7 Common Myths About Book Publishing - Debunked by Literary Agents
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“Agents don't even look at the slush pile.”
“Your manuscript has to be perfect or no agent will like it.”
“You have to write in a trending genre to be traditionally published.”
Claims like this are made every day by people who are either frustrated by or misinformed about the traditional publishing process (despite being totally false) — leading aspiring authors down a spiral that discourages them from pursuing their publishing dreams.
As a book editor who formerly worked at a top literary agency and Penguin Random House, it makes me frustrated to see misinformation about the publishing industry spread online and hurt authors, so I went straight to the source and conducted interviews with literary agents from top agencies to debunk some of the most common publishing myths so you can better understand how the industry actually works and what agents actually think.
The full interviews with all of these amazing agents are available online through my newsletter, so definitely check them out!
Here's myth number one:
1. “Agents don't sign authors from cold queries.”
This is what Lori Galvin from Aevitas Creative Management had to say:
“Most of the writers I sign up are from cold queries on QueryManager. You don't have to have an MFA or ‘know someone’ to get an agent. And because I get this question a lot, there are no age restrictions on debut authors!”
This is one of the most widespread and most harmful publishing myths I see out there. It claims that literary agents don't bother to read their “slush pile” and will automatically reject any query that doesn't come in from a referral. This is simply false.
When I worked at a literary agency, it was my job to go through these cold queries and pass along the promising ones to the agents, and those agents did regularly sign authors from the slush pile. This claim doesn't even make sense because if an agent wasn't interested in receiving unsolicited queries, they would just close to queries altogether. So, trust that if agents are accepting queries, they do want your query and they will review it, even if they are slow to get through their queries and even if you don't get a personalized response from them. After all, Lori here mentions that most of her authors come from cold queries.
I also love that Lori mentioned there is no age restriction on being a debut author. It truly doesn't matter if you're 20, 30, 50, or 70 — ultimately, agents are evaluating the strength of your story, and age is really just a number.
Here's myth number two:
2. “Your agent will drop you if your book doesn't sell.”
Here's what Carly Watters, a senior literary agent and SVP at PS Literary, had to say:
“I have so many stories of writers who don't get published with their first manuscript, or even third. I have a client who I signed based on a great manuscript that didn't sell right away, so she went off and wrote another. We sold that one in a two-book deal to a Big Five publisher. Then we we moved to another publisher to switch genres a bit, and then that original manuscript I signed her on ended up being the second or third book in the new series after we revamped it! So, nothing is ever wasted. You are always on your journey, even if it isn't linear.”
A big fear many debut authors have is that if their book doesn't sell to a publisher immediately, their agent will drop them and their publishing dreams will be dead. We know that it is exceedingly difficult to get a book deal, especially with a Big Five house, but know that your agent is truly on your side, and they believe in you as an author — that's why they signed you to begin with!
So, even if your book ends up dying on submission, that doesn't mean your agent is going to instantly drop you. It very well could find a new life down the line in a future part of your publishing journey, just like in Carly's success story. Your publishing path might not look the way you've thought it would, but your agent is there to help you through it.
3. Agents want manuscripts to be absolutely perfect.
Here's the next myth: that agents want manuscripts to be absolutely perfect. Here's what Lauren Liebow, an agent at Aevitas Creative Management, had to say:
“The projects that really impress me will set up a clear and compelling ‘big picture’ message or higher-level concept — even in the upmarket/commercial fiction spaces — along with well-crafted characters and a timely and moving plot. If you can set up these elements within 20–50 pages and get me to feel personally invested in your characters and their motivations while also showing off your writing style and unique voice in the process, I'll likely want to read more. Even if there are weaknesses elsewhere in the manuscript, I'm eager to work with writers to help them iron out those issues if I find that I believe in the bigger concepts that the book chooses to address.”
While it is in your best interest to make your manuscript as strong as you possibly can prior to querying because the process is so competitive, know that agents do not expect your manuscript to be absolutely perfect and error-free. They very much understand that this is a draft that's still in progress — a draft that is going to go through several more revisions, at a minimum, before it reaches the shelves.
Many agents are editorially inclined and will offer you constructive suggestions on how to strengthen the story. They often want to work with you on revisions prior to submitting the manuscript to editors at publishing houses, so they're not looking for a story that is absolutely perfect in every single way. They're looking for a story that they believe in the potential of, a story that they connect with, and a story that they have a vision for. You're likely never going to feel that your manuscript is perfect, especially prior to querying, so try to detach from this idea of perfection and hopefully that will be freeing.
