What Should Be Included in a Literary Agent Submission Package?

A literary agent does not open a submission knowing that the manuscript is brilliant.

They see an unfamiliar name, a subject line, a query, and whatever material the writer has been instructed to provide.

The submission package has to make the project understandable before it can make it exciting.

A strong literary agent submission package presents the right information in the right order, follows the individual agent’s instructions, and removes unnecessary obstacles between the agent and the writing.

There is no single package that every U.S. literary agency requests. Dystel, Goderich & Bourret currently asks fiction writers for a query plus the first 25 pages and nonfiction writers for a proposal with a sample chapter. Nelson Literary Agency currently uses QueryManager and requests a query letter, brief bio, title, genre, word count, and first ten pages. Folio Literary tells writers to check each individual agent’s page because requirements differ even within the same agency.

The first rule of submissions is therefore simple:

The agent’s instructions outrank every general publishing checklist.

The Query Letter Has to Orient the Agent Quickly

A query letter is not a summary of everything interesting about the author.

It is a compact introduction to one project.

A useful fiction query typically establishes:

• Title
• Genre
• Word count
• Premise
• Main character
• Central conflict
• Stakes
• Comparable titles
• Relevant author information

Dystel, Goderich & Bourret currently recommends a concise, polished query containing a professional greeting, brief personalization, project statistics, pitch, comparison titles, and relevant biography or credentials.

An opening might read:

I am seeking representation for The Last House on Briar Street, an 88,000-word adult psychological suspense novel about a grief counselor who discovers that one of her clients has been describing a murder that has not happened yet.

The agent immediately knows what the project is and where it belongs.

Avoid spending the first paragraph explaining:

• How long you have wanted to be a writer
• Why publishing is your dream
• How friends responded to the manuscript
• How many rejections you have received
• Why the book deserves a movie adaptation

The query is about the project first.

Fiction Needs a Pitch and a Complete Manuscript Behind It

A novel should generally be complete, revised, and ready to send before querying.

Dystel explicitly states that it does not accept partial novels and tells writers not to query until the manuscript is complete and polished. Folio gives similar guidance, asking novelists to wait until the book is finished before approaching its agents.

The initial package may contain only ten or twenty-five pages, but the full manuscript should be available if the agent asks for it.

For fiction, prepare:

Query letter
This sells the premise.

Synopsis
This explains what actually happens, including the ending when requested.

Opening pages or chapters
These demonstrate whether the novel delivers on the query.

Short author biography
This provides relevant credentials without becoming a résumé.

The query creates curiosity. The sample pages have to sustain it.

A Synopsis Is Not Back-Cover Copy

Authors often make the synopsis mysterious because they are afraid of revealing spoilers.

The agent is not a retail customer.

A synopsis exists so the agent can evaluate the entire story without reading the entire manuscript first.

It should reveal:

• Major characters
• Core conflict
• Important turning points
• Major complications
• Climax
• Ending
• Character resolution

A thriller synopsis should reveal who committed the murder. A romance synopsis should explain what happens to the central relationship. A fantasy synopsis should show how the primary conflict concludes.

Do not finish with:

But Sarah is about to discover a secret that changes everything.

Explain the secret.

The query creates suspense. The synopsis provides clarity.

Opening Pages Should Actually Be the Opening Pages

Writers sometimes want to send Chapter Seven because it contains their best scene.

That creates an immediate problem.

The agent is evaluating whether a reader will continue from page one.

When an agency asks for the first ten pages, first three chapters, or first 25 pages, send the opening of the book unless the agent specifically requests something different.

The sample allows the agent to assess:

• Voice
• Character
• Pacing
• Scene construction
• Narrative control
• Dialogue
• Genre expectations

Folio agent Melissa White, for example, currently asks fiction writers to paste the first ten pages directly into the email along with the query. Nelson Literary Agency also requests the first ten pages through QueryManager.

Do not add a note saying:

The story gets exciting around page 40.

Page 40 may need to become page 10.

Nonfiction Requires a Different Kind of Proof

A nonfiction writer may not need a complete manuscript.

Instead, the agent may want a nonfiction book proposal that demonstrates:

• Core idea
• Intended reader
• Market opportunity
• Comparable titles
• Author expertise
• Platform
• Chapter structure
• Sample writing
• Promotional potential

Dystel currently asks nonfiction writers for a proposal with a sample chapter and describes proposals as the standard mechanism for presenting many nonfiction projects before the full book has been written. Its proposal guidance includes an overview, audience and platform analysis, comparable books, annotated table of contents, sample material, and author biography.

