Literary Agent Undercover

Founded by former book agent Mark Malatesta, Literary Agent Undercover provides resources for authors to get literary agents. Authors of all genres (fiction, nonfiction, and children’s books) have used our resources to get top book agents and book deals with publishers like Random House, Scholastic, and Thomas Nelson.

Click here to see Mark Malatesta Reviews, and scroll below for our free resources to help you get a top book agent, publisher, and book deal: insider articles, audio interviews, the popular Directory of Literary Agents, an interactive “Ask the Agent” area on our website where you can ask questions, an email newsletter, and 1-on-1 coaching.

Our Mission – Help You Get a Book Agent

Literary Agent Undercover provides information and coaching for authors all around the world, at all stages of development: 1) Unpublished authors, 2) Self-published authors who now want to find a traditional publisher, and 3) Previously published authors that, for some reason, want or need to find a new literary agency. This information and support is for authors who understand and appreciate the benefits of traditional publishing vs. self-publishing: having a publisher pay to publish your books (instead of you paying to publish); enjoying the legitimacy, respect, and influence that comes with the backing of a major publisher; a higher quality product; more profit due to better distribution, publicity, and sales; greater subsidiary rights opportunities such as merchandising, translations, TV, feature film, book club, etc; book reviews; and the ability to spend more time doing what you love most (including writing) instead of spending most of your time trying to figure out how to sell books.

Agents Who’ve Offered Our Authors Representation

Mark Malatesta has helped his author coaching clients get offers for representations from publishing agents including: Bethany Buck with Sanford J. Greenburger Associates, Al Longden with Albert T. Londen Associates, Amy Jameson with A+B Works, Andrea Somberg with Harvey Klinger, Inc., Anna Olswanger with Olswanger Literary, Becky Vinter with Fine Print Lit, Bill Contardi with Brandt & Hochman Literary Agents, Inc., Bob Diforio with D4EO Literary Agency, Byrd Leavell with Waxman Leavell Literary Agency, Chip MacGregor with MacGregor Literary, Christine Cohen of the Virginia Kidd Agency, Cindy Uh with Thompson Literary Agency, Coleen O’Shea of the Allen O’Shea Literary Agency, Dan Balow of The Steve Laube Agency, Dan Strone with Trident Media Group, David Nelson with Waterside Productions, Dean Krystek of WordLink USA, Diane Flegal with Hartline Literary Agency, Diane Nine with Nine Speakers, Inc., Don Fehr with Trident Media, Elizabeth “Liz” Kracht with Kimberley Cameron & Associates, Esmerantia Parnall-Gilbert with Gilbert Literary Agency, Harvey Klinger with Harvey Klinger, Inc., Helen Zimmerman of the Helen Zimmermann Literary Agency, Irene Kraas with Kraas Literary Agency, Italia Gandolfo with Gandolfo Helin & Fountain Literary Management, Jak Burke of The Rudy Agency, James Schiavone, Ed.D with Schiavone Literary Agency, Inc., Janet Rosen with Sheree Bykofsky Associates, Jennifer Lyons of the Jennifer Lyons Agency.

Other agents who’ve offered Literary Agent Undercover coaching clients representation include: Jill Marr with the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency, Jim Hart with Hartline Literary Agency, John Willig with Literary Services, Inc., Joyce Holland with D4EO, Kanishka Gupta with Writer’s Side, Karen Canton with Canton Literary Management, Ken Atchity with AEI Entertainment (aka Atchity Entertainment), Linda Langton with Langtons International Agency, Lord Colin Ivar Campbell, co-agent for the Marianne Strong Literary Agency, Marianne Strong with the Marianne Strong Literary Agency, Mary Sue Seymour with The Seymour Agency, Maryann Karinch with The Rudy Agency, Matt Wagner with Fresh Books Literary Agency, Matthew Carnicelli with Carnicelli Literary Management, Melissa Carrigee with Loiacono Literary Agency, Nena Madonia with Dupree Miller and Associates, Inc., Piers Blofeld with Sheil Land Associates, Rebecca Collazo with the Marianne Strong Literary Agency, Regina Ryan with Regina Ryan Books Literary Agency, Robert H Lieberman with Robert Lieberman Associates, Robin Mizell with Robin Mizell Ltd., Literary Representation, Roger Williams with New England Publishing Associates (NEPA), Sarah Jane Freymann with Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency, Sergei Tsimberov with Anderson Literary Management, Stephane Tade with the Stephanie Tade Agency, Stephany Evans with Fine Print Lit, Susan Schulman with Susan Schulman Literary Agency, The Carol Mann Agency, and Victoria Sanders with Victoria Sanders & Associates.

Founder – Mark Malatesta, Former “Undercover” Literary Agent

Mark Malatesta is a former book agent (the President and Owner of New Brand Agency Group) who went “undercover” and used the pseudonym “Mark Ryan” (his stepfather’s last name) when he was an agent. One of the main reasons Mark became an agent was to figure out how to get his own books published. That’s also one of the reasons Mark named his author coaching company Literary Agent Undercover (a division of The Bestselling Author). The other reason is that Mark shares a lot of insider information about book agents to help authors get representation. Mark has secured contracts for authors (many of them previously unpublished) with publishers such as Random House, Simon & Schuster, St. Martin’s, Hyperion, Prentice-Hall, Workman, Andrews-McMeel, Entrepreneur, Barron’s, Amacom, and many more. Millions of books have been sold as a result, as well as works having been picked up for TV, stage, and feature film — with companies like Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks. Mark’s authors have gotten 6-figure advances, been on the NY Times bestseller list, been licensed in more than 30 countries, and won countless national and international awards and honors. Click here to see Reviews of Mark Malatesta.

Since Mark is both a writer and, now, an experienced publishing insider, he knows exactly what need to know and do to get a top agent, publisher, and book deal. Mark never intended to be an agent for his entire professional career, but he missed many parts of working with authors after closing his literary agency. Discovering authors with talent. Developing books to have greater bestseller or commercial potential. Improving author platforms and pitches. And spending time with authors, sharing insider information about the publishing industry. At the time (2011), there were a few individuals and companies providing information and/or coaching to help authors get publishing agents—but no one was doing it well. In a comprehensive way. That’s when Mark decided to create the premier information and coaching company to help aspiring authors get agents. That’s what Literary Agent Undercover is all about. It is the only company devoted to helping authors get agents that’s actually run by a former successful agent.