tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post5419688998831759872..comments2023-11-02T06:57:11.400-04:00Comments on BookEnds Literary Agency: You Have an Agent . . . Now WhatBookEnds, A Literary Agencyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06287278822065839469noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-3504078048341174912011-07-10T02:51:01.252-04:002011-07-10T02:51:01.252-04:00I know this is a really old post, but it's gre...I know this is a really old post, but it's great information! I, unfortunately, have found myself in the position where my agent falls into two of those categories: the "not following through agent, and the not keeping promises agent."<br /><br />Thank you, for giving me the nudge that I needed to send that dreaded email. It's so easy to feel like you're alone, like you are the only author in the world this is happening to. <br /><br />But question - after you have fired your agent (for reasons above), how do you address your previous representation in your query? If your work has not been submitted to publishers because agent not-following-through never even got you a first set of revision notes? <br /><br />Do you say you're seeking new representation? Does that send up a red flag or make you stand out in the crowd?<br /><br /> Or, do you just query like you're any other writer and pray?<br /><br />Thanks again for giving me the necessary push to send off that final letter.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-40506009381106119672008-08-25T08:16:00.000-04:002008-08-25T08:16:00.000-04:00This is a great post, thanks for sharing it becaus...This is a great post, thanks for sharing it because many aspiring authors don't know exactly what comes next, all we know is getting an answer to those queries is a huge step in the process - but it not the last.Jersey Girlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18159479944031178356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-57786550267930573722008-08-10T15:28:00.000-04:002008-08-10T15:28:00.000-04:00Here's my issue. (And I thought about emailing you...Here's my issue. (And I thought about emailing you to ask your opinion.)<BR/>A lot of fellow authors I know got an agent BECAUSE of a deal. In other words, the publisher wanted them and the agent came next. <BR/>The thing is, an author can't know whether that agent is going to LOVE the author's work.<BR/>I want an agent who will do what Barbara Poelle said she'd do for one of her authors---go to a monkey fight and win to get that sucker published.<BR/>What do you do if the agent came AFTER the deal? And if the agent isn't really loving your work, isn't it time to walk away?<BR/>What do you think?Jennifer McKenziehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03613714863799177911noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-91602064939997852652008-08-10T09:44:00.000-04:002008-08-10T09:44:00.000-04:00I attended the RWA conference in San Francisco, an...I attended the RWA conference in San Francisco, and had the luxury of going to dinner with two NY Times bestselling authors. I just recently signed with a wonderful agent, and at this moment have a ms that's been pitched to several NY houses. So, while moving ahead in this career, I'm still a relative newbie. One of these lovely ladies, took the time to offer me a lot of wisdom and advice that she learned on her journey, and one piece stood out for me....the agent works for us...period. We should never be afraid to ask questions or give opinions to our agent. And if said agent doesn't return phone calls,emails etc, don't be afraid to address this issue....and if it's not working out....find someone who will work for you and communicate with youAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-74498929980809475412008-08-09T15:58:00.000-04:002008-08-09T15:58:00.000-04:00A lot of weird Anons here! I had the fortunate cir...A lot of weird Anons here! <BR/><BR/>I had the fortunate circumstance of being able to choose from a handful of offering agents, and one of the things that I loved about my current agent was that she sent an email before we talked on the phone that outlined how she liked to work with clients and what I could expect. And I can say that she's absolutely followed through on all of it too.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for this great post, Jessica!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-88762112995129533232008-08-09T14:02:00.000-04:002008-08-09T14:02:00.000-04:00Thanks, Terri. Anon 10:40, what you say makes sen...Thanks, Terri. Anon 10:40, what you say makes sense. Let me offer a different perspective. In the business world the person who controls the purse is the superior being, not the one who produces the products and services. So in publishing the editor pays the agent. If the agent is honest, she pays the writer. If not, she forgets to do that or even charges the writer a fee for being her agent. The editor and agent are making handsome livings, whereas the writer either gets nothing or works for less than the minimum wage. Only if the writer is a bestselling author such as John Grisham can he claim to be in a one up position relative to anyone.<BR/><BR/>In any business except publishing writers would be regarded as peons and treated accordingly. In Hollywood writers are actually despised by some producers and actors.<BR/><BR/>Apparently literary publishing works differently. But for how long?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-31015623380222737702008-08-08T23:59:00.000-04:002008-08-08T23:59:00.000-04:00Excellent post! I'm an attorney, specifically a p...Excellent post! I'm an attorney, specifically a public defender. I make my expectations known to my client up front. I'm your lawyer, not your social worker. I want you to keep in touch with me, during business hours, but I don't want to 'chat.' I'll take care of my part of the transaction [interacting with the court] and you take care of yours [stay out of trouble, stay in touch, be on time to court, bathed and dressed, etc.] and this will go well! The client is well within their rights to check up with you and ask for accountability, but not to demand that you assuage all of their fears and whims. The difference between an agent and lawyer is that I count is as success when I get rid of a client - that means I successfully resolved their case. For you, it's just the opposite!