Literary Agents 101: How to Find Them, Vet Them, and Query with Confidence
Featuring interviews with agents Louise Buckley and Nephele Tempest
If querying feels opaque, overwhelming, or oddly high-stakes, you’re not imagining it.
While the process may sometimes feel like the publishing world is out to get you, the truth is less personal and more logistical: querying is confusing because publishing itself is confusing. It’s an industry built on subjectivity, long timelines, and limited bandwidth.
To demystify the process, I asked two experienced literary agents to share their candid perspectives on querying, agenting, and common misconceptions writers have, plus their journey to becoming agents and recommendations for anyone curious about getting started.
Introducing…
Nephele Tempest is a reader, writer, and literary agent. She joined The Knight Agency in January, 2005, opening the Los Angeles-area office. She represents a wide array of fiction authors across genres, and looks for work with diverse cultural influences, #ownvoices projects, and emotional stories that inspire, entertain, and make her think. Check out her Substack, Tempest in a Teacup.
Jenna Satterthwaite is a literary agent with Storm Literary, as well as the author of four thrillers with HarperCollins, PRH, and Sourcebooks. She lives in Chicago with her husband and three kids. She writes a weekly Substack (Jenna’s Substack) about all things publishing with thousands of subscribers.
Now that we all know each other, let’s jump in.
What is querying, and what do agents do?
At its core, querying is simply the process of pitching your finished manuscript to a literary agent in the hopes that they’ll represent you. Agents act as advocates, editors, negotiators, and long-term career partners. They sell your book to publishers and help guide your career beyond a single deal.
To understand how agents think about their role (and its limits), it helps to hear directly from them. Tempest put it this way when asked about common misconceptions:
I think writers too often believe that once they have an agent, they’re home free, but really it’s just one step out of many… Our job is to have an idea of what an editor likes, what their taste is, so we know who might be a good fit for a project, but we’re not mind readers or magicians. Sometimes that perfect editor will have just bought something a little too similar, or another editor at that imprint will have. Not every project sells.
I think there’s also this sense that agents ‘make’ publishers do things, when in fact most of us don’t have that kind of power… Our leverage shifts depending on how badly the publisher wants a project and/or author. We can’t always work miracles.
It’s important to note that not every book needs an agent to be published. This is especially true for certain types of nonfiction. Academic presses, regional publishers, religious publishers, and some smaller or independent houses often accept unsolicited manuscript proposals directly from authors. In these cases, querying agents may be unnecessary.
Before assuming you must find an agent, it’s worth researching publishers that already publish books like yours. Publisher websites are your best source of truth. Look for sections labeled:
“Submissions”
“For Authors”
“Manuscript Guidelines”
These pages will tell you whether the publisher accepts unagented submissions, what materials they require (proposal, sample chapters, full manuscript), and whether they only accept submissions at certain times.
That said, an agent can still be helpful for negotiation and long-term strategy. Tempest pointed out some big advantages:
What we do have is pre-negotiated boilerplate in our agency contracts, which means we’ve already discussed certain aspects of the publisher’s contract language and agreed that all of our clients benefit from that discussion. We also know from experience where we can get a little more leeway, and where our hands are tied.
Where to Find Literary Agents
The first hurdle is simply figuring out who to query. Thankfully, there are several well-established places to start.
QueryTracker
QueryTracker is one of the most commonly used tools among querying writers. It allows you to search for agents by genre, see whether they’re open to queries, and track responses.
You can also sign up for a weekly email digest of agents who’ve switched their statuses to “open to queries” here.
It’s especially helpful for organizing who you’ve pitched already, but it’s important to remember that it’s a secondary source. Not every agent is listed, and not every data point is up to date.
Manuscript Wish List (#MSWL)
MSWL lets agents publicly share the kinds of projects they’re looking for. Writers can search by genre, theme, or keyword, which makes it a useful way to identify potential fits.
Agency Websites
If you only double-check one thing, make it the agency website.
