Literary agent vs manager: what is the difference?
- A literary agent sells work, negotiates deals, and takes a commission.
- A manager focuses on overall career strategy and guidance.
- Agents are standard in book publishing; managers are uncommon.
- Managers are more common in entertainment than in books.
- Both should earn from your success, never charge upfront fees.
A literary agent represents and sells your work — submitting to publishers, negotiating contracts, handling subsidiary rights — and earns a commission (typically 15%) on sales. A manager focuses on broader career strategy and guidance rather than making individual deals. In book publishing, the literary agent is the standard and usually sufficient representative; managers are far more common in film, TV, and music. Both legitimate roles earn from your success and never charge upfront fees.
Chapter i·Why it matters
Authors sometimes wonder whether they need a manager in addition to an agent, or confuse the roles. In books, a good literary agent typically covers both deal-making and career guidance, so most authors need only an agent. Understanding the distinction — and that managers are an entertainment-industry norm more than a publishing one — prevents unnecessary representation and clarifies who does what. The shared rule for both: legitimate representatives are paid from your success, never with upfront fees.
Chapter ii·What to include
- An agent: sells work and negotiates deals.
- A manager: broader career strategy.
- The agent as the publishing standard.
- Managers as more common in entertainment.
- A good agent often covering both roles.
- The no-upfront-fees rule for both.
Chapter iii·Example
An author signs a literary agent who submits her novel, negotiates the contract, and advises on her career — covering what she needs. A friend with film and TV ambitions also has a manager for cross-media strategy. In publishing, the agent alone suffices; the manager is an entertainment-industry addition, not a book-world necessity.
Chapter iv·Related questions
WriteLoom keeps your representation research and deal records organized, so you understand who does what in your career.
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