Writers'
Literary Agency Finds
Publishers for Writers
As literary agents,
it is our job and pleasure to find publishers for our clients.
We sell to traditional publishers, NOT vanity presses.
We are paid on success only.
Recent
Success! In addition to our prior sales, we
are very proud
to announce the sale of two romance
novels to a publisher that has
strong inroads into China. Our
sales are now officially global.
We're growing rapidly and seeking
new talent. This is a tremendous opportunity for previously
unpublished writers. At the Writers' Literary Agency
& Marketing Company, we take pride in finding and
developing fresh, new literary talent. We believe that
just because you are an unpublished writer doesn’t
mean that your work should be excluded from the marketplace.
We do not charge reading fees.
We are willing to coach authors to improve their skills.
We are very proud of the relationships we have with our clients.
Click
here for a sampling of the positive emails that we receive
on a regular basis.
We accept a wide variety
of works, including fiction, romance, literary, suspense,
novels, mainstream poetry collections, chick lit, etc. If
in doubt, submit your work and we will let you know.
We have a special division
just for non-fiction (how to, self help, health/nutrition/fitness,
spirituality and religion, science, and business).
Non-Fiction
authors please click here.
We also have a
screenplay division and we offer programs to act as literary
agents for self-published authors. Book-To-Film
authors click here.
How We Work:
We specialize in previously unpublished
authors. We also work with previously published authors
that have lost their publisher for one reason or another.
- First, click on the Submission
Instructions link (on the left) and use our form to send
us an overview of your work.
- Next, we will confirm that
we would like to see your work and ask you to email it to
us. We will use email almost exclusively.
- Finally, we will send you
the results of our review.. We are willing to work
with previously unpublished writers and assist them in developing
their talent. Most of our clients take a bit of extra
time to polish their work and we are willing to wait while
they do so.
We do not accept short
stories (we will take short story compilations), articles,
text books, television pilots or ideas, individual poems,
or film shorts.
We welcome international clients.
We only accept work written in English.
Please click on our Submission
Instructions to query us.
We
believe we are very different than other agencies. We
believe that we are unique in that we are willing to develop
an author and their talent. We like the metaphor of
a business incubator as a description of how we will take
time to bring an author's work to the proper quality level,
even if it takes months to do so. We take pride in the
fact that we answer every email personally within 2-3 days.
Also,
you may understand how a Literary Agency works, but many authors
don't. As your Literary Agent, our mission is to assist
you in finding a publisher and to coach you along the way
in various options available to you. Our
job is to find you a publisher that pays you, NOT the other
way around. We do not work with self-publishing companies.
We DO work with self-published authors seeking a broader audience
for their work.
Our
mission is to sell for you. As for compensation, we
are paid on success only. We DO NOT charge reading
fees. Typically we will receive 10% of what you receive
if we sell your work. We don't edit. It is
YOUR responsibility to make sure we have great work to sell.
We also strive to "give
back" to the writing community and we have started
a "business
blog" that more fully describes what an agency
does.
We
will work with you to improve and polish your work.
Once your work is deemed 'presentable', then we'll start shopping
it to buyers. We never promise a sale, but we can tell
you that we have a model that works and we promise a professional
relationship.
Best
regards,
Sherry
Fine - V.P. Acquisitions
FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS:
Q)
How does the process work?
A)
First, please read our submission guidelines and fill out
our query form. After that is received we will request
that you email us some portion of your work.
Q)
Would you prefer me to email or mail my manuscript?
A) If
we request your manuscript after you fill out our query form
WE MUCH PREFER EMAILED MANUSCRIPTS.
Q)
Is my manuscript safe with you?
A)
Your materials are safe within our company. If you are
uncomfortable sending your entire manuscript, please only
send 3-5 chapters. If we do not end up working together
we will destroy and delete any copies of your work that we
have.
Q)
How long does this review take?
A)
About 7-10 days. We're faster than most other agencies.
Our mission in the Acquisitions Department is clear and very
"cut and dried". We answer 3 questions, 1). Will
the subject matter sell? Is it commercially viable?