Folio likewise says its agents require a complete nonfiction proposal with a sample chapter, although individual agents may specify how much of that material to include in the initial query.

The nonfiction package is therefore not simply:

Query + three chapters.

It may be:

Query + proposal + requested sample material.

Always follow the individual agent’s instructions.

Memoir Can Sit Between Fiction and Nonfiction Submission Practices

Memoir is nonfiction, but its success often depends heavily on narrative voice, structure, scene, and emotional movement.

Some agents handle memoir through a nonfiction proposal. Others may want substantial sample material or a completed manuscript, especially when the project reads more like literary narrative than idea-driven nonfiction.

Do not assume that a memoir should automatically use the same package as:

• Business
• Self-help
• History
• Popular science

The query should make clear:

• What happened
• Why the story matters beyond the author
• Narrative arc
• Intended readership
• Author’s relationship to the material

A memoir query that says only, “I have lived an extraordinary life,” gives the agent little indication of the book’s actual shape.

Look at how the specific agent categorizes memoir before submitting. Folio, for example, represents memoir within its nonfiction interests, but its individual agents maintain their own submission requirements.

Children’s Books Need the Age Category Up Front

“Children’s book” is too broad to function as a useful submission category.

Identify whether the work is:

• Picture book
• Chapter book
• Middle grade
• Young adult

Include the intended age group, genre, and word count when appropriate.

For novels written for younger readers, the manuscript should generally be complete before querying unless the agent states otherwise.

Picture books operate differently because the entire manuscript may be short enough to submit at once. Author-illustrators may also need illustration samples or a portfolio, while writers who are not illustrators should not assume they need finished artwork.

Dystel currently accepts picture-book and graphic-novel submissions from authors and author-illustrators but does not accept illustrator-only submissions. The exact materials still depend on the individual agent or submission system.

Research the agent’s age-category interests as carefully as their genre interests.

The Author Biography Should Explain Relevance

Your submission biography does not need to prove that you have already had a major publishing career.

For fiction, useful details may include:

• Previous publications
• Writing awards
• Relevant professional experience
• MFA or writing program where meaningful
• Expertise connected to the manuscript
• Personal connection to the setting or subject

For nonfiction, authority becomes more important.

A psychologist writing about burnout may need to establish professional qualifications. A journalist proposing an investigative book should mention reporting experience. A history writer may need to discuss academic or archival expertise.

An author who wants to turn podcast into a book should include useful evidence about the show when relevant, such as audience, subject expertise, guests, media coverage, or community reach. The fact that a podcast exists is less important than the evidence that it supports the proposed book.

Keep the biography focused.

Manuscript Formatting Should Be Easy to Ignore

Good formatting disappears.

Unless an agent provides specific requirements, use a readable manuscript presentation:

• Standard font
• 11- or 12-point text
• Comfortable line spacing
• Normal margins
• Page numbers
• Clear chapter headings
• Consistent paragraph formatting

Folio currently asks writers to submit materials that are properly formatted, proofread, well presented, and at minimum double-spaced.

Do not format the manuscript like a finished retail book.

Avoid:

• Decorative fonts
• Elaborate chapter ornaments
• Colored backgrounds
• Designed spreads
• Drop caps
• Full cover artwork inside the manuscript file

Those decisions belong to book production later.

Assets such as a book sell sheet, Goodreads graphics, or promotional material should not be inserted into an agent submission unless requested.

File Names Should Identify the Project

Files named:

FINAL.docx

booknew2.pdf

manuscript-revised-FINAL-FINAL.docx

create avoidable confusion.

Use names such as:

Jordan-Lee_The-Glass-Garden_Query.pdf

Jordan-Lee_The-Glass-Garden_Synopsis.docx

Jordan-Lee_The-Glass-Garden_First-50-Pages.docx

For nonfiction:

Maya-Chen_The-Attention-Budget_Proposal.pdf

The author name and book title should be visible without opening the file.

Some agencies do not want attachments at all. Dystel currently tells email submitters to place the query and requested sample directly in the email body and warns against shared download links such as Dropbox or Google Docs.

Never assume an attachment is acceptable because another agent requested one.

Email Etiquette Is Mostly About Restraint

A professional submission email does not need elaborate formality.

