Finding the Right Agent, Part 2

So, you've begun the search. You've sent out your initial round of queries to five or ten agents on your list. Now what?

Anything can happen once you put that parcel in the mail. It may be days. It could be months or even a year. Really. In any event, or for anything in between, you need to have a plan.

I'm talking about a business plan. Yes, I know you're a writer. But you're also Master of Your Own Destiny. No one has more to lose or gain than you do. If you haven't already written out a plan, now is the time to do so. It doesn't have to be incredibly detailed but it needs to lay out the next twelve months. Start thinking about the next five years, too.

I say this because you need to know the answers to these questions. (There will be a test!) You need to carefully consider the answers. Be realistic, but be honest. If you're set on becoming the next NYT Bestseller, you should be prepared with an agressive business plan. And you need to convey your plan to an agent. You need to be on the same page.

If you're very detailed, do some research on the publishing houses most likely to publish books like yours. Know who the senior editors are within the house and the authors they publish. You and your agent should be advocates for your book.

Here are some questions to ask an agent: Remember, this is an interview.
Do you use a contract?
What is your business style?
What's your communication style?
How many clients do you represent?
What genres do you represent?
What is your publishing background?
What kind of dissolution clause do you have?
What is the moratorium period should we decide to part ways?

There is also a great temptation, while waiting for "the call", to lose your mind. I'm convinced it's the constant state of anticipation. You've sent off what you consider a solid project and now find yourself euphoric at the possibilities. I recommend an attitude of cautious optimism. Dream big but remember, this is a business. Success doesn't happen overnight nor should it. Lest we, the great unwashed of publishing, decide you didn't earn it and send you to a time-out. (Just kidding.)

After you've laid out what you want to accomplish over the next twelve months, go back and pencil in "status checks" on the manuscript/s you've sent out. Make a chart of who/when/what. If it helps, use a poster board and color coded post-its or highlighters to help you keep track. Also set hard deadlines for the next round of queries. Yes, the NEXT round.

Agents have their own business plans. They have obligations to standing clients and deals to negotiate on projects waiting at publishing houses. Queries and partials from potential clients take a back seat. Yes, they're always looking for a new gem from the pile of submissions. But sales come first.

Here's where patience will come in handy. It's not unheard of for an EDITOR to take a year to review a submission. But for an agent to take a year? I think this practise is heinous. If you do too, then you need to set some rules for yourself. How long is too long? For a query? For a partial? For a full?

Yes, your dream agent takes 6 months. And you don't really mind waiting if it means representation. But if you send a status check email at six months and the agent ignores your request, do you really want to work with an agent that busy? How much of her time would you actually garner as the new kid on his/her block? Set yourself some rules and be prepared to move on.

And by moving on I mean sending out the next round of queries. Your plan should have hard deadlines for each new round. It could be thirty or sixty days for queries. Four to six months for partials. Six to eight months for a full. You decide.

If an agent asks for a full or an exclusive on a full, please be professional and upfront by letting them know if the full manuscript is at other agencies. It's way too early in your career to be burning any bridges. Who knows? You and your dream agent may not be so dreamy. Life happens. Plans change. Keep your options open.

Which takes us back to the 12-Month Plan. Never, never, never stop writing. By the end of your first year of submitting to agents, you should have another polished manuscript ready to be sent out.

In the event you still haven't procured representation (and I know plenty of great writers who took a couple or more years to find the right agent) then you will want to consider sitting down with an editor from your targeted publishing houses and pitching your book. Usually this means a conference.

There are two schools of thought on this (maybe more!). Agents want to be the one to submit work to editors. They've spent all this time establishing relationships. They know who's looking for what, etc. And it's hard to sell a manuscript that a writer has already shopped to every house in NY and been rejected.

But, if you've spent a year trying to find an agent, shown due dilegence without the payoff, there's no reason to let the manuscript gather dust if you can sell it yourself. Sometimes it's actually beneficial to finding an agent if they know your manuscript is sitting on an editors desk. You've already done some legwork. You're being pro-active in your career.

So, that's it for now on the topic. If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact me.

Until then . . . Sparkle on!

Sherry