Did you know that unless specified and fought for with a publisher, it is unlikely that an author will get the rights to the title of their book, or even the cover design? And did you know that a Literary Agent can be the one to help secure those rights amongst helping with many other significant factors in the publishing process? This is only a glimpse into the things I learned at the insightful Author and Agent Relationship talk at this year’s Young Adult Literature Convention. The talk was led by Writers and Artist’s Yearbook Content and Partnerships Manager, Claire Povey. She was joined by guests: Literary Agent Jemma Cooper, who last year established her own agency Gemma Cooper Literary within the publishing industry, and her client Abiola Bello, author of Only For The Holidays (2023) and The Love Dare (2024).
Cooper began by discussing her own path into publishing, explaining how she got a degree in English before becoming an assistant at an agency. Cooper stated that you do not need to know everything about English to work within the industry, only that you are a good reader! Cooper then spoke about what she looks for in submissions as an agent looking to take on new clients. She emphasised that she looks for something special and is drawn to the pitch line first to know where the book would potentially fit in the market. Next, she reads the first ten pages and looks prominently for a powerful sense of voice which grabs her immediately. Cooper also argued that personal taste changes each week for what an agent looks for, highlighting the ever-changing nature of the industry and the trending marketplace.
An agent “sells books, and everything else.”
– Gemma Cooper
Here Cooper is referring to the marketing, pitching, designing, and finance side of publishing. Hearing these insights painted a clearer picture of what literary agents really do and stand for. Their role within publishing is substantial – to be able to take on such great responsibilities for projects desires fervour and outstanding adaptability. You must become a powerhouse within a world of powerhouses.
One of the main takeaways I had from this talk is that the relationship between an author and an agent is personal and subjective. An agent becomes your best friend and your biggest believer when it comes to publishing and promoting your work. Together you work on pitches, getting the title right, and creating a true passion on paper. An agent needs to be honest with deadlines and great at communication. They need to respect their authors and be collaborative; in return, an author has to be open to change, reflective and resilient.
Bello shared that it is important to know the editorial style of your agent, to discuss the next steps in the process and ask about the financial aspects of your signing. It may be slightly ‘taboo’ to discuss money, but it is still especially important from both an author and agent’s perspective to make sure your goals align, including your financial goals.
Not every author experiences their dreams of a number 1 seller the first time around, and Povey queried about what happens on the bad days as a literary agent. Cooper expressed that it is crucial to care for your authors every step of the way. When a book does not sell, you ache for your author, but it is important to not let that inevitable disappointment seep its way into their passion. Keeping their dream alive, fuelling their perseverance, and encouraging a fresh project makes such a difference. Learning from the bad days changes how you move forth in your career both as an author and an agent, once again showing how they work in tandem, like two ends of a ribbon creating a perfect bow.
An agent usually takes a book to an auction between publishers, with specific rules regarding money, rights, and territory that they may have to follow. An agent and the author will then knock two competitors out before another round of final bids are placed on the book. A publisher will then help create marketing plans, PR and begin editorial work. It is important to communicate an author’s needs when working with a publisher. As well as the rights to the title and cover design, they also stressed not letting the publisher have the film and tv rights either, therefore highlighting the importance of having an agent retain your merchandising rights to any book you publish.
Bello and Cooper also gave some handy writing advice; choose an exciting incident and be consistent with your writing style, plot, and characters, do not open with a dream or a video game as it establishes false hope in the agent reading your draft. Trust your agent if they say something within the book will not work – they are there to have your back and fight your corner, not hinder your career, therefore trust is a crucial element to establish from the get-go.
Like all jobs in the publishing industry, the agency jobs are sparse, you need experience to get somewhere, but hardly anywhere in the industry offer experience opportunities and internships – at least ones that pay anyway. Cooper suggested looking for maternity leave covers, or assistant positions to learn the trade through shadowing. As a young publishing hopeful, attending this talk was inspiring and provided insider knowledge into how this side of the business functions. It was great to hear from somebody who had been working as an agent for over 10 years, and to see in person the impact a strong-willed agent and their nurturing and encouraging energy has on an author. The agent works for the author, but also with the author. The author works with the agent, but also for the agent. They mirror each other in their goals and respect each other in the process. Overall, a talk worth remembering for those who dream to write and those who wish to publish.
– Becca Green
Becca Green is a Creative Writing and English Literature student at York St John University. At the moment, she is undertaking a placement year in London as part of her course, but still regularly writes in her spare time. This article was written after attending the Young Adult Literature Convention in November.