Looking for a Literary Agent: Be Informed

There are significant changes coming to the world of literary agents that make it harder, especially for new writers, to navigate. As always, Jane Friedman provides a thought-provoking and informative guide.

Before delving into this, I should note that I am a poet and the author of a textbook. I have never had an agent, and generally speaking, don’t earn enough from my books to make me attractive to a literary agent. I’m okay with that. But I also direct a low-residency MFA program, and in that capacity, I’ve long been curious about the world of agents, and Friedman’s The Business of Being A Writer, her newsletter Electric Speed, and her blog have consistently provided excellent information on this and other publishing news.

This month, her top post was “Agent Business Models May Be Shifting: What I Fear Will Happen.” I won’t even try to cover everything she discusses, but let me give a few highlights so those who are thinking about looking for an agent will know why they need to read this.

First, Friedman presents some historical perspective to show why there is cause for concern and why there are now nearly as many people who call themselves literary agents as there are literary editors. She argues this resulted from changes at the American Association of Literary Agents in 2022, which meant that agents no longer had to show they had sold at least 10 titles in the past year to become members. Though broadening the membership base might bring equity for agents who are just starting out, it also has meant a dramatic increase in the number of agents listed and therefore more submissions to editors and more competition in the field. There have also been changes to what the AALA allows member agents to do to earn money, and more changes are coming on September 1, 2026.

Why should you be concerned? Agents can already charge fees to authors they don’t represent for things like editing, though they are required to refund those fees if they then sign to represent the author. That requirement will be loosened, which may make the discussion a little squishier. Does an author who seeks representation really have the ability to demand a refund? Legally, yes, but in practice many might feel pressured to cave. Many more might pay for editing services in hopes of eventually rising to the ranks of the authors the agent represents, even though agents will be required to say that there is no connection between their other services and author representation. There is ample room for abuse, in other words, and even for an agent who is trying to be above-board, authors may still pay for services hoping to get the agent’s attention.

With this in mind, it is all the more important for authors to inform themselves about these changes and about agents and their track records of getting contracts signed for book publication. If there are more agents out there, and if they can earn money selling services and even referring authors to vanity presses or hybrid publishers, then it becomes vital to know who is serious about selling books to publishers and who makes their income with other services. A subscription to Publisher’s Marketplace, where you can get the details of actual contracts with major publishers, may be your only line of defense when AALA membership no longer means what it once did.

There are advantages to the new regulations, and Friedman’s overview is as even-handed as possible. Yet she raises serious concerns about the potential for abuse. If you’re looking for an agent to represent your writing, if you already have one, or even if you are only considering what it would be like to enter that world, you owe it to yourself to read her post and be informed. At the very least, it will give you more things to look out for when researching potential agents.