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Jessica when I got to the submissions page and click on your name I don't see your interests just your email. I see your partner's interests, but would you mind posting what genres you are interested in?

I've noticed a lot of chatter on blogs lately with agents not doing their job. This can be frightening for writer working on her first novel. I am a researcher and crave knowledge. I also like to get as much information about someone I'm going to work with as I can. Is there a way research an agent's work ethic before signing with them? Can you ask to speak with other authors they represent?

eek, what a horror story! Great advice and good luck to the OP!

Laura, you can definitely speak to other authors agents represent. Before I found Jessica, I belonged to RWA and listened carefully when anyone spoke about agents. I went to agent workshops at conferences to listen to the agents themselves. Once I had an offer from Jessica, I asked her for client contact info and emailed and then called some of her clients to talk about her and how she worked. Everyone is happier when the agent/client relationship is a good fit.

"C’mon! I’m not buying that."

That was my first reaction, too.

My agent is so bad, they will only respond to me with rejection letters. One after the other, which is getting me nowhere. Sometimes I'm glad when their email is down.

Laura, also check forums like Absolute Write's and websites like Writer Beware. People will often post if they are having a negative experience with an agent, which could help alert you to some trouble areas in advance.

Even the Canadian Wilderness is no excuse - we have deer and coyotes and the occasional moose wandering through the yard, and the closest "urban" area is a 20-min drive away, a village of 375 people. My internet and phone work just fine out here. :)

Laura:

Also keep in mind that people will complain well before they will praise which means, as with anything, we always hear the bad much louder than we hear the good. I bet if you start to see names you'll find it's a small percentage of agents who don't do their jobs.

--jhf

I can see how this author would be apprehensive, even if there's no reason to. After spending time in the eeevil dreaded purgatory known as Queryland, it can be hard to trust that someone's actually finally connecting with your work. I wish her the best! And I also hope, for her sake, it's the real thing.

It sounds like my agent. But I know her well and I know her history, which is in film and TV. She is enthusiastic about the links between them, and knows some of the people there, due to her previous position at one of the biggest agencies around, which did multi-media pitches. (BTW I doubt this is the same agent as the one you're talking about).
So I think I'm saying that you should look into her background and see what experience she has.
And if she asks for upfront money - run.

It sounds like the two of them need to get to know each other better. The different pitches sound perfectly legit. That hook that sells a book is not always the hook that sells to the truly ADHD TVLand.

I'm with Kimber on this one. Queryland is...*eye roll*...painful at best. Unless you really know your agent, it might be hard to trust her/him.

Frankie

If she's pitching your story to film/TV and it ISN'T already sold in book form, then that makes no sense.

There's no telling if your ms will sell (in book form) until it does, because nothing is a sure thing.

How could the agent possibly sell the rights to it if it hasn't sold as a book yet? She can't, since she wouldn't be selling the "film rights," she'd be selling them your idea.

Maybe the person asking the question assumed she'd have to make a screenplay out of it before pitching? That was my first thought when reading it, just because I know so little about the film business. But what the agent is saying does make sense to me.

This whole thing does illustrate, though, how hard we can make it for ourselves sometimes. We read so much about the "fake agents" out there, just trying to learn how best to protect ourselves. We start to question nearly everything. We question the motives of very legitimate agents, and we question ourselves. It does make the whole "trust" thing take a lot longer to happen.

Look the agent up on Preditors and Editors

www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/

or google her on Absolute Write.

Love your post and how you explored the issue with the writer.

Very helpful! Thank you!

I'm with Anon 9:24. AFAIK, that's not the order you normally do things in.

I think communication is key here. Before accepting or backing out, I would make sure the author and agent understand what each other want and discuss plans in detail. It could just be a little confusion here, or there could be a bigger problem. It might be best to get more information first.

I don't see any reason to think the agent is a scammer but if you're unsure, do some research. It can never hurt.

Otherwise, that sounds exciting! Good luck!

Has this agent made any recent sales to major publishers? Does she represent other clients who write in your genre? Has she made previous TV/film deals?

The first thing I would do is contact a few of this agent's current clients. Find out how they like working with her. (And if this agent resists giving you their contact information, that's a red flag right there.)

Best of luck!

Great advice! Always good to do your homework. Search the internet, especially Preditors & Editors and Writer Beware. Google is your friend.

a) is the agent offering a contract? because b) if not, this is what's call "hip pocketing," more of a Hollywood term.

Crucially, is this a high concept idea idea? (See, most bad movies with overly muscular men, men who sell their wives for a night to the highest bidder, or a tricky heist/suspense/cop idea with a clearly defined male protagonist that teenage boys will identity with & want to see over ove because he kills/blows up/fcuks his way through the movie at very high speeds.)

What it sounds like Lady Agent wants to do is submit the proposal on spec- without any additional work on it.

Author needs to ask WHERE the proposal is going out as a scenario type pitch: if Lady Agent plans to paper the town with it, writer's proposal is devalued in the long run. A targeted submission process - to a tight list of producers and studios would make a little more sense. Lady Agent is turning your book proposal into a film proposal that, sounds like, she's hinting will go out in an auction process. But this is kind of like winning the Lotto. Are you a gambler?

What people don't understand is that an "option" can be a wildly different thing: from 'free' to a little more than free. Why would you want to presell a book as a movie idea? More logically, if you're looking to build a career, you'll write/sell the book and let the film/tv process happen ... later.

This shouldn't dissaude you but in the excitement, you're not asking some necessary questions. And, as is printed on all the stationary at William Morris - or, was, before it became a periodic table element - "GET IT IN WRITING."

But last Anon -- you option a BOOK to film -- there isn't a book deal yet. So this agent is either putting the cart way before the horse or simply just doesn't know what she's doing.

You can "pitch" and idea to Hollywood and they might buy it (and then hire you to write the screenplay -- not book -- or hire someone else to write the screenplay). But...

1) Writers make such pitches, not agents and...

2) YOU would no longer own that idea/pitch, and would not be free to continue trying to sell it in manuscript form.

That the agent doesn't know that is scary. Schedule a conversation with the agent, find out what's going on.

@Anony 1:39, that is what I meant ie., optioning a book to film. You are correct: when I worked in development that was how it worked.

