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Guide to Literary Agents


Guide to Literary Agents (GLA) is a book that compiles hundreds of listings for literary agents and script (screenplay) agents. The book is an annual resource for writers who wish to find an agent and sell their work to publishing houses. GLA is published by Writer's Digest Books and usually hits bookstores around August of each year.

The most current edition is the 2007 edition, edited by Joanna Masterson. The 2008 edition, edited by Chuck Sambuchino, is due out in late 2007.

The Listings

For 16 years, the book has listed hundreds of U.S. and international script and literary agents who take on new clients. While not all agents listed are part of the Association of Authors' Representatives (AAR), all listed agents do not charge reading or evaluation fees.

Listings include information that writers can use in contacting the agency, including the following: what types of books are represented by the agency, recent sales, contact information, preferred means of contact (e.g. phone, fax...), contractual terms, address, and names of individual agents at each house.

The Articles

Besides articles, the book has numerous upfront articles to better assist writers in their pursuit of an agent. The 2007 edition of GLA includes the following upfront articles
  • Agent Basics: Preparing for Representation
  • Assessing Credibility: What to Look For When Researching Agents
  • Author FAQs: Expert Answers to Common Questions
  • Editing Options: Perfecting Your Manuscript
  • Building a Reputation: How New Authors Get Noticed
  • Effective Communication: Getting Your Foot in the Door
  • Crafting a Query: Writing the Best Possible Letter
  • The Art of the Synopsis: Summing Up Your Novel
  • Professional Proposals: Packaging Your Nonfiction Submission
  • Formatting Your Script: Ten Ways to Make Peace With the Process
  • Making a Commitment: What to Do Before and After You Sign
  • Know Your Rights: Breaking Down Industry Lingo
  • Improve Your Book Contract: Nine Negotiating Tips
  • Joseph Regal: An Agent in Search of a Voice
  • Script Agent Secrets: The Inside Scoop From Film, TV and Stage Reps
  • Getting the Word Out: Professional Advice From Publicists
  • Dealing With Denial: Learning From Rejection Letters
  • Conference Etiquette: Agents Share Good and Bad Experiences
  • Leaping Into the Fray: My First Adventure With An Agent

Other Listings

Following agent listings, the book also includes listings of publicists, writers' conferences, professional writing organizations, online tools and glossary terms.

Writer's Digest Books

Guide to Literary Agents is one of eight "market books" published each year by Writer's Digest Books - the most famous of which is Writer's Market, a book that lists thousands of magazine listings for writers. Others include: Photographer's Market, Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market, Novel and Short Story Writer's Market, Artist and Graphic Designer's Market, Poet's Market and Songwriter's Market. Each book is designed to give writers instructions on how to submit freelance work to markets.

See also

External links

A literary agent represents writers and their written works to publishers and film producers and assists in the sale and deal negotiation of the same. Literary agents most often represent novelists, screenwriters and major non-fiction writers.
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screenplay or script is a blueprint, written by a screenwriter, for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing works such as novels.
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market is a social arrangement that allows buyers and sellers to discover information and carry out a voluntary exchange of goods or services. It is one of the two key institutions that organize trade, along with the right to own property.
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Preditors and Editors (P&E) is a website started in 1997, managed by David (Dave) Kuzminski and hosted by Anotherealm , The Magazine of Speculative Fiction. The misspelling of "Predators" in the site's title is deliberate[1].
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Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of literature or information – the activity of making information available for public view. In some cases, authors may be their own publishers.
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Writer's Digest, established in 1920, is a United States magazine devoted to both beginning and established writers, offering interviews, market listings, calls for manuscripts, and how-to articles.
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A literary agent represents writers and their written works to publishers and film producers and assists in the sale and deal negotiation of the same. Literary agents most often represent novelists, screenwriters and major non-fiction writers.
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In general, a query is a form of questioning, in a line of inquiry. A query may also refer to:
  • The Queries - a set of 31 questions outlined by Isaac Newton beginning in 1704, which stimulated the development of chemistry in the 18th century.

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screenplay or script is a blueprint, written by a screenwriter, for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing works such as novels.
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Not to be confused with Royal family.


Royalties (sometimes, running royalties) are usage-based payments made by one party (the "licensee") to another (the "licensor") for ongoing use of an asset, most typically an intellectual property (IP)
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The Authors Guild is an advocacy organization of and for published authors. It currently boasts at least eight thousand members, which includes not only authors, but literary agents and attorneys (who mainly deal in book publishing). The group is based in New York City.
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