Edit like an Editor: A Wattpad Featured Guide ✔

Part vi. Working With a Literary Agent

Finding a literary agent to represent your work is the second step on the tried-and-true pathway to a contract with a commercial press. (Step one, of course, is writing a great book.) Finding the right agent for your work through the querying process can be rigorous, time-consuming, and often discouraging, but it's worth the effort and will be good preparation for the final round: finding a publisher.

What Literary Agents Do

Literary agents have become the tasters and trendsetters for today's publishing industry. Editors know that the agents they work with regularly have rejected hundreds of manuscripts before picking the one to send and that they are sending a particular manuscript not just because the quality is impeccable, but because they know that this editor is in the business of publishing this kind of manuscript.

Knowledge and taste add to that all-important business acumen. A good literary agent knows what makes a reasonable advance, knows what rights to protect, knows the ins and outs of selling subsidiary, translation, and media rights. On top of that, good agents are consummate professionals.

Here is a summary of what an agent does for an author:

• Discusses ideas for new projects and career advancement.

• Reads a manuscript and offers suggestions on how to make it saleable.

• Reads a revised manuscript and offers up even more suggestions until it meets publisher standards.

• Sends the manuscript to targeted editors; keeps the author apprised of both interest and rejections.

• Shares comments from editors who reject the manuscript; decides with the author whether to stop sending it out and go back to revising.

• Lets the author know when publishers are interested, and keeps in communications as negotiations continue.

• Negotiates a book deal, making sure that the terms are acceptable to the author; if multiple publishers are interested, conducts an auction; advises the author on which deal to accept.

• Sends the author the negotiated contract for review, and later for signature; sends the signed contract back to the publishers; sends a copy of the contract signed by all parties.

• Manages the advance and royalties—checks will go to the agent who, in turn, sends the author a check for the total less the agent's cut; the current industry standard is 15%.

• Negotiates (or subcontracts) media and foreign language rights.

• Discusses the author's future career, and strategizes what to write next.

Here's what a legitimate, reputable literary agent does not do:

• Charges the author a fee—agents get paid only if and when the author gets paid.

• Writes your book—if an agent offers to doctor your book (for a fee), run the other way.

The official organization of professional literary agents is the Association of Authors' Representatives (AAR). Visit their website at www.aaron-line.org to get answers to frequently asked questions, read their "canon of ethics," and find the list of member agents.

You want an agent who is enthusiastic to the point of being embarrassing someone who will be your number one booster and supporter. It should also be someone you can trust and talk to, someone who will return your phone calls. But, your agent doesn't have to be your friend. Remember, this is a business relationship.

Do You Need an Agent?

Whether or not you need an agent depends on your publishing goals. You need an agent if your goal is to sell your book to a major publishing house. These days most editors at major and even mid-sized publishing houses only consider manuscripts submitted to them by agents. Prestigious agents get their submissions taken more seriously and turned around more quickly. Ultimately, it's the manuscript that makes the sale but it's the agent who gets the editor to pay attention.