A Day In The Life of a Literary Agent (Or The Reason They Haven’t Read Your Submission Yet)

Beginning of day. The sun is up, kid is dropped off at school. Time for work.

The plan:

• Answer emails.
• Finish reading the last quarter of a client’s latest manuscript, it’s so good, but have some feedback before it goes out to editors.
• Take another look at that intriguing submission in the inbox.

What actually happened:

• The final version of that major contract that has been under negotiations for months lands. It needs a last pass before the author can sign it.
• The first version of an audio contract for another project comes in. Needs to be looked over.
• An editor expresses interest in a submission. It’s too early to tell, but must nudge everyone else who has it!
• The cover of a different project has been finalized. It’s super beautiful and there’s all kinds of buzz. Time to alert the subagents and pitch it to audio!
• A revise and resubmit from a year ago drops into the inbox. And it’s already got 3 other agents reading the full! Read a few chapters, it’s really really good and lands the wishlist. Shit.
• An audio offer comes in already from the finalized cover project. Inform the client of the happy news and negotiate the deal memo.
• A client is having a meltdown, need to talk to them asap.
• Foreign rights sub-agent is asking about the book sales.
• Did I have coffee yet?
• An editor responds to a submission. It’s a rejection. Ugh. Have to tell the client.
• Another editor requests a different submission. Exciting!
• Another client sends their final manuscript. It’s ready to go out on submission. Have to develop the pitch.
• Really need to finish the final quarter of that other client’s manuscript and write up my feedback.

End of day. Picked up kid from school, sun is down, still working through emails.

Wait, I was going to read that submission…