How Hard Is It to Get an Agent in 2025? The Real Numbers Behind the Dream
Photo by Eila Lifflander on Unsplash
I write a lot about the challenge of simply writing a book in the first place, but that is hardly where the challenge ends. Whether you choose to go the traditional publishing route, or self-publish, or something in between (hybrid publishing, small/indie press publishing) it is no cakewalk.
(For a great overview of publishing options in 2025, read Jane Friedman’s annually updated Key Book Publishing Paths 2025-2026 .)
I recently came across a Substack post by agent Jenna Satterthwaite, with stats from her first year in the business. It is sobering, to say the least. 2024 – Query Stats from My First Year Agenting lays out exactly how many queries she received, and to how many of those she extended full manuscript requests and offers of representation.
She was only open for queries a total of 78 days, and received 3,627 queries in that time. She received a few other (mostly solicited) queries as well.
Of those, she requested fulls from 103.
She offered 10 R&Rs (Revise & Resubmit) to 10, and made offers of rep to 2 of them.
She made offers of rep to a total of 31 people from her 2024 queries.
She breaks down the percentages, and how many by genre, but you don’t need to be a math genius to know that this is not a huge number. And remember, she’s a new agent, so she’s actively looking to build her list. She doesn’t have a ton of authors she’s already representing that she’s working for. She ended up signing 20 of the 31, which is a huge amount, and she mentions this in her essay.
None of what she said surprised me (except maybe that memoir is even harder to break into than ever – apparently the general rule is that you need a platform of 100,000 followers to even attract an agent or editor’s interest, which is one reason I often counsel memoir and nonfiction writers to go one of the other publishing routes, and self-promote like hell).
All this puts into perspective that long response times, and the lack of personalization in the response (if you get one at all).
Also, I noted that a 20% offer rate on R&R is about average. Which means that 80% of the authors who were asked to do major revisions on their book in hopes of being chosen for representation, were out of luck. Which is why it pays to think carefully before you do an R&R. Being asked to do an R&R means that the agent thinks your book is almost there, but does not feel strongly enough about it to make an offer. You may end up doing a lot of work that either fails to earn rep, or is a radically different vision from what you had for the story. Are you okay with that risk? Or do you keep sending it out “as is” in hopes that another agent will fall in love with it? Only you can answer that. I had an offer of R&R from an agent that I ultimately decided not to pursue. I felt our visions were too different, and she didn’t have a strong track record of sales yet. Also, personality-wise, I just didn’t feel it was a good fit.
Whatever age group or genre you’re writing for/in, the stark reality of publishing right now is that it is hard. Especially when you note that, of the 20 who signed with Satterthwaite, only 17 were from those 3,627 slush pile queries (3 were from referrals). And she is not anticipating signing anywhere near 20 this year.
The extreme challenge of getting representation, never mind selling the manuscript to an editor, is a major reason why so many writers now choose some form of non-traditional publishing. Especially since, after all that, you will likely only get a tiny advance, and not begin to earn anything else until you earn out that advance.
So, is traditional publishing still worth it in 2025?
Obviously, thousands of people think so! It still has some advantages:
More prestige than other forms of publishing
Eligibility for more prestigious awards
Getting marketing/editing/etc. services for free – although many writers still must invest in editing before submitting their manuscript, and in marketing efforts upon publication
Related: the more “indie” you go, the more you have to be a businessperson on top of writing the books
Greater likelihood of being carried in brick-and-mortar stores
Certain genres have a much better chance finding a readership with traditional publishing, such as literary fiction, or children’s books
Wider distribution in general, including (if you’re lucky) international sales, film & tv deals, etc.
Greater likelihood of being reviewed by publications with a large readership
As mentioned above, the opportunity to earn an advance on royalties (although if you fail to earn out, you may not get another contract)
Possible offers to attend writer’s conferences and literary festivals as a guest speaker or teacher (sometimes also possible for indie, but much rarer unless it’s a conference/festival specifically focused on indie/self-pubbed authors)
There’s a certain satisfaction is successfully running the gauntlet, and being vetted by professionals, however flawed they or the process may be
So, there are still some good reasons to attempt the trad pub route, however discouraging the odds.
But as Satterthwaite’s article attests, the odds are long indeed. All any of us can do is write the best book we possibly can. Then we take a look at the publishing options, and see what seems to be the best path for this book, at this time. As with any other art form, you have to do it for the love of it first and foremost. Let that love help you persevere, no matter what.
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