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Not all agents are equal - are some not worth submitting to?

1 reply

Lucyoflucca · 31/05/2023 21:49

In the query trenches at the moment with first novel and have made a massive list of agents that are accepting historical fiction submissions.

I've noticed with some smaller agencies that they have a big list of clients but when you look at what the clients have had published, beyond magazines/literary publications it's not much. One agency had about 25 authors but no books, just articles and magazines.

I understand beggars can't be choosers but is it worth submitting to agencies like these, who obviously don't have a lot of success in selling their author's books?

OP posts:
kungfupannda · 02/06/2023 15:53

The short answer is no. And you absolutely can be a chooser, because you're not a beggar. I know it feels as though any acceptance is better than none, but that's really not the case. Authors are starting to talk a lot more about agents, having traditionally been told to put up and shut up, or risk getting a reputation within the industry.

The truth is that there are some appalling, essentially non-functional agents out there. If you're in the UK, there aren't many of them, but I get the distinct impression there are an awful lot in the US market. Just setting up as an agent with no previous experience seems to be more of a thing there.

You need to be trawling through an agent/agency's recent deal history. It would be worth subscribing to the Bookseller for a month as you can search by agent name and see how many significant deals they've done. If they've been active for a while and there's nothing - or one deal in several years - then approach with caution.

I would personally be extra cautious with lone agents. There are obviously some legitimate and highly respected agents working alone, but I know of three who do nothing at all for their clients, to the point where I have no idea why they even bother operating.

It's worth looking on Twitter for mentions of an agent, and to see how active their clients are in the writing world. I know of one agent who has a substantial client list - including a couple of people who are well known in their fields - but if you check out those clients' websites/social media, none of them mention the agent at all, and I know for a fact that at least one is now represented by someone else!

Finally, don't assume that just because an agent has a decent client list and is active, they're the right agent for you. I know from talking to various authors that different writers can get completely different levels of service from the same agent. If you're the one getting the gold-standard treatment, you're going to rave about them. If you're the one who has to wait a month for a reply to an email, you're going to be less enthusiastic. And to be clear, no writer should be waiting a month to hear from their agent. If that's happening, you need to be asking some serious questions.

It's not just about service levels, though. There has to be a good fit. I can't sing the praises of my (second) agent highly enough, but I know another writer who was represented by them a few years ago, and couldn't get along with them at all.

To sum up - do as much research as possible, and don't ever fall into the trap of thinking that any agent is better than no agent. It's not true, and believing that it is can be really damaging to your career and your mental health.

Good luck!

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