Take the first step to writing your children’s book story. Get your copy of the children’s book template here to help you get started.
An agent is a great resource to help you sell your children’s book to a publisher. They work as the go-between for you and the editor and can help you negotiate the best deal. But how do you find an agent to help you sell your book?
Like an open publishing house, you will need to go “on submission” for a children’s book agent. Here’s how you can do that.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Clicking on an affiliate link may result in a commission for me at no cost to you!
Having an agent is definitely an asset as an author, but it’s not required. You can send your children’s book to a publisher without an agent, however, there are some publishing houses that aren’t open to unagented authors. In these situations, you’ll want to find an agent to help connect you to them.
A literary agent works as a mediator between you and the publisher. They will help you get the best contract and negotiate for other things, like foreign rights and media rights. In return, they will earn a commission off your writing advance and sales.
Think of it as the middleman who does the selling work for you. 😉
To make sure you find a good agent that will get you the best deal though, you need to do your research. (Having a bad agent is worse than not having an agent at all.)
There isn’t a set timeline on when to find an agent. Instead, it will depend on you and your goals for your story because you can get a publishing contract without an agent. These publishers are known as “open” because they accept “unsolicited” manuscripts from unagented authors.
However, if you want to submit to a “closed” house, like one of the big 5 publishers, you will need an agent to connect you. (Learn the difference between small and big publishers in this article here.)
You cannot send the same story to both publishers or agents, though, so you will need to decide which path is right for you BEFORE you go on submission.
While submission guidelines can vary from agent to agent, you will always need to send them a query letter. A query letter is simply an introduction to you, your story, and why they might be interested in reading it. (Think of it like a job cover letter.)
Your query should be less than 300 words and should be focused mainly on the one book you’re trying to sell to them. Along with the query, you’ll want to send them any additional information they requested like a set number of pages of your manuscript, comp books, synopsis, etc.
A query is a cover letter or introductory email to your story. Less than 300-words, your query should be professional and to the point in order to lay out why the agent should read your book and try to sell your story.
No pressure, right? 🙈
Your query letter should consist of six parts:
When you’re thinking about your book summary, or the best way to pitch your story, think of it like the back of the book copy. If you were standing in the bookstore, reading the inside cover flap, what would draw you in to read more? Use that in your query.
If you want help getting started, grab our query letter template here.
In the traditional publishing world, there’s a lot of competition to sell a children’s book. This means an agent will receive THOUSANDS of queries every single month from authors seeking representation.
In order to help yourself stand out above the slushpile, you need to do your research and know what agents you’re sending your story to. Don’t mass email a canned query to a long list of agents!
Here’s how you can find an agent that is right for your story.
There are three spots for you to find an agent in the children’s market:
All three are beneficial in their own way.
If you are a member of SCBWI, you get a FREE resource known as “The Book”. It has a list of all the publishing houses and agencies, along with contact information for both. This book is updated regularly throughout the year.
Although the book is free, the membership is $85 for the year. So, if a membership is not in your budget, then you should consider getting the Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market book instead because it contains the same information.
This is a very cost-effective resource for less than $20! The children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market is a comprehensive list of publishers and agencies with their contact information. Plus it’s updated yearly!
I like to get the hard copy and highlight the agencies/publishers that work best for each of my stories. And I try to find an agent that will sell all types of the children’s market since I write for the whole spectrum–or would like to!
Although this isn’t a great place to start, it can be very helpful to learn more about an agency or agent you’re interested in working with because it will help you find more articles about them and what they’re interested in.
You’ll want to use sites like Literary Rambles, Publisher’s Marketplace, and Manuscript Wishlist to help you find out more about what an agent is interested in reading. Then, you’ll need to go to their websites to find out more about their submission guidelines and if they’re open to queries.
It’s a long process to find an agent, but with the proper research, you will be able to find an agent that will be best for you and your story!
Remember these tips before you submit to an agent:
Go further with the Kidlit Publishing Toolkit! Everything you need to know in order to publish a children’s book. Learn more and get your copy here!
Share
Pin
3K
3K
Shares
Last time we looked at the different routes to publishing your children's book in our series on How to Write a Children's Book. If you decide that the traditional publishing route is for you, you will hear lots of conversation around agents. How do you find an agent? Do you need an agent? How do you work with an agent once you find one?
Most writers know there are literary agents out there. But if you've never worked with one before, the world of agents can feel like a giant mystery.
Through this article, I'll answer six of the questions I hear most about securing an agent for your project.
If you wish to publish with a traditional publisher, then yes, you'll need an agent since most publishing houses only accept “agented submissions.” This means that your agent is the seller of your project versus you.
And similarly, you are the “seller” of the project to your agent though in this case, you do not pay an agent for them to represent you; they make money when your project sells.
Why do publishers often only accept agented manuscripts? Three primary reasons:
That's right, publishers receive thousands of submissions every year. They cannot possibly read each one and many end up in the “slush pile,” which is an unfortunate description for the many, many manuscripts that go unnoticed.
At some houses, an editorial assistant may be assigned to give manuscripts a “first read” and forward to an editor if they think it has potential. By receiving submissions through an agent, a publisher is able to focus their attention on a fewer number of ideas, though even this volume can still be high.
This is a biggie. Like any relational industry, editors come to rely on certain agents to deliver what they are looking for. If, for example, I'm an agent specializing in children's picture books, I will know which of my editors will appreciate hearing from me.
Perhaps as an agent, I have a track record of bringing highly sellable concepts to editors. Or maybe I have a niche representing BIPOC authors, and I know which publishers are eager to add more diversity to their list.
