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You’ve Got an Offer, What’s Next?
After months or years of querying, you’ve finally got an offer of representation! Although getting an agent feels like the end goal, the publishing process is just kicking off. Details and strategies might change a little from agent to agent, but the overall process is about the same. Publishing can take longer than you might expect, but each step will help your book get in the right hands.
Step 1: Officially Accepting Representation
Once you’re sure an agent is the right fit, it’s standard to give notice to any other agents with your manuscript by sending them a quick email or message that you have received an offer. Giving them a window of time to make one last review of your submission means you can compare any other offers that come. When you’re really sure or that window of time is past, you’ll notify the agent you’ve been communicating with and they’ll typically send an agency agreement for you to look over.
This contract will usually cover how much of a commission the agent takes from sales, which rights the agent is representing (if beyond print), if the agreement applies to your future work, and how either author or agent can end the relationship. Whatever it contains, make sure you read the whole document over carefully and discuss any questions you have before signing.
It’s particularly important to make sure you understand the agent’s communication preferences, how often you should expect updates, whether the agreement covers your current book or any future work, and how editorial feedback and submission strategy typically works. Getting to know your agent and agency now will help you avoid future frustration from misunderstandings.
Step 2: Getting to Know Your Agent
After the contract is signed, most agents will start things off with a video or phone call. This is a good chance to talk not just about your current manuscript, but also your career goals. You’ll also go deeper into communication preferences to make sure you’re both on the same page. Find out whether your agent prefers email, phone calls, or some other form of communication to best connect. They should also be able to tell you their typical response times so you won’t need to wonder when is too soon or too late to follow up on things. Timing and discussions will differ based on what stage of publishing your manuscript is in at a given time.
Building a Strong Relationship With Your Agent
Developing certain habits will help your relationship with your agent better in the long run:
Communicate openly. Politely and clearly share concerns, ideas, and updates rather than letting things go unsaid.
Be receptive to feedback. Your agent's notes on a manuscript or a submission strategy come from experience, so try to stay open minded, even when they're hard to hear.
Meet deadlines. Reliability builds trust in both directions.
Ask questions. If you're unsure about a decision or a next step, say so.
Trust the process. Publishing timelines can be slow and unpredictable; patience helps.
Remember you're on the same team. You and your agent both want a successful, sustainable career for you as an author.
Check out Understanding the Author-Agent Relationship for more on partnering with an agent.
Step 3: Editorial Revisions Before Submission
Most often when an author signs with an agent, their manuscript goes into revisions before anything is sent out to publishers. Agents tend to pick up manuscripts they truly believe in, but they’ll still want to polish things before trying to sell it. It’s important to remember there’s nothing wrong with revising again after finding representation: the agent knows the market and what editors are looking for, and they’ll help you get your project ready to move forward.
The Basics of Revisions
Editorial feedback from agents tends to be either developmental/big picture edits geared toward structure or line edits focused on the sentence-level.
Every agent will edit differently.
Revisions tend to be a back-and-forth process rather than one pass through the manuscript. Each round will get more specific.
There’s no universal timeline because each manuscript has different needs. Revisions can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months.
Agents want to bring the most polished manuscript possible to each agent because they normally only have one change to present your book. It’s a lot harder to come back to the same agent later with a better manuscript.
Step 4: Creating a Submission Strategy
A submission strategy is the plan you and your agent build for getting your manuscript in front of the right publishers. First, your agent will put together a list of editors they believe will be interested. They might choose to walk you through this list and explain why each editor is included. You’ll be able to contribute your input and bring up any editors you might have researched yourself. Since different imprints have different focuses, part of your strategy will involve matching your manuscript’s style and audience to an imprint and its agent(s).
Your agent will assemble a pitch package composed of a submission letter and the manuscript, along with potential supporting materials as needed. You might be given the chance to review the pitch letter and its fit to your book’s premise. Depending on the industry calendar, which runs busier at certain times of year, your agent will decide when is best to go on submission. They probably won’t send the pitch package to the whole list of editors at once in favor of gauging market interest and leaving time to tweak things before submitting to more editors.
Step 5: Going on Submission
Being “on submission” means your strategy and pitch package are ready to go and the agent has begun sending your manuscript to the editors on your list. It’s similar to the querying process where you submitted your book to agents and waited to hear back. Agents are often extremely busy, but yours should keep you updated as you wait.
Typical responses from editors include:
Passes. This means the editor decided they aren’t the right fit for your book.
Partial Interest. An editor might be interested but also want to assess interest internally with colleagues or other teams before a final response.
Revise-and Resubmit Requests. The editor might have a lot of interest in your book, but only after specific changes. Your agent will talk you through whether these changes make sense for your manuscript and existing plan.
Offers. This means an editor finally wants to acquire your book for their publisher! The offer will come with terms that your agent will talk through with you and you’ll decide as a team whether to accept or decline. That will include discussing the advance, rights for acquisition, and other relevant details.
Keep in mind that it’s normal to go through a few rounds of submissions, so going through one round with no offers is not necessarily a sign that your book will never sell to a publisher. A lack of response might also look like a bad sign but editors are often busy or waiting to get feedback from others before responding. Your agent will stay on top of following up.
What If Your Book Doesn't Sell?
Even some of the most famous authors can tell stories of receiving countless rejections on a manuscript. Talented authors with strong manuscripts and hard-working agents can still spend a lot of time waiting for the right response. You have several options when a round doesn’t work out.
Try another round of submissions.
Go through another round of revisions, then submit again.
Try working on your next manuscript, then come back to the current project another time.
Continue your author-agent relationship and discuss future projects or a new plan.
Remember, Every Author's Journey Is Different
There’s no set timeline or journey for every manuscript. Each project and time in the market is different, so the path to selling your book will differ every time. Try to focus on progress rather than how fast things are going, because rushing revisions or submissions doesn’t usually lead to a better outcome. Don’t forget to celebrate your successes in finishing a manuscript and finding representation, and be willing to adjust your plan as things progress.
FAQs
Can I start writing my next book after signing with an agent?
Agents tend to view authors’ careers as long term rather than revolving around one book. As long as you can manage the deadlines from your manuscript in revision or on submission, working on your next book is a great move.
Are there any costs I should expect after signing with an agent?
Reputable literary agents are paid on commission, which isn’t until the book sells. You shouldn’t be asked to pay anything when signing, revising, or submitting your manuscript. If there’s anything unclear about costs, you should discuss it with your agent.
Take the next step toward signing today and try LitArc for free!