How do I check if a literary agent is legitimate?
- A legitimate agent has a verifiable record of sales to real publishers.
- Reputable agents never charge reading, submission, or upfront fees.
- Industry databases (Publishers Marketplace, QueryTracker, Writer Beware) help vet agents.
- Agents earn a standard commission (typically 15%) from sales, not from you.
- Vague client lists and pressure to pay are red flags.
Check three things before submitting. First, sales: a legitimate agent has a verifiable record of deals with real publishers, searchable on industry databases. Second, fees: reputable agents never charge reading, submission, or editing fees — they earn a commission (typically 15%) only when they sell your book. Third, reputation: cross-check them on Publishers Marketplace, QueryTracker, and Writer Beware. Pressure to pay anything upfront is a disqualifying red flag.
Chapter i·Why it matters
The querying author is a target for scams precisely because they are hopeful and unfamiliar with the business. A fake agent can cost you money, rights, and months of time, and a well-built scam site looks indistinguishable from a real agency to a newcomer. The legitimate-agent test is simple and consistent — real sales, no fees, verifiable reputation — and applying it before you submit protects you from the entire category of predatory operators.
Chapter ii·What to include
- A search for the agent's actual book sales and deals.
- A confirmation that no fees of any kind are charged.
- A cross-check against Publishers Marketplace and QueryTracker.
- A look at Writer Beware and similar watchdog resources.
- A check that the commission model is standard (~15%).
- A red-flag scan: vague clients, upfront payment, pressure.
Chapter iii·Example
An author gets an enthusiastic offer from an "agency" she has not heard of. She searches for its sales and finds none, notices a $295 "submission processing fee," and finds a warning on Writer Beware. She declines. A second agent she vets checks out — real recent deals, no fees, listed on Publishers Marketplace — and she submits with confidence.
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