I should have clarified (pre-coffee comment, overwhlmed by anonymity): IDK of many books that have been optioned to film/tv before they were written.

The Godfather was developed with Paramount but that was in the early 70's & the film business was v. different. A producer / studio head (Robert Evans, I think) could purchase a property and do this sort of ass-backwards er, unconventional deal. Another deal that comes to mind is, 'Best Little Whorehouse in Texas,' that was funded by a Universal exec to extraordinary success - first, as a musical and then film.

In our multiplatform universe, I'm sure there are less visible properties that are developed this way. But, as JFaust pointed out last week, agents want to deal with ONE THING at a time.

For me, if this Lady Agent thinks this property is so viable, she would more logically help the author set up the book, then sell it to other media.

Yes, run. Your gut is always right and it wouldn't have asked the question if you didn't already know the answer.

Yes, agree that sometimes the deal is done backward, but this doesn't seem right. You are much better off doing the conventional way, getting your book sold and then selling the film rights.

It is too easy to have a high concept project ripped off if you let it loose in the industry. A book gives you more protection.

It sounds like my agent. But I know her well and I know her history, which is in film and TV.

RUN. Run fast. Run now.

I had a bad agent and it sidelined my writing for well over a year. You don't owe loyalty to someone who doesn't know how to do their job. Especially if they can ruin your career.

I think the natural assumption is that if an agent isn't on Preditors and Editors site that they are okay -- I know that's what I thought. But a clueless agent can do just as much if not more damage, because it takes you that much longer to figure out how inept they are. If you are also new to the business, there's so much you just take their word on.

My bad agent wouldn't submit to multiple houses, told me to write in Courier 12 point -- thereby bloating my ms by fifty pages a whack, had me send hardcopy mss to him/her "just in case an editor didn't want it sent as an attachment," and didn't think negotiating was "polite" so demanded I take the (very low) advance offered for the one thing he/she sold -- because otherwise no one in the industry would want to work with me.

The agent is still out there, happy little website, signing people.

Great advice.

Thank you for your blog.

ann

RUN! Run like a citizen of Tokyo fleeing Godzilla!

My BadAgent didn't want to submit multiply either. He also said, "It's not professional to follow up." (After months had passed since his only contact with the editor.) I had to hound him to do either of those things. When we were inches from a deal and the publisher suddenly withdrew it, he refused to make a phone call to find out why. "I don't want to irritate them," he said. Why? What's going to happen--we might get rejected?

Because of my Bad Agent, other agents didn't want to touch that manuscript afterward because it wasn't fresh. He derailed my career by a couple of years by doing what your agent is doing. RUN!

ugh. I'm stressed out just reading that post and these comments.

I wish we could get the names or at least initials of these agents so we won't waste our time & careers with them, but I know J likes to protect her peers...talk about AGENT FAIL!

Very helpful post, thank you.

As far as I can tell, agenting is one of the few completely unregulated professions. There's no requirement - no education, no credential, no licensing. Any one who wants can hang out a shingle and say they are an agent. There's also little accountability.

That said, if I ever get an agent, I will thoroughly research them first. I will also insist on meeting them in person prior to signing for representation. Randomly querying people and signing with someone you've never met just strikes me as dangerous - especially if you plan to have a long-term career in writing.

I imagine that it's so enticing to finally have an agent say 'yes' that people just jump at it. And I bet I'll feel the same. But hearing stories like this makes me want to move much more slowly and thoughtfully.

Oh, that's not to say there aren't agents out there that I truly respect and would love to work with. But they may not choose to work with me, so I might be searching outside the agents I know.

But in dealing with the reality of the situation, I'll be careful.

Always do your homework on an agent before you sign with them.

Talk to their other clients, ask questions about hwo they work, for example, how they send out submissions.

And when you get an offer, talk to the agent on the phone, and have a list of questions to ask. If and only if they answer your questions to your satisfaction do you sign with them.

It's your career, take control of it right from the beginning.

You are in the driver's seat. You are the boss.

I wish we could get the names or at least initials of these agents so we won't waste our time & careers with them, but I know J likes to protect her peers...talk about AGENT FAIL!

There are wonderful resources out there for writers regarding bad-apple agents: Preditors & Editors, Victoria Strauss's awesome website, and the AbsoluteWrite board.

But the best resource is ourselves. We need to take control of our careers and educate ourselves so we know what a reputable agent looks like: Even a new agent should have a solid background, either working as an assistant to a reputable agent or working previously as an editor at reputable publishing house. They should have a list of sales to publishers you've heard of, not micro-presses or vanity presses. An agent who offers representation should be willing to share his/her client list with you, so you can contact them and ask questions.

I think the best protection is to not allow ourselves to become so desperate, we miss the signs and red flags.

I met a wonderful Agent at an expensive conference. In less than five minutes, I gave my pitch as was told to send a submission package. I politely e-mailed the Agent every month with a request as to the progress of my submission package. After almost six months, the agent admitted they couldn't find the submission package, please send it again.

Within a week, I was told my manuscript would be too difficult a sell at this time, thank you very much.

I was devastated and wonder about Agents in general at this time.

There is nothing inherently wrong with new agents. Sometimes the fresh perspective and "fire in the belly" makes for a really good match. A new agent has more time to devote to their smaller client list, and often they are more willing to take chances.

What isn't okay is an untrained new agent.

If I were to walk into McDonald's right now, I'd need to be trained to work effectively. I'd need someone with experience to show me the ropes, how to use the headset, how to make sure I didn't kill someone by serving them undercooked food, etc. An agent should have training credentials too. An ongoing relationship with a mentor, an internship at a credible agency, and experience and education in the publishing world. These are things that can be sussed out during the interview phase...but being new doesn't mean not being really good.

My agent (before I learned things on my own) was so bad he directed me away from an editor at Ballantine Books that wanted my manuscript. Story on my blog. I have spent years backtracking.

I think agents are held accountable for their actions. The word gets out soon enough, they can't get any clients, and it only takes a little research to find this out.

A safe bet would be to only deal with them if they are AAR members.

OMG, ruuuun!

My bad agent story (many years ago): After one rejection, she quit the business! Quit. After one rejection! Yikes.

Can't stress enough... do the homework *before* you sign with an agent! Know his/her track record of sales.

