More on working with an agent...

After my recent post on agenting, a couple people said they didn't see why anyone would need an agent. One author suggested that all you need is a good proposal, and another asked, "What can an agent do for a writer that s/he can't do for him/herself?" I have some answers...

First, I'll admit that not everybody needs an agent. If you think you have the relationships and knowledge needed to succeed, then go ahead. There are authors who make that work. In my experience, most authors simply don't have the access to editors or the knowledge of contracts and negotiations they need to maximize their careers, but that doesn't mean it can't be done. It can. 

Second, there is almost always wisdom in experienced counsel. That means a good agent should bring something to the table to assist with editing, writing, reading, negotiating, checking royalty statements, and marketing. I'm sorry to say I've heard from several authors who had bad experiences. Hey -- it happens. The huge growth in Christian fiction over the past ten years led to a whole slug of people calling themselves "agents," but who didn't know what they were doing. One of the few good things that has come out of this lousy publishing economy we're experiencing is that many of those agents have dropped out, since they can no longer make a living at this business. As I noted previously, there are about 15 agents doing 95% of the CBA books.

Third, a good agent will have relationships that will get their authors' proposals looked at by decision-makers... something that many authors simply don't have. (A clue when selecting an agent: find somebody who is well-thought-of by ack editors. Ask around. See who your agent has worked with, who he or she has done deals with, and if others in the industry respect them.) A good proposal often isn't enough...it's got to get through the filters and be seen (and sometimes SOLD) by a person with experience.

Fourth, some publishers simply won't deal directly with authors. As we become a more specialized society, that will be more true, not less. As an author, you may not like that, but it's the way things have gone in this industry. 

Fifth, a good agent should know about contracts and be able to negotiate you a better deal. If he/she can't, find another agent. Or learn those skills yourself.

Sixth, the MOST IMPORTANT thing a good agent should offer is career guidance. Most of the authors I represent aren't starting out -- they are published authors who have had some success and realized they need help to achieve bigger success. Rather than thinking they are "giving up 15%" to me, they think of it as investing in their business in order to achieve greater success. If you aren't there, you probably aren't a good candidate to work with an agent. (And let me state for the record, THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT. Sometimes I get this feeling from a few agents that "when an author finally gets right with Jesus, he or she will hire an agent." Rot. I believe in the value of realtors, but my wife and I have sold five homes on our own -- we used a realtor on the two we couldn't seem to sell, and it was worth it to us. On the other hand, when it was time to create a will, I went right to a lawyer, so that I wouldn't screw up a legal document. And when I set up my retirement, I did some on my own, and used a professional for some of it. Hiring an agent is not a matter of maturity, it a matter of choice, and sometimes a matter of competence.)

This isn't a commercial, just a fact: at MacGregor Literary, we have some tools we use to help authors make career decisions. When I was in my doctoral program at the University of Oregon, I had a Graduate Teaching Fellowship that stuck me in the role of Assistant Director of the Career Planning and Placement Office, and I specialized in working with students who were graduating in the arts (music, dance, theater, fine arts, writing, etc). That doesn't make me a miracle worker, but it DOES give me some good experience for helping authors figure out how to move forward in their writing careers. A good agent provides something to help you with that portion of your professional life. 

Seventh, I’m already tired of people coming to me and arguing, “In the future, we’ll all do e-books, so nobody will need an agent.” Balderdash. As I noted above, you can sell your own house, but you might find the best deal by using a professional. You can create your own will, but you might find it’s better to let a professional handle that for you. You can create your own retirement portfolio, but most people are more comfortable having a professional assist with the process. All those people who are insisting e-books are going to cause the death of the industry by making them rich and famous? Um… to this point, I haven’t recognized any of your names. Come back to me after you’ve made a living, okay? The fact is, the advent of e-books has given writers more opportunity to be published than ever before -- so there's more bad writers getting published, and therefore more competition. Therefore a good writer needs a wise adviser if he or she is really going to move forward. The delivery mechanism for a book has changed, and the systems in publishing are changing to accommodate that, but the need for wise counsel and career guidance is still important. 

Got a question about writing and publishing? Send it my way and I'll pontificate some more. 

Comments

[kay shostak]

Any article which includes the word "balderdash" is a winner to me. Congratulations.

[Kay Camenisch]

I'd say that 99% of the people who say you don't need an agent either haven't tried to find a traditional publisher recently or they have a rare connection with the publishing world.

