When to Get a Literary Agent: Are You Ready?
Many authors make the mistake of querying prematurely, which leads to them getting rejected by literary agents and, at worst, feeling so discouraged that they give up on their publishing dreams. Sound familiar?
Here’s a checklist you can follow to determine when to get a literary agent. If you answer “yes” to all of the below, you’re likely ready to query!
HIT PLAY OR READ THE POST BELOW:
1. Is your manuscript complete?
For fiction authors, the first and most important thing you must have before you query is a completed book manuscript. Some writers, knowing that agents can take months to get back to them, try to query with only the first chapters complete to see if agents give them positive feedback before pursuing the story further. This is not a good idea.
You should have the entire manuscript complete before reaching out to any literary agent, because if an agent is interested in your project, the very next step they are going to take is request the full manuscript. You don’t want to end up in the situation where you have to delay sending over that manuscript because the novel isn’t complete. You should strike the iron while it's hot and submit the manuscript as soon as possible.
The only exception to this rule is if you are working on a non-fiction book, as you can query a non-fiction book with just a proposal and sample chapters. But, if you are working on a novel, ensure that you have the complete draft ready before seeking an agent.
2. Have you gotten constructive feedback?
Before you begin querying, it’s smart to get feedback on your story from beta readers, critique partners, or editors. It’s risky to send the very first draft of your book, or a draft only you have read, to an agent. No one writes a perfect book on the first try — not even well-established authors. More often than not, your first draft will contain both structural and grammatical errors that could turn agents off from your story, even if it has a strong premise and potential.
It can be hard and nerve-wracking to share your work with others for critique, but if you're the only one who has read your book, then you don't know how others are going to react to it. There may be glaring plot holes, underdeveloped characters, or an ineffective twist that you’re blind to, since you’re too close to the story to see those problems.
By getting feedback from someone who can give you constructive editorial suggestions, you can solve these problems before an agent ever sees the novel. As a result, you will strengthen both your manuscript and your skills as a writer.
If you don’t have a critique partner, consider working with beta readers or even a professional editor on the manuscript to ensure you're putting your best foot forward. Remember, you only typically get one query per agent, so you want to make sure you are giving it your best shot with the strongest draft you can present.
3. Do you have a polished query letter?
The next must-have before you query literary agents is a polished query letter. Even though you might be anxious to get your queries out as soon as possible, resist the temptation to send your query letter off impulsively. As you did with the manuscript, take some time to revise and refine your query letter.
It’s a good idea to have someone whose editorial instincts you trust look over your query letter, both to catch any grammatical or spelling mistakes and to see if the way you're presenting your book in your letter makes someone want to read it, because that is the entire purpose of the query letter. You want the agent to say, “Oh my gosh, I have to read that. Let me request the full manuscript.” If your query letter isn’t eliciting that reaction, you might want to work on enhancing your pitch.
4. Have you made an agent tracker?
The next thing you need before you start the querying journey is an agent tracker. This can be a spreadsheet you make from scratch or an online tool like QueryTracker where you note every agent that you’ve reached out to, the agency they work at, their querying instructions, the date that you reached out to them, and the resulting response.
While this isn’t a formal must-have, keeping an agent tracker is incredibly useful, since you’re likely going to reach out to dozens of agents before getting representation. Keeping track of who you have sent your materials to will allow you to stay organized in your querying journey.
There are situations in which you may need to follow up with agents, so you’ll want to know how long it's been since you initially queried them. There are also situations where, if an agent offers you representation or asks for a full manuscript, you can go back to other agents who haven't yet responded and mention that your book is being considered by another agent. Your tracker will allow you to see, at a glance, which agents have responded positively to your query, which agents have rejected you, and which agents are still outstanding.
5. Are you ready to face rejection?
Once you have all your physical materials in place, make sure you don’t discount the mental preparation needed to embark on the querying journey successfully. During this process, you are going to get rejected and ghosted. It's unfortunately just how the highly competitive traditional publishing process works. It can be mentally draining to get rejected consistently, but remember that it has happened to nearly every author who has gotten traditionally published.
I always say that finding an agent is like dating, because you are looking for the perfect match between your book and the agent. If you get rejected by an agent, try not to see it as a personal rejection of your skills as a writer. Instead, remember that the sheer number of people interested in getting published means that agents have a lot on their plate and have to be extremely picky with the projects they accept. They will only offer you representation if they are truly ready to commit 100% to your project, which is a good thing, because you want your agent to be enthusiastic about helping you reach your publishing goals.
Before you send your first query, arm yourself with mental fortitude and remember that rejection is a hard but inevitable part of the process.
When to Get a Literary Agent
To summarize, here’s what you need before you’re ready to query literary agents:
A complete manuscript (for fiction), or a proposal and sample chapters (for non-fiction)
Constructive feedback
A polished query letter
An agent tracker
A resilient attitude
If you have checked all of these items off, feel assured that you are likely ready to query literary agents! If you have not, then use this list as a guide for what you need to take the next step in your publishing journey.