Excellent information. The only agent that so far has requested a full from me has a great reputation. Guess I should count my blessings!!

Thank you for sharing this story. I hope it prevents others from falling into the same trap.
Since I'm fortunate enough to be represented by an excellent agent, it makes it even more distressing to see stories like this. I echo the advice already given by others: run like the wind.
I'm wondering if your questioner ran the name of this agent on the Predators and Editors site.

Wowsers. Just goes to show that no agent is better than a less-than-awesome one.

To previous commentors -- the problem with publishing the names of "Bad Agents" as opposed to "Agents that are doing Illegal Things" is that one is criminal, (kickbacks for referring to edit sites, charging reading fees for ms they don't read, etc...), the other is not.

I had an agent dump me after I complained about her lack of response -- she never returned emails, didn't submit work, if she did submit it, she refused to follow up on subs. Editors had my ms for over six months, but she was put out when I asked if she'd nudge them. I found out after I left that she'd treated many writers this way. It wasn't just me.

BUT, she also has big clients, and has had big sales. So, clearly, those clients are happy with her. Which client would you believe? The one with a quarter of a million dollar book deal or the one who can't get her emails returned or work sent out?

There's three sides to every story. Two sides and the truth.

Well said writergrrrl--writers are the best resource, as are awesome agent blogs such as this one.

You don't just want any agent, you want the right agent. Remember, you're the one doing the hiring.

I was devastated and wonder about Agents in general at this time.

Anonymous 11:33: Unfortunately, stuff like that happens sometimes. It's frustrating, but you just have to keep going. Don't pin all your hopes on one agent. Keep querying (and if you don't get any bites after 10 or so queries, revise it). Don't grant an exclusive unless you feel it's absolutely necessary (and if you do, put a time limit on it). Don't expect personalized rejection letters. Do expect that some agents won't respond at all. It took me about 20 queries until I got an offer of representation. I know many writers who queried 50 or more agents.

Most important of all is to KEEP WRITING. Good luck!

"It took me about 20 queries until I got an offer of representation."

You mean 20 different drafts of the same Q letter, or you only had to send the same letter out 20 times before an agent offered representation?

You mean 20 different drafts of the same Q letter, or you only had to send the same letter out 20 times before an agent offered representation?

Oh, sorry. I didn't explain that very well. I sent out 20 query letters (same query) to 20 agents. I actually sent out the letters in small batches to make sure the query was working--so I didn't query 20 agents at the same time. More like 6 at a time. Several requested partials, a total of 6 agents requested fulls. (Some of those full requests came after the agent had reviewed the partial.) Out of those full requests, one agent offered representation. (The book didn't sell, but that's another story.)

Probably more than you wanted to know!

Wow.

I have to say I agree with the "Run" suggestions.

It's good you recognized the red flags before too much time passed (and too much damage was done). The good news is that if she hasn't been doing multiple subs, then the MS is probably still viable.

Get a list of who she's sent it to (to give to your next agent) and get out now.

You always give such good, clear-headed advice :)

"I met a wonderful Agent at an expensive conference. In less than five minutes, I gave my pitch as was told to send a submission package. I politely e-mailed the Agent every month with a request as to the progress of my submission package. After almost six months, the agent admitted they couldn't find the submission package, please send it again.

Within a week, I was told my manuscript would be too difficult a sell at this time, thank you very much.

I was devastated and wonder about Agents in general at this time.

11:33 AM, January 12, 2010"

Actually, your story is different from the OP. And your conclusion (that all agents are bad) is quite faulty. This doesn't tell us that the agent is bad. Agents, especially last year, had a record number of subs due to the economy driving more people out of their jobs. You were just one of many and good agents do lose those submissions in their huge slush piles. They don't usually have the resources to follow up on all the emails asking how's my submission doing.

It took them over five months to catch up (not at all unusual for slush+, which is what you were) and when they did, your manuscript did not strike them as something they could sell.

That doesn't mean you aren't a good writer, or that another agent wouldn't like your work. It means you didn't do your homework. With all the resources on the web for free now, you should have queried several agents and not stop at one.

Writing is all about rejection. You have to build a tough skin, get over it, learn. Think of it as basketball. If you're knocked over by another player, you don't cry. You get up and try to shoot another basket.

Don't agents shy away from writers who are too clingy?

Timely post, I have an agent reviewing a revision that was on last week's reading pile but I haven't heard word yet. I've been sitting on my hands trying to be patient rather than emailing her asking for status...I trust that she will let me know when she has gotten through it.

That doesn't quell the anxiety, though!

This is an interesting post to me, because I've been struggling with insecurities all week. It's like being nibbled to death by ducks.

I have them about searching for an agent, I have them about a book that's coming out with a small press, and I have them (ironically enough) about doing National Novel Writing Month this year.

Thanks for verifying what I suspected. Insecurities are part of the process.

"It’s a business where you fall in love with something with all of your heart and then have to try to find that one other person who feels the same way. That’s enough to make all of us batty."

I think this statement best describes what’s at the heart of our anxieties.

Writing is unique in that it lacks specific guidelines and measurements that a writer may follow to ensure success. We know that every single person who reads our books is going to judge it, at least to some degree, subjectively.

We face pass or fail decisions at every single step of the publication process from agents, editors, critics, bookstores, and finally, the readers. Waiting on the judgement can be excruciating.

So anxiety is a normal response to being under continual scrutiny, but it’s a reality that all writers must get used to if they want to be published.

I can certainly relate to this, though I wouldn't call it anxiety. After the initial excitement of the Call at the end of August, things basically got to be put on hold until the contract is finalized and I get revisions for book one. Was I worried? No. I was ready to dig into getting things done. The contract finally hit my agent's desk a week ago. I'm assuming this means it's now far closer to being finalized. I've not received revisions yet, which while not a huge deal (I'm not on any sort of time crunch right now), is hampering getting going on book two, since I'm not sure if any changes will effect how I plot out the next book in the series.

It'll get there. I knew things would not move quickly. I hold no allusions to speed in publishing. I'd only be anxious if things were putting me under a deadline I couldn't manage. Things will get done when they get done. I just feel like the little kid in the backseat who repeated keeps asking, "Are we there yet? What about now? Now?"

