Information Overload Page...
IMPORTANT!!! We are no longer accepting new queries. Please check back from time to time as we annouce the specific genres we are searching for at the time.
As such, we will not respond to queries. Any mailed materials with insufficient postage or return postage will be discarded.
Are you in the AAR? The staff of Authors Literary Agency fully abides by the standards set forth with Association of Author's Representatives (AAR) Code of Ethics.
What are your fees? There is, and never will be, an 'up front charge' to the author - regardless of the reading, amount of editing needed, etc. If Authors Literary Agency agrees to take on a client they are not remunerated until that work is sold to the publishing house. With that being said, submissions are reviewed and accepted ONLY if they fit what Authors Literary Agency feels is suitable. Agency income is generated solely by commission on the sale of the book or the related rights, which includes author advances.
What is a normal contract? Standard Agency Contracts for new authors includes a 15% commission for domestic sales, a 20% commission for subsidiary and co-agented foreign rights, with a one-year renewable term. If the author later presents a publisher offering a 'standard' publishing contract, applicable commissions will be reduced to 10%. Of note, some agencies will take a lessor fee, however they will expect the author to submit only SUBMISSION READY work, meaning if they think you need an editor they tell you to go pay for one. We don't work this way: if we agree to take on a client we agree to also take on the expense of getting that book ready for submission (usually done working with the author on edits, but independent editors may be brought in at agency expense and at agency discretion).
Will you charge me for your expenses? Expenses: applicable expenses incurred by Authors Literary Agency are absorbed (such as copying, postage, courier, etc.). If 'excessive' expenses may be incurred, the agent may wish to negotiate these expenses with the author (in these very rare cases the agent will only charge for unusual or 'excessive' expenses and will not exceed a specific amount without the author's written prior permission). If ever there is a need to discuss expenses with an author, it shall be done up front, agreed upon, and in writing. An author will never receive an unexpected 'bill' or have funds added to commissions without knowing about it beforehand! To date, we have never passed any expense on to an author and don't actual forsee this happening. Ever.
Will you give my work to someone else to represent? Assignment: Your agreement with this agent is not assignable or transferable to any other agency. Furthermore, your agreement is not transferable between agents, if applicable, without express written permission by the author.
What about money-related stuff? Disbursements and Accounting: Disbursements. The agent will receive all of the author’s royalties and advances directly from the publisher, deduct the commission, and disburse the remainder to the author. The agreement also provides that all funds received by the agent on the author's behalf are deposited in a separate trust account and that the author’s share will be paid within 10 business days. Accounting: The agent is willing to provide at least an annual accounting to the author, along with the required IRS Form 1099 with information as received from applicable publishing houses.
What do you do with my manuscript if you don't like it? If we don't end up working together, everything that was submitted is deleted. See our privacy page for more info on this topic.
Where are you located? We're located in the very-central Chattanooga, TN area. This hot-weather haven is centrally located between Nashville, Atlanta, Birmingham, and Knoxville. Furthermore, Stephanne travels to New York City multiple times a year to have in-person visits with publishing industry contacts.
How do I contact you? If you have met any of our staff via an expo or event, you should have access to the direct number. However, if you haven't been personally supplied with this number we will not divulge it here; quite frankly we have our hands full working with submissions!
How long have you been in business? Quite honestly, Authors Literary Agency is relatively new to the literary agent industry (since 2006); however, Stephanne has established herself firmly with the publishing houses and maintains excellent working relationships there. This should be viewed as an opportunity as many agencies these days will not speak with unpublished authors or are not accepting new clients. We love both.
How is your company structured? We have submissions analysts, a literary assistant, an associate agent, and an agent. Please feel free to visit our "Staff" page to meet our staff!
What about these companies that SAY they are traditional publishers or the ones that tell me I should self-publish to keep an agent from getting my rights? Well, that is a complex question. First, there are companies out there that SAY they are traditional, however they actually focus their marketing efforts towards the author and charge much higher than standard costs for the actual book. Moreover, authors usually have very negative things to say later when they choose these types of publishers. My recommendation is to research a publisher. On self-publishing: Yes, you retain all your rights and you also retain 100% of the income from your book. However, you are also responsible for 100% of the publishing costs, marketing, etc. The only people I would actually recommend self-publish are public speakers who intend on selling their book(s) during campaigns. Of note, the literary agent doesn't get rights to your works - they represent the author to publishing houses only.
Authors Literary Agency uses various market stratagem to cover all prospective client needs. This ranges from the industry standard "What are you looking for" method with private industry contacts to email/direct mailing, to trade/industry shows such as the BookExpo America.
Authors Literary Agency has personal contacts at many large publishing companies as well as many smaller, independent presses. A sampling of this list includes:
- Wizards of the Coast
- Rodale
- Llewellyn
- BenBella
- Midnight Ink
- Ellora/Cerridewen/Lotus Circle
- HarperCollins / Collins / HarperOne
- CraneHill
- DC Comics / Vertigo
- St. Martin's Press
- Penguin Group USA
- Sterling
- ECW (Canadian)
- Human Kinetics
- Chicago Review Press
- Zenescope
- Tor - Forge
- MGMA
- ...and more!