This is where you’ll find the most accurate information about submission guidelines, genres represented, and whether an agent is currently open to queries. It’s also where you can get a sense of how the agency presents itself.
Publisher Marketplace
For writers who have paid access, Publisher Marketplace can offer insight into an agent’s recent sales and the types of deals they’re making. It’s particularly helpful for confirming whether an agent is actively selling in your category.
Social Media
Many agents use platforms like X, Instagram, or Bluesky to talk about books, publishing, and the querying process. This can be a helpful way to understand their taste, boundaries, and personality.
How to Tell If an Agent Is Right for Your Work
One of the most common mistakes writers make is querying agents based on prestige alone. A “big-name” agent isn’t automatically the right agent for your book.
What matters more is fit. You’ll want to look at:
The genres and age categories the agent represents
The authors already on their list
Whether they’re actively selling books like yours
Liking an agent’s clients is not the same thing as belonging on their list. A good question to ask yourself is: Can I realistically see my book sitting alongside the projects this agent already represents?
Always Vet Literary Agents
This step is easy to skip, especially when you’re eager (or exhausted), but it’s critical.
Satterthwaite emphasizes that it isn’t just about legitimacy, but about long-term consequences:
There are bad agents out there, and a bad fit (and/or a bad Agency Agreement) is truly worse than remaining unagented
Before querying (and certainly before signing anything), writers should:
Check out their social media and agency websites
Research the agent’s sales history
Confirm they work on commission, not fees
Look for transparency in contracts and communication
Check Writer Beware’s known scam list and impersonation list
Once an agent has been in business for a year or more, they should be able to point to real, verifiable sales. You’re looking for someone who’s actively placing books with reputable publishers and has experience selling in your genre.
Satterthwaite also said that alignment often becomes clearest once real conversations begin:
You can’t tell for sure until you start working with them. BUT! You can make sure they’re with a reputable agency, and try to ask good questions on the call, such as their editorial vision for your book, their communication style, what happens if your project doesn’t sell, or you write something they don’t like, etc.
If you can’t find any record of sales, or if most of the agent’s clients haven’t been published yet, that’s worth pausing over. The same goes for agents who say their sales or client information is “confidential.” An agent’s track record isn’t a secret; it’s how they show writers (and editors) what they do well.
The main exception here is newer agents. Someone who’s early in their career and actively building a list may not have many deals yet—and that doesn’t automatically make them a bad fit. In fact, a thoughtful, motivated new agent can be a great partner for a debut writer.
Lastly, Tempest reminds us that personal recommendation is often the best way to go:
Never overlook the benefits of networking. If you have writer friends, you should ask them who represents them and if they think you might be a good fit for that agent’s list. That gives you the benefit of knowing the agent is legitimate, as well as a potential referral.
Understanding How Agents Are Paid
Satterthwaite said that the mystery behind agent salaries is one of the biggest misconceptions she faces:
I’ve heard people refer to agents as ‘just in it for the quick money’ and that always makes me laugh. The money is not quick in agenting, by any stretch. There are far easier ways to make a quick buck. Those of us in this career DO want money—we must live, after all! But we enter this career for the love of the work itself.
Understanding how agents are paid can help you spot red flags and feel more confident navigating the process. Tempest warned:
An agent will never charge you to consider your work for representation, nor expect you to pay anything up front for representation, including for whatever notes/editorial advice they provide prior to taking your work out on submission.
Agents only make money once they sell a book on your behalf, at which point the agency earns a commission—generally 15%, or 20% for sub-rights deals where they work with another agency, such as with foreign translations or film rights.
The crucial point here is: agents do not charge upfront fees. They are paid only when you are paid.
This structure aligns the agent’s success with yours. If your book doesn’t sell, they don’t earn anything for their work, which is one reason agents are selective about what they take on. If an agent asks for:
Reading fees
Editing fees
Marketing fees
Or payment before selling your book
Pause, and investigate further!
It’s also worth pausing to remember that rejections aren’t personal. Tempest admitted that balancing her taste with market realities is one of the trickiest parts of the job.