It's ridiculous how insecure I am about my writing! I can have something that I'm extremely proud, but then it gets ripped apart by my MFA professor. There are times when I think I'm only kidding myself--that I wonder if maybe I'm the only one that likes my writing. But then I'll get words of encouragement from a peer and it gets me back on track. I also write a lot about my insecurities on my blog--that seems to help get the worries. Writing as a whole is a very lonely process; venting about your struggles seem to make you feel a tad better.

Insecurity, anxiety and constant evaluation of presentation aren't bad things per se. I've been worrying most of my adult life about my writing, so I doubt I'll ever be completely relaxed when viewing it as merely 'product' which must be seperated from myself.

Brilliant post, and one which has given me things to think on. Thank you.

"My suggestion for dealing with your insecurities is to figure out how to calm yourself without making others crazy." Touche'.

i'm too drugged on from my surgery yesterday to have insecurities, but yeah generally I never have insecurities about my writing. I guess thats why i'm on my third WIP and eager to learn even more about the craft.

I don't think you ever stop learning as a writer, so it's natural that insecurity is part of the package.
I'm sure though, that once you reach a certain level of accomplishment you get to recognize the insecurities as "the jitters" and just move on past them.
I can only hope.

I go through stages of anxiety.

When I'm on deadline, I hardly talk to my agent, unless we are shopping other stuff or working on other stuff.

But when I'm out of contract and not on deadline, then I'm way more insecure and I do need to hear from my agent a lot, probably too much. :-)

She's great though and has helped me stay calm and focused.

My way of dealing with anxiety and impatience over submissions is to dive into writing the next book. Then I'm not obsessing about the submissions I have out--and when I do get a rejection, I think, "Oh well, this next book is turning out so much better!"

The more you publish, in general, the more secure you'll be. (With notable exceptions: some writers are just nuts. But then again, out of the general population, that statement still applies). I would say, develop patience and a thick skin. And stay busy, because the more intent you are on other projects, the less you obsess about the ones being read.

AmyB - Yours is the best advice I've ever received regarding the "jitters."

This is a great topic for authors to talk about.

I'm extremely insecure. I doubt myself at the drop of a hat. I'm sure that won't end if I ever get an agent or get published.

For example, most likely the first time an agent gave me editing notes, I'd burst into tears and lock myself in the bathroom for hours. It would take a whole SWAT team to get me out of there.

I'd be jealous of my agent's other clients. I'd want to call my agent on the phone and ask them if they still like my writing. I'd be like the Verizon guy: "Do you still like my writing now?" "What about now? Do you still like my writing now?"

Now, hopefully, I wouldn't actually let my agent know about any of that, because despite my preference, it's not an agent's job to take care of me emotionally. But, I'm sure my senstivity would not end at the point of publication. In fact, it might increase due to the pressure and the public nature of things.

But that's who I am, and that's cool. The goal here isn't to be a different person, it's to handle your emotions in a healthy way, whatever they happen to be. And if means locking myself in the bathroom for hours, sobbing about how my agent hates me because they asked me to change line 10, then that's the way it is. But that's for me to deal with, not not my agent.

Waiting--for anything--is absolutely the hardest thing. Especially now when we're all used to instant gratification. But, reality is, every step of publishing takes time. I'm a week into the submission process and check my email at least every twenty seconds for some word from my agent.

But, in the end, if your agent has been getting the job done, you just have to sit back, breathe, and trust that they'll keep getting the job done.

AmyB's right--if you're too busy to agonize over what's happening with a submission, you're going to be more productive as a writer. When I send a manuscript off, I've finally learned to put it out of my mind and start right in on the next project. Otherwise, self-doubt and worry can take over so easily!

As a writer you're always going to be waiting on something,a ms with revision notes from your agent, a response from a submission, a marked-up draft from a critque partner, an editorial letter.

Anxiety and insecurity are normal parts of the picture. The same is true in other professions and pursuits. At least with writing you can always work on something else while you wait. That's what I try to do.

We all have insecurities, often about everything in life. I think that's why Yoga was invented.

Communication is a good thing, too.

Insecurity is a heavy burden…. and will become ominous in your voice. In today precarious publishing market, agents have enough headaches and last thing they’ll be looking for would be an insecure writer.

I think of requests for revisions as a way to get the ms just right for the marketplace. I'm eager to publish my novel, so, I see any requested tweaks not as personal criticisms, but as a way of bringing my work one step closer to its ultimate goal: publication.

And, scary or not, if I'm a writer worth my words, I can do this -- further, it's part of the job description.

The way we frame a situation in our minds will affect how we feel about it and the level of our anxiety. At the same time, I do think anxiety and insecurity are part of the package for most writers. If that means it's hardwired into our personalities, and those personalities/sensitivities are the same ones that fuel our creativity and writing, then the answer for us (and to save our agents) is in how we manage those feelings.

Our agents are not our therapists. Good, solid boundaries are important in business relationships. Hopefully, we have our spouses, friends, writing friends and writing groups to buoy us up during those harder periods.

I have two special writing friends whose arms I can collapse into at any time, and without them, I'd definitely be a "crazy writer".

I wrote a post on writer insecurities, which also ties into a book by Susan K. Perry on writers and flow. After reading her book, I was surprised by how many renowned writers feel the same insecurities and anxieties! I'll include the link in case anyone is interested:

http://emilymurdoch.wordpress.com/2009/06/24/the-mad-tea-party-pull-up-a-chair/

Awesome post, thank you for it! The writer's personality is much easier to manage when you know what you're dealing with, and that you're not alone.

@ Pam Harris

The opinions of MFA professors are also subjective, and should be taken with a grain of salt, just like the opinions of other readers. I know because it's a professor, and theoretically someone who's good at writing, that it's easy to give those words a lot of weight. You'll feel better about what you're doing, though, if you can analyze the feedback you're getting, and decide if it's valid for you or not. You can always learn from looking at the work of other published authors; but speaking from a personal standpoint, I'd be careful about accepting a single person's feedback as any kind of authoritative judgment. My suggestion is: Look at it, evaluate it, and then decide what you want to take out of it.

Darn spelling...

Author anxiety goes beyond submissions.

As an unagented but published author, I worry about my publishers' perception of my writing and my communication skills. I worry about ticking them off if I have concerns.

