What is the difference between a PUBLISHING agent and a LITERARY agent?
I’ve been writing a novel for little over a year and I’ve been researching the different steps of the publishing process. I’ve checked out the format for manuscripts, looked up different lit agents, and have (of course) been rewriting my novel to make sure I am happy with the final project. I have had a friend proofreading the incomplete manuscript for me since I started. Now, the story is finished and all have to do is rewrite and then I’ll be ready to shop the book around.
Recently, I made contact with a publishing agent and I hope to gain some information about publishing from him. However, I don’t want to make it seem like I am committing to choosing him for representation (if he asks). I am just wondering if a publishing agent is different from a literary agent? Is it that a publishing agent represents the publishing house while a literary agent represents the writer and the writer’s interests?
THANK YOU XD
As far as I’m aware, they’re the same thing. “Literary agent” is the preferred term, or just “agent” if it’s clear what type of agent you’re talking about. They represent the writer. The publisher doesn’t need representation – they’re sufficiently experienced to do that themselves, or else somebody who works for the publisher acts as the company’s representative in negotiations between the publisher and the writer.
Although the agent represents you and, in a sense, is working for you, he normally chooses you – you don’t choose him. It’s an inversion of the normal employer-employee relationship, because there are far more authors than agents – or, more accurately, far more books being written than the book-buying public is willing to pay for. The employee can therefore be very choosy about who he works for.
Make sure that this agent is reputable – not listed on Preditors and Editors. I would be wary of any agent who was willing to spend more than a few minutes talking to you before he’d offered to represent you. Reputable agents have so many submissions coming in from wannabe authors that they spend as little time on each one as possible. You’re doing very well if more than one reputable agent offers to represent you.
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