In this literary agent submission process overview, we are going to look at what authors need to do to get themselves noticed by an agent.

We're going to look at sending initial queries, preparing your manuscript, and literary agent submission timelines.

Literary Agent Submissions

Getting a book published through traditional means is significantly easier when you are represented by a literary agent. There are several reasons for this, which include:

• Agents have contacts within the publishing industry.
• Being represented by a literary agent gives you more authority as an author.
• Publishing companies come to literary agents with projects they want written, which the agent will then offer to clients.

It's also helpful to have an agent in your publishing team, as they can review and negotiate your contracts and allow you to focus on your writing.

Just like getting published by a traditional publisher is a difficult challenge, getting representation by an agent is not easy. The literary publishing world is competitive, with agents flooded with applications.

When it comes to querying literary agents, it's important to keep in mind they are busy people. There are more authors out there looking for representation than literary agents can take on as clients. So you need to be well prepared and follow the correct contact and manuscript submission steps in a timely, professional manner.

Literary agent submissions have to be done in a certain way in a professional manner.

Submission Process Overview

Let's divide the submission process overview into two stages:

• Querying
• Manuscript submission

Querying literary agents is your initial contact. You are basically reaching out to see if they will let you submit your manuscript for review. The hope is that they will say yes, and you can show them your work.

For these two major stages, it's crucial that you are well-prepared and correspond professionally.

Querying Literary Agents

The initial query is usually a letter or an email you send the literary agent. You may have met the agent or spoken to them before, but this is your first formal contact with them.

Before sending out queries, it's important to do your research. Do some digging into literary agents who represent authors of your genre. When putting together the letter or email, it is wise to ask a fellow author to review it before sending it.

Here are some crucial things you need in your correspondence:

• Correct grammar and spelling
• A professional tone
• Correct layout

It is also really important that your letter is addressed to the correct person. Find out the name and title of the person you are sending your query to.

In the body of the letter, you need to:

• Introduce yourself
• Tell them your author's brand
• Confidently pitch your book (think elevator pitch)
• Provide contact information
• Ask if you can send your manuscript

Always thank the literary agent for their time and sign off formally.

Manuscript Submission Steps

In terms of literary agent submissions, you should start preparing early. So don't leave it until the last minute to prepare and polish your manuscript.

First things first, your manuscript needs to be edited to a high standard. That means there are no spelling or grammatical errors. Good editing is an art that has to be done right in order to get your manuscript accepted. AI tools can be helpful for basic editing suggestions, but a professional editor is a good way to go. While AI tools are a great assistant, they shouldn't be relied on too heavily for pure content generation, as it's important to note that if your content is AI-generated, it cannot be copyrighted. It is worth using a tool like Dibbly Create to guide your editing process with suggestions while also getting a human editor on board to help you edit professionally.

Another important aspect of preparing your manuscript is the formatting. Your manuscript needs to be formatted correctly in terms of page numbers, the title page, and the margins of pages. Literary agents will have guidelines for these.

Don't wait to get a response from a literary agent to prepare your manuscript; you can do this while you are researching literary agents.

Agent Submission Timelines

So, when exactly should you get in touch with a literary agent? For a professional agent, some times of the year are busier than others. It's best to refrain from sending a query to the literary agent during busy times like the holidays. Agents are swamped around that time of year and simply won't be able to take on new clients or respond. It's often around times like early in the year after a busy holiday period that literary agents are taking on new clients.

Be mindful of the literary agent's schedule and when they are less busy, although there will never be a time when they are completely free. It's best to prepare your query letter and manuscript during the busy publishing times so you can be ready to go in late January or early February when agents are looking for potential clients. That doesn't mean that you can't be networking and researching agents throughout the year; it's just that in order to get a response, you're better off corresponding when things have calmed down a little bit. The holidays are the busiest time for publishing, so there's no point getting in touch then.

If your query letter gets a positive response, be sure to submit your manuscript in a timely fashion. Really, once the agent grants you permission to send your manuscript, unless they specifically tell you to wait, you want to send your polished manuscript ASAP. This is why it is crucial to be prepared in advance.

If a literary agent offers you a meeting, it's crucial you respect their time. You need to be flexible with their schedule and show up on time for the meeting. As we have learned throughout this article, being professional is crucial to this process.

In Summary

The key takeaway from this literary agent submission process overview is that it is vital for authors to be prepared and professional throughout the process. Take the time to put in the work before sending off your correspondence. And remember to be conscious of the agent submission timelines and the query letter and manuscript submission steps.