When other authors in their stable are on bestseller lists and mine is not in spite of great reviews, am I being neglected or do I suck at marketing? Worse yet, do I suck at writing?

I have to put aside my anxieties, refrain from bothering my publishers about distribution and promotion matters, hold back from whining, and work harder to make my next book that much better.

Whenever I get antsy and want to bug an editor (or, in the past, my agent) I would do so immediately -- but I'd get out the market guide or get online and find a different editor to bug. :-)

Doing that created a steady stream of short fiction and essay submissions and it put that insecurity to good use.

My agent and I also agreed on a once-a-month check-in point so the silence would be easier on both of us.

I TRY to live by the Thumper motto.

Plus, haven't these people heard that old saying: you bring more flies with sugar than with vinegar?. . .

The best I can say is for writers and agents not to take comments and criticism personally. There are 2 reasons for that.

First, snarky people tell us more about themselves than they ever do about their targets. (That's wisdom from my mother. She was a smart woman.)So people, write it off as somebody else's problem!

Secondly, there is a great little book by Don Luis Ruiz called THE FOUR AGREEMENTS that encourages us not to take other people's stuff personally, and he tells us how to re-work our beliefs so we can actually do that. If either writers or agents are stuck on the tirades and meanness going on, read it. It might help.

Forthe record, I love your blog. Hang in there! You provide insight and practical assistance to us.

I was one of those angsty, whiny, deluded people who believed agents had no interest in taking on or helping new writers. I spent a long, long time in that state. Ten novels' worth of time. Fortunately, I managed not to make a public spectacle of my angst - but I still felt it.

I read the agent blogs. I was a faithful Snarkling almost from the beginning. And despite learning more and more truths about the publishing industry - from blogging agents, from professional authors, from every credible source out there - I didn't really believe any of it. Everyone kept saying "Just write a good book, and you will get in the door eventually." I remained less than convinced.

Finally, I wrote a good book. And I got multiple requests for partials and fulls, and offers of representation - the process was practically effortless when the writing was finally there. I hadn't even written a particularly good query. I just had a strong book, and that was all I needed.

It's almost easy to conclude that you can't convince a writer of the truth until he or she experiences it personally. However, all the reading and advice-seeking I did despite my Doubting Thomas attitude brought an unexpected benefit. I have a two-book contract with Simon & Schuster now, and because of agents like you and others who have taken the time to educate writers on the parts of the publishing industry we'd otherwise never see, I feel prepared to make the shift to professional author. I'm not overwhelmed by the new rules that come with a contract.

So ... thank you. :-)

Great post. Some people take their frustration too far. It's a shame. We aren't all haters though.
=)
Most of us understand this is a rough business. Thanks for constantly posting up great information for us hopefulls out there in blogger land.

I'm reminded of a Far Side cartoon (I think) in which some poor, hapless, ordinary guy is selected by the rest of humanity to be the scapegoat for all the troubles in the world. He's shown hiding in his bedroom while mobs are gathered on the street outside his house.

I guess when people are frustrated or feel helpless, as was mentioned, they want a target for their anger. A "face". It's not "professional", and I can't see how those authors will succeed, when they sound so bad to work with. I always remember stories of Hollywood stars who took rejections and turned that disappointment and hurt into the drive that made them succeed. Certainly the economy is affecting publishers' desire to take risk, but that means agents and writers have to work together to present strong, exciting books.

What will any agent tell you to do to succeed--write great books! And I suspect every bestselling author has had proposals turned down. NYT bestseller Lisa Kleypas gave a wonderful talk at RWA's national conference a few years ago, in which she put up a graph of her expected career. A nice upward line with a few small hills and valleys. Then she put up a graph of her "real career", with ups, preciptious falls, areas where she was going backwards, and a few rollercoaster type loops. It was funny and effective. And shows the determination it takes to stay with it.

Its too bad time and energy is lost to negativity.

I stay away from the nasty stuff that's been going around. I think a lot of them are doing it just to get attention.

What a perfectly timed post! Really - what else needs to be said? Time for us to all grow up. Stop projecting our anger to those who ultimately are not responsible for it, and instead look inside and find the root of it.
Let's get out of the high school mentality mode here and start working together.

I'm totally out of the loop on all the negatives, but that's because I see no point in reading that sort of post--what agent would WANT an author to fail? For that matter, what editor or publisher wants to see an author fail? Writers write, agents want good contracts, editors want good stories and publishers want to make money. It's all pretty straightforward, but the weak link in this, IMHO, is the author who wants to blame everyone but him or herself.

It's a good post. I just think it's sort of sad that it's one you have to write.

Jessica,

I'm just curious, what brought this post on? Is it from Nathan's post on identities? or is there even worse behavior out there I missed.

Hey Jessica,

I guess since I'm posting anonymously, I'm a lurker. However, I read your blog, every a.m. - you're bookmark #1 one - and am always curious what you're up to, etc.

This agent fail thing that seems to have upset (and continues to) you and others, totally passed me by - wasn't interested, didn't read about, don't care.

It sounds like you're working something out: that the original post (s ?) and subsequent ones have triggered something. Since I don't know what that is, at its core, it's hard to give you advice.

I do know sometimes I like eating cupcakes. Lots and lots of cupcakes. Red velvet cupcakes. I am a red velvet cupcake addict (hence, the anonymity of this post.) But red velvet cupcakes have this way of making me sick. And, at this point, I know it. Sick on the spot (I want to throw up) and sick the day after the fact (I wake up with a migraine.)

My solution: I don't eat cupcakes, red velvet or otherwise. I walk on by the cupcake store. Funny thing is, even though I don't buy red velvet cupcakes, the store's managed to survive and is still in business.

Now, when I need a treat, I get some yogurt. The self serve kind, by weight, with toppings I can sprinkle myself.

Choice, Jessica, choice! Stop reading the haters. They're gonna be there no matter what.

And to the apparent agent haters: there's a phrase, "Rejection is God's protection." No, I'm not Born again anything and I'm not pushing religion. But the phrase has served me well over the years. Ten years ago, in fact, when Jessica et al started out as book packagers, I queried them and they said, No. At the time, my reaction was, 'Eh.' I'd queried so many people, and done this thing - written the next/new Jacqueline Susann book! - that I was plain worn out. I quit. Then, I picked myself up, took a class (three actually), going onto write another book and, all these years later, I do have representation. In retrospect, see that BookEnds would not have been the right agent, for a number of reasons (starting with the fact they don't represent the genre I ended up writing in - not Jacqueline Susann novels.)

