From Query to Offer of Representation: A Literary Agent's Process

Jessica and James discuss the process an agent goes through from the time a query crosses their desk to the time they decide they would like to have an offer call with the author. How do literary agents decide if they want to offer representation? That and more, answered here.
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Jessica Faust’s love for books is what first brought her to open BookEnds Literary Agency. It is her desire to be an advocate for all authors that pushed her to create her blog, the BookEnds KZbin channel and to maintain a vibrant presence on Twitter.
Jessica is proud to have grown BookEnds to an agency that represents authors of all genres for children and adults, allowing her to reach more readers and help more authors and illustrators achieve their dreams.
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James McGowan is a Literary Agent at BookEnds and writer for children. He began working with the agency as an intern in the summer of 2015, and basically never left. He represents a talented group of authors and illustrators working in everything from board books to middle grade graphic novels. He also works in adult nonfiction, and adult mystery and suspense projects. James is the author of GOOD NIGHT OPPY, which is available now.
Connect with BookEnds!
Twitter: bookendslit
Instagram: bookends_literary
Website: www.bookendsliterary.com
Connect with Jessica: bookendsjessica
Connect with James: jmcgowanbks

[@Buddha317]

Anyone else teeter between imposter syndrome and flights of fancy? haha Thank you for the update video! Things change so fast, especially over these past few years. I've watched many of your videos and am happy to see which things may have changed. I've definitely learned a lot from you peeps Cheers!

[@solarsailer4166]

Constantly.

[@annworthington7253]

Sometimes, the truth hurts. But on some level, I’m relieved to know I probably wrote solid queries, but the book/story was lacking. I won’t stress as much about querying, but instead focus on writing a better next book.

[@cashpat2000]

They really make you feel hopeful by their optimism. Thank you. Loved the video.

[@teacherninina]

I am getting the courage to query you guys. A critique group is helping me with some good insights about the book, so I hope my manuscript is at least getting there. It has been almost three years. Oh, Lord! I think I have memorized all your tips in these three years. LOL

[@ellennewth6305]

You are both so honest and informative! Love that you have fun while sharing your views and opinions.

[@wendysplace3867]

I'm glad that I discovered your channel. It makes me wonder if you read these comments. At the first 10 minutes of this vid, I wanted to cry. I've sent my book out to everyone on MSWL. I've even had people who run the site to write to me saying that the beginning of my book needs to have more attention and my story has been edited by a professional editor and also her proofreader. "Which I found them contradicting each other." That's hilarious. I wrote my story in 1992. I worked hard to finish it in 1998. But I was told that it was a novella and I wanted a novel. I picked it up again and added so many interesting facts to it and finished it in 2018. I've spent more time sending it to agents than writing it. Seeing the faces of those agents pn the MSWL site and reading their bios has been very intimidating to say the least. But, I saw them as "YOU HAVE THE POWER to publish my book that I worked so hard on to ...why not me? "Attitude." I'm not giving up. I have no funds for self-publishing. The truth hurts..you don't like my query then toss me away.

[@Ruthie888]

Hi Jessica and James. Thank you. I really appreciate looking behind the Wizard of Oz's curtain. I was floored that you don't look at the pages at first. You "judge the book by the cover", which makes sense because the customer will.

[@liegeman717]

I so get this. For the first time I was a beta reader. I did not lose interest once through the whole book. There where some things that needed fixing but they did not detract from the book at all. The writer made my job so easy. Im thankful to have had this experience. If I were an agent this book would have been gotten an offer.

[@FredKimmel]

I would happily go back a couple of decades and spend a few hundred bucks on the postal service if that would remove 9/10 of the competition.

[@portiawrites]

So fun to see your enthusiasm about finding new, great books!

[@cashpat2000]

Hope they find yours...and mine

[@nickiwyldesart]

Ahhhh! I feel like this video was JUST for me! 😁 I sent out a round of queries this past weekend and I’m obsessively checking my phone like I know I shouldn’t! 😆 Thanks for helping me stay sane and thanks for another great video. ❤️

[@cashpat2000]

Same here😳

[@patricesheltonlassiter6040]

Nonfiction books, ie..Narrative NF sold on the proposal, not full manuscript. Also, as you have expressed, each literary agent wants something different. Glad you are doing this for new writers who want literary Agents. I've learned as a published author and independent publisher for years that you must know yourself as a writer and to be good, that takes time! Also, knowing that helps you know when your work is ready for an established literary agent.

[@dorothynesbit8864]

Thanks for the video! Love the fun dynamic and shocked that you get nervous before a call! Any author would be so lucky to have you on their team❤️

[@bmcewen73]

I love all your videos, but since I’m starting to query soon, this one is especially great for me! Thank you for all the wonderful information!

[@stephenwolberius]

What a coincidence, I just queried BookEnds with a novel (Amanda Jain, specifically). Here's hoping! :D

[@jenmacgregor1512]

Thank you for this inside peek! However, I would LOVE to hear James talk about the aspect of the process that is a bit different for PB authors. For example, what is his process for, and how does he evaluate, a package of PBs?

[@marygeorge2467]

Thank you for this. I've just started the query process (the query-go-round, I've heard some writers call it) and wonder how you do it, how you open queries over and over again and try to keep your eyes and ears fresh. It must be trying, hoping to find that gem in the eslush pile. 😉

[@cashpat2000]

Make sure you see their video on how to prepare query spreadsheet

[@MrDanroche]

Could you folks please break down one of the successful queries found in your inbox? What were those key elements you were looking for and how did it grab you? Eager to know because I plan on subbing to your agency again in the future.

[@cashpat2000]

Actually they do have a video on this.

[@MrDanroche]

@@cashpat2000 using an actual example?

