How to Become an Agent for Book Writers

A literary agent is an individual who serves as liaison between an author and book publisher. The main function of the agent is to generate a publishing contract for the author's creative work. There are no "etched-in-stone" educational requirements to become a literary agent. However, it doesn't hurt to have a college degree in a related field, such as journalism, English or literature. The main requirements to become an agent are diligence and determination to succeed.

Instructions

1. Apply for a job with a publishing house or literary agency. If the publishing house or agency is not hiring, inquire about internships or volunteering. This allows you to get your foot in the door.

2. Learn as much as possible while working with the book publishing house or literary agency. The goal is to learn what book publishers are looking for. Learn how book proposals and manuscript submissions are done and about the acceptance and rejection processes.

3. Use your experience working with the publishing house or agency to recruit new clients. When an author knows that you have experience in the industry, he is more likely to utilize your services. A good way to market your services is to create an online website for your agency.

4. Request a copy of the client's manuscript. Read it to determine whether the book is publishable. The book should maintain the interest of the reader. It should have content that is entertaining, relevant or useful. The book should be free from grammatical and punctuation errors. If the book does not meet these qualifications, advise the author.

5. Create a contract between you and the author. The contract should cover details such as commission fees, length of representation, powers, accounting and expenses. There are many online resources that provide examples of literary agent contracts.

6. Submit a book proposal and manuscript sample (one chapter) to publishing houses. If a publishing house is interested in the proposal, an acquisitions editor will contact you. In most cases, the acquisitions editor will require a copy of the full manuscript to determine whether to offer a contract.

7. Attend the acquisitions meeting with the author. Read through the publishing contract with him to ensure he understands the fine print and to ensure he is getting a good deal from the publisher.

References

• "The Sunday Times"; How Do I Become a Literary Agent?; Beryl Dixon; March 2005
• Adler & Robin Books, Inc: FAQ on Literary Agents and Publishing
• Nathan Bransford; So You Wanna Be a Literary Agent?; Nathan Bransford; October 2006
• "Publish Lawyer"; The Author -- Agency Agreement; Daniel Steven
• "Right-Writing"; What's an Acquisitions Editor?; W. Terry Whalin