Jessica's blogged (I think) about starting out as a book packager and then shifting to agenting: I approached her at one point in her career/process which, as it turned out, didn't align with mine - both our goals have changed, radically to say the least.

Is it possible, agent haters, your goals might not have yet gelled? And that you're blaming the wrong person/ people? Instead of putting your manuscript aside? And starting on something new? Maybe?

Over and out ...

Thanks for everything you do on this blog!

I really do feel like this is a community and a safe haven to learn about the industry and to be supported, even before we're published :).

I agree that the trolling writers out there are probably reacting out of fear, and it's not good for anyone. All this talk about authors having to "step up their game" excites me, but I bet it scares the heck out of a lot of folks who feel like they're not going to get the representation they deserve.

We can all benefit by striving for excellence. I'm glad we're doing it together! Excellent writing is what's going to define the publishing industry in the months and years to come.

AMEN! People need to realize that complaining and backbiting isn't going to help them publish their book.

You're awesome for taking the time out of your busy day to post such valuable information for us aspiring writers. I really appreciate all that you, and other agents, are doing for us.

Thanks for this post, and all the others.

I recently clicked on a sponsored link that cropped up in my email account that promised a completed novel in 30 days with only 1 hour a day of writing (what can I say, I like a laugh). It was a divine piece of comedic genius - I can only pray it was intentional, although I doubt it - but that's not the point. One of the major 'selling points' of this online course was 'The Ten Secrets of Getting Published that They Don't Want You To Know!'

I sat there, blinking at the screen, thinking 'Why on earth would anyone in publishing not want people getting published? It's how they make their living!' It did strike me as kind of sad, though, that there's enough people out there worrying about the conspiracy of agents and publishers instead of the quality of their work that the get-rich-quick merchants have spotted it.

Jessica,

I read your blog regularly, and I have learned so much about how to conduct the business side of my writing from you. I appreciate that you take the time to mentor we up and comers in this way.

I have a topic I am hoping you can address in the future: product placement. I am reading a recent release in a series that is known for an increasing amount of product placement, and it makes me wonder how all of that comes about.

Thank you,

Jennifer Roland

Well stated.

I can say with no reservations- that my agent has been an amazing business partner. She is a huge part of my career (and hopefully where my career will go)

Aspiring writers can forget that agents spend only a portion of their time on queries. A huge amount of their time is spent on their existing clients. While it might hurt to get a short form letter rejection- when you have an agent you'll be glad they're sending short form letters and spending their time on your work.

I really hate it that Faulkner got published so easily! And Steinbeck? Love him, but didn't he need an editor? And let's not even talk about Thomas Mann. Unfair! Who told us it was going to be easy like that? So let's choose our battles. Writing is hard work without all the public sniping (fantastic gossip, right?). It's a distraction. I'm going back to sticking pins in my Leon Uris doll now.

Aw, come on, Jennifer. As an agent you know very well agents are all a lot of constipated shitheads who want nothing more than to tweet to HowToMakeAuthorsFail and work out new and more diabolical ways of stunting fabulous, scintillating talent.

Admit it.

You know it's true.

Jessica, I wish you wouldn't let it get you down. I've served on the RWA board the past several years, and no matter what we do, how much we believe we're doing the best we can - for all members - there are always some who are unhappy, who see the organization as the enemy - like RWA is somehow keeping them from realizing their publishing goals. Maybe you need to adopt my mantra - "It's easy in the cheap seats."

This is a sign of our times (and other times)where it is always someone else's fault . . . or the the famous "they". When times are bad people lash out at others (Wallstreet) instead of looking in the mirror and figuring out what the hell the person looking back can do to improve the situation. Writing is very personal and people have their self-worth tied up too strongly in that endeavor at times. Learn from your mistakes, improve, and hopefully things will get better. Thanks for the sane voice and all the information provided in your blog.

Thanks for all the kind words. Actually none of this is getting me down, what I think I worry most about is that evil words spread faster than good words and I'd hate for newer writers to be reading the anger that's out there and start to believe that over the truth.

What I was worrying about was that agents and writers (primarily unpublished writers) were starting to split into two factions and writers were seeing agents as the enemy instead of friend.

Anyway I eat plenty of cupcakes and am going through nothing other then an fun contract negotiation, the joy of watching my clients succeed and excitement for a few new clients I recently signed.

Life is good.

--jhf

I wonder if part of the increased backlash correlates with the increased number of queries you guys are receiving. If more people are trying to enter publishing, especially if the vast majority of newcomers have no idea how the industry works, it fits that you would hear more vitriol directed your way by people who are new to rejection.

It's a total WAG on my part, but I thought I'd throw it out there.

@ Mark Terry:In all the arts, the final product is what matters. Thus, some talented artists get cut a lot of slack for their bad behaviour.

It's better if you write the perfect query and behave like a professional--but if you've written a fantastic book, that outweighs the presentation.

However, a person who can write a fantastic book can also learn to write a fantastic query, and most of them can even manage to not be raving lunatics when it counts, so I agree with you when you say writers should just figure out how to be professional.

However, I also understand why some of them think they don't have to. In the end, it's the words on the page that matter.

Sure, there are a few lousy agents, but there are also misinformed or even mean-spirited/jealous critique partners, writing teachers/experts who aren't up to date on the publishing industry, and all sorts of other sources of misinformation assaulting already shaky self-confidence. It's crazy.

Storytelling is supposed to be fun!

Best advice I can give? As soon as you launch one novel into Queryland, start polishing up the next. Finish it, launch, start another one immediately, and so on and keep on going.

(Psst, you'll have to do this once you're published anyway, so you might as well get used to crankin' 'em out.)

The more you write the better you get and the better you learn who has sound advice and who doesn't. Best part is all those rejection letters come to resemble mosquitos rather than killer bees.

