How to Get a Literary Agent: 8 Essential Steps for Aspiring Authors

If you're an aspiring or active author aiming for traditional publishing, this is the guide you need to land a literary agent.

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00:00 - Intro: How to Land a Literary Agent
00:45 - What is A Novel Approach?
01:17 - A Brief Word of Caution
01:52 - Step 1: Start Gathering Your List of Agents
10:04 - Step 1a: Research the Agents
15:52 - Step 2: Prepare Your Query Letter
22:18 - Step 3: Start Submitting Your Queries
22:56 - Step 4: Track & Evaluate Responses
25:43 - Step 5: Set Up a Phone Call
26:34 - Step 6: Prepare a List of Questions
29:06 - Step 7: Have the Call and Ask Your Questions
29:49 - Step 8: Evaluate the Agency Agreement
31:01 - Wrapping Up

In this video, we dive deep into the 8 essential steps to land a literary agent—from researching reputable agents to sending polished queries and navigating "The Call." Whether you're writing fantasy, science fiction, or any other genre, understanding the literary agent process is crucial to your publishing success. I’ve spent 20+ years in the publishing trenches—with a dozen novels and tons of short stories—and I’m here to help you avoid common mistakes and make a lasting impression.

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Links from the video:

Publishers Marketplace: [https://www.publishersmarketplace.com](https://www.publishersmarketplace.com/)

Query Tracker: [https://querytracker.net](https://querytracker.net/)

Association of American Literary Agents: [https://aalitagents.org](https://aalitagents.org/)

SFWA: [https://locusmag.com](https://locusmag.com/)

Worldcon: [https://www.worldcon.org](https://www.worldcon.org/)

World Fantasy: [https://worldfantasy.org](https://worldfantasy.org/)

GenCon Writers Symposium: https://www.gencon.com/gen-con-indy/w...

Pikes Peak Writers Conference: [https://conference.pikespeakwriters.org](https://conference.pikespeakwriters.org/)

Donald Maass Literary Agency: [https://maassagency.com](https://maassagency.com/)

Preditors & Editors: https://pred-ed.com/

5 Agent-Approved Query Letters: https://blog.reedsy.com/guide/how-to-...

Snowflake Plotting Method: https://www.advancedfictionwriting.co...

Questions to Ask an Agent: https://aspiringauthor.com/questions-...

SFWA Sample Agent-Author Agreement: https://www.sfwa.org/what-is-sfwa/com...

Reading recommendations:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

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