Last Updated on May 25, 2026 by NEK Editing

Once you’ve received correspondence from the literary agents you contacted, you need to choose which one to work with.

Whether you’re looking for a seasoned professional or a newcomer with industry experience, the right literary agent will guide you through contract negotiations, pitch improvements, and navigating rejections from traditional publishers.

With the right agent and a well-negotiated contract, you can focus on bringing your literary dreams to life.

Choosing a Literary Agent

Review each of the literary agent’s correspondence and check to see what their sales track record is, if the agent’s working style is compatible with yours, and if the agent shares your vision for the book. Another thing to note is if the agent is new or has been around for a while.

Remember that it may be easier to be represented by a new agent trying to build their client list. If you decide to take this route, take a look at the agent’s previous experience in the publishing industry. For example, the agent has experience as an editor or has worked for a noteworthy publishing house.

A good agent will communicate which publishers were queried and any rejections they received. They will also help you improve your query, pitch, or proposal, and will know the ins and outs of a book contract.

What’s most important is that the agent and the author have chemistry and that the agent is invested in the author and the book.

Landing the Book Deal

The author has written a manuscript, queried a literary agent, and signed a book deal with a publisher! At this point, a contract has been drafted and the terms have been laid out in a memo, and the author should have received a portion of their advance payment. The rest should be received once the book is published, and per the specifics of the contract, the agent will also receive their commission. If the author has any questions about the contract, they should discuss them with their agent.

But what about the author’s royalties? Those will be paid out after the book has sold more copies than the publisher thought the book would earn. An author’s royalty rate is the rate they agreed upon when signing the contract, usually around 10% of the cover price of the book. Royalty payment schedules may differ from publisher to publisher.

When an author signs the publisher’s contract, the agreement should also address how the copyright for the book will be managed. It’s common for the author to grant all of the rights as author and copyright holder to the publisher. This means the author may need to seek permission from the publisher to make the work available on their website, share the work with others, etc. However, the publisher may grant the author limited rights. How long the agreement lasts can vary and would be outlined in the contract.

Authors should specify the rights they want to retain and always negotiate these rights within their contract agreement with the publisher. To reclaim copyright, authors must wait at least 35 years after transferring these rights and file a notice in advance, unless the contract terms state otherwise.

If you need help or have questions about publishing, please contact NEK Editing.