What Do Literary Agents Look for in Authors? [This MAY Surprise You!]

Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 0:20 Story time 1:35 1. Someone who can follow their directions 2:54 2. Someone who behaves like a person they want to work with 4:20 3. Someone who's already made their job of pitching easier 5:45 Join my FREE challenge! 6:18 4. NOT someone who stands out 7:19 Get your FREE digital template! Love the show? Share it with a fellow writer or leave a review! For more resources, visit thebookincubator.com. 🎧 Prefer to listen in podcast format? Tune into The First Draft Club on your favorite podcast platform! Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3eZYjuP... Let’s connect! Come say hi on Instagram: @book.incubator (  / book.incubator  ) Happy writing! — Mary ======================== RESOURCES: Learn my Four Notebooks Method & get your free template: http://bit.ly/3wGmMTc A Novel in 52 Prompts - A scene-by-scene blueprint for writing your novel: https://www.thebookincubator.com/nove... Ready to write your dream book? Apply for The Book Incubator in just 5 minutes with no obligation to enroll and get my free 60-minute training HOW TO WRITE YOUR DREAM BOOK WITH A FULL-TIME JOB (AND A LIFE): https://bit.ly/3wEwrJQ ======================== Hi, I'm Mary! I'm the author of the novels When You Read This (Indie Next Pick and “Best Book of 2019” by Good Housekeeping), Privilege (Today.com “Best Summer Read”), and Palm Beach (New York Post “Best Book of 2021” and “like a sandy beach, equal parts beautiful and uncomfortable” according to the Associated Press). My memoir, You Might Feel A Little Pressure, was released by Third Rail Press in 2025. My books have been published in 13 countries, and I've written for the New York Times, The Atlantic, Slate, and more. I founded an MFA-alternative, The Book Incubator, which has now helped hundreds of writers finish their books over 12 months and continues supporting them through publication (yes, forever!). When I’m not writing, I’m probably building a fort with my 7-year-old son Finn or bathing with an overpriced Lush bath bomb. I live in Dallas, where I spend my free time trying to domesticate a stubborn tabby and shamelessly watching reality TV. ======================== Social: Instagram:   / book.incubator   ======================== #writingtips #bookwriting #writer #authortube Check out a few of my other videos: What Do Literary Agents Look for in Authors? [This MAY Surprise You!]    • What Do Literary Agents Look for in Author...   How to Map Out Your Book (Hint: It’s Not an Outline)    • How to Map Out Your Book (Hint: It’s Not a...   Does Writing a Book Get Easier? My TRUE Answer    • Does Writing a Book Get Easier? My TRUE An...