Some writers think of agents as crooks, and have no use for them. For example, Terry Brooks told me he's never had an agent and sees no reason to get one now. Obviously, he's competent to represent himself. We're not all so fortunate. Consider what happened to Tolkein:
He refused to get an agent, and was soundly taken by his British publisher. Worse, he took his time about establishing copyright for The Lord of the Rings in the US, and by the time he got around to it he discovered that so many copies had been smuggled in that the work had passed into the public domain. In other words, he could no longer collect royalties on it. The only thing the agent he hired at that point could do was suggest he bring out a second edition (he did).
Had Tolkein had an agent from the start, he'd have been a much happier man. To be sure, he'd have had to pay the agent a commission, but the agent would have in exchange protected him from his British publisher, and spared him his American debacle. That's what an agent is for: To run interference for the writer, dealing with publishers, lawyers, editors, and other potential pitfalls of the publishing world. A writer cannot be expected to know all sorts of arcane laws, nor can he be expected to know precisely which editor is looking for precisely which book. The agent can; it's her job. She is your eyes and ears in the publishing world.
In the modern publishing world the agents have taken on a second, extremely important function: they serve as first-readers for editors, who rely upon them to filter out unpublishable manuscripts. Indeed, many editors at the major publishing companies will no longer accept un-agented material.
So, when do you need an agent? When you've written a publishable book-length manuscript. Since it can take as much effort to place an article or short-story as it does to place a book, and the returns are considerably lower, few agents will consider short pieces except as personal favors for established clients.
How to find an agent? The best way is by word-of-mouth. If you know an agent, talk to her. If you know a published author, ask him who his agent is and if you might approach the agent using the author's name. If you don't personally know an author, and have no access to a friend of a friend, check your high school or college alumni office to find out who else from your alma mater drives a quill (Terry Brooks and I both went to Hamilton). If several names come up, pick the one who writes things most similar to what you have done and write a nice letter. You might also stop by your local college English department and ask the professors if they can suggest someone. It is quite possible that they will be able to. Another place to look is in the writing sections of on-line services such as America On Line, where organizations such as the Horror Writers of America keep listings of agents and such. You may also want to visit the organizations' home pages (you will find links to some in the Stacks).
Once you have a list of possible agents, begin by calling each to ask if they are reading new material of the kind that you have written. Keep the conversation simple, short, and to the point: Don't try to tell the agent about the book over the phone. If the agent says yes, ask if she wants to see the entire manuscript or (more likely) a sample. Samples generally consist of the first 10,000 words and a detailed synopsis of the remainder of the work.
Obviously, while the agent is deciding if the will represent the book, you have to decide if you want her to represent you. There are a number of questions you should ask:
This brings up that all-important subject: cash. Legitimate agents work on a commission basis, keeping between 10 and 15% of the moneys they bring in for their authors and passing on the rest. Since they have no other sources of income, they only take books they believe in, and push them hard. Be leery of agents who charge a reading fee - many read vast numbers of manuscripts, pocket the cash, and let the books sit. Be even more leery of an agent who reads a book, and then says, "it's good but it needs work - I just happen to know a book doctor...." The chances are that the agent has an agreement worked out with the book doctor.
I speak from experience here: a book-doctoring outfit recently offered Worlds of Fantasy & Horror a 15% commission for referring the authors of stories we rejected to the doctors. The brochure said many agents and magazine editors were making thousands of dollars a month this way, and it could be true - we now get stories from people who tell us that their novels are in care of this particular book-doctoring outfit.
What happens if you don't get an agent? Stump the book yourself; many of the smaller publishers are quite happy to read unsolicited material. Once you place the book, on the other hand, you may want to ask an agent to negotiate the contract - she will likely be able to get you better terms than you would otherwise get. And at that point you will have an agent for your next project.
So, bottom line: agents are people like anyone else. Select yours with the same care you'd use in selecting any other business associate, and may you enjoy a long, prosperous relationship!
© Kyle Phillips, 1996. Like what you read? Find
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