How to query a literary agent
Everything you need to go from a finished manuscript to a signed agent — written plainly, updated for 2026, and linked straight into our directory of literary agents so you can act on it.
The full path from finished manuscript to signed agent — figuring out your category, building a target list, querying in batches, and reading the responses. With the free tools that do the heavy lifting.
The query letter has three jobs and a tight structure: the hook, the mini-synopsis, and your bio. Here's the anatomy, a worked example, and the mistakes that trigger instant passes.
An agent is essential for the Big Five and most major children's houses — but not for everything. Here's when you need one, when you don't, and the legitimate routes that skip the agent entirely.
A real agent sells books to real publishers and never charges you to read or represent your work. Here's how to confirm an agent is legit, active, and right for your book — and the red flags that mean walk away.
Comparative titles tell an agent where your book sits on the shelf and that there's a market for it. Here's how to pick comps that help — recent, real, and the right size — and the ones to avoid.
Two annotated query letters — one novel, one picture book — broken down line by line, plus a fill-in template you can adapt. See exactly how the hook, synopsis, and bio fit together.
From weeks to many months — what's normal for query and full-manuscript response times, what 'no response means no' really means, and how (and when) to nudge an agent without annoying them.
The synopsis is the one place you tell the whole story — including the ending. Here's how to write a tight one- to two-page synopsis that shows your plot holds together, without drowning in detail.