[@kirtiomart]

Thanks 👍🏼

[@CreatorInMicro]

Thank you for sharing your insights! I really appreciate your transparency about the process. I do wonder if the move to video conferencing (Zoom, etc.) ever disadvantages some neurodivergent authors whose body language, mannerisms, eye contact, etc. don't follow the norms of western culture. That could apply to authors from other cultures and nations as well. I also know at least one person whose body dysmorphia is strong enough that they have a difficult time being on camera for business calls, a fact that has no bearing on their writing quality. I trust that you work against bias, but that stuff can be awfully subconscious, as evidenced by the changes in classical music auditions when they put performers behind a screen. Not saying that Zoom has no place, just humbly suggesting that the weight one puts on nonverbal cues should be approached with care.

[@BookEndsLiterary]

Thanks for bringing this up, it's an important thing to keep in mind. Many of our agents definitely make it a point to work with someone's communication style, since communication is such an important part of the author-agent relationship. Whether that mean only video or only audio calls, or only email, etc. they often try to establish that at the start of the relationship (as early as the offer). We totally hear what you're saying about how video can be difficult or impossible for some, and shouldn't be the end-all be-all of communication possibilities. Hopefully, everyone is able to find agents who are able to work in the same communication style(s) as their own.

[@cdejeu8169]

There's so much info in your videos! Thank you! Somewhat related question...When an agent calls to offer representation, can I ask them if I can record the conversation for my own reference and reflection? Would that be overstepping/throw them off?

[@BookEndsLiterary]

Glad you've found our videos helpful! And you can certainly ask! Some of our agents will allow this in some or most circumstances dependent on the situation, and if any agents aren't comfortable with that, they will just let you know. If they are unkind when they turn you down, then you get a glimpse into their personality and if you'll be a good fit in the long run

[@solarsailer4166]

Nice to know what the agents are going through too. I've got a pile of rejections (15) for my project. Some are personalised but no requests so far. At the moment, I'm trying to sort through what the problem might be (if there is one). Is my query letter not doing its job? Is the book just not interesting/good enough that it's DOA? Or do the agents just know that there's no market for my book at the present time and therefore no point in requesting? Or something else that's beyond my control? How can one know, or is there no way to know sometimes? Thanks!

[@cashpat2000]

All the best

[@cashpat2000]

I'm scratching my head over this for 2 weeks. I got a full MS request and uploaded immediately. Its been 2 weeks and now I realise I haven't received a confirmation mail of receipt. Would I kill my chances by sending it again?

[@BookEndsLiterary]

Did you submit through email, or through QM? If it's through email, I'm sure it doesn't kill your chances to request a confirmation of receipt from the agent, dependent on what their email requesting the manuscript said. If they advised that they wouldn't respond to the submission until they've read it, or to wait X amount of time, you may just have to wait. But if you submitted through QM, you should have received an email letting you know if the upload was successfully received, in which case it's best to wait until the advised time period is up before requesting any status updates. If you didn't receive an automated email through QM, you might wanna check your spam folders! You can also check your status in QM - it should tell you if the document was successfully uploaded. :)

[@cynthiaking5308]

I started a post and accidentally only got half of it out and posted it. I’ll finish my thought here. The industry is a pyramid. Tons of people who feel if only they could their work in front of an agent, that’s the golden ticket. Go directly to the New York Times and bypass the business part. But there are just as many agents looking at for the next Great American Novel. As you get closer to a deal, there are fewer people at the top, but they can say no at any time. I queried for two years, ended up putting name, genre, and word count in the subject line, really just to get a faster no. I didn’t want to waste anybody’s time. So i decided to self publish. It’s hard as heck, but i believe my books Do have an audience. So we’ll see. I tell my kids I’m doing it so they can put ‘she was an animal lover and published author’ in my obituary.

[@sagenoelle4439]

Question! Around the 4:00 mark you said that 99% of the time "it's about the book, it's not about the query" -- did you mean that it's the concept/pages of the book that garners the agent's interest (as opposed to how well the query is written)? Or did you mean the problems have to do with the book and not the query (esp. if you're getting a lot of passes/no responses from agents)? Thanks for the clarification!

[@BookEndsLiterary]

Hi! I believe that Jessica and James were saying that the actual execution of the query letter (whether it's formatted correctly, contains all of the necessary info, etc.) isn't as important as if the concept of the query and book grab them. They liken it to the blurb of a book, which, even if not executed at 100%, can still draw a reader in if it hits on the book's key points of interest (characters, conflict, stakes, etc.). Hope this clears things up!

[@sagenoelle4439]

@@BookEndsLiterary Yes, thank you!

[@portiamoore163]

I promise you, you're getting that response when that email is opened lol.

[@shelbymaalouf4261]

Hi , when we query , do we query with our real name, or can we use our pseudonym?

[@BookEndsLiterary]

Hi! That's your choice! You really only have to provide a legal name once you're signed with an agent and are signing a contract and/or you submit your materials for getting paid

[@christophercurtis2893]

Would like to see how many authors they have offered representation to from a query letter. I'd say zero. The literary industry needs regulations.

[@bertiemarshall3391]

They as agents have way too much power ,

[@lisakaufman3029]

I can't imagine a writer even think about sending you a full that's not their best from beginning to end! I'd sooner die than send my manuscript with only the first part polished! As if...

[@cynthiaking5308]

everyone is going to hate me, but I think the industry is a giant pyramid. Lots of people at the bottom hoping if only they could one agent to at their query if they’d go directly

[@barbarabrooker2502]

Been an author for decades and I think you're deceiving wanna be authors...it's all subjective and luck and rejections and only the writing matters. Too many agents miss, and I think it's a difficult field. And as far as the truth, who's to say? No author should take their word for anything...only their own truth matters.