Scouting for Agents - note to agents

This is a free process to agents and is based on a reciprocal referral system of agents referring authors to us and vice versa. We aim to pass through solid first drafts and would expect further editorial input from the agent.

Cornerstones and Kids'Corner Literary Consultancy has helped either shape or place with agents over 50 writers including the bestselling Troll Fell by Katherine Langrish (HarperCollins) and Sophie King's The School Run (Hodder).

If you have a MS that needs specialist shaping or you would like a second opinion, we have over 60 editors who are all published writers or have worked in publishing who offer candid feedback. We also scout for agents such as LAW, MBA, United Agents, Toby Eady, WMA, Caroline Sheldon, Eve White, Greenhouse Literary Agency, Conville & Walsh, RCW, RLA Felicity Bryan, Andrew Lownie (and others) so if a manuscript is not right for your list we are a good avenue for authors with potential.

Please contact us direct if you would like to find out more, and feel free to pass on our details to authors. We have a thorough filtering system so we only take on authors who we feel are at the editing stage, but even if we don't take on an author we still give brief feedback and suggest other alternatives.

See Testimonials for quotes

Author submission to Agents process - note to authors

If our reader recommends an author's MS for submission to agents, this is how it works. We'll let the author know that we'd like to consider it for submission, post revision, when we send back the editorial report. This may be their first editorial report or further ones down the line. Once the author feels that the MS is ready for us to look at they email us the first 50 pages. If we feel they've revised it well enough and we love it - by this stage our reaction is largely subjective: do we love it enough to sell it in to agents on their behalf and do it justice - we'll request the whole MS. If we find that at any time the MS needs further editorial work, other than cosmetic, we will recommend that they go through the editorial process again. The charges for a report are listed under Reports and Rates. We do not recommend that they have a report gratuitously. If we love the whole MS we'll start selling in the author and the MS to agents.

If the author receives a publishing deal as a result of us placing them with an agent - we receive 10% of the intial advance only. It's a one-off payment, a bit like a 'win/fee' basis, and is after the agent's % cut. This agreement is between Cornerstones and the author.

"Cornerstones introduced me to a very good novelist. Thanks to their excellent editorial and professional guidance I'll be able to go to market confidently and quickly."

Laetitia Rutherford, Toby Eady Assocs.

"Cornerstones recommended a writer to me. Within days of receiving the script I knew I had to represent it; within ten days of sending the book out, a publisher offered for it. How's that for a success story?"

Laura Longrigg, MBA

"I am very excited about the author I am taking on who has been nurtured by Cornerstones. Their support and enthusiasm for new writers is invaluable."

Rosemary Canter, United Agents

"Cornerstones has proved a wonderful source for me: two of my authors came from Kids'Corner and they are both set to enjoy a terrific writing career with deals in many countries."
Catherine Clarke, Felicity Bryan Agency