Guide for writers looking for an agent
How to Get a Literary Agent, Step by Step
Eight steps from finished draft to signed offer: where to find agents, how to query, what to ask on the call and which fees mean a scam.
To get a literary agent, finish and revise your book, or for most nonfiction write a proposal. Then send a one-page query letter to agents who represent your genre, a few at a time. Agents who like it ask for pages, and one who loves the book offers to represent you. A real agent is paid only from the deals they make, usually 15% of what you earn, and never charges a reading fee.
The steps below go in order, from what to have ready to the offer call and the signs of a fake agent. Every rule links to the agent, author or organization it comes from.
The eight steps at a glance
Finish and revise the book
Agents sign novels and memoirs that are finished. Most other nonfiction sells on a book proposal and sample chapters.
Know your genre, word count and comps
Be able to say which shelf your book sits on, how long it is and which recent books its readers enjoyed.
Build a list of agents
Find agents who represent your genre, are open to queries now and have sold books like yours.
Personalize and query in small batches
Send 5 to 10 queries at a time, each one following that agent's guidelines, and learn from the replies.
Track every query
Log who has what, when you sent it and how they answered, so nothing slips and no agent hears from you twice.
Send partials and fulls
When an agent asks for pages, send exactly what they ask for, in standard manuscript format.
Take the offer call
Ask your questions, tell the other agents who have your book, and give them a week or two before you decide.
Watch for red flags
A real agent earns a commission on sales. Anyone who asks you to pay first is not one.
Step 1: Finish and revise the book
For a novel or a memoir, finish the whole book before you query. As Jane Friedman puts it, most first-time authors must finish the manuscript before approaching agents. An agent who likes your query may ask for the full book right away, and it needs to be ready to send.
Most adult nonfiction works differently. Instead of the finished book, you write a book proposal: what the book is, who will buy it, why you are the one to write it, a chapter-by-chapter outline and sample chapters. The book proposal template lays out each part with a worked example.
Then revise, more than once. Many agents ask for your first pages along with the query, so the opening chapters carry the most weight. A trusted reader or two will catch what you can no longer see. For a quick outside read, the AI book editor writes an editor's letter on a chapter, and the AI beta reader shows the line where a reader would stop.
Step 2: Know your genre, word count and comp titles
Every query carries one line of book facts: title, genre, word count and comps. Name the genre an agent would shelve the book under, such as upmarket mystery, adult fantasy or young adult romance, and check that your length fits it. Most adult novels run 70,000 to 100,000 words, and the novel word count guide gives the range for each genre.
Comp titles, short for comparable titles, are recent books whose readers would also enjoy yours. They show an agent you know where the book sits in today's market. Jane Friedman says two comparisons are enough, and the most helpful are books released within the last few years or authors who are still publishing.
Good and weak comp titles
| Comp | Use it? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A debut in your genre from the last few years | Yes | It shows readers want books like yours now. |
| An author still publishing in your genre | Yes | Jane Friedman accepts an active author in place of a single title. |
| A classic, such as a Fitzgerald or George Eliot novel | No | It says nothing about what sells today. |
| A global bestseller that became a blockbuster film | No | Jane Friedman advises against it. It tells an agent little about where your book fits. |
Rules from Jane Friedman's Complete Guide to Query Letters, last updated June 24, 2025.
To find comps, start from recent books you loved in your genre and tone. Then look at what their readers also read: bookstore staff picks, new arrivals at your library and the "also bought" rows on Amazon. Read at least the opening of any book you name.
Step 3: Find literary agents accepting submissions
Look for three things in every agent: they represent your genre and age group, they are open to queries right now, and they have sold books like yours. These are the places writers look.
Where to find agents
| Where | What it tells you | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| QueryTracker | About 1,900 agents, whether each is open to queries, typical response times and reply rates, and which agent represents which author | Free, with paid extras |
| Manuscript Wish List | What agents and editors say they want, searchable by genre and keyword | Free to search |
| AgentQuery | A long-running database of agents and the genres they represent | Free |
| Publishers Marketplace | Deals agents report, searchable by genre, so you can see who sells books like yours. Jane Friedman calls it the best place to research agents. | Paid; she suggests a one-month subscription |
| Acknowledgments of books like yours | Authors often thank their agent by name | Free |
| The agency's own website | Each agent's current guidelines and whether they're open; this is the final word on how to submit | Free |
QueryTracker's agent count as shown on its home page on October 6, 2026.
Sort your list into an A list, a B list and the rest
Jane Friedman suggests sending each round to one or two agents from every list. Each round then shows how your query lands, and you don't spend every dream agent on a query you haven't tested.
Before an agent goes on your list
- They represent your genre and age group: adult, young adult or children's
- Their page says they are open to queries now
- They have sold books like yours, or work at an agency that has
- You have noted exactly what they want: a query only, first pages, a synopsis or a proposal
- You know whether they take queries by email or through an online form such as QueryManager
Step 4: Personalize and query in small batches
Write one strong query, then fit it to each agent. Jane Friedman notes that every agent has unique requirements for submitting, so follow each page to the letter. The query letter template gives each part a word target. The query letter generator drafts a finished query from your pitch or manuscript, and the query letter examples show six real ones that worked.
