Do the same rules apply for "literary fiction" books?

On a guess, I'd imagine it would be even more important with a literary novel. You might have better luck networking with agents/publishers on your own in the literary field, particularly if you have been to certain writing workshops, studied with respected teachers, etc. But you would still want an agent, sooner rather than later, and I'd think it would be even more critical to have someone to help you position a literary novel, which doesn't have the benefit of easy commercial comparisons.

Some agents specifically say they want literary fiction. They would be the ones with knowledge of publishers who prefer literary fiction.

Check here: http://www.agentquery.com/search_advanced.aspx

Ask the Agent is the forum for questions about agents. It doesn't mean agents are reading or answering--there's a specific thread for that (Ask Nathan Bransford).

dear_swan said:

Thanks and I know what you mean Carmy, but I was wondering if those agents who might "say" they are looking for literary fiction are in fact only looking for commercial-literary fiction and not true literary fiction, or are agents still the only way to go?

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Can you please explain how and what differentiates literary fiction from commercial literary fiction? Sounds like you think one won't sell while the other will, although I'm sure that's not the case.

Depends where you want to be published. Many small presses will accept unagented manuscripts. Most big publishers won't (or will, but it'll take much longer to get read).

Literary fiction vs: Commercial Literary Fiction

illiterwrite said:

Depends where you want to be published. Many small presses will accept unagented manuscripts. Most big publishers won't (or will, but it'll take much longer to get read).

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Yes, that's true in many cases. But do you think that's Swan's point? After all, even though some small presses (not all that many) are easier to reach without an agent, they are also in the business to make money -- therefore, they have to be commercially successful. So, it seems to me that from the get-go Swan might be better off spending time seeking the all important agent. If on her own she submits to small presses and is rejected, it will only make it harder to engage an agent having a string of rejections she would have to refer to.

scope said:

Can you please explain how and what differentiates literary fiction from commercial literary fiction? Sounds like you think one won't sell while the other will, although I'm sure that's not the case.

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Darned if I know. Sorry.

IMHO, I would class Margaret Attwood as a literary novelist. I've only once tried to read her work though.

I'm coming in late on this, but since I write literary fiction, I thought I'd give it a go. Lit fic is more character focused, more focused on themes, meaning the plot but also what that means in a universal way. It may also have more focus on language, but that isn't necessarily the case. Commercial fiction tends to have more focus on plot, the narrative doesn't try to say something about larger issues such as death or intimacy or loneliness etc. The flip definition I've heard of commercial fiction is you'd find it in an airport bookstore and you'd probably be able to finish it on a US coast to coast flight.

kd

It's not the category of the work you write, it's the publishers you're approaching. Some publishers take unagented work, be it commercial pot boilers or literary fiction. Some publishers really prefer to see work on through agents.

Many small publisher and university presses take unagented work.

I would search for agents who want literary fiction (check their clients as well--are they what you would consider literary?) and also submit to the small publishers who accept unagented work at the same time.

I am a literary writer who was told that it was impossible to sell a literary novel without an agent. In researching the field, I found many agents who say they represent literary/ and or commercial fiction. I targeted my queries to those who said both, and many rejections later, have managed to land an agent interested in pure literary fiction. I'd think it would be hard to navigate the publishing jungle without that back up. Your hard work and efforts will be better served in finding an agent who can then help you the rest of the way.

Literary Agent

alexalex said:

I am a literary writer who was told that it was impossible to sell a literary novel without an agent. In researching the field, I found many agents who say they represent literary/ and or commercial fiction. I targeted my queries to those who said both, and many rejections later, have managed to land an agent interested in pure literary fiction. I'd think it would be hard to navigate the publishing jungle without that back up. Your hard work and efforts will be better served in finding an agent who can then help you the rest of the way.

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Would you mind sharing the name of your agent?

Try researching the agents and publishers of LitFic authors you admire. For example, if the writing was in the same vein as Margaret Atwood, then find out who her agent is; her agent will obviously have a strong knowledge and good contacts in the appropriate market.