Before I get to this field guide to the rare and colorful species Literarius Agentia, known popularly as “literary agents,” allow me first to address some of the yelps that tend to arise whenever I start spelling out some of the customs and norms of the publishing industry.
- No one is going to reject you solely because of a mild faux pas.
Don’t let these guides to etiquette result in crippling paranoia. Try to get things right, do your best to know what’s customary, but don’t sweat it too much. If you’re generally ethical, well-intentioned, and diligent, you’ll be fine.
These aren’t hard and fast rules, just what is customary from one veteran’s perspective.
- It increases your odds to know the customs of the business and act professionally.
Think of a literary agent like a venture capitalist and you’re pitching a business plan. You’re asking someone to invest their time and money in your book in the hopes that it’s an eventual success. (Remember: the agent doesn’t get paid until you get paid).
Would you honestly go into a pitch meeting with a V.C. with no idea whatsoever how those normally work and a shoddy business plan? (Well. Maybe you would. But don’t.)
All about literary agent etiquette
In this post I’ll cover:
- Following submission guidelines
- Querying multiple agents at the same agency
- When to tell an agent about different nubby situations
- When to call agents or drop in
- What to do if an agent asks for an “exclusive”
- What to do if an agent wants to work with you on an edit without offering representation
- When to follow up with agents
- When you can re-query an agent
- How to handle an offer of representation
I also offer online classes with exclusive resources on finding and working with literary agents that you can take at your leisure. They will help you every step of the way!
And if you need personalized help, I can help edit your query letter or you can book a consultation to ask questions.
UPDATED 5/25/22
Follow submission guidelines
No matter what you see in this post or elsewhere around the Internet, an agent’s submission guidelines trump everything.
As you’re researching literary agents, make a note of how they want to be queried and then…just do that.
Seriously. Follow them.
And as you’re corresponding with agents and other publishing professionals: practice good email etiquette.
For more general advice on how to submit to agents, check out:
- How to write a query letter
- How to personalize a query letter
- The best strategy for sending query letters
Can you query multiple agents at the same agency?
Unless otherwise specified in the submission guidelines, it’s fine to query different agents at the same agency, provided they represent your genre.
However, in order to avoid conflicts, I’d highly recommend only querying one agent at a particular agency at a given time, and waiting a bit after receiving a rejection before trying another agent. Sometimes agents share assistants who do the first pass reading queries, and it’s best if they’re not seeing the query again first thing after they just sent a rejection.
When to tell a literary agent about…
When you’re writing a query letter, it can be tricky to know when the appropriate time might be to discuss manuscripts in the drawer, other offers, your absolutely true alien encounters.
Here’s a rough guide:
- You had a previous agent – I’d mention this in the query — it shows that someone had invested in your work, even if it didn’t work out for whatever reason.
- You’re writing under a pen name – Query as your real name, but feel free to mention the pen name if you want to.
- Editor(s) at a publisher are considering your manuscript – Mention this in the query.
- You received a manuscript request from another agent – No need to mention this to the other agents.
- You are previously published or self-published – Mention this in the query.
- Your age – If you’re under 18, mention this in the query. Otherwise no need to mention.
- Your other book projects – Wait until you receive an offer of representation, then discuss how the agent would like to approach those.
While we’re at it, here’s a list of things you don’t need to include in a query.
A good rule of thumb for anything I didn’t cover above: If the information is relevant to the particular project you’re querying about, mention it in the query. If it’s a general question about your career, wait until the agent is interested.
When should you cold call a literary agent or swing by to drop off an unsolicited submission?
What to do if an agent asks you for an “exclusive”
Check out this post for how to handle literary agent “exclusives:”
What to do if an agent wants to work with you on an edit without offering representation
Check out this post for more information about how to navigate the process if an agent wants to work with you on an edit:
When to follow up with literary agents
Check out this guide to agent follow-ups:
Can you re-query a literary agent?
There are times when it’s fine to re-query an agent, other times when it could annoy them. Opinions vary greatly on this, but here are my recommendations:
If the agent passed on your query: Do not re-query with the same project, even if you end up revising your query and/or manuscript. The agent has made their decision.
If the agent passed on your partial or full: If the agent specifically asked for revisions they are expecting they will hear from you again. If they didn’t specifically ask for revisions, most agents will be open to hearing from you again about the same project if they provided specific advice and you took said advice. Whether they will ask to see the revised manuscript again is decided on a case by case basis.
Querying an agent who previously passed on your work with a NEW project: If the agent previously passed your query for a previous project, especially if it was a form rejection, I wouldn’t mention the previous query. If the agent requested a partial or full but ultimately passed, definitely mention this to them when you query for your new project.
