Hi! I have already asked a question, and I have just recently read the answer. First of all — I admire the fact that you take time and effort to help people. Second of all… I have an issue I would like to ask you as a professional about.
I have written a novel, which I have submitted to agencies, and I have already signed a contract with one. (Children’s Literary Agency). Later, I somehow went on the internet to see what books it has handled, and learnt that it is apparently on of the Top Twenty Worst agencies in USA , who charge, don’t work well and turn out to be a scam. I am quite scared about this. I really am. This could ruin things, couldn’t it?
So I started looking for new agents to see if I could find a new one and work with them instead. It is difficult so far — quite a few rejections. Do you have any advice for this serious issue?
First, if you don’t want to work with Children’s Literary Agency (or any other agent you might sign with), your contract should have some provision for ending the relationship. If it doesn’t, then write them a letter saying that you have reconsidered and will not be seeking representation from them.
If your contract says that you can’t end the relationship, well, don’t believe it. And don’t be surprised if they get a little aggressive with you, and try to “persuade” you into staying with them. Don’t let them intimidate you. No one owns your work until you sell them the rights, and no one âownsâ the right to represent you without your fully-informed consent. The worst that would ever happen is that if you work with an agent to sell a book to a publisher, and then you leave the agency, that agency still collects commissions on the future sales of the book they helped you sell. And that’s it. So don’t back down in the face of any bullshit you might get.
There are many wonderful agents in the world, and there are some real rip-off artists. It’s up to every writer to a) do some research (which you are doing, props to you), and b) remember that a bad agent is worse than no agent at all. That can be hard, especially when people make promises that they will get you published if you just sign up with them, pay their reading fees, use the âprofessional editorsâ they recommend (or that they say the publisher insists on), et cetera.
The bottom line is that a reputable agent will never charge you an upfront fee to represent you. Never never never. Real agents are paid commission only on what they actually sell for you. They get paid when the publisher cuts a check. They may charge you expenses like FedEx or copying, but only for what they actually sell.
A reputable agent will never insist that you use a âprofessional editingâ service as a condition of representation. Never never never. If an agent doesn’t think your work is ready for publication, she’ll usually reject it. Occasionally, she may work with you to improve the manuscript, but generally agents just don’t have time to groom writers.
There are some excellent resources online that can help you identify piranha-agents. The Absolute Write website has a “Bewares and Background Checks” forum where people talk about agents and scam artists. (In fact, they have an entire thread about The Literary Agency Group, of which Childrens Literary Agency is a part.
Also check Writer Beware.
Finally, you can check Publishers Marketplace. Although it’s a subscription site, they do offer a free-to-all search function that will allow you to search for information on agents.
And you’ll find more of my thoughts on how to choose and approach agents here.
And please remember that agents are a part of the giant relationship web of publishing, and that working with an agent that editors and publishers don’t respect is no help to you. Having an agent is kinda sorta like getting married â- it really does matter who you choose. Any so-called agent who promises that if you work with them you will be published is a lying toad (or very very new at their job). Some of the best work in the world never sells, and some of the biggest crap does, and that’s just the way it is. A good agent will understand your work and your goals, help you improve and refine them, be your champion, and have all kinds of strategies for getting your work in front of the right people. But they will never promise you that they have the magic bullet to getting published. There is no magic bullet.
The very best of luck with this, and let me know if I can be of any more help.