What Literary Agents Look for in a Book Submission

Learn what agents really want: clarity, structure, market awareness and a confident pitch. A practical guide to stronger submissions.

What Agents Actually Look For in a Submission (That Writers Rarely Realise)

Many writers assume agents are searching for flawless prose. In reality, agents are searching for books they can confidently take to editors, and for authors they can see themselves working with. A strong submission isn’t about perfection. It is about clarity, coherence and a realistic sense of the market.

The first thing agents look for is a confident pitch. They need to understand your book quickly, which means they want a single paragraph that explains what the book is, who it is for and why it will sell. This is not the place for clever turns of phrase or abstract ideas. It is the place for precision.

Agents also look for signs that the book has shape. They want to feel the structure beneath the writing and to sense that you know where the narrative or argument is heading. A submission that feels foggy or directionless is far harder to champion than one with a clear spine.

Market awareness is another crucial element. Agents don’t expect you to produce a business plan, but they do need to know that you understand the category you are writing into. When you can talk about the books your work sits beside and the readers it speaks to, you give the agent confidence that you can operate as a partner rather than someone who expects them to do all of the shaping.

Finally, agents look for authors who are pragmatic and collaborative. They want to work with writers who take feedback well, understand timelines and appreciate the realities of the industry. A professional tone in your query letter goes further than most writers realise.

If you are preparing to submit and want support shaping your pitch, understanding comparables or tightening your opening chapters, my Find Your Perfect Agent course explores every part of the process in depth.

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