As an agency, we are focused on increasing representation for all writers who are under-represented in mainstream publishing. A stipulation of the public funding we receive states that we can only represent writers who are British Citizens or UK Residents who also self-identify in one of the following ways:

• Writers of colour.
• Working class writers.
• LGBTQ+ writers.
• Writers with a disability.

We also accept submissions from writers who believe that they are under-represented in publishing, however we do request that the writer provides their reasons for this when submitting their work. This can include but is not limited to:

• Care experienced people.
• Adoptees.
• Those with carer status.
• Writers who are 60+ in age.
• Refugees and asylum.
• Those who have experienced homelessness.
• Abuse and trauma survivors.
• Those with long term illnesses.
• Those who have experienced incarceration.

If you are unsure if you qualify, please do get in touch with us at submissions@thegoodliteraryagency.org to clarify the reasons you believe you might be eligible.

Unfortunately, TGLA is unable to consider or represent authors who are not British Citizens or UK Residents.

The main focus of TGLA is to represent writers who are under-represented in mainstream publishing. Eligibility is based on the author, not the material or subject matter of the work they are submitting. Unfortunately, if you yourself are not eligible by the criteria listed in the first question above, we will be unable to proceed with your submission.

TGLA is not currently in a position where we can consider or accept submissions from people under 18 years old.

Our style guidelines are:

• Files saved as Word Documents (.doc or .docx) or as PDFs only.
• Sample chapters saved as ‘Sample, Title, Name’.
• Synopsis / Proposal saved as ‘Proposal / Synopsis, Title, Name’.
• Arial, 12 point font, double spaced with numbered pages.
• Please do not include headers, footers, clip art, word art or coloured pages and letters. (These can do horrible things to our e-readers!)

We will respond to every submission, whether we wish to represent you or not. If we do not wish to represent you, we will always include some useful feedback and our reasoning as to why, and some advice on what to do next.

We do ask that you are considerate and do not submit to us just so that you can get feedback on your work. This is not the best use of our time and means that we don’t get back to other writers as quickly.

Currently, TGLA is not accepting resubmissions of works we have previously seen unless they have been specifically requested in the form of a ‘Revise and Resubmit’.

We have been receiving an increasingly large number of resubmissions. The time it takes to reread and provide fresh feedback for these submissions slows down our overall submission process. As many resubmissions change very little from the original, we have made the decision that we can only accept resubmissions that our agents request in relation to specific feedback given. We have limited resources and want to give as many authors as possible opportunities to get feedback on their submission, which is why we are no longer considering unrequested resubmissions. We do this in the spirit of also making our processes clear and as fair as possible.

If, due to health, disability, or access reasons you find it hard to submit through our forms, please email us instead on submissions@thegoodliteraryagency.org with ‘Access’ in the subject line. We will guide you through a submission by email.

We ask that all authors only submit one book to us at a time. It is always a good idea to submit the one manuscript that you envision as your debut first; the one that you are most confident in. Submitting one manuscript at a time allows us to get back to everyone who submits to us faster. If that one isn’t the right fit for us, for a variety of reasons, but we enjoy your writing style, we may very well request to see any other work from you, and you are always welcome to submit any other piece from your collection afterwards.

Please email us on info@thegoodliteraryagency.org, including in the body of your email some background about yourself and your expertise, and a brief but clear overview of your current idea or focus for this work.

TGLA is currently accepting submissions across all genres for the following types of book:

• Fiction novels and novellas.
• Non-Fiction.
• Children’s & YA Fiction and Non-Fiction, for readers aged 8 and above.
• Graphic Novels / Graphic Non-Fiction.
• Short story collections.
• Essay collections.

TGLA does not currently accept open submissions for:

• Poetry or verse novels.
• Early Readers or Picture Books (books for children under 8 years old).
• Scripts.
• Singular short stories.
• Singular essays.

Although we do represent some of these areas and markets for existing clients.

Unfortunately, TGLA is not currently in a position where we can represent or consider self-published or previously published works. We are also unable to consider or represent sequels – or books in a series that are not the first instalment – wherein the first book has been previously published or self-published.

We would encourage all writers to submit their manuscripts widely and would never ask that you only query us. We do, however, ask that if another agent or agency has requested your full manuscript or has offered representation, that you let us know, as this can help us with the decision-making process. You can do this by emailing us at submissions@thegoodliteraryagency.org.

As we are a literary agency, rather than a writer development company, we don’t typically offer resources to writers at this stage in their career. Instead, we usually involve ourselves at a point when a manuscript or non-fiction proposal is complete. However, there are a variety of organisations that can help you to develop your work and offer long-term writing support, and we have compiled a downloadable list here.

Congratulations! Getting a full manuscript request or an offer of representation is a real achievement!

When another agent or agency shows interest in your work, please email us on submissions@thegoodliteraryagency.org to let us know. When doing so, please make it clear that this is what your email is for with ‘Interest Elsewhere’ and the title of your submission in the subject line of the email. In the body of the email itself, please include more information on the interest you have received (whether this is a request for a full manuscript or an offer of representation) and which form you used to submit your work to us (Adult Fiction, Adult Non-Fiction, Children’s & YA Fiction or Children’s & YA Non-Fiction). Having this information to hand will help us to better find your submission on our system, and update it accordingly.

In occasions when you have received interest elsewhere, we cannot guarantee that we will be in a position to prioritise your submission but we will do all that we can to get back to you in a timely manner.

Our average response window is between 8-12 weeks. We ask that, up until the 12-week period, you have a little bit of patience. We are a small agency, and all of our agents read and discuss each submission before we make any decisions. If your submission has been with us for over 12 weeks, please email us at submissions@thegoodliteraryagency.org and we will see what we can do to help.

In some instances our emails do end up in an author’s spam folder. If possible, do check in there frequently while waiting to hear back from us.

No need to worry! We know that mistakes happen (we’re all human) so if you do realise that there has been a mistake, send us an email to submissions@thegoodliteraryagency.org and we can make any changes or amendments needed. But, generally speaking, as long as we can read your submission, a mistake in the font / spacing / with other little details, is never a problem with us. If we are unable to open your submission, for whatever reason, we will reach out to ask for your files in a different format.

Send us an email to submissions@thegoodliteraryagency.org and we will manually update your information. Be sure to include the title of your submission, the form you submitted to and the incorrect email address if you have this information to hand, as it will make things a little easier on our end.

We really appreciate your interest in career opportunities at TGLA!

Unfortunately, we do not currently have any open job vacancies and are not currently offering any internships or work experience. We hope to be able to offer these to people interested in pursuing a career in literary agenting in the future, and any opportunities will be advertised on our social media channels and website once they become available (on a dedicated Jobs page).

In general though and in terms of wider publishing opportunities, we encourage you to keep an eye on the Bookseller for publishing vacancies and, if you’re on Twitter, following @publishingjobs, @JobsinBooks, and @publishing_post (whose newsletter is great for industry insights and job listings), while also keeping an eye on the #publishinghopefuls hashtag too.

For partnership, event, and collaborations, please email info@thegoodliteraryagency.org.

If possible, please do provide us with a brief overview of what it is you’re proposing, an idea of the date and time commitments, and the fee / expenses involved. Having this information to hand will help both streamline the process, while also ensuring that we can communicate with those necessary in the most effective manner.

Please email us on info@thegoodliteraryagency.org if you are interested in the translation or Film & TV or Translation rights to one of our books.