Breaking Through: How to Get a Literary Agent’s Attention

Landing a literary agent can feel like a mystery, but it doesn’t have to be. In the first of our three part online literary agent series, agents from the Association of Authors’ Agents lift the lid on how they scout for new talent and what makes a query letter pop. 

Learn the dos and don’ts of pitching your work, how to avoid the most common rejection triggers, and the steps you can take to stand out in a crowded submissions pile.

Topics include:

• How agents discover new talent beyond traditional querying.
• What makes a query letter stand out—and what leads to rejection.
• Common mistakes that stop writers from securing representation.
• How to refine a pitch to increase the chances of getting noticed.

This online session is perfect for writers who are new to querying or have been submitting without success.

Clara Foster (Aevitas Creative Management)Clara Foster is a literary agent at Aevitas Creative Management, with previous experience in a Big 5 editorial department as well as other literary agencies. She decided to become an agent after seeing first-hand what the relationships between authors and publishers can look like without an agent in the mix, and is particularly keen to find and form partnerships with emerging talent—working from the ground up. Some of her favourite books include Luster by Raven Leilani, A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske, and The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden.

Amandeep Singh (Graham Maw Christie)

Amandeep joined Graham Maw Christie in 2025. She spent 10 years working as an

editor, bookseller and agent, most recently at Penguin Random House and The

Good Literary Agency. During her time as a commissioning editor, she published

only debut authors and as an agent continues to champion new voices and works in-

depth on concept and editorial development. Amandeep has judged the Future

Worlds Prize and the Little, Brown New Voices award and has been a reader for

WriteNow, the 4 th Write Prize and HarperCollins’ Author Academy. Her authors have

won or been nominated for the Creative Future Award, Austrian Science Book Prize,

Pushcart Prize and Attitude Pride Award. Amandeep also speaks French and Italian

(and rusty Punjabi) and is seeking books with international appeal that entertain and

Inform.

Kate Barker (Kate Barker Agency)Kate Barker has worked in book publishing for over 20 years as a literary agent, editor and ghostwriter. She represents a wide range of novelists and writers of non-fiction. She was previously an Editorial Director for Viking, and has also worked for Curtis Brown, Orion and Bookouture. Kate welcomes approaches from new and established writers for adults.