Literary agency
Representation at Meridian Press International is commission based. No reading fee, no submission fee, no retainer and no obligation to buy a service. A named agent reads your work and answers you in writing.
The fee position, stated plainly
This is the clearest way we can put it. Anyone charging you a fee for representation in our name is not acting for us.
Submitting your manuscript for consideration costs nothing. We do not charge to read, assess or decline a submission.
There is no fee to be considered, to be added to a list, or to be told the outcome of a submission.
Representation is not a subscription. An author under representation pays nothing on an ongoing basis.
We never make a paid editorial service a condition of being read or represented. If editing is needed, we say so and you are free to arrange it anywhere.
When representation leads to a deal, the agency earns an agreed percentage of the income that deal produces. If the book earns nothing, the agency earns nothing.
Commission rate, territories, duration and termination are set out in a representation agreement you read, question and sign before anything begins.
Kept separate
Authors are right to ask how a company that sells publishing services can also represent writers. The answer is separation, in writing.
The literary agency desk works on commission. No author is ever asked to pay for representation, for a reading, or for a decision.
Editing, ghostwriting, translation, audio, websites and marketing are paid services with their own written scopes. Buying one does not improve your chance of representation, and declining one does not reduce it.
A representation decision is made by the agency desk on literary and market grounds alone. Publishing and service decisions are made separately, and we tell you which desk answered you.
The agent
Representation is not handled by an anonymous inbox. You can write to the agent directly and ask anything on this page.
Literary Agent
Based in the United Kingdom
Based in the United Kingdom, Catherine works with authors on representation and submission, reading manuscripts against the markets they are intended for. Her biography will be expanded with details she confirms for publication.
Working languages
English
Areas of work
How representation works
Six steps, each one free to the author until a deal produces income.
Step one
You send a query, synopsis and sample chapters through the submission form. No fee, no account, no purchase.
Step two
The agent reads the material against the markets it is written for and records a written view.
Step three
You receive a decision: a pass with reasons where we can give them, a request for the full manuscript, or an offer of representation.
Step four
If representation is offered, the agreement setting out commission, territories and duration is sent for you to review before signing.
Step five
The book is submitted to selected publishers and, where relevant, to translation, audio and screen markets. You are told who saw it and what they said.
Step six
Any offer is explained in plain terms. Commission is deducted only from income received, and statements show the calculation.
Questions authors ask
No. Our literary agent charges no reading fee, no submission fee, no registration fee and no retainer. Sending your manuscript for consideration is free, and a decision is free.
By commission on deals it secures. When representation produces a publishing, translation, audio or screen agreement, the agency takes an agreed percentage of the income from that agreement. If the book earns nothing, the agency earns nothing.
No, and you should be suspicious of anyone who says otherwise. Paid editorial, ghostwriting or marketing services are entirely separate from the representation decision. Buying them does not improve your chances and declining them does not harm them.
Yes. Representation is handled by Catherine Clark, based in the United Kingdom, whose profile and direct email address are published on our team page. You can email the agent directly before submitting anything.
Do not pay. Contact us at the addresses published on this site and report it. We list our official email addresses and verification steps on the author safety page so any approach can be checked.
The agreement names them explicitly: volume rights by territory, translation, audio, and screen where applicable. Nothing is assumed, and anything not named remains with you.
Official agency correspondence comes only from catherine.literaryagent@meridianpressinternationalpublishing.com or an address ending in @meridianpressinternationalpublishing.com. Anything else claiming to represent us should be reported to contact@meridianpressinternationalpublishing.com.
Next step
Questions about commission, territories or whether your book suits representation are welcome, and cost nothing to ask.
