Is it time for me to start looking for a new literary agent?
March 22, 2012 9:32 AM Subscribe
I am an aspiring young adult author who has a literary agent. My agent has represented me since 2008 and in that time has tried to sell two different novels that I wrote. My second book has been out with editors since June, and there still have not been any takers. I just finished the first draft of my third novel and am starting to wonder if I should start looking for a different agent to represent me.
I feel like I need to make this decision before showing him this draft, which I know he will take the time to thoughtfully critique. I don’t want him reading it and then have to tell him that I want to be represented by someone else. Personally, I like my agent very much. He has believed in me- a nobody, for the past four years and not given up on me. He has worked hard for me for so long and there is no one else I would rather give my 15% cut to if I ever do get that book deal.
That being said, I’m starting to get frustrated and can't help but wonder if a better agent might be able to sell my books.
What should I do? Give this current agent one more shot with my third book? Or find a new agent? If I do decided to find a new agent, do I need to tell him I’m looking for a new agent before I actually get one? I feel like I need to be very up front with him but a part of me is afraid that I will cut ties with him and then not be able to find another agent to represent me. If our professional relationship does end, I very much want it to end amicably.
This agent gets me and my writing, which I know is a very important thing for a writer to have. But he hasn’t been able to sell either of my books. Maybe it’s me, maybe it’s the economy, but maybe it’s him. Should I move on, and if yes, how should I go about doing it?
I feel like I need to make this decision before showing him this draft, which I know he will take the time to thoughtfully critique. I don’t want him reading it and then have to tell him that I want to be represented by someone else. Personally, I like my agent very much. He has believed in me- a nobody, for the past four years and not given up on me. He has worked hard for me for so long and there is no one else I would rather give my 15% cut to if I ever do get that book deal.
That being said, I’m starting to get frustrated and can't help but wonder if a better agent might be able to sell my books.
What should I do? Give this current agent one more shot with my third book? Or find a new agent? If I do decided to find a new agent, do I need to tell him I’m looking for a new agent before I actually get one? I feel like I need to be very up front with him but a part of me is afraid that I will cut ties with him and then not be able to find another agent to represent me. If our professional relationship does end, I very much want it to end amicably.
This agent gets me and my writing, which I know is a very important thing for a writer to have. But he hasn’t been able to sell either of my books. Maybe it’s me, maybe it’s the economy, but maybe it’s him. Should I move on, and if yes, how should I go about doing it?
I'm also MeMailing you, but here are some questions to start you thinking:
If you have a contract with him, you need to check the terms first. Sometimes the contract terms will specify that you can't go on sub until six months after your relationship ends (which sucks). Many will specify that you need to give 30 days notice. Either way, the correct thing to do here is to sever ties with him first.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 9:46 AM on March 22, 2012 [1 favorite]
- Is he an editorial agent? You say he offers you "thoughtful critiques"--do you like his editorial notes, agree with them? Do you feel that he's a worthwhile collaborator, that your books have gotten better through your professional relationship.
- What's your genre? Is it a niche, hard-to-sell genre or are you writing commercial books in genres that editors can't get enough of?
- Has he sold other books during this time? How many, and what were the deals like? This is huge. There are shady agents out there who have gone so far as to lie about going on submission at all. Has he been able to sell other people's books? I'm not saying he has to be a power agent selling a dozen books a year (mine has sold about three), but sales mean that he has a positive relationship with editors.
- And, as Sidhedevil asks, what are editors saying about your work? Some agents and clients choose not to have editorial feedback passed on. I think it's really instructive, though, especially at your stage.
- How much does he shop around a manuscript before giving up on it? What are his submission batches like? (12-15 seems to be the norm).
If you have a contract with him, you need to check the terms first. Sometimes the contract terms will specify that you can't go on sub until six months after your relationship ends (which sucks). Many will specify that you need to give 30 days notice. Either way, the correct thing to do here is to sever ties with him first.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 9:46 AM on March 22, 2012 [1 favorite]
You're already getting some good advice above, but the #1 thing I would focus on is whether or not he's been selling other books during this period. If yes, then you're going to have to have a frank discussion with him about your work, your writing style, the market, your genre, etc. You may just not be writing what the market wants right now.
If he hasn't been making any sales? Then I would put more weight on the idea of finding a different agent.
And lastly, I'm just going to assume for now that he's a legit agent. He hasn't been charging you any fees during this time, has he? Editorial fees, submission fees, anything fees? 'Cause if he has then you need to walk away, fast.
posted by BlahLaLa at 10:00 AM on March 22, 2012
If he hasn't been making any sales? Then I would put more weight on the idea of finding a different agent.
And lastly, I'm just going to assume for now that he's a legit agent. He hasn't been charging you any fees during this time, has he? Editorial fees, submission fees, anything fees? 'Cause if he has then you need to walk away, fast.
posted by BlahLaLa at 10:00 AM on March 22, 2012
I don't have any advice of my own, but here are some links:
Miss Snark
Miss Snark Again
Another Metafilter Thread
Craig Mazin
posted by Monday at 10:07 AM on March 22, 2012
Miss Snark
Miss Snark Again
Another Metafilter Thread
Craig Mazin
posted by Monday at 10:07 AM on March 22, 2012
listen to PhoBWanKenobi (who shares a young adult literary agent with me!), her answer is spot-on. and also feel free to memail me; it's a very small industry. I have author friends all across the board, including a couple with high-quality agents who only sold after a couple years & several manuscripts -- and those who languished with agents who weren't very invested in their works or careers, even selling the same works after they finally switched agents. however, it IS a particularly tough market right now -- many good books aren't selling, as much as that sucks -- and from what you've said, your agent seems like someone you click with artistically & professionally. I agree that the most important issues are whether the agent is selling other clients' books, and transparency. is he keeping you updated on submissions? do you feel comfortable communicating with him?
posted by changeling at 10:08 AM on March 22, 2012
posted by changeling at 10:08 AM on March 22, 2012
Response by poster: Thanks everyone. Yes, no fees, very legit. He has not been making many sales. He has told me that he can't make a living wage off of agenting alone.
My biggest feedback from editors are that my books are "too quiet," which I worked very hard to change in this third book that I just finished the first draft of.
I very much agree with his editorial notes and think that he's a very worthwhile collaborator. My genre is realistic young adult fiction although my last two books were in the tween category (11-13 year old). This much "louder" book is YA.
posted by Palmfrond at 10:14 AM on March 22, 2012
My biggest feedback from editors are that my books are "too quiet," which I worked very hard to change in this third book that I just finished the first draft of.
I very much agree with his editorial notes and think that he's a very worthwhile collaborator. My genre is realistic young adult fiction although my last two books were in the tween category (11-13 year old). This much "louder" book is YA.
posted by Palmfrond at 10:14 AM on March 22, 2012
realistic young adult fiction
My biggest feedback from editors are that my books are "too quiet,"
oh gosh, welcome to my world. especially my debut. it sold to a big 6 publisher at auction, etc., but got virtually zero marketing push after the fact. it's a tough, tough market for quiet contemporary. as much as teens love books like that -- when they can access them -- they're not a sure thing today like high-concept. also I believe quiet tween books are extra tough sells.
is he part of a large agency, or a boutique agency?
have you been working with beta readers editorially, or just your agent?
posted by changeling at 10:23 AM on March 22, 2012 [1 favorite]
My biggest feedback from editors are that my books are "too quiet,"
oh gosh, welcome to my world. especially my debut. it sold to a big 6 publisher at auction, etc., but got virtually zero marketing push after the fact. it's a tough, tough market for quiet contemporary. as much as teens love books like that -- when they can access them -- they're not a sure thing today like high-concept. also I believe quiet tween books are extra tough sells.
is he part of a large agency, or a boutique agency?
have you been working with beta readers editorially, or just your agent?
posted by changeling at 10:23 AM on March 22, 2012 [1 favorite]
Sounds like he's not good at selling books in general. I would thank him for his help and move on. Other agents are selling books for other people.
posted by Sidhedevil at 10:27 AM on March 22, 2012
posted by Sidhedevil at 10:27 AM on March 22, 2012
It's a hard situation--I agree with changeling that the market is brutal for your kind of book. At the same time, as Sidhedevil says, there are agents selling this kind of book. If your manuscript is sellable, I truly believe that you'll be able to find another agent with it. Yours sounds like a nice guy, but it's primarily a business relationship. He's there to sell your books. And if he's not doing that, and not selling other authors' books, well . . .
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 10:39 AM on March 22, 2012
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 10:39 AM on March 22, 2012
Not in the business at all, but reading what everyone wrote I could not help but wonder if you could continue the relationship with the agent in a different way. Get a new agent to market your books, but find a way to compensate this agent more as an editor? Give him 1 or 2% to be a reader for you?
posted by JohnnyGunn at 10:51 AM on March 22, 2012
posted by JohnnyGunn at 10:51 AM on March 22, 2012
I'm an author in a very different kind of market from the American YA one (Icelandic, FYI) and s I don't have any concrete advice for you regarding that aspect. That said, I do want to is echo changeling's "do you feel comfortable communicating with him?"
Do you feel you can go to your agent (or call him) and talk to him about your worries about your working relationship? I feel like I can communicate easily with everyone at my publisher and I have the kind of relationship with my editor where we can talk frankly about any issue without rancor or any kind of ill feeling. That is incredibly important to my professional well-being.
posted by Kattullus at 11:32 AM on March 22, 2012
Do you feel you can go to your agent (or call him) and talk to him about your worries about your working relationship? I feel like I can communicate easily with everyone at my publisher and I have the kind of relationship with my editor where we can talk frankly about any issue without rancor or any kind of ill feeling. That is incredibly important to my professional well-being.
posted by Kattullus at 11:32 AM on March 22, 2012
Four years is probably long enough for this experiment, even if he's the most wonderful man in the world.
posted by Sidhedevil at 11:49 AM on March 22, 2012
posted by Sidhedevil at 11:49 AM on March 22, 2012
He has not been making many sales. He has told me that he can't make a living wage off of agenting alone. - This is a huge red flag- good agents sell books and make money by selling books - if your agent is not capable of doing that, then it suggests you are not getting a fair shot at the market.
You say that your agent is providing "valuable feedback", but this is blatantly not true, their job is to sell your books and feedback should be geared towards that, they are not your muse or editor. Again, their job is to sell your books and there should either be a clear path towards this or they is not being honest with you about your capabilities as a writer, either way your current situation is unacceptable - again - the reason you have an agent is to sell your book, if he shows no signs of doing that then it is time to part company with him.
posted by Another Fine Product From The Nonsense Factory at 12:52 PM on March 22, 2012
You say that your agent is providing "valuable feedback", but this is blatantly not true, their job is to sell your books and feedback should be geared towards that, they are not your muse or editor. Again, their job is to sell your books and there should either be a clear path towards this or they is not being honest with you about your capabilities as a writer, either way your current situation is unacceptable - again - the reason you have an agent is to sell your book, if he shows no signs of doing that then it is time to part company with him.
posted by Another Fine Product From The Nonsense Factory at 12:52 PM on March 22, 2012
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Honestly, he's already not getting paid for the work he's doing for you, so I can't believe he would be heartbroken if you parted ways.
posted by Sidhedevil at 9:36 AM on March 22, 2012 [1 favorite]