So You Want A Literary Agent?

Connections. This simple yet often overlooked relationship is the key to thriving in any industry. Whether it is entertainment, media, arts, sports or any other profession, creating a relationship and making connections is vital. As a young writer myself, it is often daunting to think about where to start when wanting to build the foundation of these relationships. But once you cross the threshold and start talking to professionals, the world opens up wide. And that is exactly what I did.

Byrd Leavell is a current literary agent at United Talent Agency. During his career, he has overseen multiple New York Times bestsellers, including Tiffany Haddish’s The Last Black Unicorn, and Guy Raz’s How I Built This. When it came to giving advice to young writers like myself, Leavell was concise and direct on what works in the industry and what does not. This is what you should know:

1. If you are young writer trying to break into the business, read the bestseller lists. 

Leavell says it “helps you understand the industry, it informs your writing, and the acknowledgement page is solid gold for the names of writers and editors.” Checking up every couple months or so to see what is popular lets young writers know what themes and trends are hot in the industry.               

2. When approaching an agent, follow this simple rule: Don’t have your book proposal be reflective. 

In other words, don’t make a case for why you deserve a book deal, instead create a “thoughtful, smart, reasoned presentation for why the book itself will matter, why it will reach people, and why it will work.” Literary agents want to see proposals that are able to reach a vast audience and elicit conversation. They want to know the writer as a person, not just an author. “Are they driven to create something special that people are going to respond to? Or are they just out to add another line in their bio?” Leavell, like many other agents, want book proposals that will stimulate readers. He notes that, “formulaic form letters get you nowhere,” and when meeting with an agent you should, “read the books an agent represents and then send them a tailored made email that shows how much thought you put into the approach.” Places like PublishersMarketplace and the aforementioned acknowledgments of books are great places to start making those connections.                   

3. If approaching agents becomes challenging, try your hand at self publishing. 

Leavell explains that “self publishing is a smart and totally viable way to create your own path forward in this industry.” Instead of reaching out to agents and trying to get them to read your work—which Leavell admits is “so damn tough”—you can go out and publish your work on your own. If it is good and becomes successful, you will flip the script entirely on your own. It might even lead to the best agents in the business showing up and knocking on your door.                    

4. Literary agents are looking for people with diverse voices. 

Especially in this day in age, inclusivity and diversity is now more important than ever. As an industry, we are consciously making strides to making sure marginalized voices are heard. When asking Leavell about UTA and its own division on inclusivity as a whole, he says that, “publishing, in general, as an industry needs to be more inclusive and diverse. My department is fortunate that we get to work within an agency like UTA which already represents an incredible range of leading voices that we get to bring to the page.” But he notes there is more work that needs to be done. “We are constantly looking for new voices who can use their books and platforms for real change. And representation across the board matters as well, so we are committed to hiring an more diverse team here at UTA to be positive forces for good in the publishing industry.                 

 5. Realize writing takes time. 

Leavell explains that the process from manuscript to release does not happen overnight. “The book itself will probably publish from 6 months to a year after delivery. This is when you step back, take a breath, and then focus on how you are going to work with your publisher to launch it. The writing process is the first half of the journey. The build up and through the publication is the second.”                 

6. Don’t be intimidated by your agent. 

They are everyday people, like you and me, who want to  help writers prosper. When I asked Leavell what attracted him to becoming a book agent, he explains that, “the prospect of working with writers to help shape the right book, the editorial work on the manuscript, and then ensuring that the publisher does everything they can to give every shot at success, it all spoke to me.” For most agents, it more than just one book. For them it is about building a career together with clients who become friends and later networking with them, which again is the key to any industry. Find agents like Leavell who say that, “at it’s best, the job doesn’t feel like a job. It feels like something you get to do with people you like everyday.” Leavell is like anyone else, a man who would say that Birdman is the movie title that best describes his life and if he could travel back in time he’d go back and see this content before the Old World made their way across the Atlantic. It is so important to humanize your agent and make the most out of them.

 Let’s admit the fact that breaking into the industry is tough and can often lead many down the rabbit hole of never achieving success. The literary world is challenging to navigate through, but Leavell’s advice is crystal clear: find out what works, develop your passion, harness your voice, reach out to everyone but most of all, realize that the content you are putting out there can truly become better with the help of a publisher or literary agent.

For more info please check out: https://byrdleavell.com/