When it comes to impressing the gatekeepers of traditional publishing, a polished manuscript is only half the battle. To pique the interest of your dream agent, you'll need a query letter and synopsis that are just as compelling, if not more. Who better to help than a former literary agent?
Becka Oliver, a former literary agent at William Morris Endeavor (WME), brings more than two decades of experience working in newspaper and book publishing, and spent much of her publishing career inside two of the “big five” publishing leaders – Macmillan and Hachette Book Group — licensing domestic and foreign rights on behalf of countless notable authors, including Sandra Brown, Brad Meltzer, Nicholas Sparks, Jon Stewart and the Daily Show, and more. In 2007, she made the leap from Associate Director of Subsidiary Rights at Grand Central Publishing to Literary Agent, first at Endeavor and then at William Morris Endeavor (WME) after the two powerhouse talent agencies merged. As a literary agent, Becka represented clients working in both fiction and nonfiction, including Brunonia Barry, Sheryl Crow, Kamran Pasha, Joanna Philbin, Susan Rebecca White, and the popular blog Awkward Family Photos. More recently, she has served as the Executive Director at the Writer’s League of Texas, the Austin-based literary nonprofit.
Base package ($550 + $0.008/word) includes:
A read-through of your complete manuscript to give Becka a feel for the characters, plot, and which aspects of the book should be highlighted in the query letter*
A comprehensive line edit of your query letter draft, including comments explaining the suggested changes
A 60-minute consultation via phone or Zoom to provide guidance on and answer your questions about the querying process
*You will not receive editorial feedback or notes on the manuscript.
Optional add-ons include:
Writing a custom query letter from scratch (for those without a draft already written)
A line edit of your 2-page synopsis
Follow-up consultations later in the querying process (for instance, to advise on choosing an agent in the event of multiple offers)
An edit of your opening 5 pages to ensure that your manuscript will make the strongest impression possible
"I felt so lucky to have Becka Oliver on my side during my agent search. She helped me craft the perfect query letter that not only captured the heart of my novel but also stressed the elements agents would be most intrigued by. Her advice throughout the submission process was always incredibly helpful and supportive. Her deep knowledge of and experience in the publishing industry combined with her love of books makes her the best possible person to have in your corner!”
-Stacey Swann, author of Olympus, Texas (Doubleday, 2021) a Good Morning America Book Club selection, Indie Next Pick, and longlisted for The Center for Fiction First Novel Prize
“Becka Oliver is a brilliant editor and strategist. When I was searching for a new agent to represent my third novel, I thought that I had already written a pretty solid query letter and synopsis, since these are things that I have written many times before. But Becka knew exactly what my pitch materials still needed to give them the kind of hook and focus that would attract and maintain a reader’s interest. She combed through my query letter to restructure it in a way that hit all the essential points, and she asked all the right questions to unlock the ideas and identify the additional content that was necessary for attracting an agent and publisher. Becka’s years of experience as a literary agent in NYC have given her insights into the querying process that were invaluable in helping me navigate the ever-shifting landscape of the publishing industry. And beyond the editing and revisions, she also had incredibly useful suggestions for improving my pitch strategies and building a list of potential agents. I highly recommend that you call upon Becka to evaluate your work, even if you think that you already know what you’re doing.”
