How Do Literary Agents Manage Author Submissions, and Why It's Hard to Do
Some days, it feels like inbox chaos.
Agents receive hundreds of queries per month from prospective authors, sometimes more if they've had a recent book hit the bestseller list or been mentioned in a newsletter. It's overwhelming. And, maybe worse, the tools they're using haven't kept up.
TL;DR
Most agents still manage submissions from aspiring authors manually. Think email folders, basic spreadsheets, or HTML submission forms that only sort of help. It's fragmented and can be frustrating. LitArc aims to make it easier: one clean inbox, filters that matter, and fewer things slipping through the cracks.
What Systems Do Agents Use Today?
There's no single standard.
Some agents swear by email folders. Others use spreadsheets. A few have adopted submission platforms like Submittable or QueryManager, but not everyone loves those. It's still mostly duct-taped together.
Email: Agents label or star author queries. It works ... until it doesn't.
Spreadsheets: Sometimes used to track dates, genres, and response status. But they're rarely complete.
Submission managers: Useful in theory, but many agents feel they're too rigid or impersonal and often leave them on "closed" status.
In short, it's a mixed bag. Most agents patch their own system together and hope for the best.
Why Does This Matter?
Because strong queries get buried, and weaker ones rarely get the feedback that would help authors improve before the next submission.
Response times stretch to weeks or more.
Follow-ups go unanswered.
Ghosting writers has become a common norm across the industry.
And that's not because they don't care. It's because they're juggling too many tools that weren't made for this job. One agent told us she had to search her inbox for the same author three times before realizing she'd moved on.
What Do Agents Actually Want?
We asked. Here's what we heard:
A single inbox for just queries (separate from regular email)
Filters that work by genre, length, or even query quality
Quick status updates: pass, maybe, request full
A way to write internal notes or see past conversations
Some agents want even more: analytics, tracking views, collaboration tools. But most would be happy just to stop losing track of promising submissions.
FAQs About Agent Submissions
How many queries do agents receive?
It depends. Some get 50 per week. Others see hundreds a month, especially after a big book launch or feature.
Do most agents use software?
Not really. Most agents still rely on email, Google Sheets, or memory alone.
What's LitArc doing differently?
LitArc gives agents a submission inbox that is designed to handle submissions, not all the other email we all receive. It filters, tracks, and lets you respond in a few clicks, without the bloat of full-on CRMs.
Why hasn't someone solved this already?
Honestly? Publishing's been slow to change. And many tools were built decades ago. LitArc is trying to fix that.
Key Takeaways
Submissions are still managed manually by most agents.
Existing tools are either too light or too heavy.
There's strong demand for something that just works: fast, organized, and focused on the author-agent relationship.
Try LitArc
Are you an agent juggling too many submissions and not enough time?
LitArc helps you:
Track new queries easily
Filter by genre, status, and match quality
Respond without digging through inbox threads