The Literary Agent
By Jerry D. Simmons | April 24th, 2007 | 1 Comment » (Click to add yours!)
Approaching an agent begins with stating how you found out about the agency: referral/publishers marketplace/some other website – so that the agent knows the channel through which you’re approaching them and that you’re not one of the millions wasting their time with blanket submissions. The standard “I’m writing in the hope that you will be interested in considering my literary/commercial/satirical/whatever-type novel/thriller/suspense (for women/the y-gen/baby-boomers) called, [insert title here]” can then be broached.
The reader needs to know straight away what type of project is being submitted (fiction/nonfiction/self-help) and if it’s even going to be the type of project they represent. Most writers don’t bother to think that agents have ‘lists’ or tastes in the same way that publishers have ‘lists’ and that they don’t just handle every type of book. So you need to research and pitch straight away to that taste you suspect (rather than KNOWING) they have.
THEN you can give a two-para description of the plot. Best to steer away from comparisons. I’ve read some letters that try to introduce personal details and some that attempt humor. These efforts are ALL cheesy and make me wince. Limit details to professional experience and, importantly the awards you’ve won/been nominated for. Frankly, that’s what will lead an agent to ask to see your material.
Those projects I’ve asked to see, I’ve done so because of a FEW pages of sample writing enclosed in the package. The plot’s all very well and good to get a sense of commercial/literary etc. but it’s the writing that pulls. I wouldn’t waste time with a synopsis/chapter breakdown. Just one really good passage (not even a whole chapter) that exemplifies the essence of the work in terms of style/humor.
At the end, it’s polite to mention whether the work is on open submission with a handful/couple/broad number of agents, or whether the recipient has it exclusively for consideration.
Oh, and don’t smoke while you’re writing/printing/packing the thing. I say straight ‘no’s to people whose habit hits me before their work and whose smell makes me want to hurl on opening the parcel. It’s something they probably don’t realize, and it’s such a visceral response… I know if the paper reeks, then the author will evince a similar odor and I’ll find it really difficult to have this person in my life or even want to introduce them to anyone else with a sense of pride. Other agents may be more forgiving, but an olfactory assault is not to be recommended.
Follow the recommended submission guidelines strictly. I hated being woken up at 9am on New Year’s morning to a delivery by an overly zealous writer. He got rejected. THINK about when and how the parcel will be received. So, if someone says regular mail, don’t do FedEx or even express mail. If someone says FedEx, don’t do UPS, regular mail or any other type of carrier. There’s a reason behind the request, which usually has to do with their lifestyle. Don’t annoy them off before you start.
Continuing with Agent ABCs: The Basics – By Rick Frishman
How agents work: Literary agents fill two primary, and often overlapping, roles. They serve as both their clients’ Sales representatives and as their literary advisors. In order to sell their clients’ work, agents read it, assess it, and advise clients on its quality and market potential. They also create strategies for its sale for publication. Agents identify potential publishers and offer their clients’ writing to publishers, negotiate publishing contracts and monitor publishers’ contract compliance. Good agents constantly position their clients and work with publishers and the media to build their clients’ careers.
Agents’ Compensation: As compensation for their services, agents receive a percentage of the gross income from the publishing agreements that the agents obtained. They essentially function as commission salespersons who act as middlemen or vendors to sell their clients’ writing to publishers. What does this mean to you? At present, the standard percentage for literary agents is 15 percent of all income that authors receive from the sale of the book and its subsidiary rights. Unless otherwise stated, this amount is calculated on gross sales on the book’s cover price. Agents also usually receive 20 percent on foreign sales, and some are getting more. They receive more for foreign sales because they have to coagent with colleagues abroad.
Reasonable and Unreasonable Charges: Many literary agencies also charge for certain expenses such as photocopying, postage and long-distance telephone calls, which are reasonable. However, some may charge for marketing, travel and administrative expenses, which can be expensive. Reasonable expenses that you should expect to pay are those that your agent must lay out to represent you and submit your work to publishers. The expenses you are charged should be the same that all of your agent’s other clients pay. Before you sign with an agent, get a list of all the expenses you will be charged and try to get an idea of how much they should run. Here’s a good tip: When you negotiate a contract for an agent to represent you, insist on a provision that gives you the right to approve all expenditures over a stated sum, say $50. Unless unusual circumstances exist, you should not agree to pay for ordinary phone calls and other basic administrative expenses. If a provision is included in the contract that requires you to pay a percentage of the funds you receive for office, administrative or managerial expenses, think twice, because those tasks are normally part of the agent’s job. If the agent insists, put a dollar cap on those expenses. And whenever your agent requests or deducts expenses, request an itemized statement of those costs.
Contracting with an Agent: At a certain point, most agents will insist that you give them the exclusive rights to sell your writing; they will ask you to sign an author/ agent agreement. This point varies from agent to agent, but many won’t give you much of their time until you sign. Your agreement with an agent should specify that it applies only to a particular book or project. It may contain an option for your next book. If you create spin-offs or new, revised, or updated versions of the agented book, the agent who negotiated the original deal will be entitled to share in revenues received.
Specialties — Literary agents specialize in many kinds of books. Usually, their areas of interest are listed in the guidebooks and on their Web sites. You can also pick up books with topics that are similar to yours and look for the names of agents in the acknowledgment sections, where authors generally thank their agents. Even if you find an agent with the same specialty as your book, that agent might not be right for you–or you might not be right for him or her. How can you tell?
When an agent could be right for you: When you approach the agent who just sold the hottest diet book with your time-tested diet book that is based on your long-running newspaper column called “Eating Right.” It also doesn’t hurt that you’re a certified nutritionist who lectures frequently. Since the agent has experience with diet books plus the connections and knowledge of what diet books editors and publishers are buying, you just might have contacted the right agent.
Why that agent might not be right: When you contact that agent about your diet book, the bar might be set so high that you don’t have a chance. Since his or her recent success, that agent may have ascended to another level, representing only high-profile chefs and foodies with the most established national platforms.
Different Types of Agents — Some agents represent a variety of authors who write about many different fields. Some literary agencies have agents who specialize in different areas. If an agent or an agency doesn’t handle your type of book, he or she usually can refer you to someone who does. And their recommendations can make a difference. Start thinking of yourself in terms of your specialty areas. Are you a parenting writer, a memoir writer, a true-crime writer, a business writer, or a gardening writer? The more precisely you describe what you do, the more effectively you will be able to communicate with agents or people who can connect you with agents. Agents who specialize usually have terrific contacts with editors and publishers in their areas of interest. They are familiar with all of their books, the competition, their current lists, and their wish lists.
Reprinted from “Rick Frishman’s Author 101 Newsletter ” Subscribe at http://www.author101.com and receive free by email my “Million Dollar Rolodex”.
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