do you let your agent read WIP?

[Viragoesque]

Just that -- do those of you with agents let them/encourage them to read some of a project you're still working on, and, if so, at what stage? Do you find it helpful?

My first novel didn't sell, and I've been working on something new for a few months, which has hit a bit of a wall. My agent has asked if I would like her to read it. My instinct is not to at this point, as my confidence about it is currently low, and I worry that feedback from someone whose primary investment is in whether she can sell it (especially when my first didn't sell) will dent my belief in the project further. (My first novel was already at a very polished stage when she started to represent me, so although she was involved in a final revision, she wasn't there for the messier parts of its composition.)

I realise this sounds rather wet, but I feel a bit at sea about it atm -- I think it's a bit out of hand at 67k words and isn't really working. But I just wondered whether other people working on non-debut novels have found their agent's feedback en route helpful or not, or at what point they have let their agent read it.

Thank you!

I work on the synopsis with my agent and she gives feedback so she knows what I am working on and we have a certain deadline by which I will send her the completed ms for her to give editorial feedback. I can move the deadline if I want but she knows it won't be as polished as my first ms which I had polished for months and months before I sent it out on submission. She's there to give editorial help so that the book will be sold. This week I had a call with my agent and my editor so we could brainstorm bits of my next book. I can write but I don't know what will work commercially and they do. Hth

Thanks, @LouisaMayAlcott, that’s interesting, particularly the joint work on the synopsis. Can I ask whether you work in a plotty genre?

My agent signed my WIP as a part-way through first draft so my whole experience so far has been of this! She gave me a lot of input up front, which helped to turn it into something quite different from what I’d planned but in the end I think it’s actually much better. It wasn’t a one sided discussion, either, but more of a brainstorm together. I found it really helpful.

I was paranoid about it being ‘first draft-y’ and apologised for it about a million times, but she was looking more at the bigger picture so that didn’t turn out to be an issue at all.

@Viragoesque I'm not sure what you mean by plotty genre, I'd always assumed people could be plotters or pantsers in any genre! I write historical timeslip (dual time narrative) and I am very much a planner. I worked in project management so I'm used to having a plan and expecting to deliver a finished object on a certain day (or not!) so I like to know what is going to happen and when. It does make it easier to discuss the book with other people as well.

@LouisaMayAlcott, I don't mean the approach of a pantser/planner, I meant did you write a genre/subgenre which is heavily dependent on an eventful plot for its effects (thriller, crime, large-scale historical fiction etc) rather than a less structured type of novel.

(I mean Sally Rooney's Normal People could be synopsised as 'Two young people sleep together, and then they don't, and then they do again, during their student years' -- its appeal isn't primarily in its plot, and I have difficulty imagining an agent being able to do meaningful work on SR's synopsis alone, if you see what I mean?)

I wondered whether the fact that you and your agent work seriously on a synopsis means that you write the types of novel in which plot events loom larger than that.

Thanks, @CakeRage -- yes, I suppose I'm adjusting to having (if I want it) the input of an agent at all stages in the process for the first time, as my first novel was very polished by the time she signed it, although she was responsible for suggesting some key cuts and changes I made late in the day.

Wow yes I’d say get some input - you can chew it over and it might help you? You might think it’s not right and that will help move you forward too

An agent though will help with all sorts, so characters who aren't working as well as they maybe could, as well as plot points and character arcs etc

Can’t really answer your question, other than to say that my first novel didn’t sell either, and I have subsequently had zero contact from my agent (after initially sounding positive about my thoughts for next novel) though have not received any formal notice of being released from contract so suspect I’ve been ghosted - now stuck in a horrible limbo working on my next novel by myself! So I’d say it’s encouraging to have input, and if you don’t feel comfortable letting agent see it yet maybe agree a plan for when you think this will be ok? Or talk through any issues you have first.
It’s encouraging to hear of others who’ve been through the hideous submissions process unsuccessfully and still persevering - I’ve found it a hard position to be in and not many people get it!

Much fellow-feeling, @celestebellman — it’s tough, isn’t it? And I’m sorry your agent has drifted. Are you going to clarify the situation pre-emptively or just send her the one you’re working on now? Or have you (unsurprisingly) entirely lost faith in her? A friend of mine’s first novel never sold, but her second (same agent) won a major award, so I realise it’s not unheard of. I recently reread my first novel and I genuinely still think it’s good, and my agent was very surprised it didn’t sell.

All we can do is persevere!

Hi @Viragoesque, thanks, I am too cowardly to preempt full rejection by asking her if she is still actually my agent (she technically is, but maybe this is a common way to be dumped!) I will probably contact her when I’ve got a decent draft, but not sure when this will be. I’m kind of prepared to have to seek another agent which is a shame as I liked her and she did lots of work with me on the first one (and I don’t think I’m a nightmare client or anything!) Definitely a learning experience for me that one of the questions to ask when taken on is ‘what will you do if my book doesn’t sell.’ Bit late now though!
Sounds like you are maybe in the first draft of your second novel? I have heard the dictum somewhere that the first draft is for yourself, the second for your agent and the third (or more realistically the fifteenth!) for the public. I am ploughing through the first to get it done, accepting it won’t be perfect but at least then I’ll have stuff to work with for the subsequent (hopefully better) draft.
Good that you still have faith in your first novel (I’ve kind of lost faith in mine!) Did you get helpful feedback from editors? I had a couple of near misses, one editor was considering it for a while but ultimately decided it was ‘too quiet’, whatever that means. I’m trying to cling on to the positive comments to keep going with the new one!

Oh, I had some ‘too quiets’ too, though ‘quiet’ was sort of the point because of the subject matter. Yes, also had a few near misses. One editor wanted it but couldn’t get it past sales and marketing. Though I was also taken a bit aback at some editors who simply never replied.

I don’t know whether the editorial feedback was particularly useful, honestly. Loads of praise — beautifully written, gorgeous, compelling — but somehow ultimately unbuyable. I think some editors just didn’t get it, and obviously wanted it to be an entirely different sort of novel in ways that sometimes felt a bit like complaining about an Elizabeth Strout novel for its lack of car chases and explosions. One editor loved the first few chapters but complained that the central relationship ‘didn’t go the way she wanted’, but as the central relationship was based on that of two historical figures, it couldn’t.

To be honest, I’ve largely put it out of my head, and am concentrating on this one being less ‘quiet’. Yes, first draft. I’m a ‘wasteful’ writer who only figures out key plot events once I’m actually writing so it takes a while. I hit a doldrum last week, so am taking some time out to write a detailed synopsis to keep me on track.

Very best wishes to you for yours.

Sounds similar to my experience - though sounds like you did a bit better actually getting as far as sales and marketing I had a couple who never replied too, seems to be par for the course! I wasn’t sure what was meant by too quiet - I’m also a fan of Elizabeth Strout though so not too bothered about seismic events/ plot twists as long as I like the characters and the writing.
Good luck with it, whatever you decide / sorry to hijack your original post, and I hope you get some more replies to your question!