Use:

• Agent’s correct name
• Requested subject format
• Concise message
• Requested materials only
• Professional email address

Avoid:

• “URGENT” subject lines
• Read receipts
• Giant attachments
• Unrequested full manuscripts
• Promotional graphics
• Repeated follow-ups
• Social-media pitches after emailing
• Calling the office for a status update

Dystel specifically asks writers not to pitch or follow up through phone calls or social media. It also asks writers to query only one project and one agent within the agency at a time.

A submission is professional correspondence, not a pressure campaign.

Track Every Query You Send

Writers can lose track surprisingly quickly once several agents have been approached.

Create a simple spreadsheet with columns for:

Nelson currently lists a four-to-six-week query response time. Individual Folio agents publish their own policies, with some noting that no response after a specified period should be considered a pass.

Tracking prevents accidental duplicate submissions and inappropriate follow-ups.

Keep Marketing Materials Out of the Query Unless They Are Relevant

Publishing may eventually require:

• Goodreads marketing for authors
• An author email list
• Audiobook planning
• An audiobook narrator audition
• Publicity materials
• Retail campaigns

Most of these do not belong in the initial submission package.

An established author email list may be relevant to a nonfiction author’s platform. A successful podcast may support the market case for a book. Those facts can be summarized in the query or proposal.

Do not attach:

• Newsletter screenshots
• Goodreads reviews for another book
• Social graphics
• Future ad concepts
• Audiobook casting ideas
• Bookstore sales materials

The agent needs to assess the project first.

Sample Package Order

Because agents use different systems, think of these as preparation folders rather than universal sending instructions.

Fiction Package

1. Query letter
2. Synopsis
3. Requested opening pages
4. Full polished manuscript ready if requested
5. Short biography

Memoir Package

1. Query letter
2. Synopsis or narrative overview
3. Requested opening pages
4. Proposal if required
5. Author biography and relevant platform information

Children’s Novel Package

1. Query letter
2. Age category and word count
3. Synopsis if requested
4. Opening pages or chapters
5. Full manuscript ready

Picture Book Package

1. Query letter
2. Complete text when requested
3. Author biography
4. Illustration samples or portfolio only when relevant and requested

Nonfiction Package

1. Query letter
2. Nonfiction proposal
3. Sample chapter or requested sample pages
4. Author biography and credentials
5. Platform information
6. Additional materials only when requested

The agent’s website determines which of these pieces are actually sent at the first stage.

Final Submission Checklist

Before pressing Submit, confirm that:

• The agent is currently open to queries.
• The agent represents the category.
• You have reviewed the individual agent’s interests.
• The novel is complete where required.
• The query identifies title, genre, and word count.
• The pitch explains the central conflict or nonfiction promise.
• Comparable titles are relevant.
• The biography contains useful credentials.
• The synopsis reveals the ending.
• The requested number of pages is correct.
• The sample begins at the beginning.
• The nonfiction proposal is complete where required.
• Files have professional names.
• Formatting follows instructions.
• The agent’s name is spelled correctly.
• The subject line follows the requested format.
• No unrequested attachments are included.
• The submission is entered in your tracking sheet.

A good submission package cannot manufacture a strong manuscript. It can ensure that a strong manuscript is not weakened by confusion, missing information, or ignored instructions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should Every Literary Agent Receive the Same Submission Package?

No. The core materials may remain similar, but each agent’s current submission guidelines determine what should actually be sent.

Does a Novel Need to Be Finished Before Querying?

In most cases, yes. Many U.S. literary agencies expect a fiction manuscript to be complete and polished before the author begins querying.

Should a Synopsis Include the Ending?

Yes, unless the agent specifically requests another format. A synopsis is intended to show the full narrative arc, including major spoilers and the resolution.

Do Nonfiction Writers Need a Complete Manuscript?

Not always. Many nonfiction projects are queried using a proposal and sample chapter before the entire manuscript has been written.

Can Authors Query More Than One Literary Agency at a Time?

Many agencies allow simultaneous querying across different agencies, but individual policies vary. Some also prohibit querying multiple agents within the same agency simultaneously.

Should Authors Include Marketing Plans With a Fiction Query?

Usually not unless the agent requests them. Fiction submissions are primarily evaluated through the query, concept, writing, and manuscript. Platform and marketing information may matter more for certain nonfiction projects.