When times are rough people tend to develop finger pointing to an Olympic Art. Same true in the Pub business. Lit Agents are suffering some of this backlash because of a perception created by the industry that they were the gate keepers to all that is good and holy. I refer to the recent demise of Music Publishers as stand alones. When writers found out they didn't need the "lofty opinions" of Music Publishers the independant publishers gave way to what we called "top drawer publishers" meaning the musican's lawyers acted in the same capacity and since the material was 'self recorded' anyway , who needed the Publishers. I watched great firms, like Larry Shayne Music fold due to the blossoming of self published songs and music. We are all afraid in these uncertain times. No time before have we all faced so much uncertainty. Who's to blame...Pick some body...

Well, as one of those new and unpublished people entering the field, I want you to know that I certainly do not see agents as the enemy.

They seem like an ally that I work with (once I acquire one, of course). I also think of the editor and publisher as an ally. Bookstores, too.

Places like this blog have helped me to understand the process and prepare for it. I appreciate it so much.

And although I prefer the more constructive comments and posts, I have even found some of the negative critisms helpful. Mostly as an example of what NOT to do and what type of attitudes to avoid in myself. (But I only need to see a few of those.)

Anyway, thanks so much for your blog.

I think it has to do withthe fact that writers are starting to realize that, HEY--agents aren't published writers (at least most of them aren't), which means they really don't know any better than the average writer.

Also, more and more new writers are breaking in sans agent, direct to Amazon, who then attract agent attention. So these days, I think the role of agent for the new writer has just become less important than it used to be, and so your'e seeing some disdain creep in.

"There’s also a few crummy, awful authors out there who would prefer to blame agents for their lack of success than simply work on honing their craft. "

This is also not the attitude I'd want from my agent.

for a new author, it's not so much about craft, but about marketing. All new;y pubbed authors should be spending their time promoting, not writing. Agents who don't get that are dinosaurs.

Agree with the craft versus marketing thing. It's a waste of time to hone craft when no one is going to know you're there.

I want an agent to talk about marketing, not writing. I'm the writer. the reason I need an agent is to sell what I've written. Editors are for feedback on honing the craft. Agents should be for feedback on marketing and promoting the product.

I want an agent who is a marketing genius, not a literary type.

I'd have to concur that, if an agent is to place blame on an author for poor sales, it should be for not promoting/marketing the book, as opposed to craft. Craft is too subjective. Marketing is tangible, and the more people who know about the book, the more potential buyers there are. I agree that too many new authors worry too much about writing and not enough about marketing.

The phrase is best-SELLING author, not best WRITING author. From what I've seen, the agents who blog spend too much time on the craft of writing 9which is reallyl the job of editors, anyway) and not enough time on the promotion of books, which is where the key to success lies.

Your craft will develop as you write multiple books, but you will not get the chance to write multiple books unless the first book sells. This is vastly understated in the agent blogoshphere. Forget craft. If you've got enough craft to sell a first book, you're good for now. The best way to improve your craft is by ensuring the book sells so that you get contracted to write more books. During the course of writing those addditional books, your craft will improve.

To the three posters above, are you crazy? Or are you all the same guy?

In any event, you have a real catch 22 there. I really hope when my first book is published I can tell the literary world "Well, it was good enough to be published."

I think Ann and Jim both give a good explanation on what is going on. These rejected writers and people who bitch about television and should both learn to change the channel.

Publishing is an economic game and it comes down to what the writer brings to the table. Some writers bring supreme talent, some bring connections, and some are skilled at self marketing.

But if no one knows your name, you lack a plastic smile, and your prose can't make Ann Lander's under-sexed fan base tingle in the nether regions, then maybe you should look at your own strategy.

If you don't have a strategy, a plan, or vision of where you want to be and how you want to get there, then what is an Agent going to do for you?

Nothing because even you don't know what you want to happen beyond the publishing of your first book, which amounts to a mere 6 months out of your excruciatingly long existence.

Wesley,

You just criticized the anon posters (poster?), but then went on to basically give the same argument that the marketing is most important.

It depends where you are in the game. For unknown writers without any kind of contract, obviously, working on craft is paramount. Even for agented writers who haven't actually sold a book yet, I'd say you still need to keep a full eye on the craft. But for debut authors whose book is being published, I agree that the focus needs to shift from writing to selling.

"(Psst, you'll have to do this once you're published anyway, so you might as well get used to crankin' 'em out."

This is also erroenous, No one HAS to do anything. Not everyone here aspires to write Harlequin romances that can be cranked out to the tune of 3 per year.

You choose what contracts you sign.

'Who's to blame..."

Each writer can only blame themselves. If you think you need an agent BEFORE you've demonstrated you have a salable book through actual sales, then waste a few years trying to get an agent. Other writers choose to go out and sell on their own. Everyone has a unique path to publication. there is no "right" way.

There will onyl be Your way.

Jessica, great post. When I feel frustrated I write a nice long letter on MS Word, use all my bad words, then press delete. Tantrum done!!!

I remember when, a manuscript finally up my sleeve, I started investigating publication and found that there were these people called agents out there.

I was so happy. I couldn't believe it! Apparently, agents were meant to be there to help me get a publisher, help me through the publishing process, give me advice, and basically be the perfect person to help an amateur writer deal with professionals.

Then I found that a lot of agents blog, too - about interesting, relevant, helpful stuff.

I heard that it's really hard to land an agent, but that made sense to me. Really, it seemed to me just to be the preliminary stage of weeding out the good writers from the bad. And I heard that it's really hard to write a good query letter, but I've read a few submitted queries on agents' blogs now, and it seems to me that if you're a good enough writer, you can write a query letter pretty easily.

I know it's a lot more complex than that, and I'm a little worried I sound a little sycophantic now. But I still have basically that same perception. I haven't tried to get an agent yet, as I'm still polishing both manuscript and query letter, and I expect a lot of rejection - it's just the way things go in this business.

But overall, regardless of whether or not I personally ever get published, it still seems to me that an agent's job helps us all out. Helps out amateur writers; sifts through the slush pile for publishers.

I've seen a lot of anger about agents lately, too. And I'm sorry you have to deal with all that, Jessica! But it seems as if most people here, at least, understand where you're coming from. Thanks for all you do for us!

Great post. Whenever I've felt frustrated or angry about things that have happened in my writing career I remember karma is watching. I want to make good things happen so I try to stay positive.

