How to get an agent

What is the course about?

Very few publishers accept direct submissions, which means your journey to publication will almost certainly rely on having an agent put forward your work.

This intensive course takes you through the process of approaching agents, offering a series of practical exercises and templates to follow to give you the best chance of success. Suitable for everyone, from those with a book ready to send – to those who just want to understand how the process works.

This is a live online course. You will need:
- Internet connection. The classes work best with Chrome.
- A computer with microphone and camera is best (e.g. a PC/laptop/iMac/MacBook), or a tablet/iPad/smart phone/iPhone if you don't have a computer.
- Earphones/headphones/speakers.
We will contact you with joining instructions before your course starts.

What will we cover?

- What a successful submission looks like.
- The components of a compelling covering letter.
- Resources for researching individual agencies.
- The 'dos and don'ts' of the submission process.

What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...

• Understand how to present your manuscript to give it the best chance of succeeding
•Understand how to build and personalise your application around a detailed ‘covering letter’ template
• Find out where to go to get more information on individual agencies – and maximise your chances of getting published
• Understand what to put in (and leave out) of your submission.

What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?

This course is suitable for both those who have a manuscript ready and for those who want to understand how the submissions process works for future reference.

How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?

Tutor instruction, templates, discussion and pair work.

All writing courses at City Lit will involve an element of workshop. This means that students will produce work which will be discussed in an open and constructive environment with the tutor and other students. The college operates a policy of constructive criticism, and all feedback on another student’s work by the tutor and other students should be delivered in that spirit.

For classes longer than one day regular reading and writing exercises will be set for completion at home to set deadlines.

City Lit Writing endeavours to create a safe and welcoming space for all and we strongly support the use of content notes in our classes. This means that learners are encouraged to make their tutor and classmates aware in advance if any writing they wish to share contains material that may be deemed sensitive. If you are unsure about what might constitute sensitive content, please ask your tutor for further clarification and read our expectations for participating in writing courses at City Lit.

Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?

Please have pen and paper handy, and a summary of your manuscript if you've completed one.

When I've finished, what course can I do next?

City Lit offers a range of professional development courses for authors. For more information please browse the Writing section of our website.

All students are invited to join us at Late Lines, our regular performance night for City Lit writers. Students are also encouraged to submit their work to Between the Lines, our annual anthology of creative writing. For the latest news, courses and events, stay in touch with the Department on Facebook and Twitter.