What should you do before you approach a literary agent?

Before you approach an agent to represent you, make sure that your manuscript is ready for prime time. It should be professionally edited and formatted. Your query letter should be free of typos because it acts as an advertisement for your writing ability.

When should I approach a literary agent?

The only time you would need a literary agent as a self-published author is if you sold a lot of copies in the English language, and you needed an agent’s help with foreign language sales, audio sales, film/TV rights, and the rest. You are writing poetry or flash fiction or other non-commercial art forms.

Do I need an editor before an agent?

You don’t need to hire an editor before submitting to agents and publishers. Because many of the editorial stages would be provided for you in traditional publishing, you don’t need to hire an independent editor before you send your work out.

Is it hard to find a literary agent?

The Chances of Getting a Literary Agent Your odds of getting a literary agent are 1 in 6,000. That does NOT mean 1 out of every 6,000 authors who try to get an agent will make it, and the other 5,999 will fail. If a literary agent only offers to represent 6 new writers per year, that’s one every two months.

Do you have to meet your literary agent?

So no, it’s not automatic or completely necessary, but does often happen. Perhaps you could meet at a writers’ conference – that happens plenty. What is more common – is a meeting between publisher, agent and writer when a book contract is in place.

Should you get your book edited before sending it to an agent?

The short answer is – whether or not a writer hires an editor, I do think a manuscript should be 100\% complete and ready before querying. Some writers don’t need an editor in order to get their manuscript to submissions level. Other writers need or want that editor before submitting. Either way – it’s up to you.