Get a Literary Agent Checklist

You’ve finished your book. Congratulations! You’ve already achieved more than most others who say they have a book in them.

Now you might be wondering, “What next?” It’s no secret that you have many options when it comes to getting your book out into the world. For many authors, finding an agent and getting traditionally published is their first option. If it’s your first option, here is a checklist for you to follow to prepare and submit your book to an agent. Trust me on this, following the list below will increase your odds of success in getting an agent.

1. Finish your book. By finish, I don’t just mean you’ve completed your first draft. I mean you’ve revised it, had it critiqued or beta read, and revised again.
2. Edit your book. Ideally, you should hire someone to edit, but short of that, get a paid subscription to one of the online editing tools (Grammarly, ProWriting Aid, Autocrit), and use it to find spelling and grammar errors, overused words, fluff words (that, really, very, pretty, just, etc), adverbs that can be turned into verbs (walked quietly >> tiptoed), cliches, and all the other items that bog down your writing.
3. Determine the genre of your book. Just because a book has a romantic couple, doesn’t make it a romance. A murder doesn’t make it a mystery. Knowing your genre is key to finding the right agent. I can’t tell you how many books pitched to me as a romance that aren’t a romance. Note that you don’t just want your overarching genre (e.g. romance, mystery, sci-fi, horror, etc). You want to identify the subcategory(s) your book fits into as well. For example, if your book is a romance, is it contemporary or historical? Does it have vampires (paranormal) or magic (fantasy)? Is it for readers under 18 years old (young adult) or specifically for readers who are 18 to 26 years old (new adult)? Same for mystery. Is it cozy or noir or police procedural or private eye? All the major genres have subcategories. And if you’re book doesn’t fit a genre, look for the categories in literary fiction (women’s fiction, suspense, coming of age, etc).
4. Prepare your book for submission. While there is no set standard for submission to agents, in general, for fiction you’re going to need a synopsis that tells the WHOLE story, three chapters, and a query letter. Your synopsis is single spaced, Times New Roman 12pt, written in third person present tense (even if the book is first person and/or past tense). Your manuscript should be double-spaced, Times New Roman 12 pt. with page breaks for chapters. For your query, you’ll want to write an intriguing blurb (description of your book). A tagline to hook the agent wouldn’t hurt either. The query will also be where you give the agent the word count of your book, so you’ll want to check that your word count fits your genre. Note: Don’t tell the agent that your book is the greatest book ever written, or that no book like it has ever been written, or anything else that smacks of conceit. Let your writing prove your most excellent storytelling gift. In other words, show don’t tell your writing greatness.
5. Research agents who represent your genre AND subgenre of book. Agents will list what they represent on agency or agent websites, agent books resources, and agent databases. If you find an agent in a resource, go to the agent’s website to verify they’re still agenting and still accepting the same types of books (sometimes agents change what they represent). Be honest about your book. Trying to squeak your book in as a romance when it doesn’t meet the criteria wastes your and the agent’s time, not to mention the ouch that comes from getting a rejection. Visit Manuscript Wish List at which agents who are actively seeking books will tell you what they want. You can also get a subscription to Publisher’s Marketplace to find out what agents are currently making sales and to whom in your genre.
6. READ THE AGENT’S GUIDELINES. I hate to yell like that, but I’m shocked at how many submissions I receive in which the writer didn’t bother to read my guidelines. While I told you that in general you’ll need a synopsis, three chapters, and a query, guidelines can vary. Some agents will want the full manuscript upon submission. Others just want the synopsis and no chapters. Whatever the agent says to do for submission, that’s what you need to do. There are reasons why agents request the information they want, including the format they want to receive it. Failing to follow the guidelines tells the agent you don’t care about rules or don’t know how to follow them. Getting a book sold and published is a long process involving many tasks on your end. Most agents will think twice about working with someone who doesn’t bother to do what they’re told as it will make their job harder.
7. Submit and wait. Most agents try to respond in a reasonable amount of time (2 weeks to 2 months), but it will always seem like a long time for you. The best way to wait is to write your next book. In terms of follow up, wait until the response period has passed (if the agent says they respond in 3 weeks, follow up in 4 weeks). Your email should be professional. Ask if the agent received the manuscript and if they have a time frame for responding. Don’t be demanding or terse.

Bonus: If you receive rejections, keep submitting. Agents reject books all that time that are good, but for whatever reason aren’t good for them. If you’ve been at it for a bit and are still getting rejections, go through the checklist again to see where you can improve. Can you beef up the book? Improve your synopsis? etc.