Anna Brook-Mitchell had just been made redundant when she decided to write her first novel. Three years later, she had six agent offers and a publishing deal with Pan Macmillan for her debut novel, Motherfaker. In this episode of The Novelry on Writing, Anna and her literary agent Jemima Forrester (David Higham Associates) sit down with The Novelry editor, Josie Humber, to walk through the entire journey. They discuss what it’s like to be mentored by a published author, to work with and receive advice from an external editor before approaching agents, and what the querying process was like.

What do literary agents really want to see in your queries? We asked five agents across different genres what they look for in a novel submission. In this video, agents from our trusted literary agencies Greenstone Literary, DHH Literary Agency, Janklow & Nesbit, Eve White Literary Agency, and Madeleine Milburn Literary, TV & Film Agency share what hooks them in the first pages, what kills a query letter instantly, and what separates a manuscript that’s ready from one that isn’t.

Too many writers spend years on a novel without knowing whether the idea is strong enough, the story is working, or the manuscript is moving in the right direction to meet the standard. At The Novelry, we bring publishing judgment to the front of the process, so you're not leaving your novel to luck. You'll work with bestselling authors and former Big Five publishing editors to hone your idea, strengthen your story, and write with confidence in the direction of a deal. We're trusted by leading literary agencies.