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-72559904268422282802008-08-08T22:56:00.000-04:002008-08-08T22:56:00.000-04:00Anon 10:40--You seem to forget that agents work fo...Anon 10:40--<BR/><BR/>You seem to forget that agents work for the author. There shouldn't be any heirarchy. We are all in this for the same purpose. To sell books. We write them, the agents help us sell them.<BR/><BR/>I think when anyone on either side begins to feel superior to or more necessary than the other, that's when problems arise.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-40786340122134473862008-08-08T22:40:00.000-04:002008-08-08T22:40:00.000-04:00I don't understand how an agent can be constantly ...I don't understand how an agent can be constantly communicating with writers and get anything else done and I'll wager most people in the business agree.<BR/><BR/>I am astonished that you send out rejection letters. If you don't want to do business with some wannabe, ignore her (I assume you only do business with women.) Trash cans were invented for people like that.<BR/><BR/>As for communicating after you sign 'em, all I can say is "Why?" You're not a baby sitter. If their crap does not sell, they will figure that out after you ignore them for a year or two. If it does sell, all you need them for is to sign the contract and/or make changes.<BR/><BR/>In due course agents are going to treat writers the way business managers treat their inferiors. It works for Fortune 500 companies. Why should it not work for the publishing industry? That problem Moonrat outlined a few weeks ago would not exist if agents and editors maintained a proper sense of hierarchy.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-17721567706384173732008-08-08T20:58:00.000-04:002008-08-08T20:58:00.000-04:00I don't think of parting ways with my agent as 'fi...I don't think of parting ways with my agent as 'firing' her. She didn't feel excited enough about my new project to represent it. I felt it was the best thing I'd ever written. So I suggested perhaps it was time to move on. She said she hated to see me go, we shook hands and smiled, and I walked away. No hard feelings. I saw her just last week in San Francisco at a conference and was genuinely delighted to see her. We chatted for a while and I was glad to know she's doing well.<BR/><BR/>She was never my best friend. I don't want a best friend. But I do want someone who reads what I write and thinks it's awesome enough, she's happy to traipse across Manhattan and find the one editor who will love it just as much.<BR/><BR/>No, it's not exactly like being married - but it's a relationship that is as important to a writer's career as marriage can be to one's personal life. And just like dating can be a bitch, and finding the right man/woman can seem impossible, finding the right agent is freakishly similar in difficulty.<BR/><BR/>That's why agents like Jessica and Bookends, as well as others around BlogLand, are seriously wonderful for sharing their insights. If for no other reason, their candor gives the searchers among us a wee looksee into how they operate - how they agent. It's a gift and I appreciate it.<BR/><BR/>I wonder if there'd be a market for a service like Match.com for authors and agents? :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-70735602813670352132008-08-08T17:41:00.000-04:002008-08-08T17:41:00.000-04:00I work hard to not mistake professional relationsh...I work hard to not mistake professional relationships for personal ones, and I shudder to think that I'd ever feel married to an agent.<BR/><BR/>I understand the idea that you must work to find the best route of communication and avoid misunderstandings with your agent, but that's where the similarities end for me.<BR/><BR/>If I had an agent, I'd hope we'd get along nicely, perhaps grow to be friendly, but I'd never forget that some day, I might have to fire her. Or she might have to fire me. And I know from direct experience that it's really hard to stay friends with someone after you've fired them.<BR/><BR/>Besides, I don't need an agent to love me (or even like me, really) or listen to me blabber about my day. I need her to sell my books, and if she can't do that, well, she's just not useful to me. And I wouldn't be useful to her either, so we'd best part ways with as little personal pain as possible.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-3642540819151194052008-08-08T16:03:00.000-04:002008-08-08T16:03:00.000-04:00A very helpful post. Thank you.A very helpful post. Thank you.Robena Granthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18389730409379890816noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-6942961530469860192008-08-08T15:50:00.000-04:002008-08-08T15:50:00.000-04:00Good post.Good post.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-11815381125436878122008-08-08T13:26:00.000-04:002008-08-08T13:26:00.000-04:00So many liken an agent/author relationship to marr...So many liken an agent/author relationship to marriage, and just as it happens in some of the best marriages, people can grow apart. What you were writing when your agent signed you may not be what you want to keep writing. You may decide to spread your wings and try something totally different. Or it may be that market changes force you to redirect yourself into other genres or subgenres. If your agent isn't on board with your new project - if she isn't 100% enthusiastic about it - she can't sell it well. Hopefully she'll say so before making any half-hearted attempts to market the project and you will have the opportunity to move on and find someone else.<BR/>It's not to say the agent didn't do her job. But there's no denying how subjective this business is, and while an agent may love one project, she may dislike another. It's lovely if she thinks everything you write, including your laundry list, is awesome - but not terribly realistic to expect it.<BR/><BR/>Just another observation from the trenches. