The Big 5 literary agents are the five major publishing houses in the U.S. that can provide authors with opportunities to get their work published and read. The Big 5 are William Morris Endeavor, Creative Artists Agency, ICM Partners, The Gersh Agency, and The Schwartz Agency. These five literary agents cover the entire range of literary genres, from fiction to non-fiction to children’s books, so they are suited to serve a wide variety of author’s needs.
The Big 5 can provide authors with the best deals and visibility for their work. Currently, the Big 5 have access to the majority of bookstores, which gives the authors a much larger audience than if they attempted to publish on their own or publish with smaller publishing houses. As well, the Big 5 are the most well-known in their field and their reputation gives authors a greater chance of success.
The Big 5 also have rigorous standards and have access to the best editors and resources available. When looking at these five publishing houses, authors should consider what kind of support, resources, and visibility the publisher offers before signing with them. It is important to remember that the best deal for an author may not come from one of the Big 5 literary agents, but signing with one of the Big 5 may well be worth it in terms of the potential success of their book.
