To get a literary agent, finish and polish your manuscript, research agents who represent your genre, and send each one a tailored query letter, plus any sample pages or synopsis they ask for, following their guidelines exactly. Track every submission, query in small batches, and revise if the responses show a pattern. Legitimate agents earn a commission on the sales they make for you; they don’t charge reading fees.

This guide includes a few product links near the end. As an Amazon Associate, Freyja Publishing earns from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.

This guide walks through the full process step by step: what an agent does, whether you need one, how to find and vet agents in the US, UK and Australia, how to write a query letter (with an original sample), the red flags that signal a scam, and an honest comparison with self-publishing.

• Fiction needs a finished, revised manuscript before you query. Non-fiction is usually sold on a proposal.
• Query only agents who represent your genre and are currently open to submissions.
• A query letter fits on one page: hook, short pitch, comparable titles, word count and genre, brief bio.
• Reputable agents are paid by commission. Writer Beware says domestic commission should not exceed 15%. Walk away from reading fees.
• Self-publishing is a valid alternative, not a consolation prize, and the money works differently.

At a glance

• Finish and polish your manuscript, then query agents who represent your genre and are open to submissions.
• Send each agent a tailored one-page query letter and exactly the materials their guidelines ask for.
• Query in small batches, track every submission, and revise if responses show a pattern.
• Legitimate agents earn commission, which Writer Beware says should not exceed 15% for domestic sales.
• Walk away from reading fees, guaranteed publication and agents with no verifiable sales.
• Self-publishing is a valid alternative, with more control and speed but upfront costs for editing and covers.

What a literary agent does, and how they are paid

A literary agent represents authors to publishers. A good agent:

• helps you prepare the manuscript or proposal for submission
• pitches it to editors at publishing houses that suit it
• negotiates the advance, royalties and contract terms
• manages rights such as translation, audio and film, often with partner agents abroad
• checks royalty statements and chases payments
• advises on your career over several books

Agents are paid a percentage of what you earn from the deals they make. According to Writer Beware, the scam-watch project of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA), domestic commission should not exceed 15%, while foreign or co-agented sales typically carry 20% to 30%, because a second agent in another country shares the work. Writer Beware treats domestic rates of 18 to 20% or more as a warning sign. An agent’s income should come from commission on sales, not from fees charged to clients.

The contracts an agent negotiates decide who controls each right in your book, so it’s worth learning the basics; see understand the rights in an agency or publishing contract.

Do you need an agent?

• Large traditional publishers: most of the biggest publishing houses mainly acquire books through agents.
• Smaller and independent presses: many accept submissions directly from authors, though some only at set times.
• Children’s books: many children’s authors are agented, but some children’s publishers also accept direct submissions. Check each publisher’s guidelines.
• Non-fiction: usually sold on a book proposal (overview, market, author platform, outline and sample chapters) rather than a finished manuscript. Agents look closely at your platform here; see the author platform agents look for.
• Self-publishing: you don’t need an agent at all, although some successful self-published authors later sign with agents for translation, audio or print deals.

Step 1: Get the manuscript ready

For fiction, agents expect a complete, revised manuscript. Before you query:

1. Finish the draft.
2. Revise it in passes: structure, scenes, then line by line.
3. Get feedback from beta readers who read your genre.
4. Consider a professional edit if your budget allows; it isn’t required, but the manuscript must be clean. The guide to getting the manuscript edit-ready before querying explains the options.
5. Check your word count against the norms for your genre. The UK writing guide Writers & Artists suggests debut adult novels stay around 100,000 words where possible.

Step 2: Research agents

Where to find agents

• Agency websites: each agent’s page usually lists what they represent and how to submit.
• Acknowledgements pages: authors often thank their agent in books similar to yours.
• Professional associations: the Association of American Literary Agents (AALA) in the US, the Association of Authors’ Agents in the UK and the Australian Literary Agents’ Association (ALAA) all publish member information.
• Databases and trade news: QueryTracker lists agents and lets writers comment on their experiences; Publishers Marketplace and Publishers Weekly report deals.

How to vet an agent

Writer Beware recommends checking that an agent has a verifiable record of sales to publishers that pay advances, and being wary when an agent describes their sales as “confidential”. Use this checklist:

1. Does the agency website list recent sales, with titles and publishers you can confirm?
2. Are those publishers ones that pay advances, rather than charging authors?
3. Do the deals show up in Publishers Marketplace or Publishers Weekly?
4. Is the agent a member of a professional association? (Membership helps, but Writer Beware notes it isn’t a guarantee of quality.)
5. If the agent is new, do they have a real publishing background, such as years at an established agency or publisher?
6. Are the submission guidelines clear, and is there no fee anywhere in the process?

