How to be a literary agent

Leading literary agent Juliet Mushens explains the demands – and rewards – of one of the best jobs in publishing

The life of a literary agent is an exciting story in itself. Few other jobs mix high art and boardroom drama, offering the satisfaction of bringing an undiscovered talent to the attention of an appreciative audience – not to mention the opportunity to make a living from a personal passion. But with duties ranging from spotting and guiding new voices to brokering global rights deals, the best agents back up their keen literary senses with strong business and management abilities.

Leading literary agent Juliet Mushens offers a wealth of advice which can help you decide if the agent's role is for you. This comprehensive primer will show you the best ways to break into this fast-changing business and how to develop the skills you'll need to succeed – from critical reading to negotiation tactics. You'll hear how to find and work with new authors, how to pitch manuscripts to publishers, and how to build a contacts book that will help you find your niche in the industry. It's an invaluable opportunity to get no-nonsense information from one of the UK's top literary agents.

This course is for you if...

• You're an avid reader and want to make a living from your personal expertise and impeccable taste
• You work in publishing and want to move into a more dynamic role in the industry

Course description

This introductory class is led by Literary Agent of the Year nominee Juliet Mushens, and includes a definition of the role of a literary agent, an overview of the business and practical tips on the range of skills required by literary agents. Topics covered on the day include:

• Learning how to become a critical reader
• The importance of internships and admin
• How do agents attract submissions? How do you go about meeting writers?
• Negotiation skills: how do you learn to ask for more, and get it?
• How to develop your taste – and trust it
• How to cope with setbacks and strategise past them
• Developing copywriting skills and having the confidence to pitch your work
• Honing your people skills and learning to be the middle-man

Tutor profile

Juliet Mushens is an agent in the UK Literary Division of The Agency Group. Juliet began her publishing career in 2008 at HarperCollins, after reading history at Cambridge, and became an agent in 2011. She joined the Agency Group in 2013 to set up their UK Literary department and now represents a bestselling and critically acclaimed list of fiction and non-fiction writers. She was shortlisted for the Literary Agent of the Year Award at the Bookseller Industry Awards in 2014, was shortlisted for the Kim Scott Walwyn Prize in 2013 and picked as a Bookseller Rising Star in 2012. She supervises Creative Writing dissertations for Kingston University and this year will judge the Bath Novel Award and the Historical Novel Society Novel Award.

Full course and returns information on the Masterclasses website