I represent genres that I enjoy reading (though not all of them, because you need to narrow the field a little), and over the years that has shifted as my own tastes have.
On a book-to-book level, you have to really think sometimes if you just love something because it’s fun and quirky and pushes some personal buttons but is maybe a little too niche for you to successfully sell.
Sometimes you try anyway—it just depends on the story and if I think I know someone who might love it as much as I do. But this is ultimately a business, and at the end of the day you have to balance those risks with your need to pay the bills.
Querying!
If you’re unsure whether you’re ready to query your manuscript, ask yourself: Is this the strongest version of this book I can reasonably make right now? Agents are looking for:
A finished, polished manuscript
A clear sense of genre and audience
A query letter that explains what the book is and why it might sell
A query letter is not a creative writing exercise. It’s a professional introduction. Clarity almost always beats cleverness.
Tempest emphasized specificity as a deciding factor:
My best advice for querying is to write about your project using specifics over generalities. Too often I see query letters that talk about tropes and themes, but ignore what events or characteristics make the story unique.
Satterthwaite was even more succinct about one common reason she passes:
Voice. If the voice isn’t strong and compelling, I tend to feel indifferent.
Interested in Becoming an Agent?
If you’re drawn to editorial work, advocacy, negotiation, and shaping careers, agenting may be worth exploring. Skills like close reading, market awareness, communication, and organization also translate well.
Tempest’s path included editing, finance, and copywriting before making the switch to agenting:
I was just ready for a new challenge. I had friends in Los Angeles, so I packed up and moved. Did some temp work and freelanced for a while, and then Deidre Knight, who I knew from an online writers’ group, asked if I’d be interested in agenting, as she wanted a west-coast presence. It turned out to be a perfect fit.
I had all of these sales and marketing and financial skills from my run of jobs, all of which really apply to working as an agent, plus I had the early publishing experience and I’d never stopped reading and keeping up with the industry. Agenting is also different all the time—new books, new clients, new genres—and of course the industry itself keeps you on your toes.
Satterthwaite’s route was equally nontraditional, shaped by years as a querying author and a parallel corporate career:
I was a querying author for 4 1/2 years before finally getting an agent. Then, I watched 5 books die on submission with my agent before finally selling the book that would become my debut (Made for You, 2024). Throughout all of that, I learned through my agent what agenting was all about and thought, ‘that job sounds amazing.’
I’d been working on the corporate world for 20 years and had never loved a job (ever in my life). As I approached my 40th birthday, I thought, ‘if not now, when?’ so I took the leap and got my first internship. Two internships and 7 months later, I got a job with Storm Literary, and I haven’t looked back since!
Understanding the querying process from the writer’s side can actually make you a better agent later on. Querying can teach you how the industry actually works, from what sells, how projects are positioned, and where the disconnects between writers and publishing professionals tend to lie.
If you’re thinking of taking the leap, Tempest shares some quick advice to get started:
Read widely and currently. We spend so much time reading classics in school that if you’re coming out of undergrad looking to work in publishing there’s a danger you aren’t really up on the current market. So, first and foremost, get a library card and start catching up on what’s been selling in the last three or so years. Genre, literary, book club, or nonfiction subgenres, across the board. However much you’ve been reading for yourself, there’s more out there.
Other fantastic resources
If you’ve made it this far, let me reward you with a few other great resources I’ve come across to help mitigate the pain of querying:
For a list of successful query letters, check out this super helpful resource by Andrea Bartz.
Sally Ekus and Alia Hanna Habib: two other amazing agents running newsletters on this platform you should follow.
Tempest shared her favorites as well:
Nathan Bransford’s blog, which has some great tips on query writing.
Jane Friedman’s site, both for query writing and general publishing information.
Writer’s Digest, which shares a number of how-to guides on all aspects of writing and the publishing journey.
Unsolicited Manuscript is an independently run newsletter. All opinions are my own and do not reflect those of my employer, company, or any other institution.
This is gold for aspiring authors!
Great insights to the world of agents and querying them.