Five Assumptions About Literary Agents That Aren't True

In today’s blog post, Emma explores five assumptions that she’s encountered in her years in literary agenting (and as a writer) that she doesn’t think are true.

1)    We’re gatekeepers rather than conduits

Some authors view literary agents as people who want to block writers from having access to editors and this is far from the case. Agents tend to see their role as the people who find the literary talent, polish the submission, connect the author to the right editor, and then see the book through the publication process. It’s somewhere between a guide, an advocate, a project manager and a salesperson.

2)    All we do is read all day

While some of us probably wish that this were case, being a literary agent is a busy job that involves much more than reading. At Mushens Entertainment, the agents usually spend some of their workday reading client manuscripts and prospective submissions, but these activities are always slotted around many other tasks, from meetings with clients, editors, and scouts, to reviewing contracts, to chasing key stages in the publication process.

3)    We’re all about the money

It is true that literary agencies operate as a business, but ideas about literary agents being trolls sitting on pots of gold are far from the truth! Most people get into the publishing industry because they truly love books and want to see the talent that they think is the best into the hands of readers. Ultimately, literary agents take a commission on the earnings of their authors, so the majority of the money goes to the writers. 

4)   We enjoy saying no to authors

Saying no to submissions is one of the more unpleasant parts of our roles and it’s certainly not something that we relish. Every time we read a manuscript, we genuinely always want it to be an incredible book that we love and that we also think we could sell to an editor. We have a limited amount of time to spend on submissions because we need to prioritise our current list of authors, so we have to say no to all but a few of the submissions that the best fit for us.

5)     We call all the shots in the agent/author relationship

Ultimately, the ideal agent/writer partnership is a creative and business collaboration. In the beginning, writers are ‘courted’ by agents who want to sign them. Then, agents will work on getting the manuscript ready for submission usually through several rounds of edits, giving the author notes on what they think will make their novel ‘work,’ or make it more sellable. Edits do not have to be applied and there should always be a discussion and open dialogue around changes. This also the case once the book is submitted and (hopefully) deals are on the table. The author is the person entering into the contract with the publishing house and it is ultimately their choice who they decide to select.