Web fiction
Literary agent
An agent who represents writers and their written works to publishers and producers, assisting in sale and deal negotiation, generally for a 15 percent commission.
A literary agent is "an agent who represents writers and their written works to publishers, theatrical producers, film producers" and the studios, while assisting "in sale and deal negotiation." Agents most often work with novelists, screenwriters and non-fiction writers. The money signpost: "Reputable literary agents generally charge a commission and do not charge a fee upfront," at a commission rate "generally 15%", so an agent is paid only when the writer is.
For a novelist the agent is the professional half of the traditional-publishing relationship: the writer's representative in sales and contract negotiation rather than a publisher or an editor. The relationship usually begins with the query letter, the standard format for submissions from unrepresented authors. Web-fiction writers face the same door, and a proven serial readership is a selling point in a pitch; the choice between querying, serializing and self-publishing is mapped in publishing paths.