How to get a literary agent – 7 steps to success

Reading Time: 9 minutes Do you dream of being a published author? Want to see your book on the shelves of your local bookshop, have your work read by legions of appreciative fans, and be fêted at literary festivals? For such dreams to come true, first you need land a publishing deal. And, before that, be taken on by a literary agent. Here’s how to go about it.

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How does a literary agency sell its authors?

Reading Time: 7 minutes How does a literary agency sell its authors? Bestselling agent Andrew Lownie says there are three elements to selling books to publishers: 1) an agency needs to have saleable books in the first place; 2) the proposals need to be the best they can be; and 3) one needs to know the right editors to approach and not give up too easily.

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How to write a winning book proposal

Reading Time: 5 minutes How to write a book proposal and what exactly it needs to include are two of the questions I am asked most frequently as a literary agent – and not just by new writers. Even seasoned authors and experienced journalists may not have written a book proposal previously. In any book submission process the competition will be immense and the turndown rate high, so it is worth taking the time to get a proposal right. But what does that mean?

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