How to Be a Literary Manager
A literary manager is a person who manages the careers of professional writers. These managers work with publishers, directors and other parties who are key to the success of the writer. If you have an interest in this type of career, make sure that you get all of the training and experience required to provide your writer clients with a service that will help them establish long-running careers.
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Instructions
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Get training or a degree in literature, publishing, management, public relations or a similar subject. As a literary manager, you should have a hands-on familiarity with the literary and publishing field, as well as experience in promoting a product or service.
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Work as an apprentice or assistant of a literary manager to learn the trade during your training. Literary management is a very multi-faceted job, and you'll likely learn much more from observing and doing rather than just studying. Your studies provide a foundation for your career as a literary manager, but you also need to build on top of that foundation by gaining familiarity with the day-to-day requirements of the publishing industry.
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Establish your own management company or apply for a job with an established operation that services writers. The Internet provides many small or new literary managers with an opportunity to reach new writers who need help. If you want to work with well-known authors, you should start off at an established agency first.
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Develop connections within the publishing industry. As a literary manager, you must know the top publishers, editors, directors and even distributors to help your clients break into the industry. Some contacts won't even look at manuscripts or scripts unless they're familiar with the literary manager.
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Pitch your services to fresh new promising talent when you're just starting off. Describe the unique features and benefits of your management services. You can advertise in literary magazines, on your own website or by attending book fairs to meet new writers and pass them your business card. Build up your portfolio of successful engagements to attract more clients in the future, including larger names.
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