Getting an agent can feel impossible, but don’t lose hope

For a writer seeking an agent, even a glance at the statistics is enough to bring on despair. Every year, top agents receive over 20,000 query letters and reject most of them – as many as seventy per cent of submissions are turned down on the spot.

Rejection always cuts deeply, but a novelist seeking an agent can dramatically improve their prospects – and adopt a more positive outlook on the whole process of querying – by keeping three things in mind.

1. Avoid the major errors and you’ll instantly be taken seriously

Agents I interviewed for Pitch Your Book, my guide to writing a query that hooks an agent, say the same three errors crop up repeatedly in their inboxes. Firstly, many writers query agents for a genre of fiction they don’t represent. Secondly, the majority of writers somehow signal ignorance of their genre in their letters (maybe the comparable titles or manuscript wordcount they mention are unrealistic). Finally, most writers query their books far too soon, before their writing is strong enough. Goodness knows I fell into that trap.

What these common errors provide is a secret recipe for success: avoid these mistakes and you dramatically improve your chance of finding an agent, or at least inspiring the agent to reply with constructive feedback that can help improve your craft.

2. You don’t have to know an industry insider to get an agent

This is the biggest misconception: it’s not true that you need to have an aunt in publishing or know a famous author to get your manuscript seen by an agent. One agent I interviewed, a New York rep who works with a London colleague to place UK manuscripts with North American publishers, said most of her clients have come to her by writing her an email and telling her what their story is about. It really is that simple -- which brings me to my next point.

3. Writing a brilliant query letter is guaranteed to grab an agent’s attention

“What’s your story about?” That’s all the agent really wants to know. Your query letter must contain a concise description, around 250 words, of what happens in your book, without giving away spoilers or the ending. (Agents sometimes request a synopsis that reveals everything, but that’s separate from your introductory letter).

Remember that agents love stories; it’s why they work in publishing. Tell them your story in a way that makes them care about your protagonist and compels them to want to know more. You’ll redraft your query letter many times (the letter that got me my agent went through 33 revisions), but this is worthwhile work.

Don’t let the statistics around agent submissions skewer your hopes. Agents are actively hunting for new novelists to introduce to the world. You could be their next client.

Pitch Your Book: Write the letter that hooks an agent on your novel is out 3 June 2025. Check out Pitch Your Book(this link will open in a new window).