How to Get a Literary Agent with Dani Segelbaum of Arc Literary Management
A traditional book deal is not simply a contract, an advance, and a finished manuscript. It is a long-term business relationship — and authors need someone whose job is to protect their interests inside a system that can feel complex, emotional, and intimidating.
For entrepreneurs, experts, and creators pursuing a traditional nonfiction book deal, a literary agent is often the person who helps turn a strong idea, a growing platform, and a book proposal into a real publishing partnership.
In this episode of Kind of a Big Book Deal, host Meghan Stevenson speaks with literary agent Dani Siegelbaum of ARC Literary about what agents do, what they look for in nonfiction clients, why author platform matters, and what aspiring authors need to understand before pursuing traditional publishing.
If your goal is to publish with a major traditional publisher, have your book distributed nationally, and build a long-term author career, a literary agent can be an essential partner.
Dani begins with a question: What do you want from your book? Do you want to write something, publish it quickly, and do not mind if only a smaller number of people read it? Or do you want to see your book in bookstores nationwide, work with a major publisher, and create the foundation for a larger author career?
For authors who want traditional publishing, finding an agent is an important part of the process. It is not quick, and it requires commitment. But an agent can help authors access publishers, negotiate contracts, advocate for their goals, and understand the publishing decisions that shape the final book.
A literary agent works directly for the author. Their job is to help the author navigate the relationship with the publisher, negotiate the best possible deal, and serve as an advocate throughout the publishing process. A literary agent’s role can include both big-picture strategy and small but important details.
An agent is not a publicist or a marketing team. But they can offer guidance and help authors understand how publishing works. The author’s relationship with the publisher can also be emotional. The book may represent years of experience, research, personal stories, and hard work. A publisher, meanwhile, is managing a large list of books and making decisions based on sales, marketing, production, and business realities.
An agent helps translate between those perspectives. They can explain what the publisher is thinking, why certain suggestions are being made, and where the author may have room to negotiate. Entrepreneurs, experts, and creators may be excellent businesspeople, but traditional publishing has its own rules, relationships, and expectations.
An agent can help an entrepreneur understand how to position the book so it strengthens the business. That might include discussing how the cover aligns with the author’s brand, how the title and subtitle support the larger message, and how the book can reach readers through bookstore distribution.
For Dani, the key question is not simply whether an author can write a good book. It is whether the book can become an effective extension of the author’s existing work.
For nonfiction, Dani looks first for authors who are prepared to work hard.
She wants to know:
Can this author sell the book?
Why is this author the right person to write it?
Does the author have a platform?
Will the author promote the book?
Is the author a go-getter?
Will this be a productive collaboration?
An author platform matters because publishers will ask why this particular author is the person to write and sell the book. The platform must have a demonstrated ability to reach people and sell an offer.
Dani is also looking for a collaborative relationship. Agents and authors may work together for years, and the partnership requires communication, trust, follow-through, and mutual respect.
The author must be willing to write the book, promote it, and participate actively in making it successful.
Platform building is not just about becoming an Instagram influencer. It is about testing concepts, learning what readers want, understanding their problems, and creating solutions based on your expertise.
A framework that worked for you personally is not automatically ready to become a book. Building a platform helps you discover whether the framework works at scale, where it needs improvement, and what readers need from you.
Dani receives more than 5,000 queries per year through QueryTracker. Most are fiction submissions. Of those thousands of queries, she may request only a small number and offer representation to only a handful.
For prescriptive nonfiction, referrals are often more common than traditional query submissions.
That is because entrepreneurs, experts, and creators often know other experts, authors, consultants, and business owners. When one person starts pursuing a book, conversations begin about literary agents, book proposals, publishing professionals, and the team that helped another author secure a deal.
Working with an experienced publishing professional can help nonfiction authors bypass the general query pile and receive a warm introduction to agents who may be a stronger fit for the project.
This does not mean an author should choose an agent simply because that agent is well known or works with a friend. The agent must also be the right fit for the author’s goals, communication style, and book. A literary agent should be someone you can trust with your work, your career, and your money.
Meghan describes the right agent as someone you could have a drink or coffee with and also trust with your bank information. The relationship should be personal enough for honest conversations but professional enough for serious business decisions.
The biggest name is not always the best choice. A friend’s agent may not be the right agent for your book. A strong “vibe fit,” shared expectations, trust, and aligned goals can matter significantly because you may work together on one book for two years or longer.
Questions answered in this episode
What does a literary agent do?
Do I need a literary agent to get a traditional book deal?
Who does a literary agent work for?
Why do entrepreneurs, experts, and creators need literary agents?
Can a literary agent negotiate my advance and royalties?
Can a literary agent help me with my cover, title, or subtitle?
What do literary agents look for in nonfiction authors?
Why does author platform matter to literary agents?
How do I prove I can sell a book?
Can a niche or uncomfortable book topic get traditionally published?
How can an author platform validate my book idea?
Why are referrals important for nonfiction authors?
Should I query literary agents with a nonfiction proposal?
How many queries do literary agents receive?
How do I choose the right literary agent?
Does the biggest literary agent or agency always make the best fit?
What questions should I ask before signing with a literary agent?
Will my publisher market and publicize my book?
Is marketing a literary agent’s job?
Why should authors think of a book as both art and a product?
This week’s guest is Dani Segelbaum. Dani has nearly a decade of experience working in the publishing industry. She joined Arc Literary in 2024 after three years at the Carol Mann Agency. She began her publishing career as an editorial assistant at HarperCollins Publishers, focusing primarily on highly designed non-fiction titles. She previously worked as a literary assistant at New Leaf Literary & Media. Dani has worked on bestselling and award-winning books by authors including Justin Timberlake, Iris Apfel, Ann Patchett, and Jacqueline Winspear.
Born and raised in Minneapolis, Dani is a graduate of Boston University’s College of Communication where she studied journalism and political science. In college, she worked as an intern for Marie Claire Magazine and as a writer for Boston Common Magazine and the Milford Daily News. Dani has been a voracious reader for as long as she can remember. She represents a wide range of both fiction and non-fiction in the adult and children's spaces, working with New York Times bestselling and debut authors, and is passionate about collaborating with authors from diverse backgrounds to tell stories that are meaningful to them.
In nonfiction, she is particularly drawn to books in the areas of women’s issues, popular culture, illustrated/photography, history, politics, self-help, and current events. She also loves narrative non-fiction, biography, business, lifestyle, and cookbooks. Dani collaborates with a diverse range of authors, including illustrators, photographers, academics, psychologists, and journalists.
In fiction, Dani seeks contemporary and upmarket adult fiction, historical fiction, rom-coms, and women’s fiction. She loves compelling narrators and is drawn to writing that is voice-driven, highly transporting, and features unique perspectives and marginalized voices.
Outside of her professional life, Dani enjoys spending time with her Aussiedoodle, trying out new restaurants with her husband, and indulging in her cookbook collection (which has officially reached "too many" status). Her guilty pleasures include reading the newspaper late at night and baking a never-ending array of treats for family and friends—many of which come straight from her extensive collection of cookbooks.
Dani is a member of the AALA.
Find Dani at
