FAQs

Literary Agent Representation

What does it mean to work with a literary agent?

Literary agents act as teammates and negotiators between authors and publishing companies. 98% of traditional publishing deals are conducted by an agent. Leaning on their expertise and industry experience, authors can maintain stronger and more profitable relationships with both independent and corporate traditional publishing companies.

I am an aspiring author. What should I look for in an agent when choosing a literary agent to partner with for my manuscript and writing career?

Your agent is your teammate, so they have to love your writing, and be on board with your aspirations as a writer. Do they indicate they have a shared vision for your authorial future? Do they want a longterm partnership? Those are good signs.

Other things to look for:

  • Verify the agent’s track record (look at past sales of works, talk to a current client, or decide a more junior agent is in line with your goals!)

  • Agents never charge reading fees, per the American Association of Literary Agents. You want an agent who is a member and/or adheres to their ethics even if they are not a member.

  • Ensure your communication styles are a match.

How do Ami McConnell Literary Agents get paid?

Literary agents get paid when you get paid—across the board they all take a 15% fee of any advance or royalty payments authors receive for your book. So, we work for free for our authors until we secure a deal.

For film rights sales, it is common for your literary agent to take a 20% fee (which is often split equally with a film rights agent that partners to that particular project).

Ami McConnell Literary Agency is a woman-owned agency. Is it the only one? Are there any other female-owned literary agencies accepting new clients?

We are proud to be woman owned and operated! But there are several other reputable literary firms who also have female owners. A few of those include:

What if we can't sell my manuscript to a publisher?

As a literary consulting agency, we love to transparently offer more options than traditional agenting. If your agent and you do not sign a deal with a traditional publisher, you can discuss alternative options such as hybrid publishing or self-publishing, and how to change the nature of your relationship with us to pursue those avenues. You might also decide to shelve that project and move on to another, still seeking traditional representation together.

How do I find a reputable literary agency for my first novel?

  1. Use Industry Databases: Start with tools like QueryTracker and Manuscript Wish List (#MSWL). These platforms allow you to filter agents by genre and see their current submission status. Publishers Marketplace is also an invaluable resource for tracking which agents are actually making deals for debut novels.

  2. Check Book Acknowledgments: Look at recently published debut novels in your genre. Authors almost always thank their agents in the acknowledgments section.

  3. Verify Professional Standing: Ensure the agency is a member of the Association of American Literary Agents (AALA) or working by their ethics code. Reputable agents work on a commission basis (typically 15% for domestic sales) and never charge upfront reading or representation fees.

  4. Consider a Junior Agent: While senior agents at major firms like Writers House or UTA have prestige, junior agents at many firms are often actively building their client lists and may be more eager to take a chance on a first-time novelist. See how well mentored they are—here at Ami McConnell Literary our agents meet once a week so that all agents collaborate and support one another’s projects.

FAQs

Literary Consulting

What is the difference between working with a literary agent and working with a literary consultant?

Literary agents act as teammates and negotiators between authors and traditional publishing companies.

Literary consultants take on case-by-case project-based work within their realm of expertise to help authors reach their book dreams.

How do literary consultants get paid?

We agree upon mutually beneficial terms for individual relationships and projects, whether that is a collaborative writing agreement with Ami McConnell herself so you can finish writing your memoir, or a 6 meeting brand building mentorship series with Sara Wigal, for example, you and your consultant will work together to find solutions to your publishing needs. All fees will be written into a contract and agreed upon in advance with no surprise additions. Packages range from $150 to $30,000. Some of our consulting clients currently include Naomi Rawlings, Colleen Coble, Jay Sheridan, and many more.

What are the types of consulting Ami McConnell Literary can provide to me?

We can customize our consulting with any author, but some of the frequent needs we have met in the past for others include:

  • Subrights consultation for self-published authors

  • Developmental Editing

  • Collaborative (or, “ghost”) writing

  • Copy editing in Chicago style

  • Book proposal preparation

  • Social media audits

  • Media pitch templates

  • PR strategy

FAQs

Hybrid Profit-Share Publishing with Our Imprints

What is hybrid publishing?

Hybrid publishing sits squarely between traditional publishing and self-publishing. In this publishing scenario, the author pays a fee upfront for the services to produce and distribute their book with the publisher. The author retains their own rights to their intellectual property.

How much does it cost?

We have a standard package ($20K) and a premium publishing package ($30k). The biggest difference between the two is how much publicity and marketing support your project will receive. For more information see our imprints page. Another important cost-related factor is royalty rate—in hybrid publishing, the author receives a significantly higher royalty rate than in traditional publishing—more than the publisher keeps.

Can anyone hybrid publish with you?

No. We curate our imprint lists and only work on projects we care about. We work with adult fiction, nonfiction, Young adult fiction, and picture books across our three imprints (Abston Books, Banana Banana Books, and Betty Fay Books), but we don’t just publish anyone willing to pay.

We abide by all of the tenets of the Independent Book Publishing Association’s Hybrid Publisher Criteria.

Do you hybrid publish any book genre?

We curate our imprint lists and only work on projects we care about through the Ami McConnell Literary hybrid publishing projects. We work with adult fiction, nonfiction, Young adult fiction, and picture books across our three imprints (Abston Books, Banana Banana Books, and Betty Fay Books). As mentioned previously, we abide by all of the tenets of the Independent Book Publishing Association’s Hybrid Publisher Criteria.

What is the difference between hybrid and traditional publishing?

Hybrid publishing sits squarely between traditional publishing and self-publishing. In this publishing scenario, the author pays a fee upfront for the services to produce and distribute their book with the publisher. The author retains their own rights to their intellectual property, and a higher royalty rate than in traditional publishing schemes.

What are the benefits of hybrid publishing for new authors?

Hybrid publishing offers new authors a middle ground between traditional publishing and self-publishing, blending professional industry standards with greater author autonomy. One of the primary advantages is higher royalties, where authors often retain 50% to 80% of sales proceeds compared to the 8-15% typical of traditional deals. For authors looking to move quickly, the speed to market is significantly better, with publishing timelines often reduced to 6-12 months. Most importantly, reputable hybrid publishers provide established distribution channels to physical bookstores and libraries, a feat that is often difficult for independent authors to achieve alone, all while allowing the writer to retain full ownership of their intellectual property rights.