The Changing Role of Agents in American Publishing
October 15, 2026. In her first year using QueryTracker, literary agent Kate McKean received around 10,000 queries. Meanwhile, her fellow agent Danielle Bukowski takes on fewer than one percent of the writers who query her.
“But when you get something that’s really remarkable,” Bukowski said, “it does feel like, ‘Cancel my plans. This is the day I’m reading this book.’”
What gets an agent to that point, and how agents came to hold so much sway over what gets published, was the subject of "How Literary Agents Shape American Fiction," a CFF Presents virtual program on September 15, 2026 moderated by CFF President Ken Schept. McKean, of Howard Morhaim, and Bukowski, of Sterling Lord Literistic, were in conversation with writer and literary historian Laura B. McGrath, author of Middlemen: Literary Agents and the Making of American Fiction.
The literary agent role began in the UK, in the late nineteenth century, to protect writers from exploitative publishing practices, McGrath said. Not long after, Paul Revere Reynolds (yes, a relation) established the first literary agency in the United States. Reynolds represented the work of authors including F. Scott Fitzgerald and H.G. Wells. He and other early U.S. agents focused on what was then most profitable—selling stories to magazines.
Literary Agent Timeline
Middlemen: Literary Agents and the Making of American Fiction documents the evolution of the literary agent role, including these highlights:
1940s: The economics of the industry shift after World War II with a boom in paperback sales.
1950s: The financial stakes of book publishing explode with the introduction of book auctions, a practice popularized by the agent Scott Meredith. The debut novel becomes a phenomenon after agent Sterling Lord represents Jack Kerouac’s On the Road.
1980s: Foreign rights sales and the growing power of literary agents produce the first million dollar advance.
1990s: With publishing industry consolidation, many editors shift to agenting, and the agent’s role becomes more editorial.
2000s: Following the financial crisis, 40 percent of people working in publishing lose their jobs between 2008 and 2000. The number of books published, and the revenue generated does not change.
The role of literary agents changed dramatically between 2008 and 2020, McGrath explained, as the nation recovered from the financial crisis and the publishing industry saw a 40 percent contraction in workforce. Downsizing shifted some editorial work from publishing houses to literary agencies, already busy representing existing clients and looking for new ones. Today there are around 1,500 literary agents in the United States.
From their origins, literary agencies were more open to women than publishing houses, which themselves were more open to women than many other professions, McGrath said. Today, the agent profession is heavily dominated by women who comprise about 80 percent of the field.
McGrath detailed the key timeline moments as literary agents helped transform a genteel business into today’s competitive industry (See sidebar).
The Rise of the Debut Novel
In the past twenty years, the number of debut novels has increased over 150 percent, according to McGrath, who added that first-time authors annually account for one in five novels—roughly the same number as Romance novels.
The “debut novel” emerged as a phenomenon after agent Sterling Lord represented Jack Kerouac’s On the Road in the early 1950s.
“Publishers are always excited to have a blank slate,” said Bukowski, who works at the agency founded by Lord. Despite this, about half of debut novelists do not publish a second book.
“Too much pressure is put on the blank slate rather than on investment in the second, third and fourth book that would build a career,” McGrath said.
Shaping American fiction
Both McGrath and Bukowski don’t focus on shaping American fiction each time they represent a book, but do feel responsible for introducing excellent books into the market.
“I think there is a space for literary fiction, for writing that’s ambitious and experimental, Bukowski said. “It is harder to sell something that’s quiet but that has to do more with modern life than the reading public. The big hook or high concept is important because books are competing against TV and other media.”
When it comes to representation and diversity in literature, McGrath said that her research and the research of others indicate that only three to four percent of books published today pertain to race or ethnicity. “That’s why the people on the payroll matter to the shape of contemporary literature.”
“I do represent a lot of writers of color and queer writers,” Bukowski said, “And I do think that’s important since publishing has been in a dip of not being as interested in publishing those voices.”
McKean noted three organizations that can help writers find agents that align with their identity: Literary Agents of Change, People of Color in Publishing, and LatinX in Publishing.
Advice for Seeking Representation
Convincing an agent that your book deserves publication usually starts with a query letter, and the sheer number of queries circulating can be daunting for both writers and agents alike.
“It’s untenable,” McKean said. But it’s not all bad news. If your book isn’t the right fit for one agent, they might share it elsewhere. “The business isn’t as cutthroat as it may seem. I send queries to friends at other agencies all the time.”
With marketability always at the forefront of an agent’s mind, even a successful query that generates a request for a manuscript faces challenges.
“Agenting is a little bit like putting out what’s on fire now,” McKean said. “Unfortunately, our current clients get priority.”
“The market is in the back of the mind any time we’re considering queries,” Bukowski agreed.
Comparison (“comp”) titles—published books similar to one’s own—are important for suggesting tone and theme, rather than sales potential, Bukowski said. Along with book titles, a movie or TV show can work, too.
Ultimately, the panelists agree, the key to being published is quality writing.
When it comes to timing, August and December can be less advantageous months to send queries. Regardless of when you submit, the process will require patience. “It’s always OK to nudge an agent,” McKean advised. “When you think it’s time, add three weeks.”
Despite the pressure of shifting through so many manuscripts, both Bukowski and McGrath rejected the use of AI to accelerate the query vetting process, as well as manuscripts that incorporated the technology. (The CFF recently adopted guidelines that restrict the use of AI in any submitted work.)
“After twenty years of experience, I want to look at books written by humans,” McKean said.
For writers who may be interested in pursuing a career as an agent, Bukowski suggests talking with agents.
“Agenting is essentially an apprenticeship job.” McKean noted the fluidity between publishing and agenting and suggested interning at a publishing house, especially in marketing and sales.
Watch the video recording below:
Laura B. McGrath: Laura is an assistant professor of English at Temple University. Her book, Middlemen: Literary Agents and the Making of American Fiction is available online and in bookstores. She publishes a Substack newsletter called textCrunch about the art and data science of book publishing.
Kate McKean: Kate, a literary agent at Howard Morhaim, is on the lookout for historical fiction, Regency Era through the 1960s, especially with a strong woman hero. She’s also looking for Fantasy and Romantacy. Kate writes the online newsletter Agents+Books.
Danielle Bukowski: Danielle, a literary agent at Sterling Lord Literistic, is looking for novels. If a work surprises and captivates her, perhaps because of a well-researched plot or place, Danielle might open her schedule to spend the day reading. Her Substack about agenting and advice for writers is called Just Reading All Day.