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Ask any literary agent what theyre interested in and theyll tell you, without a doubt, literary quality. Thats what they want. Theyre looking for high-quality writing. Thats their story and theyre sticking with it.

But if you catch them in an unguarded moment, the truth might just slip out. Oh, theyre still looking for literary quality, and if thats part of the package so much the better, but thats not really the determining factor.

The big issue, the one that can really turn it to your advantage, is a lot simpler and, we should have guessed, a lot more predictable. The real question is, will this manuscript sell? Will it sell first to a publisher, and, then, will it sell to the general public.

The answer to the first question is why youve got a literary agent in the first place. Will it sell to a publisher? Well, you as an author have no idea. You can hope, you can suggest, you can rationalize and you can predict, you can see no possible alternative. Of course a publisher will want to write your manuscript. But you dont really know.

Literary agents, the good ones, do. Thats why theyre constantly talking to trade editors at publishing houses, and publishing executives as well. They want to have their ears to the ground to scout out any trends that are developing, or, more profitably, any needs that publishers have.

"What were really looking for now, Sam, is a childrens chapter book that touches, gently, on the issue of terrorism and homeland security."

"What we need is a series of gothic horrors."

"The guys upstairs want to take a look at a new genre of romance"

A lot of authors think that publishers make their decisions based on the manuscripts that come their way. Thats not always the case. Publishers often have their own agenda. They see the needs developing and they want to have books ready to go when the demand is right. Often theyre looking for specific kinds of books and theyre letting literary agents know about their needs so the best manuscripts can be brought to them.

And thats good news for you. Okay, maybe youve spent a lot of time writing that book on science fiction trivia. The agent youre working with says its a great book, but theyve just been talking with an editor and theyre looking for a trivia book for science. Would you be up to writing it.

Yes, I can just hear all the authors saying, "just a minute, Ill check my schedule to see if I can fit that in."

Agents also know, generally, which publishers are looking for which books. True, the information you have may say the publisher publishes horror stories. But you wont know theyve got a back log of these manuscripts and arent looking for any more. A good literary agent will not only know this, theyll also know which publishers are looking precisely for the book youve got to offer. Getting your manuscript before the right set of eyes is half the battle when it comes to getting your book published.

Agents will also know whats selling now, and whether this is the beginning of a new wave, or the end of an old one. They make their reputation and their relationships by helping publishers pick winners for the upcoming season. Thats why theyre so important. They have the knowledge and the contacts that you just dont have.

They know what will sell, why, when and where. And if you hook up with an agent who is committed to their own success, youve just formed a partnership with an agent who is also committed to your success.