Non-Fiction Literary Agent
Once an author has written a non-fiction book, it is important to find a non-fiction literary agent, such as Langtons International Agency.
The term non-fiction encompasses several genres and topics. Langtons International Agency specializes in are the genres of business, memoir, political and biography. A non-fiction literary agent may focus on one genre, or work with a wide variety and Langtons International Agency -works with all genres of non-fiction books and their authors.
It is important for an author to research the non-fiction literary agent to ensure that they agent particular genres. Most non-fiction books have a specific top and therefore are written for a very specific audience. Therefore, the literary agent must be familiar with the publishing houses and acquiring editors, for that particular genre so they can find the right fit for the author’s non-fiction book.
Within the genre of non-fiction, are different popular genres. One is narrative non-fiction. These are books that focus on a specific real-life event, whether in the author’s own life or someone else’s. The event is told in narrative story style, with a beginning, middle, and end. It reads as fiction or a novel, but it includes real events. Langtons International specializes in these areas.
Other books, non-fiction literary agents represent include educational or scholarly books that are written about a specific topic. The topics may be psychology, music, history, art, religion, and culture. These non-fiction books are often factual and informative. They include the author’s academic studies and references, as well as their own thoughts and theories. These books could be for a trade audience interested in the subject, or for school textbooks.
When submitting a book to a non-fiction literary agent, the author should include their academic or professional background. As opposed to fiction, a non-fiction book must include factual information, so it is important to prove that the author is qualified to write about their topic.
Non-fiction literary agents do not always require a full manuscript for submissions. Rather, the author can submit a book proposal, which include a synopsis, author bio, marketing plan, and detailed table of contents, as well as three sample chapters. The proposal will demonstrate the author’s knowledge and content, while the sample chapters show the author’s writing voice.
Langtons International Agency has successfully represented many non-fiction books to the commercial publishers. Examples of these include Power Your Profits by Susie Carder (Atria Books), Miracle Ball Method by Elaine Petrone (Workman Publishing) New Orleans Voodoo: A Cultural History by Rosary O’Neill and Rory O’Neill Schmitt (Arcadia Publishing), Martha Graham in Love and War by Mark Franko (Oxford University Press).
Langtons International Agency welcomes submissions for non-fiction. If you have written an interesting non-fiction book, please contact us here.