[Wendy]

I'm with Kay S. Love the balderdash and point number six.
~ Wendy

[Angie B.]

As you noted, many publishers will not accept unsolicited manuscripts directly from authors. What about those that do? I would think an agent might keep an author with an almost-but-not-quite-ready manuscript from having a door slammed shut forever. An agent might look at an almost-ready manuscript and be able to offer some general guidelines on how to get it submission-ready. Once an author submits a manuscript and the publisher says NO, I would think it very difficult to convince them to take another look down the road.

So think of being published as a hallway with a bunch of doors---some open, most closed. The literary agent is the security guard, who has access to a number of those closed doors. As for the ones that are open, the security guard can keep an author from rushing inside prematurely, only to be thrown back out into the dimly-lit hallway of unpublishedness.

[Kathy Cretsinger]

I don't know how I could sign a contract without an agent. There is so much legal mumbo-jumbo in those documents that I know nothing about. Personally, I need someone to guide me through the process.

Several years ago, I asked you to give me some questions to ask prospective agents. One question was, "Do you do career counseling?" So many stuttered and hem-hawed that I began to realize not all of them do that. That is important to me.

Over the last year, I have noticed several of the authors you represent blossom in the business. They are published in several different publishing houses, not just one. The more I think about it, the better I like that. It shows they are growing as an author. Keep up the good work and as you know, I love your blogs.

[Sharon A Lavy]

Chip you are quite a writer. You hold my interest with every post.

[Theresa Lode]

I'm always surprised at home small the publishing community can feel. When I attend writers' conferences (the most recent one being last June,) I'm always amazed to hear some names come up over and over again.

I mentioned your blog to one of the Ack editors (his name escapes me right now) at Thomas Nelson and his face lit up and he said, "Great guy, just a great guy."

And yeah...count me in too on the "balderdash" usage. I may have to use that in a sentence today.

[Rachel Hauck]

Before being published, it's easy to think, "Why give money to an agent when I already have the attention of an editor?"

But once you're published, even with an agent, the business side can take you by surprise.

Even simple things like your book covers. Do you like the book cover? Did you get a chance to even see the book cover? Did you get to review the marketing plan? Do you understand your royalty statement? Do you have a disagreement with your editor? Does he/she have one with you?

An agent is the one who can help you navigate the relationship and business waters of publishing. Yes, you need to be informed and savvy, but you need an agent to help you consider your career goals, make decisions, be a voice of wisdom or a soft shoulder to cry on.

Thanks, Chip!

[Michael K. Reynolds]

With the arrival of the e-Book movement will come an unleashing of the Slush Pile Beast. Once, carefully (although grudgingly) managed by Editors and Agents, the Slush Pile Beast will unleash it's fury across e-Readers across the globe striking out with stereotyped premises, hackneyed prose and paper thin characters.

The same maddening crowd that tore off the constraints of the Slush Pile Beast will plead for the literati to come back and once again perform their honored role.

Long live the establishment.

[Kay Day]

I just think it would be really cool to casually mention "my agent" in passing. That's worth 15% right there.

[Cindy Thomson]

Rachel brings up some good points, things new writers might not have thought about.

Oh, and to "rot" and "balderdash" I would add "utter tosh."

[Stephanie Shott]

Although I was blessed to have my first manuscript submission picked up by the first publisher I sent it to, I wish I would have known to seek out an agent before I started the process.

The world of writing and publishing is completely unchartered territory for me and I wish I would have had an agent to help navigate me through that which I know little about. A good agent knows a lot more about the business than I do and I respect that. I also would like to have an agent to bounce ideas off of, get advice from and who can help me grow as a writer.

I'm currently working on three projects and when they're agent worthy, I'll be sending them to an agent for representation first.
Live and learn.

[Rob Roush]

With so much to be known about the publishing process and industry, it would seem like the main reason not to think you need an agent is that you don't know enough to know you need one.

As hard as it is to get represented by a trustworthy agent, I can't imagine trying to get published without one.

[Chip responds]

And for all those folks who have touted how the author of THE SHACK didn't have an agent... he is now in the middle of a huge lawsuit with his two "partners" over money. Honestly, if they'd had a good agent help them put that deal together, they wouldn't be here. It's a mess.

Thanks for all the nice compliments, everyone. -chip