Definition

Noun: A professional representative who acts on behalf of an author in all business matters with publishers and other potential buyers of the author's work. This includes negotiating contracts, selling rights, and managing the author's professional career.

Usage

A literary agent serves as the intermediary between a writer and the publishing industry. The agent's primary role is to advocate for the author.

Examples: * The aspiring novelist sent her manuscript to a literary agent. * A good literary agent can secure a favorable publishing deal. * The author's literary agent handled the translation rights for the book.

Advanced Usage

• "to have/retain a literary agent": To be formally represented by one.
  • The successful writer has retained the same literary agent for twenty years.
• In discussions about publishing paths, the phrase is often used contrastively:

Variants and Related Words

• Agent (n): A broader term for a person who acts on behalf of another. A literary agent is a specific type of agent.
• Publisher (n): The person or company that prepares and issues books, the counterparty in the agent's negotiations.

Synonyms

• Author's representative
• Author's agent

Related Phrases

• To secure/land a literary agent: To successfully get a literary agent to agree to represent you.
  • After many rejections, she finally landed a literary agent.
• To be represented by a literary agent: The state of having an agent.
  • He is now represented by a prominent literary agent in New York.

Noun

1. an agent who represents an author in dealings with publishers