Top Things to Know About Publishing Agents

Publishing agents are also often called literary agents and represent novelists, screen writers and writers of non-fiction who want to have their work published by traditional book publishers. Their job is to negotiate a fair sum in return for the work submitted; their fees are calculated as a percentage of that sum.

• Having a publishing agent can give a writer’s work a little more credibility than the work of someone without one. It could be considered an initial step in the editorial process with the agent acting as a kind of filter to keep bad work away from the editors at the publishing company.
  
  


• Agents have contacts in the publishing industry and inside knowledge of how things work. This provides them with a distinct edge over a writer who is trying to sell and promote a book themselves. More importantly, their job is to negotiate, whereas a writer’s job does not normally involve that. An agent’s reputation and career are largely established on whether or not they can get their client more money.
  
  


• Many publishing houses do not accept work that does not come from a publishing agent. These tend to be the more profitable and prestigious publishing houses. In not having an agent, a writer is automatically closing off a part of the market to themselves.
  
  


• Anyone can call themselves an agent, therefore a writer will need to do research into the history of anyone who has given themselves this title. Look for known and successful writers that have been represented by calling themselves a publishing or literary agent. Examine their reputation.
  
  


• A publishing agent is more likely to take a writer seriously if they have had work published before, like in outlets such as literary journals or in local newspapers. The more recognizable the outlet, the more likely it is that an agent will represent them.