Introduction to Literary Agents

We work with leading literary agents and a number of our clients have secured publishing deals. It’s important to remember that getting published is difficult and we can only help with a perfectly polished manuscript that has commercial potential at a given moment in time. This service is currently only for Y/A and adult fiction and is for either returning BPA clients or BPA clients who have used our mentoring services. 

For clients using our editorial services and whose work we feel is up to standard we may approach agents on your behalf if we feel there is a potential match. Please be aware that several edits may be necessary to bring your manuscript up to the required standard. We charge a reading fee for this service based on the length of the manuscript but thereafter there are no further charges.

This is very much a labour of love and we are only able to take on a limited number of clients. Please don’t assume that even after repeated edits we are able to submit to agents on your behalf. We are guided by commercial considerations and it may be that however well written your novel is, we don’t feel able to connect you with an agent.

If you are referred by your editor for a submissions review then our editor will discuss the appropriate reading fee and details of what you can expect. 

Some questions you may have

Why do I need a literary agent?

Nowadays most publishing houses will only accept submissions via agents so if you want to go the traditional publishing route you need a capable agent with impeccable contacts within the publishing houses to champion your cause and negotiate the best possible deal for you. A good agent will also advise on and negotiate foreign rights as well as TV and film deals.

Why would I use your service when I can do it on my own?

We are able to bypass the slush pile and contact agents directly. The agents we work with trust us to send them a manuscript that is of a certain standard and commercially viable. Through the First Novel Award we have access to some really strong debuts that agents building their lists are keen to see so we have built up a good rapport with agents representing a wide variety of genres/

Introduction to Literary Agents