Literary agent

BeginnerPublishing & industryReference

Representative who sells manuscripts to publishers for a commission.

Representative who sells manuscripts to publishers for a commission. Publishing terms describe market-facing documents — queries, comps, and formats — not manuscript interior craft.

As an industry term, it describes professional practice outside the manuscript text.

Why it matters

Literary agent is industry vocabulary for pitching and publication — distinct from on-page craft.

Common pitfalls

Confusing this industry term with an on-page craft move.
Using jargon with collaborators who define the term differently.

Loading hub content…

Representative who sells manuscripts to publishers for a commission.

Representative who sells manuscripts to publishers for a commission. Publishing terms describe market-facing documents — queries, comps, and formats — not manuscript interior craft.

As an industry term, it describes professional practice outside the manuscript text.

Why it matters

Literary agent is industry vocabulary for pitching and publication — distinct from on-page craft.

Common pitfalls

Confusing this industry term with an on-page craft move.
Using jargon with collaborators who define the term differently.