But whatever you do, wait a month or two after receiving a rejection from an agent before querying them with a new project. There’s really nothing worse than passing on a project and then getting an immediate e-mail back about a different one. If they just passed on one work, are they really going to be predisposed to saying yes to the one that comes five minutes later?
Don’t ask an agent who passed on your work you for referrals: And whatever you do, do not e-mail an agent back and ask them to refer you to someone else or ask for query tips. If your query wasn’t quite right for them but they can think of someone else, they’re going to refer your query anyway. And no agent I know has time for personalized query tips.
How to handle an offer of representation
Check out this guide to handling an offer of representation:
Did I miss anything? Disagree with a custom? Let me know in the comments.
Need help with your book? I’m available for manuscript edits, query critiques, and coaching!
For my best advice, check out my online classes, my guide to writing a novel and my guide to publishing a book.
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Art: Gesellschaftsszene by Hieronymus Francken the Younger
Interesting… I was told to omit any mention of prior representation and self-published books in my query, so this is good info.
Thank you
I just came from watching the NaNoWriMo live chat you were just on and I was wondering about when I could exactly resend a query letter to an agent. I know not to within a week or two, but would the time frame be about one month, or two, or maybe even three months?
Thanks for tuning into the webcast!
For the same agent, I’d recommend waiting at least a year or so, and the project should have been substantially revised.
For a different agent at the same agency, I’d recommend waiting a month after the rejection.
Thank you!
This blog is really helpful! I’ve been searching through the website to see if the answer to one of my really picky questions is in here, but I haven’t found it yet. It’s probably not too important to whether you’ll be rejected or not, but if the submission guidelines asks for the first ten pages and it’s double spaced, do you send the first twenty?
They assume it’s going to be double spaced so ten pages is ten pages double-spaced.
Thank you!
How would you handle querying multiple agents, on different days, with customized query letters, at an agency with only one submission email address? Thanks so much for this post and for all others that have kept me sane throughout this process!
I cover this in “Can you query multiple agents at the same agency?”
But if it’s the same e-mail address look carefully at the submission guidelines, they may just want you to send one query to the whole agency and they’ll sort out who it’s best for.
Yes, I was wondering if it were proper etiquette to send multiple letters or to send just one to the entire agency, without catering to a specific agent’s taste or background. Thank you for the clarification!
Hi Nathan. I just started subscribing and find your newsletter really helpful on the etiquette and general approach to this whole process. I had a personal connection with an agent who read and passed on my novel, with a gracious rejection; I have in mind another agent at the same agency. There’s NOTHING on the agency website about trying a 2nd agent at same agency, and I’ve waited a month as you suggest – but here’s my question. One colleague has suggested that I mention in my query to agent #2 that #1 at same agency “saw and passed.” Others feel this is unnecessary and why add a negative? I know from Publishers Marketplace that #1 and #2 have acquired together in past, so it’s possible (but hardly probable) that #2 knows already that #1 saw it. They’re hardly sitting around talking about me. I’m inclined to leave it out but want to be transparent, too. Would you mention earlier agent or not? thanks.
Yeah, I don’t think there are hard and fast rules around this but I’d leave it out. I don’t think you want to predispose the second agent.
Thanks!
Thank you. Since I started trying to make this crazy dream thing happen, Back in 2009, your blog has been my constant resource. Just got an offer this week and it’s nice to know you’re still passing out amazing knowledge like this.
That’s amazing, congrats!!! So great to hear.
I recently queried an agent for a children’s fiction manuscript, submitting the first few chapters as per her guidelines. (This is my first query to an agent). Two publishers had already asked for the full manuscript, but I did not think to include this in my query, as it looks like I should have. The agent has not replied yet, and one publisher just offered me a contract. I am not sure how to handle this, as I am really interested in this agent but also in publishing my book, obviously. Any advice would be much appreciated, thank you!
Congrats! Update the agent and tell them you received an offer from a publisher. Also, I’d recommend telling the publisher you are in the process of looking for an agent.
Thank you, Nathan!
Thank you for your blog on regards to query letter etiquette. My question is; I ended up amicably separating with my agent of two years. Do I mention her name in my query letter or just wait for an agent to ask? I keep worrying that agents will see it as a bad thing that we separated though it wasn’t for bad reasons. How likely do agents like to see things like this? I’m also querying in a different genre that what my former agent represented.
Thank you.
That’s in the post!
“You had a previous agent – I’d mention this in the query — it shows that someone had invested in your work, even if it didn’t work out for whatever reason.”
Is it okay/cool/good practice to say their name or do you just say “my previous agent” instead?
Yeah, it’s okay/cool/good practice to say the name.
