How to land a literary agent

An insider’s guide to querying literary agents, getting represented, and getting paid for your writing! Leila Sales is the author of eight critically acclaimed novels for children and young adults, including This Song Will Save Your Life and Once Was a Time. Her books have been optioned for stage and screen, selected for many state award lists, translated into a dozen languages, and received numerous starred reviews. Based on her eleven years as a full-time employee at Penguin Random House, as well as her experiences being published by Abrams, Chronicle, Macmillan, Simon & Schuster, and the University of Chicago Press. Leila will walk us through exactly: How to identify the right literary agents for your specific book and genreHow to research agents’ lists, preferences, and recent dealsWhat makes a strong query letter and how to structure it effectivelyHow to craft a compelling pitch that gets agents to request more materialWhat to include (and not include) in your query packageHow to personalize outreach without overdoing itWhat agents are actually looking for when reviewing submissionsWhat to expect after you get a request for pages or a full manuscriptHow to evaluate offers of representation and choose the right agentHow to handle rejections and iterate on your query strategyHow agents actually triage their inboxes and the subtle signals that determine whether your query gets opened, skimmed, or ignoredHow to position your book so it fits cleanly into an agent’s existing list without feeling derivativeHow agents interpret comps, and how to choose ones that quietly signal commercial viabilityWhat your query materials reveal about you beyond the writing itself, and how agents read between the linesHow to time your outreach, batch submissions, and create momentum.The unspoken red flags that cause agents to pass, even when the writing is strongand much more....! Leila has edited award-winning and bestselling fiction and nonfiction books for readers of all ages. Her authors have included: Award-winning actors Viola Davis and Bob Balaban; New York Times bestselling authors Gayle Forman, Max Brallier, and Ame Dyckman; National Book Award Finalist Elizabeth Partridge; MacArthur Fellow Xu Bing;and many more.... 🎟️ What's Included with your ticket? ✅ A 60-minute presentation from Leila Sales focused specifically on nonfiction publishing, pitching, proposals, agents, advances, and what actually happens after you sign a deal. ✅ An extended open Q&A where you can ask about your specific book idea, proposal draft, platform strategy, or agent outreach plan. ✅ A small-group of 12 other writers based here in Austin. ✅ Fresh coffee, tea, and morning snacks.