If you personalize, make it true and specific. A sentence that could go to any agent adds nothing.
The acknowledgments of The Ideal American mention you with praise, and the author's masterful work partly inspired my own novel.
- Why it works. It names a book the agent worked on and ties it to yours. No other writer could send the same line.
- The weak version. Her counterexample is "I found you in Writer's Market", which any writer could paste into any query.
Send in rounds of 5 to 10, as Jane Friedman suggests. Querying several agents at once is normal, and she does not recommend exclusive queries. If a round brings no requests for pages, rework the query or the opening chapters before the next one. Assume a no is final for that book, so don't send the same agent a second query for it.
Step 5: Track every query and response
Keep a simple log in a spreadsheet, or use QueryTracker's free tracker. It stops you from querying the same agent twice and shows when a round is done.
A query log that covers everything
| Column | What to write |
|---|---|
| Agent and agency | The agent's full name and agency, spelled the way their page spells it |
| Date sent | The day the query went out |
| What you sent | Query only, or with first pages, a synopsis or a proposal |
| Their reply policy | What their page says, such as "no reply means no after eight weeks" |
| Response | No, partial request, full request or offer, with the date |
| Next step | Send pages, tell them about an offer, or close the row |
Many agents don't answer every query. When their page says no response means no, take it at its word. Jane Friedman advises assuming silence is a rejection and moving on to the next round.
Step 6: Send partials and fulls
A partial request asks for the opening chapters or pages, sometimes with a synopsis. A full request asks for the whole manuscript. Send exactly what the agent asks for, in the form they ask for it, and send it promptly.
Unless the agent says otherwise, use standard manuscript format: 12-point Times New Roman, double spacing and one-inch margins. The manuscript format template is a Word file already set up that way. If an agent wants a synopsis you haven't written yet, the synopsis generator drafts a one-page synopsis from your manuscript, ending included.
How long agents take
Reading times vary widely from agent to agent. QueryTracker shows each agent's typical response time, reported by writers who queried them, which is a better guide than any general rule.
Step 7: The offer call and the questions to ask
An agent who wants to represent you usually asks for a call. You don't have to say yes on it. Former agent Nathan Bransford advises taking your time to make sure the fit is right. These questions draw on his list and on a similar one from literary agent and editor Mary Kole.
- What did you like about the book, and what would you change before it goes to editors?
- Which editors and publishers would you send it to, and how would you pitch it?
- Which books have you sold recently, especially in my genre?
- How do you like to keep in touch, and how often will I hear from you?
- Is there a written agency agreement I can read, and how does either of us end it?
- Will any costs be passed on to me?
- What happens if this book doesn't sell?
- Do you want to represent my future books too?
- How do you handle foreign, audio and film rights?
Then tell every agent who has your query or pages that you have an offer, and give them a deadline. Bransford suggests 7 to 14 days. When the deadline passes, choose, and let the others know your decision.
Subject: Offer of representation: SALT LEDGER
Dear Ms. Alvarez,
In August you kindly requested the full manuscript of SALT LEDGER, my 88,000-word upmarket mystery. I have now received an offer of representation. I would still love to hear your thoughts, and I have promised an answer by October 23. If you are interested, could you let me know by October 21?
Thank you for your time and for reading.
Jo Whitlock
- What it does. It reminds the agent which book they have, states the offer in one line and gives a clear date, with a little room before your own deadline.
Step 8: Spot the red flags
Real agents never charge reading fees
The Association of American Literary Agents' canon of ethics says members "may not charge any reading fees for evaluating work for possible representation." Agents earn a commission when your book sells, and Writer Beware says it should be no more than 15% on domestic sales and 20 to 30% on foreign or co-agented sales.
Writer Beware, the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association's watchdog on publishing scams, lists the warning signs. Walk away from anyone who:
- asks for money before a sale, whether it's called a reading, submission or marketing fee
- contacts you first, out of the blue; real agents expect authors to come to them
- says they have already shown your book to publishers, which real agents don't do for writers they don't represent
- pushes a paid editing service, since some fake agencies own the service or take a cut
- claims to specialize in new writers
- can't show sales to publishers that pay advances after a year or more in business
Do you need a literary agent?
You need one to sell to the biggest publishers. Jane Friedman estimates that about 80 percent of the books New York houses buy are sold to them by agents. The Big Five are Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Hachette and Macmillan, and for them, she says, you most certainly need one. Plenty of good books take another road.
Publishing paths and whether they need an agent
| Path | Need an agent? | Often a good fit for |
|---|---|---|
| The Big Five publishers | Almost always | Books aimed at a wide audience and bookstores everywhere |
| Mid-size, independent, small, university and regional presses | Often not; many take submissions straight from authors | Literary, academic, regional and niche books |
| Self-publishing | No | Writers who want control of the cover, price and timing, and who will market the book themselves |
The agent estimate and the kinds of press come from Jane Friedman's Start Here guide. Check each press's own submission guidelines.
If you self-publish on Amazon, the Publish a Book on Amazon pack drafts the description, keywords, categories and author bio that KDP asks for.