2)
Is the writing good enough, or would it be good enough with
some degree of assistance?
3) Did you as the evaluator like the work and would you believe
in it if you were selling it? If we get a "3 Yes"
designation then you pass. The next item we look for
in our filtering process is your willingness to listen.
We will very quickly wash out a great writer with a bad attitude.
After
that, we leave it up to the experts to really dig in and get
detailed with the structure and format of your work.
Q)
Why is there no phone number? I want to talk to someone...
A)
Quite frankly, we are deluged with submissions. It is
our policy to provide a contact number later in the process,
assuming we would like to proceed with you.
Q)
Where are you located?
A)
We maintain executive suites in NY where we meet with buyers.
An executive suite is a shared office space that allows us
to keep our overhead expenses down. We have partners
in Los Angeles when our work touches Hollywood. Our
administrative department prefers to live in Florida.
Sometimes we think that we live in airport lounges.
Q)
Tell me about your company.
A)
We're a bit on the new side, but that is the opportunity for
each of us. Most new authors don't get a chance in this
closed industry. We are growing through acquisitions.
We are bigger than a small agency and smaller than a large
agency. We believe in hiring good people. Our company
has a very strong background in editing as well. We
have a reputation for representing great quality and solid
"depth off the bench". We market to the larger
and medium sized publishers and producers. We're in
this for the long term.
We
endeavor to attend the major book trade shows in the US,
England, and Germany. We have attended the Book Expo US
every year. We don't publicize our deals because of the
number of authors that have 'bothered' our clients in the
past. Our marketing strategy is explained on this
page http://www.theliteraryagencygroup.com/marketing.html.
Q)
You're not a vanity publisher or a self-publisher are you?
A)
No we're NOT A VANITY OR SELF-publisher in any way, shape
or form. Our mission is to sell your work to real and qualified
buyers who pay YOU.. WE DO NOT SELL OR MARKET
TO VANITY OR SELF-PUBLISHERS..
Q)
What are you looking for during your evaluation?
A)
We mainly look for COMMERCIAL VIABILITY in the work coupled
with good solid writing skills. "Is it something
that will sell?" is of paramount importance to us. We
believe that great writers are made, not born at least 99%
of the time. But if a work doesn't have commercial potential,
then we want to let you know as quickly as possible.
Being willing to grow talent, we believe in the old adage,
"luck is when opportunity meets preparation and hard
work".
Q)
What if you find errors or problems with my manuscript?
Should I spend time revising now, or later?
A)
We receive very few 'ready-to-go' manuscripts. We believe
we are unique in that we are willing to work with our authors
along the way. Most manuscripts that we receive need
some level of polishing before we can submit them to buyers.
Some need very little polishing. Some need a lot.
Over the years, we've learned that it is worth our time and
effort to do what it takes to develop new talent. We've
learned that incubating new talent makes good business sense.
Q)
My manuscript isn't finished....
A)
As long as there is enough finished to determine your skills
as a writer we are willing to look at your work. As
mentioned previously, we take a long term view and we are
willing to develop talent.
Q:
Do you use form letters?
A: For
certain communications, of course, doesn't every company?
We pride ourselves on using technology to be as efficient
as possible. This allows us to work with authors from
anywhere in the world. By automating certain elements
of our communications we can spend more thoughtful time on
your questions that are specific to you and your situation.
Q:
How do I know you are for real?
A: We
ask that you judge us based on the professionalism of our
interactions together. However, it may help for you
to see a smattering of the unsolicited positive feedback we
receive on a regular basis. (If you are really cynical
you may think we made these up. However I can assure
you that we can legally stand behind anything you read in
our communications. These are unedited for authenticity,
bad grammar and typos left in.)
I'm sure you get tons of
mail, and that you don't have time to read this, but I just
wanted to thank you for your professionalism. Wow, I can't
believe how efficient you guys are! I've only sent my manuscript
to one other agent, and he replied with a very short and
grammatically incorrect e-mail that I thought was extremely
unprofessional. I also really respect your attitude. In
any industry, it's difficult to find people who actually
don't put up with the prima-donna attitudes and egos. I
like that. Thanks again for looking at my manuscript.
