My
Agent Can't Give That Away
DO YOU WANT
TO SELL ONE BOOK OR BUILD A CAREER?
Finding
that perfect agent:
1. Don't
go agent hunting until you have a product to sell - or FINISH THE
MANUSCRIPT! Very rarely will a new
author sell on proposal in this market.
2. Do your homework. Think about what you want from an agent. Do you want someone hands-on or someone who
just targets appropriate editors without offering edits? Talk to friends, meet with potential agents
at conferences, subscribe to PublishersMarketplace.com;
check RWA for a list of editors and check AAR status; and then visit Predators and Editors http://pred-ed.com/ or other informational
sites.
3. Think career and not just next sale. Know where you would like to be in five
years, ten years, etc.
4. Know your own skill set and play to your
strengths. Never chase a market.
5. Be realistic - an agent cannot sell what
the market isn't buying.
6. Listen
to your agent's advice. They have their
ear to the ground and know more about the industry than you do.
7. Be more realistic - be able to tell an
agent when you can deliver a manuscript or a revision.
8. Know an editor/agent's taste. Submitting a humorous manuscript to someone
who loves dark and angst-ridden (even if you are friends) is not a smart career
move.
9. Think very long and hard before insisting
your agent market an unmarketable manuscript.
10. Use your agent as a resource, not the enemy.
11. Be
professional. Your agent does not need
to know your daily troubles.
12. Every
editor and every agent work differently and have priorities (and lives):
A - Current/established authors;
B - Meetings and commitments;
C - New submissions.
13. Keep
your agent in the loop at all times.
Keep your editor in the loop only when necessary. Otherwise, let your agent speak for you.
14. Avoid hybrids.
15. At conferences requests are common,
acceptance is rare.
16. Don't
be afraid of change. Your agent can fire
you or vice versa.
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