How to Get a Literary Agent in 2024 | The Strategy That Landed Me 8 Offers

If your dream is to land a literary agent — today I am sharing exactly how I landed 8 offers from literary agents for my very first manuscript and my 5 top tips that made my author dreams come true.

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NICE TO MEET YOU!

I'm just getting started on YouTube (so excited to be here!) — but if you're looking for more writing advice and insider tea, check out my videos on:

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WATCH MY FREE MASTERCLASS

The Insider's Guide to Literary Agents: The Top 3 Ways To Stand Out (+ The Top 3 Mistakes To Avoid!):

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FREE RESOURCES

Query Letter Project (70+ Letters from Published Authors — all age ranges and genres!):

10-Step Guide to Landing a Literary Agent:

Writer Toolkit: (Includes my favorite craft books and links to my Miro outlining template template and an amazing writer Discord community)

Author Website Template:

My Query Letter:

Looking for Writing Friends & Critique Partners?:

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HOW TO LAND AN AGENT

Want to learn the exact strategies I used to land 8 agent offers and a 6-figure 2-book deal? Join the waiting list for the second cohort of Query Bootcamp, launching in February 2024!

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LOOKING TO HIRE A DEVELOPMENTAL EDITOR OR BOOK COACH?

Join the Waiting List!

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MORE WRITING TIPS!

DISCLAIMER: Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you! Thank you for supporting my channel so I can continue to provide you with free writing advice!

[smeastwest]

I'm stuck on your #1 tip. I've given my manuscript to 7 people I know and trust, I've joined writing circles, taken classes, joined writing forums and beta reader websites...it's been a year and a half since I finished my manuscript, and the only person who's read it is my mother. I've noticed that so many AuthorTube channels sort of breeze past this step as if it's the easiest one, which may be true for some people. This has not been my experience. I've decided to not let it stop me from writing, but it does mean I have to skip over this step in order to move past it.

[dameanvil]

2:01 📚 She emphasizes the importance of seeking constructive criticism on drafts to improve as a writer.
3:39 🤝 Building connections with fellow writers and forming critique partnerships significantly contributed to her growth.
7:58 💻 Creating a writer website and establishing a web presence proved to be advantageous in attracting literary agents.
8:31 ⏳ Learning patience and ensuring the manuscript was polished before querying agents was crucial for success in the querying process.

[WhirledPublishing]

If this is any consolation to writers: "Stephen King, Maya Angelou, Hemingway, Bradbury ... on and on ... received stacks of rejection letters before they became world famous: Carrie by Stephen King was rejected by 30 publishers."

[ethandowler]

Such thoughtful and sweet encouragement. I have been on my writing journey for about a year now, with only about 1-2 months of that spent actually writing. I've spent a lot of time studying the craft, but I'm at a point where I feel like the only way to effectively learn more is to TRY IT OUT.

I am ~6k words into my first draft (goal is 80k-100k for final book, based on my genre research), and my biggest obstacle is consistently setting aside time to write. I have 6 young kids, and they come first, but I know that if I set my mind to it, I could find a few hours/week to write.

I'll be on the lookout for more content from you, Lauren. Thank you for giving back to the writing community!

[joyboimusic]

Omg thank you for providing these tips so openly

[ZeoW]

Brilliant video, Lauren. Thank you so much for sharing!!

I'd love to hear more about your writing journey, the books that you studied and learnings from each one. It's been a year since I started mine and while I feel like I'm making progress, it doesn't seem to be enough!

[kittuffincafe]

Thank you so much for sharing, and being so realistic and honest! I also dont have a background in writing, but I've always loved it, not only that, but as a kid i illustrated my own small stories. I've been writing the 1st draft of a novel for a bit over a year, as well as working on my children's books, I've got separate stories that intertwine, and it can feel hard to find other writers/illustrators like you that want to do both and are gradually working on both. I'm so excited to follow your journey and am grateful for what you've shared today! Congrats!

[jenniecreel]

Hello, Lauren. Where have you been all my life? I was so enthused to find this video and it's gold. Thank you for helping us out and for all your work. I'll be watching more videos to inspire my writing process. Welcome to my life!

[jakjak]

This is very inspiring and has great advice.
I'm encoruage and want to keep writing!

[marlinthecreative]

Studying the craft is one of the best pieces of advice.

[brigidsmith]

Super helpful and actionable tips, Thank you, Lauren!!!

[thejavilobby]

Congrats on your success! I'm in the same boat now. I just started querying my first novel and i need to do better at connecting with other writers who can help me on my journey.

[anastasiaf]

Oh! I think this was a good start for your YouTube series! Congrats!!! ❤️

[searchbug]

Thanks for sharing this Lauren! Hoping for your success as an author. Nowadays, there's a lot of digital tools that we can use for our businesses like data append for finding a literary agents. The data append tool emerges as an indispensable asset for authors aiming to connect with book agents and elevate the visibility of their work. This tool conserves time, enhances the precision of your outreach, and allows for a more tailored approach to your communications.

[TheWorldOfDK]

Hi Lauren! Nice to meet you and I'm glad I found your channel. Thank you for taking the time to share your experiences to help people, it is SO appreciated! I am 40k words into my first novel and really hope I have a different kind of story to share that will engage and resonate with readers. I have subscribed and look forward to more videos from you. All the best to you!

[Auxik]

After the death of my older brother, I wrote my first full length novel. He always told me to pursue writing more than just as a hobby.

I completed my rough draft last year and let some friends and family members read it, and they all said it was phenomenal. I have imposter syndrome pretty bad right now but I started sending query letters to agents. So far I've sent about 20'ish and have had several form rejections. I'm stuck in limbo, not knowing if this really is for me or not.

[KitchenTableChatsENM]

You are such a bright shining joyful soul and this video really helped me feel inspired again to pick up my unfinished novel I keep abandoning ❤

[MKWilliams]

Welcome to Authortube! I did a double take with the algo recommended this to me, like, she's usually on my TikTok feed. Welcome ;)

[johnsullivan]

I just discovered your YouTube channel and I really enjoyed your video. I learned so much and I really admire your effort to help others. As my English professor used to say in college, "Write on!"

[itsaliananda]

SHE FINALLY HAS A YOUTUBE so so excited for your journey on here ! :) 💜💜