Just a note to say thank
you for your amazingly detailed, efficient and rapid service.
When I resolved to get an agent this year or bust, I was
prepared for the long haul. What I have encountered has
been a whirlwind. I am sure that other agents worldwide
will soon have to copy your submissions system
as the model for a new industry standard, or become extinct.
Thanks a lot for your generous
time and consideration. I am impressed by your efficiency
and ability to reply in time, unlike most agents who take
around four or even more weeks to get back. I am looking
forward to a long term professional relationship from you.
Thank you for
keeping me posted every step of the way thus far.
I am glad your received the two manuscripts you were kind
enough to ask from me. It is such an exciting time.
To have finished the two books and working on the third
as well as constantly thinking of marketing plans for the
works. Being a former radio personality, it would
be wonderful to use those skills and have interviews conducted
and see the book take roots in several areas. You are a
true professional and it is appreciated greatly.
I too wish to send in
a personal comment on your delightfully refreshing acquisitions
process. How different it is to be greeted with
wit, intelligence and such a well thought out plan of
action! Even if we go no further, I will send others
to your company because I have such respect for businesses
on the Internet that strive to give their customers the
most efficient use of their time. I truly cannot see how
one would not appreciate immensely, what you have put
together and your commitment to those you do business
with.
Please allow me to
say thank you for accepting my work for review. I also
want to thank you for your timely e-mails and information
regarding publishing protocols. It is because of conscientious
professionals in the industry like yourself, that allows
perspective Writers' to have their voices and ideas heard.
Once again, thanks in advance
for your timely information and professionalism.
I received my analysis
a couple of days ago, looked it over, and found it very
insightful. I agree with every aspect of the analysis,
and I have already begun making the suggested improvements.
As a matter of fact, it suggests that I expand on the
vampire mythology aspect. Coincidentally,
during those weeks it was being prepared, I had formed
some dramatic ideas to include more mythological creatures
to support the story's premise, which is that unlike
mythological vampires,
Jeeminy, I passed
cloud nine so fast I hardly noticed it.I am so pleased
and grateful to you folks and Louise of the critique
administration. I thank the good Lord for the
talent he has given me, but this is far more than I
expected.
I do plan to make the changes. Why not?
I have already started and the difference is remarkable.
Rewriting many scenes, booting out the cliches and tidying
up the punctuation as well as adding many more
words. The
advice and recommendations are well received.
I will go at it like I'm killing snakes so should be
finished in no more than a week.
In conclusion, our business
model is not for everyone and we don't accept everyone.
We do like new authors and fresh talent. We encourage
you to query us.
Our
Pledge To You:
- We respect
what you have accomplished thus far as a writer.
- We believe
that great authors are made, not born. We
are willing to develop talent.
- We pledge
straight talk in a confusing and old-school industry.
- We can't
promise a sale. We can promise a professional
relationship.
p.s.
Missed Emails, Spam, Whitelists, and other reasons for
lapses in communications. We are very, very diligent
about returning every email that we receive within a
couple of days. The same is true for our vendors
and suppliers. IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE A COMMUNICATION
AND YOU BELIEVE THAT YOU SHOULD HAVE, PLEASE, CHECK
WITH US AND WE WILL SEE WHAT HAPPENED. Please
don't jump to negative conclusions. The Internet
is not 100% foolproof and we are very sensitive to our
clients' expectations and our promises about timely
communications.
Regardless of how this comes out, I want to say that
this has been the most pleasant
method of attempting to contact an agent or publishing firm
that I have experienced to
date. Thank you for this process. JoAnn
I find your emails AMAZING so much trouble you seem to
take, even if the questions are standard
at some point they had to be thought out and written.
So congratulations. I am most interested
in the questions and answers, as it
seems to me that most of the 'authors' seem to treat their
productions like over pampered princesses!
I can assure you I am not sitting by my computer
waiting for the 'invitation to become a star!' My daughter
is an actress so I know all about
rejection. look forward within 10 days or so from
hearing from you. April
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