Step 3: Write your query letter

Query letter anatomy

Part	What it does	Length	Common mistake
Personalisation line	Shows why you chose this agent	One sentence	Generic flattery, or the wrong name
Hook	Grabs attention with the core situation	One or two sentences	A rhetorical question or a cliché
Pitch paragraph	Main character, goal, obstacle, stakes	One to two short paragraphs	Summarising the whole plot, or giving away the ending
Comparable titles	Shows where the book sits in the market	One sentence, two titles	Comparing yourself to all-time megasellers or very old books
Word count and genre	Tells the agent it fits their list	One line	A word count far outside the genre’s range
Bio	Relevant credentials or experience	One to three sentences	Life story, or apologising for having no credits
Sign-off	Thanks and polite close	One line	Pressuring for a fast reply

Sample query letter (for an invented novel)

Dear [Agent name],

I’m querying you because your agency page mentions a love of small-town mysteries with heart, and I hope THE TIDE TABLE might suit your list.

Harbourmaster’s daughter Nell Avery has spent twelve years avoiding the island she grew up on. When her father’s boat is found drifting with nobody aboard, she goes home to settle his affairs and finds his tide tables full of handwritten dates that don’t match any tide. As Nell follows the dates, she uncovers a decades-old promise between her father and the island’s most powerful family, and realises someone will do almost anything to keep it secret. To find the truth, Nell must trust the one person she left behind, before the next date on the list arrives.

THE TIDE TABLE is a 92,000-word mystery that will appeal to readers of atmospheric coastal crime and family secrets. [Two recent comparable titles go here.]

I live on the coast and work in marine conservation. This is my first novel.

Thank you for your time and consideration. As requested, I’ve pasted the first ten pages below.

Best wishes,

[Your name]

Notice what it leaves out: the ending, minor characters, backstory and any claim that the book will be a bestseller. If you write under a pen name, the guide to querying under a pen name explains how and when to tell an agent.

Step 4: Prepare your synopsis and sample pages

Many agents ask for a synopsis: a summary of the whole story, including the ending, usually one to two pages. Write it in present tense, focus on the main character’s journey and turning points, and leave out subplots that don’t affect the ending. Sample pages are normally the opening of the manuscript, not your favourite later chapter. Format everything exactly as each agent asks, whether that’s pasted into an email or attached as a file.

Step 5: Query in batches and track everything

Sending to every agent at once means you can’t learn from early responses. A common approach is to send a small batch, wait to see whether you get requests, and revise your query or opening pages before the next batch if nothing comes back. A simple tracker keeps it organised:

Agent	Agency	Genre fit	What they asked for	Date sent	Response	Their stated response policy	Notes
Agent A	Agency 1	Mystery, book-club fiction	Query + 10 pages	Date	Pending	No reply means no	Liked a recent coastal title
Agent B	Agency 2	Crime, suspense	Query + synopsis + 3 chapters	Date	Full request	Replies to all	Send full manuscript within a week

Response times and follow-up rules vary from agent to agent, and many state them on their submission page. Follow what each agent says rather than a general rule.

Step 6: Handle requests, rejections and offers

• Requests: if an agent asks for a partial or full manuscript, send exactly what they asked for, promptly.
• Rejections: they are normal, often form letters, and don’t always reflect the quality of the book. Patterns matter more than any single reply.
• Offers: an offer usually comes with a call. Before you accept, ask questions such as: What changes would you want before submission? Which editors or publishers would you send it to? How do you communicate with clients? What happens if the book doesn’t sell? What does your agency agreement say about commission, terms and ending the relationship?
• Other agents: if you get an offer, it’s common courtesy to let other agents who have your manuscript know, and give them a short time to respond.

Literary agents in the UK and Australia

UK: the UK has a large agenting sector, and many British agents are members of the Association of Authors’ Agents. Writers & Artists, which publishes the Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook, is a long-standing UK resource for agent listings and submission advice.

Australia: Australia has a much smaller pool of agents than the US or UK, so open submission windows matter. Writers Victoria points writers to the Australian Literary Agents’ Association member list and notes that ALAA members don’t charge for editorial advice once a manuscript is accepted. Some Australian publishers accept unagented manuscripts directly: Allen & Unwin, for example, has long run a weekly submission window called The Friday Pitch. Check each publisher’s website for whether a window is currently open and what it accepts.

Wherever you live, you can query agents in other countries, but check that they take international submissions and represent books for their own market.

Literary agent scams: red flags

Red flag	Why it matters	What a legitimate agent does instead
Reading or evaluation fee	The AALA Canon of Ethics prohibits reading fees; Writer Beware calls them a warning sign	Reads queries for free and earns only from commission
Pressure to buy editing from a linked service	The “agent” may own the service or take a referral fee	Gives editorial feedback as part of representation, or suggests independent options without pressure
Guaranteed publication	No agent can guarantee a sale	Explains their submission plan honestly
No verifiable sales	Sales described as “confidential” can’t be checked	Lists real recent deals with advance-paying publishers
Unsolicited approach promising a deal	Writer Beware notes a real agent is unlikely to contact you out of the blue	Responds to your query, or approaches you after seeing your published work through normal channels
Vague or missing contract terms	You can’t see what you’re agreeing to	Provides a clear written agency agreement
Any required fee or purchase with an offer	Writer Beware says there should never be one	Recovers only agreed costs from your earnings, if any

In the US, the AALA updated its Canon of Ethics with effect from 1 September 2026. Writer Beware’s summary of the changes says reading fees remain banned, and members may not steer authors who have only queried them towards paid services. Check any agent who asks you for money, wherever they are based.

