Home
Email Us
About FWC
Membership Benefits
FWC Director
Join FWC
Renew Membership
Critiquing Service
Newsletter
Mentoring Programs
FWC Bookstore
Tip Sheets
Storm Warnings
Email Courses
For Members Only
Fiction Writer's Connection
Albuquerque, NM
Phone:(505) 352-9490
|
. |
Working with an Agent
Both beginning and advanced writers share a multitude of concerns when it comes to finding and working with an agent. The following most frequently asked questions express those concerns:
- Do I really need an agent?
- Isn't finding an agent as difficult as finding a publisher?
- I've found an agent, but now I'm expected to pay a reading fee. Should I?
- Shouldn't an agent send me an Agent/Author Contract as soon as they've agreed to take me on?
- Will an agent handle short stories or articles?
- Will an agent make allowances for my inexperience?
DO I REALLY NEED AN AGENT?
For fiction--I think so. And for several reasons. These days most of the big New York publishing houses refuse to consider unsolicited manuscripts. If you send in your manuscript on your own, you most likely will have it returned unread (if you remembered to enclose an SASE). A polite form letter might accompany it suggesting you find an agent.Many publishers credit agents with the ability to screen out inappropriate submissions. Having an agent gives you a psychological edge with the publishers. If an agent liked your manuscript enough to take you on as a client, then there must be some merit to it.Having an agent also frees you, the writer, to do what you do best. Write. The agent's job is to find the right house for your work, and once successful, to negotiate the best deal for you.An agent can also provide you with encouragement and validation. In the seemingly never-ending struggle for publication, isn't it nice to have someone in your corner?
For nonfiction, especially with most of the smaller houses, having an agent isn't as important. Writing a good book proposal, then sending it to the appropriate editors is basically all you have to do. Most are used to working with unagented writers. (Check out my book How to Sell, Then Write Your Nonfiction Book)
BUT ISN'T FINDING AN AGENT AS DIFFICULT AS FINDING A PUBLISHER?
Agents are always on the look out for new talent. That's how they earn their living. If you find that you are getting only rejection slips from agents you are approaching, there are three possibilities as to why:1. The agent is just too over-commited to take on any new writers. (This might be a temporary situation. Down the road, the agent might be more receptive.) 2. You have approached the wrong agent for your genre. It pays to do a little homework first. Writer's Digest Books publishes a market guide to literary representatives. A category index lists the different areas of interest. It's a waste of everyone's time and your postage if you submit a science fiction manuscript to an agent who handles only romance or mainstream.3. If you've targeted the right agents but are still getting rejections, then it might be time to start thinking about redoing your query letter. (Click on Email Courses on the left.) Or it's time to think about more revisions for your manuscript. Or go on to the next project. I know that last bit of advice is a bitter pill to swallow, but spending more time honing your craft will eventually pay off.
I'VE FOUND AN AGENT, BUT NOW I'M EXPECTED TO PAY A READING FEE. SHOULD I?
No. Agents who charge reading fees, or suggest you pay them for a critique or revision work before they take you on as a client are depending upon that income more than the fees they would get from placing your work. There are enough agents who don't charge any reading fees. They are usually members of the Association of Authors Representatives (AAR). To view a list of member agents, the AAR code of ethics, and information describing the role of an agent go to the AAR website
The AAR will not be able to provide you with information regarding the types of manuscripts different agents consider, nor will they be able to tell you which agents handles specific authors.
SHOULDN'T AN AGENT SEND ME AN AGENT/AUTHOR CONTRACT AS SOON AS THEY'VE AGREED TO TAKE ME ON?
Not necessarily. Some agents prefer to send you a contract once they've made a sale for you. See the tip sheet on contracting with an agent.
WILL AN AGENT HANDLE SHORT STORIES, POETRY, OR ARTICLES?
Generally not. The amount of work it takes to place a short story will never be compensated by the fee it would bring in. (Unless your name is Stephen King....)
WILL AN AGENT MAKE ALLOWANCES FOR MY INEXPERIENCE?
In some areas, yes, in some areas, no. Providing inappropriate information in a query letter, for example, ("All my friends love my manuscript," "You should be able to get me a lot of money for this one," etc.) might not impress an agent the way you had hoped, but if your work stands out, it will be overlooked. (For some agents, that is. Others will be so put off, they won't read further.) Expecting an agent to provide extensive editing to your manuscript would be unrealistic. Occasionally an agent spots a real diamond in the rough, and is willing to go the extra mile. But most of the time there just isn't enough time. You should submit the best work that you can--then look forward to a long, productive relationship with your new agent.
Click
here to return to Tip Sheets Home
Click
here to Join FWC
|
