What can an author expect from a good
literary agent?
Originally posted on
Work in
Progress on July 12, 2006
[Disclaimer: all literary
agents/agencies have different policies and personalities, so your
mileage will vary. Pay attention to the generalities, feel free to laugh
at my idiosyncrasies, and most of all, remember that agents are people
too. And on occasion, if you’re a very lucky, very good little author,
they can be so much more…]
When I signed with my literary
agent, way back in the last week of November, 2005, I had no idea what
to expect. None. I was probably the most clueless, wreck of a writer to
ever stutter into her agent’s sophisticated New York ear. Seriously. I
didn’t know what to ask. I didn’t know how to answer her questions. And
I had no clue what to expect from my very first business relationship.
So…here’s what I’ve learned in the last eight months. (And for the
record, I still have plenty left to learn.)
A good agent has lots to offer her clients, so let’s begin with the most
obvious: a literary agent can get your work seen and seriously
considered by editors. Lots of editors. More importantly, the right
editors.
“Can’t I do that for myself?” you ask, oh so naively.
And the simple answer is that yes, it is possible in theory to get your
work in front of an editor on your own. Especially if you write category
romance. However, outside of category, there are very few opportunities
to for an author to get an editor to read her manuscript without
influence from someone established in the publishing industry (a favor
from a friend with connections). Most major publishing houses will no
longer take unagented submissions, and of those few who will, without an
agent in your corner, your wait time will likely be…well, around the
time it takes to turn a lump of coal into a diamond.
A year ago, I was fortunate enough to garner a request for a full
manuscript from a major NY house. Even better, I got an answer back from
my submission within two months of sending it out. It was a rejection,
on the same story that later sold at auction. What was the problem?
I pitched to the wrong editor. She wasn’t looking for exactly what I
wrote, but I didn’t know that ahead of time. It’s your agent’s job to
know exactly which editors are looking for what, and to pair her
clients/manuscripts with the right editor. It’s that simple. Agents know
editors and publishing houses. Most authors—especially new
authors—don’t.
What else can an agent do for you? How ‘bout another obvious answer?
Simply put, a literary agent can almost always get you more money for
your project than you could have gotten yourself. And if she can’t, she
can almost certainly get you better terms in your contract, and
sometimes that’s even more important than getting more money. A good
agent is worth her 15% and more, because she can usually bump your
advance up by at least that much. She knows which contractual clauses
are negotiable, and which ones aren’t. She knows how much you’re worth,
and how to exploit that fact to its fullest potential. The bottom line
is that your agent doesn’t make any money until you do, so it’s in her
best interest to make sure you’re getting what you’re worth. So you
don’t have to worry about it.
Now, for some of the more subtler benefits of having a good agent…
A good literary agent is in your corner at all times. She backs you up,
even if that means keeping you from making a fool of yourself. Or a
nuisance of yourself. Or a paranoid, raving lunatic of yourself. (Is
this personal experience speaking? Um, yes. Definitely.) An agent is a
go-between for you and your editor on all business matters, which could
potentially put a crimp in your relationship with your editor.
Late contracts? Late checks? Faulting accounting? Bad cover copy?
Atrocious cover art? Unreasonable deadlines? We all hope never to have
to deal with any of those things, and you may never have to. But if you
do, your agent will step in on your behalf, like the
palm-pilot-wielding, fast-talking, petite shark of a superwoman she
really is. In short, she’ll save the day, so you can go back to doing
what you do best: writing. With your editor-author relationship
comfortably intact. Blossoming, even.
Another thing you can expect from your agent (and this one is really
cool) is her opinion. Yes, like most of us regular folks, agents have
opinions. But unlike most of us, a literary agent gets paid for her
opinion, because it is necessarily well-informed, pertinent, influenced
by her in-depth knowledge of the industry, and very, very valuable.
Got a new proposal? Send it to your agent. She’ll tell you what she
thinks about it. Honestly. Not sure about your biography, or your author
picture? Send it to your agent. She’ll tell you what she thinks about
it. Worried that the market is saturated with purple unicorn-shapeshifters
and their two-headed circus trainer mentors, and that your new book
centered around just such creatures will be shot down before the story
ever even takes off? Ask your agent. She’ll tell you what she thinks
about it. The same goes for marketing strategies, career planning, cover
art, etc… You name it, your agent probably has an opinion about it. And
this is a very good thing.
Now, we’re down to my very favorite thing a good literary agent will do
for you, if you’re fortunate enough to have signed with an agent
interested in more than mere numbers and documents. Some agents will
hold your hand. Metaphorically speaking, of course. And sometimes
literally. (And sometimes, if you don’t let go soon enough, they’ll drag
you right onto the dance floor and force you to abandon
self-consciousness long enough to make an utter fool of yourself to the
rhythm of “Love Shack” in front of two hundred other people.)
Worried that you can’t possibly compete with all the other fabulous
authors in your genre? Your agent will probably remind you how fabulous
you are, and how she would never have signed you if she wasn’t sure you
could do more than just compete. Got a bad review? Your agent will
probably remind you that you’re NOT ALLOWED TO READ REVIEWS! then point
out all the good reviews that more than balance out that one teeny tiny
little dissenting opinion. Which probably wasn’t as bad as it seemed at
first glance anyway. Nervous about your first time speaking at a
conference? If your agent is there, chances are good that she’ll take
you out for a drink either before of after the speaking engagement in
question, to calm you down, and rave over your (possibly impending)
performance.
So, if you thought agents were only good for opening previously
bolted-shut industry doors, well… hopefully now you know the truth. ;-)
Depending upon the agent in question, your agent can also be a
negotiator, a knight in shining suit-jacket-and-high-heels, a
go-between, a hand-holder, and a friend.
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