Agent or self-publish? An honest comparison

Neither path is automatically better. They suit different books, goals and temperaments.

Factor	With an agent (traditional)	Self-publishing (for example, KDP)
Upfront cost to the author	None, from a legitimate agent and publisher	You pay for editing, cover and formatting
Who pays for editing and cover	The publisher	You
Creative control	Shared; the publisher has final say on many things	Yours
Time to market	Querying, submission and production can take a long time	As fast as you can prepare the book
How you earn	Advance and royalties under your contract, less the agent’s commission	Platform royalties on each sale
Ebook royalty terms	Set by the publishing contract	KDP’s 70% option covers Amazon.com list prices from US$2.99 to US$12.99 (since 7 July 2026); delivery costs, territory and pricing conditions apply
Pre-orders	Scheduled by the publisher	KDP ebook pre-orders created on or after 2 September 2026 can be set up to 18 months ahead
Rights	Licensed to the publisher as set out in the contract	You keep them, subject to platform terms
Bookshop distribution	Usually stronger through the publisher’s sales team	Possible but harder; mostly online
Suits you if…	you want a publisher’s team, bookshop reach and no upfront costs, and can wait	you want control and speed, and are willing to run the business side

A higher royalty rate doesn’t automatically mean higher income; sales volume, pricing and marketing matter more. For a realistic picture, read realistic KDP income expectations, what self-publishing costs upfront and weighing self-publishing honestly. If you choose that route, the self-publishing route step by step sets out the process.

Before you hit send: a checklist

1. The agent represents your genre and age category.
2. They are currently open to queries.
3. Their name is spelt correctly, and it’s the right agent at the agency.
4. You’ve followed their guidelines exactly (attachments or pasted pages, number of pages, synopsis or not).
5. Your word count and genre are stated.
6. Your comparable titles are recent and realistic.
7. Your synopsis is ready if they ask for one.
8. Your tracker is updated.

Common mistakes

• Querying before the manuscript is finished or revised. You may only get one chance with each agent for this book.
• Mass emails to many agents at once. Send individual, personalised queries.
• Ignoring submission guidelines. Agents often reject queries that don’t follow them.
• A word count far outside the genre’s range. It signals the manuscript needs work.
• Comparing your book to all-time megasellers. Choose recent, realistic comparisons.
• Paying a fee to be read. Legitimate agents don’t charge one.
• Re-querying the same agent with the same book without an invitation.
• Giving up after a small first batch. Revise, then try the next batch.

Agents read the opening pages first, so it is worth checking your point of view and prologue choices before you query.

Sources this guide draws on: Writer Beware (Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association) guidance on literary agents and its July 2026 summary of the AALA Canon of Ethics changes; the Association of American Literary Agents’ Canon of Ethics; Writers Victoria on finding an Australian agent and the Australian Literary Agents’ Association; Writers & Artists on novel length; Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing help pages on ebook list price requirements, royalties and pre-orders (checked October 2026). The sample query letter is original to this guide and describes an invented novel.

Frequently asked questions

Do literary agents charge fees?

Legitimate agents don’t charge reading fees or upfront fees. They earn a commission on the deals they make for you. The AALA Canon of Ethics prohibits reading fees, and Writer Beware says there should never be a required fee or purchase linked to an offer of representation.

How long does it take to get a literary agent?

There is no standard timeline. It depends on your genre, the market, how many agents you query and how long each takes to reply, and many agents state their own response times. Some writers sign quickly; many query for months or query more than one book before signing.

Can you get a publisher without an agent?

Yes. Many smaller and independent publishers accept submissions directly, and some larger publishers run open submission windows. In Australia, for example, Allen & Unwin has long run The Friday Pitch. The largest publishing houses mainly acquire books through agents.

Do you need a literary agent for a children’s book?

Not always. Many children’s authors are agented, especially for submissions to the largest publishers, but some children’s publishers accept direct submissions. Check each publisher’s guidelines, and don’t pay a company to publish your children’s book without researching it first.

How many agents should I query at once?

There is no fixed number. A common approach is a small first batch, enough to learn whether your query and opening pages are working, followed by further batches after any revisions. Querying everyone at once means you can’t adjust based on early responses.

What percentage does a literary agent take?

According to Writer Beware, domestic commission should not exceed 15%. Foreign or co-agented sales usually carry a higher rate, typically 20% to 30%, because a second agent shares the work. Check the exact terms in any agency agreement before you sign.

Querying is a numbers-and-fit process. Prepare the book well, vet every agent carefully, track everything, and choose the path, agent or self-publishing, that fits your book and your goals.