A literary agent represents writers and their written works to publishers and film producers and supports the sale in addition to contract talks. Literary agents frequently act for authors, screenwriters and sizable non-fiction writers. They are paid a prearranged percentage (ten to twenty percent; fifteen percent is normal) of the monies they sign over on behalf of their clientele.

Writers oftentimes refer to agents for numerous reasons: a number of talked-of, formidable, and profitable publishing houses do not tolerate unagented submissions. A experienced agent knows the business, and can be a source of important profession opinions and guidance. Being a publishable author doesn't automatically make you an technical adviser on modern publishing contracts and methods, especially where television, film, or foreign rights are concerned. Multiple writers think best to have an agent direct such matters. The reasons are varied. Some writers don't want to negotiate or deal with financial discussions.

Literary agencies may possibly range in size from a single agent who looks after maybe several novelists, to a large-scale firm with senior partners, sub-agents in addition to clientele numbering in the hundreds. Most agencies will work at certain genres like new age books, horror novels or medical books. Nearly no agents will represent short stories or poetry.

Any person may call himself/herself an agent in the book world, and can only legally take up to 20% of the customer's fee (15% is the norm).

Legitimate agents as well as agencies in the publishing world are not required to be members of the Association of Authors' Representatives (AAR), then again most are. Competent professional agents virtually always learn their trade while working for another agent, even so some cross over to agenting subsequent to working as editors. It generally takes a long time for novice employees to be converted into sub-agents in addition to buy their own stable of commercially viable writers. They may eventually make a decision to try it on their own and form a new agency, or they may settle down with their old agency to become a more senior employee.

Legitimate agents do not charge reading fees, demand retainers, bill authors for the cost of submissions or other operating fees, or otherwise accept income from any source other than the sales they make on their clients' service. They in addition will not place their clients' manuscript with a vanity press or subsidy press. Both these practices may indicate that the writer is dealing with a fraudulent agent. An added slippery practice entails referring the author to a so-called "professional editor" or "manuscript doctor" who is in collusion with the agent. The resulting edit may or may not be desirable, or of professional quality, and is nearly always overpriced.

A customer typically establishes relationships with an agent through querying, though the two may meet at a writer's conference, through a contest, or in other ways. A query is an unsolicited proposal for representation. Various agents request different parts in a query packet. It typically begins with a query letter that explains the purpose of the manuscript along with any writing qualifications of the author.

If an agent is excited by a work, he/she will request a partial, which is typically a couple of chapters of your work. Often, and traditionally, contracts between agents and clientele are simply verbal; though, an increasing percentage of agents are turning to written contracts to make the deal explicit. Commonly, if you get a rejection letter it will be a form letter.