I want to:
Submit to Literary Agents
Literary agents manage all the business relating to the sale, contracting, publication,
production reproduction and rights of an author’s work.
Agents are skilled professionals with a thorough knowledge of copyright, contracts, overseas
rights, subsidiary rights and other legal issues related to the sale of intellectual properties.
Literary agents act as a conduit between authors and publishers; they sell manuscripts to book
publishers, or television and film producers, and they negotiate contracts for their clients.
Some agents look after a variety of writers, including non-fiction, poetry, screen writing, adult
and children’s fiction, while others choose to specialise in a particular genre or area.
Publishing is an industry built on relationships, and agents have a network of current
professional industry contacts. It is an agent’s job to be informed on the current industry
trends and developments. Opinions on the importance of agents vary amongst established
authors; some writers prefer to negotiate for themselves, but most find their agent an
invaluable part of their business team.
Fees and charges
An agent should never charge to read your work or to represent you. Agents earn their income
from a percentage of your royalties from the sale of your manuscript. For this reason it is in the
agent’s best interest to negotiate the best deal for you. The more you make as an author, the
more they earn. This cut, or commission, can range from 10 per cent to 15 per cent.
How to find a literary agent
Finding a literary agent to represent you to publishers is a similar process to approaching a
publisher. Literary agents look for talented, marketable writers. Choosing to represent your
work is a business decision, so you will need to approach the agent professionally with a
polished manuscript, and behave politely. Keep in mind that some agents only represent
writers of a certain genre, so be sure you know what genre of book you’ve written. Make sure
your work fits the profile. If you are rejected by a literary agent, keep in mind that it’s not
personal. You may need to revisit your manuscript and reassess where to send it. Don’t give
up!
Read the submission guidelines
If you are preparing a submission for an agent or publisher, the first place to start is with their
submission guidelines. In most cases, each will ask for a specific set of materials to be
delivered in a certain way. This information can be easily located on their website.
What to send
Generally, and unless otherwise outlined in their guidelines, you will need to create a
submission package made up of the following:
- Cover letter
- Synopsis
- Manuscript sample (either the first 30 pages, or the first three chapters) formatted to
industry standard
Submit to Literary Agents / 2.
Queensland Writers Centre has resource sheets on how to craft each of these elements for
your submission. Visit www.qwc.asn.au or phone 07 3842 9922 or email
[email protected] for more details.
If you are successful, the agent will request to see the full manuscript. For this reason it is best
practice not to pitch an agent with a work in progress. An agent can’t sell half a manuscript to
a publisher. Be patient with your manuscript and send your best work. Make sure the sample
and submission elements are polished and free of errors.
Where to send it
The Australian Writer’s Marketplace (AWM) is Australia and New Zealand’s comprehensive
resource providing submission guidelines and contact information for the publishing industry,
details of support organisations and information services, a range of writing courses and
workshops, literary events and competitions, and services for each stage of the writing, editing
and publication process. www.awmonline.com.au
Further resources
QWC Industry Seminars provide advice and tips from the industry experts and a chance to get
in the room with some of Australia’s top literary agents. Seminars are held year round, visit
qwc.asn.au/events for more details.
The Australian Literary Agents’ Association was formed in 2003 in order to provide a public
presence and a point of contact for Australian literary agencies and their staff.
austlitagentsassoc.wordpress.com
Call my Agent is a blog by a Sydney literary agent created to decode some of the industry
myths about agents and publishing in order to assist Australian writers.
callmyagent.blogspot.com.au
Literary Rejections is an online resource and database of literary agents, stories of rejection,
anecdotes, advice and support for writers. www.literaryrejections.com
The Writer’s Surgery is a 90 minute one-on-one consultation with a professional published
writers. If you require personalised, detailed help on your submission package, or wish to
polish the first 20 pages of your manuscript before submitting it to a publisher or agent, The
Writer’s Surgery might be able to help. Consultations are by appointment only, visit
www.qwc.asn.au for more details or contact QWC by phone 07 3842 9922 or by email
[email protected]
20 Pages in 20 Minutes is an annual opportunity to place your work into the hands of a literary
agent or editor. Presented only as part of Brisbane Writers Festival (held in Brisbane in the first
week of September) places are limited and appointments are accepted by submission only.
Visit bwf.org.au for details when the Brisbane Writers Festival Program is released each year.
Appointments and information cannot be given outside that time.
Still have questions? Contact Queensland Writers Centre on 07 3842 9922
or email [email protected]