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-21276787297997902572008-08-08T13:24:00.000-04:002008-08-08T13:24:00.000-04:00Have to agree with Anon 9:50. I had an agent for a...Have to agree with Anon 9:50. I had an agent for a number of years. Wonderful lady, a published writer herself. She tried and failed to sell several of my books. Did get an offer from Dorchester for my third book which we decided to decline but then she seemed to lose interest after a couple more rejections. In the meantime I slaved away on another book. When I finished I contacted her and it was then she informed me she wouldn't be 'representing' any more of my books...but wanted to try to sell the last book. Well, needless to say I was blind-sided. Had no idea she was giving me the ol' heave ho. I had made it a point to be the 'good' client by not bugging her. I kept my contact strictly through emails and only asked for status reports quarterly, if that much. Needless to say, I will be much more 'in the loop' with my next agent (God willing I ever get one again). But once again your article is very helpful and I will paste your comments to my computer for when the time comes... and may the fiction gods grant that time soon.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-37758974215788487142008-08-08T11:24:00.000-04:002008-08-08T11:24:00.000-04:00Thanks for the frank and positive post! "Long-term...Thanks for the frank and positive post! "Long-term relationship" can be a scary phrase to some but I think it's exactly what most of us writers are looking for. The one-agent/multiple-authors ratio you mentioned might sometimes make an author hesitate to infringe for fear of coming across as naggy or high maintenance -- it's encouraging to know that an agent doesn't mind us initiating discussions about career plans and long-term goals.SherMayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13087983859758654985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-90799873749837359662008-08-08T10:49:00.000-04:002008-08-08T10:49:00.000-04:00Jessica, thank you so much for this information. T...Jessica, thank you so much for this information. This is incredibly helpful, and I'm saving it for future reference.Elyssa Papahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01114769833125426437noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-26598919394946576552008-08-08T10:09:00.000-04:002008-08-08T10:09:00.000-04:00I think a client/agent relationship, when it's wor...I think a client/agent relationship, when it's working, tends to develop as time and new projects move forward. The client needs less hand holding and the agent has more knowledge of the client's ability to produce. At some point, the type of communication changes from the panicked calls from the newbie author (guilty party waving madly here) to emails noting various publicity, reviews, etc. to occasional phone conversations concerning new projects, etc. Like any relationship, it evolves into one that's comfortable but not overwhelming. Those first months of a new contract though, at least in my case, probably had my agent looking for a good place to hide!Kate Douglashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05486916548114546095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-64215053788508825952008-08-08T09:50:00.000-04:002008-08-08T09:50:00.000-04:00Very good, timely post. I think authors tend to pa...Very good, timely post. I think authors tend to panic when things don't go 'as planned' in the relationship. We hear tons of stories about how some clients are annoying nags and call all the time...so we resolve to be the 'good' client and not nag at all. And in the process, we end up shooting ourselves in the foot.<BR/><BR/>And to be honest, sometimes we hate to recognize that a relationship isn't working. If the agent isn't showing enthusiasm despite repeated discussions, it's time to cut the cord after all. Sometimes it just takes hearing it from another person.<BR/><BR/>Great post - thank you so much for writing it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-68687894680169346542008-08-08T09:37:00.000-04:002008-08-08T09:37:00.000-04:00Years ago, there was a Roz Chast cartoon in The Ne...Years ago, there was a Roz Chast cartoon in The New Yorker which had three panels, arranged left to right. The picture in each panel showed people dressed in normal formalwear, exotic garb of some sort, and finally fantastic-nightmare clothing -- like folded-up antennas, aluminum foil, bizarre solid objects, and so on. The panels' captions were "Dressed to the nines"; "Dressed to the sixes"; and "Dressed to X, the unknown."<BR/><BR/>Here's what made me think of that cartoon (you were wondering, weren't you?):<BR/><BR/>As an agent, have you ever had (or heard of, from the ubiquitous friend of a friend) a client of type X, the unknown? I'm assuming there's the client from hell, and the client from heaven, and then, well, the client you just end up not "getting" at all?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-29249450080490976432008-08-08T09:21:00.000-04:002008-08-08T09:21:00.000-04:00Jessica, another timely and informative post! I tr...Jessica, another timely and informative post! <BR/><BR/>I truly believe the most important ingredients for a successful agent/client relationship is a mutual enthusiasm for the story and a strong faith in one another's abilities. If you have that, and in return the agent has a track record of sales with NY publishers and a small list of happy clients, you both have something solid to build on.<BR/><BR/>Thanks so much for the info and troubleshooting tactics. :-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-11429999804857855862008-08-08T09:18:00.000-04:002008-08-08T09:18:00.000-04:00Great educational post!At the query stage, I think...Great educational post!<BR/><BR/>At the query stage, I think aspiring authors should do their homework like the Divine Miss Snark instructed. A lot of agents have blogs now or have been interviewed in a variety of places throughout Cyberspace. Some of the problems can be avoided by not querying incompatible (however excellent) agents in the first place.Kimber Lihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03982239712083114488noreply@blogger.com