Hi Nathan,
Thanks. My original novel got rejected by an agent last year. In the meantime, I have completely revised the novel. It has the same story basically but a different title. My question is if I query the same agent, should I mention that the rejection and that now, I have completely revised the novel or should I just leave that alone? Thanks
Thanks for all this information! After querying several agents about a nonfiction book two agents were interested and read a first draft of the proposal. The authors talked with each agent and each agent provided some general feedback and said they would be willing to read a revised proposal. My question is: when sending the revised proposal should we mention that we are sending a revised proposal to another agent? Neither has made any promises. Thanks for you help!
Sure, you can mention it.
After an agent requests the first 50/60 pages, reads them and requests the whole manuscript is it bad to tell them I’m still working on rewrites and would like more time before sending the whole manuscript out? Should I always have the whole manuscript done and ready to submit? Thanks for your help.
https://nathanbransford.com/blog/2009/02/can-you-query-if-you-are-unpublished/
Hi Nathan, I hope you haven’t answered this question elsewhere but please let me know if you have!
An agent has had a full manuscript of mine for over six months, and I’m almost ready to query a new novel. (I’ve followed up with that agent and confirmed they still want to read it.) Is it bad practice to start querying new agents when one agent has my full manuscript of a different book?
Thanks!!
Huh, good question. I’m honestly not sure. I would probably start with the new agent who is considering your current project or hold tight for a bit. At the same time, I can understand not wanting to be on hold forever.
I don’t think there are right or wrong answers on this one, just trust your instincts on how to approach it.
Thanks so much! Yeah, it’s tricky. I’m putting the finishing touches on the new novel so I’ll probably wait until it’s all the way done and hope I hear back on the first novel.
Hi there! I know I’m a few years late to this post, but I did have an etiquette question!
Is it a problem to send a proposal for a second project to different agents while the proposal for the first project has yet to be rejected by the ones I’ve already queried?
This has the potential to create all sorts of mid-air collisions. There are no hard and fast rules against this, but if I were in your shoes I’d focus on one project at a time.
Hi Nathan,
Do you think it would be to my advantage to mention in my query letter that my full manuscript is being considered by a small, traditional publisher (or perhaps just say “a publisher”)?
Thanks
Up to you, I’d err on the side of transparency.
Thank you so much for your reply. I’m putting it into my query letter so agents know.
Hi and thank you so much for the excellent blog! I submitted to agents for the first time last month, got a “revise and resubmit” along with helpful hints from a very nice agent, and now my manuscript has changed significantly. Should I email the other agents I have queried and alert them to the change so as not to waste their time? I can see how jammed up they are and know the few who requested sample pages as part of the initial query guidelines might appreciate not wasting their time. What do you think? Thanks so much!
Covered here: https://nathanbransford.com/blog/2019/06/how-to-work-with-a-literary-agent-on-edits
Hello… Thank you for the informative blog!
A publisher asked for my full MS and has offered a contract for self-publishing after reading and giving excellent feedback. I also submitted sample chapters to several agents, and I’m waiting for replies. If I submit to further agents, should I mention the self-publishing offer even though I won’t take this up?
Many thanks!
Should have mentioned… it is a hybrid publishing contract… duh!
Unless it’s an offer where it’s a traditional publisher offering you an advance (which doesn’t seem to be the case here), a hybrid publishing arrangement doesn’t rise to the level of what I’d notify agents about, unless there’s a reason they’d need to know (e.g. you’re pulling your submission to move forward with the hybrid publisher).
Great info! I have a bit of a confusing question.
I’ve started querying for a project. One of the queries was to an agent who had liked my pitches for the book during a Twitter event last year (When an agent likes your pitch, it means they want to see material from you).
I mentioned this in my query letter, but I think I made a mistake. During the event, she accidentally liked pitches from a separate (earlier) twitter event I had done the previous year as well as last year’s event. I mentioned the earlier event in my query. But now I worry because she may not have attended both events on Twitter. Should I email a clarification (over query tracker, because that is how she manages her queries) to let her know that it might have been a later event?
If she doesn’t think she attended the event, she may think I’m lying about the pitch.
I’m lost, but don’t overthink it. Just use your judgment.
I also wanted to add that when I went back and found the tweets, I realized that she had asked authors to paste the liked tweet in query manager, which I also neglected to do. Not sure if it would be more of a hindrance to her if I contacted her about this or not.
Thanks! To clarify, there are some events on Twitter (for example pitmad and dvpit) where authors will tweet pitches about their book, and if an agent likes the pitch, it means they are asking you to submit a query and material to them.
I attended two twitter events (separate years) and an agent who attended the second event, liked tweets from both years. I queried her and accidentally mentioned the wrong event and year.