1. They
will sell your book for you.
2. They
keep current with editors’ tastes and needs, know when new imprints are
starting up and when established ones are downsizing, stay abreast of changing
corporate policies, keep track of who’s newly hired and who just got fired or
laid off.
3. They
will provide more editorial insight.
4. They will negotiate an excellent contract for you.
5. They
will hold your hand throughout the editorial process which can be fraught with
emotional and complicated details.
6. They
will work to help you craft your career and make sure what you’re doing now
progresses towards what you want to do in the future.
7. They
will attempt to sell foreign/translation/film rights (if they don’t sell those
rights to the publisher. Every agency is different in terms of who they partner
with and what they think they can do a better job selling than the publisher
and vice versa.)
8. One
ugly truth in the publishing process is that you can get an awesome, amazing
editor who you really click with and who totally gets you… and a few months
later she can quit or be fired. And you get stuck with an overworked editor who
doesn’t like your genre and is possibly 21 and only a few days out of college.
But that can’t (usually) happen with your agent. While of course there are outs
for both of you, if your agent leaves her agency for whatever reason (with a
couple of exceptions like William Morris), she can take you with her. So your
relationship with your agent can actually last much longer than your
relationship with your editor, who can keep changing.
9. They
are worth their weight in gold and will make your life easier and will get you
more money.
Next week Carin will give advice on what to do when you get "The Call" from an agent!
***************
Hear are the previous installments of this series:
- Part I: Carin's insights into the different types of editing.
- Part II: Common editorial problems
- Part III: More editorial problems.
- Part IV: Show, Don't Tell
- Part V: Can you over-describe?
9 comments:
zeksDem 130Certainly food for thought. Good timing for me, personally.
Thanks!
Glad it was helpful, Joyce!
I've been trying to get an agent for awhile now and hopefully am getting close (fingers crossed!) I know it would be awesome. Thanks for your post.
Constance, when you get your agent let know!! I'd love to have you blog about it!!
Thanks, Carol.
Maybe someday I will actually be ready for an agent! :-)
Jean
I'm looking forward to that day for both of us!
Carol and Carin,
Good to know that you can keep your agent even if he/she leaves the agency. That's comforting!
Thanks for this series!
Glad it has been helpful to you, LInda!
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