The Frontlist

Tone and Guidance

The feeling of support and encouragement

In this section we are attempting to infer how writers might feel when browsing for literary agents. We were interested in the tone of the submissions process as well as what guidance is and is not provided.

One part of the guidance that we found especially interesting is around the approach to rejections; whether agents commit to respond no matter the outcome, or whether writers must simply assume rejection after a certain period of time.

Agency tone

How might an agency websites make new writers feel? We assessed the 'tone' of agents' submissions instructions.

Distribution of tone of agents' submissions process

This encouraging, a reasonably large minority of sites adopt a supportive or warm tone (29%), and the large majority (66%) adopt a neutral tone.

How writers find if they are unsuccessful

Can writers expect a response?

This is a common bugbear with new writers; simply not getting a response to a submission. We picked through the guidelines to look for agents that either stated that no response indicates a rejection, or that they will respond irrespective of the outcome.

How agents indicate rejection

A little under half of agents (48%) provide no information on the rejection process (i.e. whether they will respond or how long to wait before assuming rejection). 8% of agents explicitly state that they will respond no matter the outcome. The remaining 44% state that they will only respond if they are interested in the submission, else they provide a timeframe after which rejection can be assumed.

Rejection timeouts

How long do writers need to wait before assuming rejection?

Of the 44% of agents that state that once a time period has elapsed, writers can assume rejection, we recorded each timeframe. When a time range was provided (e.g: 8 to 10 weeks), we used the upper bound.

Rejection time period

It is not uncommon to have to wait for an uncomfortable 3 months before assuming rejection, though 2 months is the most common timeframe. Does this seem reasonable? It is certainly rare to expect a response within a month.

Diversity and Inclusion

Agents that explicitly reach out to underrepresented groups

Note that in compiling this information we only analysed the text from the submissions instructions. It is possible that some agencies will promote and encourage submissions from under-represented groups on other parts of their websites.

8.6%

Of agencies explicitly encourage underrepresented groups in their submissions instructions. (12 Agents)

"We are eager to see work from underrepresented creatives across all ages."

"As an agency, we welcome voices of all backgrounds and also encourage submissions from writers who do not have an existing connection to the publishing industry."

"We are actively seeking voices that have historically been underrepresented, particularly with tropes that are often said to be 'over done'"

"We welcome voices from all backgrounds."

"Submissions from groups which are currently under-represented in publishing are particularly welcome."

"We welcome and actively encourage submissions from authors of all backgrounds , including those currently under-represented in publishing."

"As an agency we are passionate about discovering new voices , particularly from underrepresented backgrounds"

"Remarkable writing, fresh voices, and underrepresented perspectives are the hallmark of our list."

"We encourage submissions from writers currently under-represented in mainstream publishing"

"We are interested in showcasing talent which deserves to be heard, regardless of age, gender or background."

"We’ve also changed our submission process to reflect our interest in connecting with writers from around the world."

"All genres are considered with a priority focus on [...] from under-represented groups and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds."