Let's talk about agents...

Surely by now most of you have seen that agent who received a query, turned it down, took to social media, and asked other authors to write something exactly like what she had just turned down. Yeah, that was stupid and ugly and unprofessional. The agent was let go from by the agency she worked for and deleted her Twitter account. I wish all her writers the best moving forward! Anyway, I’m not here to write about her, but seeing the reactions to her behavior reminded me that I’d been meaning to talk about agents here, so let’s do that.

A lot of people want an agent. This means that demand is high, and you know what happens when demand for something is high: predators show up. With that in mind, let me tell you something I don’t think folks say often enough: having no agent is better than having a bad agent. Yes, there are bad agents out there. Before I get to the rest of this piece, which is a revamped version of an old piece, let me give you a list of red flags you should keep in mind when looking for or working with an agent:

1. Ghosting you or taking weeks or months to reply. Yeah, life happens and agents are very busy, but when they don’t answer emails and don’t return phone calls for weeks (and they’re not on vacation!), then you might not want to work with that agent.

2. Agents who are constantly taking on a bunch of new clients. You want an agent that will pay attention to you. This doesn't mean that they will only pay attention to you, but when an agent is signing a dozen writers every week, they are probably not going to be great for your career.

3. Agents who spend a lot of time on social media talking about bad queries, stuff they turned down, to who make fun of writers who queried them. Seriously, a rejection is something that happens between the writer and the agent, and even if the query letter was awful, the agent must remain professional and keep their mouth shut about what they read.

Okay, now that that’s outta the way, let’s get to rest of this thing.

1. Do you need an agent?

The first thing you've probably never been told about agents is that maybe you don't need one. A career as a writer is perfectly possible without an agent. You have to sit down, look at the kind of publishing you want to do and the career you want to have, and then decide if an agent is the right thing for you. I'll break it down:

-You want to self-publish

You don't need an agent. You're not approaching anyone or asking for an advance, so an agent isn't on your list. Please focus on great editing and layout and make sure you have a superb cover and a marketing strategy.

-You want to publish with an indie press

Indie publishing is a whole universe. That small publisher your cousin set up is an indie and places like Two Dollar Radio, Akashic Books, Word Horde, Catapult, and Coffee House Press are also indies. The differences between your cousin and those publishers, however, is the difference between taking the bus to the grocery store and driving your Maserati there. If you want to publish with a micro/small indie that takes unagented submissions, go for it. A lot of us started at great indie presses without an agent, and there are a lot of outstanding indies out there that have great distribution, publish amazing work, and help you in any way they can. That said, as you go up on the indie press list, an agent becomes useful, especially if you start working with the kind of indie that's big enough to offer a decent advance or has enough clout to get international attention, which means you might find yourself reading very long, very complicated translation contracts. So, have a plan in mind and then answer this one depending on what you want. I did this thing for 14 years without an agent and managed to get four books out there, sold books in other countries, and had my novels optioned for film all by myself.

- You want the big publisher and the big advance

Listen, some really big publishers have open reading periods where they accept unagented submissions, so this isn’t impossible. Also, some people self-publish and then get a call from a big publisher (most of them get an agent to negotiate for them when that happens). That said, most successful writers working with a big publisher have an agent. Also, aside from those reading periods I mentioned, most big publishers won't even look at your manuscript unless it comes from an agent. I've said this before and will say it again here: shooting hoops with your friends at the local YMCA on Sundays is awesome and playing in the NBA is awesome, but those are two different things, and the athlete in the NBA wasn't just practicing for an hour or two every Sunday…and they have an agent. Publishing is the same way; there are different levels, and every level requires different tools.

2. Not all agents are created equal

Just like writers, all agents are different. I've heard stories about agents launching outstanding careers. I have also heard stories of agents being unable to sell a book for years or writers changing agents three or four times before they land the right one. I know the idea of representation is juicy and you want to say you have an agent, but that obsession can become as bad as the obsession to see your name in print, and that can make people do dumb and dangerous things. An agent that does nothing for you is a waste of time. An agent that charges you for a bunch of things isn't an agent. An agent that has no skills, no sales, no hustle, no plan, no time, no contacts, and is awful at communication is also not an agent. Be careful, ask questions, pitch to those you think will love your work, and make sure they know what they're doing.

3. Agents can shape a career or do absolutely nothing for it

We want to sell our book and agents do that. However, don't look at an agent as someone who does that and vanishes. I think a great agent is someone who plays a role in shaping a writer's career. An agent should be your partner in crime. If you land an awesome agent, listen to what they have to say. They know the business. They can help you reach your goals and then develop new ones. That said, agents can sometimes have no effect on your career. I've heard of agents quitting the business and leaving writers hanging. I've heard about agents that have a few huge clients and focus on them while everyone else sits around and waits for a response for months. I’ve heard of agents pitching stuff without even reading it first. As of yesterday, I’ve read of agents reading something and then asking if someone else can write it for them…

4. Agents aren't guarantees

Getting an agent doesn't mean you sold your book. Did your odds improve? Yes, but publishing is weird and books are often victims of subjectivity. Your agent can love your book and have the perfect person in mind...and then that person can hate it or just not love it enough. My agent is amazing and changed my life, but before we went on submission with The Devil Takes You Home, which sold at auction, she told me selling the book could take a few weeks, a few months, or more. We talked about how some folks would hate the Spanish and the violence. She was honest with me about all those things from day one. I love her for that. As you know, rejection is part of this gig, and that applies to what your agent does, and agents that are honest about that and still go to bat for you are the best. Anyway, you also need to remember that an agent can increase your chances of getting an advance, but that advance could be $300,000, $30,000, or $3,000. Make peace with that.

5. Communication is crucial

I've heard a million horror stories about agents ignoring emails and phone calls. I'm sorry, I know it's hard to hear it, but an agent who stops paying attention to you for a long time is probably not paying a lot of attention to your manuscript. Much like working with an editor, the writer-agent relationship should be mutually beneficial and communication should be happening regularly. This isn't to say that shit doesn't come up from time to time or that you should expect to be treated as the only client they have, but keep track of how long it takes them to get back to you and act accordingly.

6. Agents also have to pay bills

It's great to work together for the same goal, but keep in mind that agents also have to pay bills. Selling your book is about you, and also about them. If you don't make money, they don't make money. Don't begrudge agents because they take a percentage of the advance. That's how this thing works. Accept it from the start, realize that agents shouldn't work for free, and move on. I've heard too many stories of people getting an agent, celebrating the sale of their book, and then complaining about the agent's 15%. I also see folks with no agent says they are happy they get to “keep” all their money…and then complain about not making any money. Remember that writing is art, but publishing is a business. Your agent can be your friend, but they need to get paid.

7. Agents have tastes

One agent might say "Not for me" and the next one could say "I want this!" That's why you have to keep trying. That's why you have so many rejections. That's why you have to find the right one, and that takes time. That's why a dozen rejections aren't a big deal. Agents have tastes, and sometimes they read something they know is good but still pass on it because it's not for them.

8. Loving one book doesn't mean they'll love the next one

Yeah, I just said they have tastes, didn't I? Well, you can send an agent something they love and they'll offer you a contract. Then you write the next book...and they don't like it. Subjectivity is what it is. You can probably find a way around this, so don't get discouraged if it happens to you. Oh, and you can change this to "Selling one book doesn't mean they'll sell the next one," because that's just as true. Sorry if you thought different.

9. An agent at a big agency is usually just an agent, and that's enough

Your relationship with your agent will be unique, but it's better if you don't go in expecting them to be your mom, your editor, your psychologist, and your best friend. My agent doesn’t work with me on short stories or reviews. I’m fine with that. Agents won't finish writing your book for you or magically switch careers to turn into a marketing team once your book is out. Some agents will find you a film agent and some agents don't do that. Some agents will edit and some won't touch it and send it to someone else. If you work with an agent, expect them to do what agents do in terms of trying to sell your book, but don't ask them for more just because you need someone to call and cry on the phone with at 2:00am on a Tuesday.

10. An agent doesn’t have to be forever.

Yes, you can drop your agent if you want to. Seriously. You and your agent should work together, and if that isn’t happening, you should work with someone else. Feel like someone doesn’t have your back? Move on. They ghost you? Drop them. They talk to you but never send anything out? Get someone else.

Oh, two more things: query letters are tricky, but don’t spend a ton of money on people who claim they can help you write the perfect letter. Also, real agents don’t charge your editing or to send things out. I said that already, but it must be said agent. Agents get paid when they sell your stuff. Anyone asking you for money to submit your manuscript is a fucking predator. Querying? Good luck! I’m always around if you have questions. Cheers and thanks for reading.