The agent can play an important role in communication between the publisher and the author, helping with contract negotiation and relaying project direction.
If a publisher knows and trusts an agent, they will appreciate an agent's help with maintaining good author relationships. And conversely, an author will appreciate an agent's ability to help get answers they seek and ensure they are getting a good deal.
To build on the above, let's review here the role of an agent. It's important to remember that as an author, you are “hiring” an agent to work for you, yet they will not make money until they sell your project. The usual commission is fifteen percent of your earnings.
An agent is your representative to the publishing house and will:
This is where the work is. Unless you happen to know someone who can make some intros for you, finding an agent is going to take some research and outreach, and it can, unfortunately, be a painfully slow process. Here are several ways to begin your agent search.
Start with children's book authors and books you love. Often an agent will be credited on an author's website or you can conduct online searches to obtain this information.
Publisher's marketplace is a membership-based website where you can search for recent book deals, agents and agencies. There is a $25 monthly membership fee, so people often join for a month or two to do some research. They also have a $10 quick pass for more limited access.
There is an active writer community on Twitter where you'll see posts by agents and news of writer conferences that often provide opportunities to chat with agents and/or pitch your work. Similarly, Instagram is a great place to learn of literary agencies and follow along with projects and new releases.
Query Tracker is an online query tracking system that allows users to find agents and publishers, list those they are querying, and track responses.
Good ‘ol fashioned research can lead to the websites of many literary agencies where you can read what types of projects they are looking to represent as well as what they require in terms of submissions (for example, query letter plus manuscript).
Often an agency will specialize in certain types of books (adult fiction, middle grade, memoir) and will tell you, too, what they are not looking for.
If you find a writing community—in person or online—you will find them a wealth of information as people are often willing to share resources with one another, the good and the “be wary.”
Keep in mind that while an agent is looking for a good-fit project, you are also looking for a good-fit agent. That's why it's important to do your research on the agencies that represent what you're writing.
The traditional way of finding an agent is through sending a basic document called a query letter. This is your one-page sales pitch that needs to pack a lot in a little amount of space.
It's going to be helpful here to revisit our topics about Story Intention and Target Market as these are a few things you'll be mentioning in your query. The Write Practice has a wonderful article on writing query letters that you can find here, but typically for a picture book, you'll want to make it short and snappy.
Since most agents ask that the entire manuscript be included in the submission, writing a long query letter is unnecessary.
You'll divide your letter into three brief paragraphs:
This is where you'll tell the agent your project and why you are choosing to send them your query. For example:
Because of your interest in books that cultivate social-emotional learning, I am submitting to you my manuscript for BE BRAVE LITTLE ONE, a 32-page illustrated picture book.
This is the section where you sell your book by describing the story. Focus on your story intention to write a strong pitch.
An article from www.kidlit.com shares an awesome sample of a succinct pitch line:
A quirky picture book with a great friendship hook and spare text, HARRY AND HORSIE is sure to blast your imagination into the stratosphere!
This gives the agent just enough information to know the heart of your book.
This last paragraph is for you to tell the agent a bit of your background and tout any connections you have in the writing and publishing world. Why would you be a good partner with this agent?
Remember, a potential children's book agent is asking themselves, “Can I sell this project/person?” Don't count yourself out if you are previously unpublished, but certainly mention any ties to the writing community you do have! A great idea is still a great idea, regardless if it's your first or fortieth book.
Getting traditionally published is a long game. These are a few things you can unfortunately expect during the query process.
Many of the agency websites will tell you what you can expect. For example, “We will respond within six to eight weeks if we are interested in your project. You can assume a no if you don't hear from us by then.”
It's simply a very crowded industry which means a lot of great ideas simply won't be acquired. As much as it's hard to hear a no or hear nothing at all, I will encourage you to move on and forward as quickly as possible!
When you consider the number of inquiries showing up unannounced in someone's inbox, you might better understand an agent's inability to respond to everyone.
One thing that is within your control is your decision to keep writing while you wait. Putting your mind on something productive will mean less focus on waiting for “the yes!”
When you do finally get a positive response from an agent, you'll likely set up a phone call to get better acquainted and then sign a contract of representation. Make sure you read this thoroughly!
If you need advice here, you can get assistance from The Author's Guild, the nation’s oldest and largest professional organization of writers. An agent may also give you feedback on potential changes needed before embarking on the submission process.
Remember, you are beginning what hopefully becomes a long-term relationship. It's easy to get caught up in the excitement of landing an agent, but a bad agent is worse than no agent at all!
And yes, it's also possible that a particular agent will not have success selling your project and you'll be on the search again. This is not meant to discourage, rather to underscore the writing/publishing can be subjective and unpredictable, just like life itself!
As you can see, the process of finding a children's book agent can be a long one, but if being traditionally published is your dream, then it will be worth the wait.
In almost every instance, signing with an agent is the first step towards getting a traditional publishing deal. Do your research. Write a query letter that best represents your book. And then go forth boldly and query agents!
With hard work, perseverance, and just a bit of luck, you can sign with the agent who is perfect for you.
And as an extra bonus, take a look at this list of several book publishers who do accept unagented picture book submissions. Make sure you still do your homework before pitching your book directly.
What questions do you still have about finding a children's book agent? Let me know in the comments.
Set your timer for fifteen minutes. Look at the instructions for writing a query letter above and write the “what paragraph” and the “who paragraph.”
When you are finished, share your query draft in the Pro Practice Workshop here.
Not a member yet? Join us here!