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AGENTS: Knowing When To Hold One
and When To Fold
by Shirley Kawa-Jump
Agents can be a
wonderful thing, IF they are working for you and with you. I
have negotiated deals with agents, without agents, and have
fired agents who didn't seem to be on the same page as I was.
Overall, I believe having an agent makes things happen faster,
but they are certainly no guarantee for success.
When Do You Need One?
In short, when you
have something saleable. When you have ten partials stacked up
under your bed, but no complete novels, or the germ of an idea
for a non-fiction book, but no proposal ready, you don't need an
agent. Agents only work with what they can sell. They're sort of
like car dealers that way -- they can't sell just an engine or
four tires. They need the whole vehicle, and a good condition
one at that, in order to make a sale.
Yes, an agent does
take a percentage of what they sell for you. That's how they
make their money. For some new writers, giving away 15% of their
advance and royalties isn't a possibility. Face it, many of us
would be starving if we had to support ourselves on our writing
income. However, there are many occasions when an agent can get
you a higher advance or a better royalty rate, thereby paying
for their cut. Weigh this part of the equation before
automatically ruling out an agent.
How Do You Get One?
The same way you get
an editor. Luck, perseverance, and good writing. Get the Jeff
Herman book, WRITER'S GUIDE TO BOOK EDITORS, PUBLISHER AND
LITERARY AGENTS:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0761530231/paintedrockwrite.
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Scan the list at
Preditors and Editors,
http://www.sfwa.org/prededitors/. Join a
professional organization and find out who is reputable and
who isn't. Be informed before you start sending out queries.
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Make out a top
ten list and query them first. Agents get back to you, in
general, much faster than editors, so you should have an
answer within a few weeks. Follow the rules -- if they say
send only a query, do exactly that. Don't try to get fancy
or creative or you risk ticking the agent off.
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Also, network by
attending writers' conferences and joining writer lists. My
friend and I once shared a cab with a top agent, who later
requested a complete manuscript from my friend. It's a small
world, and you never know where an opportunity might pop up.
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Don't give up too
easily. Once that list of ten is exhausted, create a new
list of ten. If it doesn't work out, keep pursuing your
writing career. Should you get an offer from a publishing
house, then you can call the agents on your list. With a
sale in hand, you're more valuable to them.
When Do You Get Rid Of One?
When he or she no
longer shares your vision for your work. I severed the
relationship with my first agent when it became apparent that
she had a different idea of where my career should go than I
did. She wasn't a terrible agent; she just didn't mesh with me.
An agent is like a spouse (although trying to get the agent to
do the dishes doesn't work too well). You and she should get
along most of the time, have the same path in mind for your
future, and yet expect to squabble once in a while.
Don't fire an agent
simply for not returning a phone call or e-mail fast enough.
Agents are busy people -- remember, they're out there hopefully
selling your work. Giving you the 100th update on where your
manuscript stands with an editor is not always priority A.
Sometimes, the agent doesn't know and isn't going to ask because
he doesn't want to risk ticking off the editor. It's no secret
that the rest of the publishing world exists on a tortuously
slow clock compared to the one writers go by.
Agents can be a great
addition to a career, and also a hindrance. In order to find the
one who works best for you, ask questions. Talk to other
clients, former and current. Don't be afraid to call the Better
Business Bureau in their area or to ask other writers. And don't
take the first agent who comes calling, just because he called.
This is YOUR career and you want it to be in good hands.
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