years of working together, they aren’t your therapist. They often provide moral support and reassurance, but they aren’t there to help you through a personal crisis or coach you through writer’s block.
Revolve Around You
With as many things as agents do, it is obvious that they are busy people. They often are working with multiple clients simultaneously. While you can expect them to check in periodically with important updates on your book, don’t hound them for news or expect them to check in every day. Remember, good things take time.
Happy writing!
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