Want a publishing professional to review your query letter?
4. Agents only want books in trending genres.
The next myth is that agents only want books in trending genres. Here's what Christine Goss, an associate agent at Fine Print Literary, had to say:
“I believe you should write what you want to write. If it is in an oversaturated genre, be sure that you made your story the best it can be. Because at the end of the day, forcing yourself to write something just because it's ‘hot’ will lead to burnout and something that maybe you're not as in love with as you would be if you wrote the story of your heart.”
Any time I see someone suggesting that literary agents and publishers only want to see manuscripts that are in certain trending genres, I cringe a little bit because every single agent I've talked to about this concept of trending genres pushes against it. After all, they know firsthand how slow the publishing industry moves, and anything that's trending now will be null and void by the time your novel gets published.
Agents are aware that trends are fleeting and cyclical, so they're really looking for stories that can withstand the changing winds, the stories that authors truly feel called to. They would much rather you produce a story that you feel personally passionate about than one you wrote just to meet a certain trend.
5. Publishing is a cutthroat business.
The next myth is that publishing is a cutthroat business. Here's what Carleen Geisler, an associate agent at Art House Literary Agency, had to say:
“It's not actually a dog-eat-dog world in here. There's a lot of drama and, yes, a lot of bad that happens in the industry, but the heart of publishing — the core of the workforce — is made up of truly some of the nicest, most supportive people I have ever met. Editors want to work with agents; agents want to support each other! We are truly all rooting for one another. And I promise you that if every editor had the capacity to buy every book, and if every agent had the capacity to sign every client, they would. We are all just a bunch of saps who love books!”
It's true that the querying process is extremely competitive, and getting a book deal with a Big Five publishing house is also extremely competitive. That might give you the impression that the business is cutthroat and malicious, but it really isn't. The business really is just full of bookworms who love reading and talking about books and sharing them with readers. Every single person who works in the industry is extremely passionate about what they do, and my former colleagues are some of the most genuinely caring, supportive, and nice people I've ever met.
A lot of news about the publishing industry that hits the mainstream is negative: mergers, layoffs, AI controversies, author scandals. But the people at the core of the business are truly great.
6. Agents never sign authors from revise and resubmits.
Here's the next myth: agents never sign authors from revise and resubmits. This comes from Jenna Satterthwaite, associate agent at Storm Literary Agency:
“I have signed two of my eight authors after R&Rs, revise and resubmits. So, 1/4 of my clients I actually rejected the first time. Then they made edits, resent, and boom, here we are.”
If you're unfamiliar, a revise and resubmit happens if an agent really enjoys your manuscript but feels that it needs some substantial editorial work before they would feel comfortable presenting it to a publisher, and they would want to see you complete that editorial work before signing you as a client. Some authors who get these requests from agents aren't sure if it's worth going through the revise and resubmit process because agents could still end up rejecting it, even after you've done all of that substantial revision. But, as Jenna says here, she signed 25% of her authors through R&Rs — proving that they do work for some authors and, in these cases, a rejection actually turned into an offer of representation!
All that said, you only should move forward with revise and resubmits if the agent's feedback resonates strongly with you and makes sense for what you want to do with the story. You never want to compromise just to respond to one agent's feedback; make sure it actually makes sense to you.
7. Agents want to change your vision for your story.
Finally, the last myth is a big one: that agents want to change your vision for your story. Here's what Jake Lovell, literary agent at Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency, had to say:
“My favorite clients to work with trust that I am doing my best for them. They are open to suggestions and feedback because they know it is not a criticism, but advice to help their project. I do want to emphasize that they are suggestions and you don't have to change anything. However, trust that they made it to the position they're at because they know books and they know the industry.”
Some authors are hesitant to work with an agent because they worry that going through the traditional publishing process is going to mean compromising the intentions they have for the book. They're afraid that their agent or their editor down the line are going to take their manuscript, hack it up, and turn it into something unrecognizable, something that doesn't align with what they wanted the story to be.
But remember that your agent signed you as a client because they loved your story and they loved your writing, and they truly only want to help you make it better. Your agent is on your team; you're not on opposing sides. And if you ever feel that your agent’s suggestions are pushing you in a direction you don't want to go, just have an open and honest conversation with them. A good agent will hear your concerns and will always honor your vision for the story first and foremost.
I hope debunking these seven myths helped you better understand the industry and how agents work with authors. If you want to get advice from literary agents like these delivered straight to your inbox, make sure to sign up for my newsletter, Chapter Break!
Thanks so much for reading, and happy writing!
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