Woo, just noticed a few anonymous sour grapes in this thread. Just one comment:

anon 5:33 I want an agent who is a marketing genius, not a literary type.As I see it, agents are - as well as marketing geniuses - people who need to be literary types. They know what sells. They know what doesn't. It's their job. And you don't want a little helpful feedback from an agent on how to make your manuscript more marketable??

I really don't understand the anon posters who say that it's not the agent's job to criticise their writing. While that isn't the entirety of the agent's job, I'd say that's certainly a pivotal aspect of it. And don't you want someone else to help make your ms even better than it was before?

Agents are out there every day looking for material they can make money with.

If they reject your material, it just means that they can't see a way for them to profit from it. That's all. It doesn't mean that your work isn't salable (although it could mean that, it doesn't necessarily mean that).

That's why you query lots of agents who handle your genre and who are currently seeking subs.

When I see unagented writers blogging about how much time they spend "researching" agents, it makes me cringe. The only thing you need to "research" is, 1) does the agent handle your type of book, and 2) are they accepting subs when you want to send, and 3) the guidelines for what to send and in what format. That's it! Anything more than that and you are squandering precious time that you, as an "un" (un-agented, un-contracted) writer, need to spend developing your product (also referred to as "craft").

So if yo're reading agent blogs to "get a feel for their nuances" or some other such drivel, you're being counterproductive. there's no need to concern yourself with an agent's track record and all that until such time as they're express serious interest in you.

Query 'em all, let God sort it out.

"And don't you want someone else to help make your ms even better than it was before?"

That person is called an "editor."

Agents are business people. Editors are literary people.

Sometimes you'll get an agent with some time to fritter away (when they're done blogging for the day), who'll try to get cute with you and suggest manuscript revisions. You need to deal with these right away. That's not their job. if they can't get an editor to look at it yet, it means that they can't sell your manuscript, which means that YOU need to fix that manuscript until it resembles something that might be commercially viable to at least some percentage of publishers.

Anonymous,

I did not mean to imply that Marketing is the paramount but a factor. One of many factors.

My intent was to say the road to publishing is a deck of cards and you have to stack the deck in your favor and not expect someone else who is not you to do it.

Then again it is all about your aim, the term is Best Seller, Bill O'Riely and Pamela Anderson make that list. If you like that company and be my guest.

Which may seem that I further the marketing angle, but I'm not that much of an optimist.

"...and Pamela Anderson make that [bestseller] list. If you like that company..."

Who doesn't?!

Pam Anderson's ghostwriter...now there's a gig! Oh, wait, she probably write it herself, right?

Wow... gone for a few days and BAM! I find it interesting how the beginning posts are much more positive in a general sense.

From all the reading I've done, I've seen two schools of thought regarding marketing. One is your publisher/agent responsible for all but signing your books and the other is the author responsible for selling the books.

My guess is that the truth may be somewhere in the middle and that it really is non-sense to believe that improving your craft doesn't help.

If you suck, it won't matter how you market, through amazon or through a publisher.

And... how about everyone start the path to helping each other to not only understand the business but be BETTER writers? It would probably help down-tone the negativity that is prevalent among newbie and not-so-newbie writers.

Presentation is important but so is content. The pretty package won't make it a best SELLER but the well written novel won't get far without some promotion.

Don't forget to bring pepsi and snacks next time you want to have a go-round gossip mongering about agents. As for the rest of us, we'll drink our drinks and continue to read the blogs of those who are kind enough to write them so us non-published types can catch a clue and see the diversity out there.

Thanks, Book Ends for everything.
Leona Bushman

Anon 8:14 That person is called an "editor."
Agents are business people. Editors are literary people.I know! Editors help you do it too! It's awesome, isn't it? ;)

I don't think an agent could do it as well as an editor could - but hey, an agent's job is to find a great manuscript and market it. Sometimes the great manuscript needs to be made even better to be marketed, and an agent can help show you where improvements could be made.

(And I'm not going to reply to any more anon posters, because this conversation's just going round in circles.)

For me, I'm just going to write my ms and query letter till they're the best I can make them; send out queries; and start writing the next ms for in case this one's rejected by everyone I query. If I do sell a book, I'll do my utmost with marketing, with everything I can do, to promote that book.

But if it never happens, it never happens. I still love writing. I'm not quitting my day job. (Technically, don't have a day job as my old one dissolved due to the recession, but that's a problem for another day.)

I'm guesssing that the polite (and brown-nosing) posts are mostly from the un's--unagented, uncontracted writers, while the not-so-polite, or at least dissenting, as the case may be, posts come from published authors who have been in the trenches with agents before, and recognize their place on the publishing food chain.

So, it's my fault that I revised four times over a 10-month period and in the end received a "not as passionate as I thought" email after weeks of silence where I wondered what you were doing with my manuscript.

Huh.

Nah anon 8.41, I'm agented and published and polite

Melinda,

I did say, "...that the polite (and brown-nosing) posts are MOSTLY from the un's--unagented, uncontracted writers..."

Besides, everyone knows that the authors/bloggers who use their real names (with clickable links to their blogs/websites, no less), are merely santized versions of their real selves--they're here to advertise to the publishing industry, and that's all. So all we get from them are watered down nicities devoid of any real substance, transparaent ploys meant merely to to say, "Hey, click my link, I'm here, buy my stuff!"

Hi Jessica, I've been online since 1996, and I think I can say that vitriol on the Internet is pretty much as inevitable as space debris. My first online writing club had a golden period of 3-4 years where teen writers like me found kindred for the first time. It was almost magical then, but without proper self-renewal and the rules and vigilance that online communities need, it succumbed to self-poisoning and in-fighting in the end.

I guess what I'm saying is that opening yourself up to the Internet does to some extent expose yourself to the anger and vitriol out there, especially as tools like Twitter get the word out faster and more furiously than before (small character counts, while neat, also invites sweeping generalisation). As agents' online profiles and blogs become more widely known, thanks to broadcasts and word-of-mouth, this is only going to go up.

I feel it's no use getting upset or angry. While I've always been pacifist, I recognise that it's just as much part of human nature to be antagonistic. These people exist, and they're going to exist. They thrive on war- it's why we _have_ wars.

It's just that in a small community, it's magnified, and feels more painful. In the SFF world, just in the last two years alone, we've seen huge internet fights erupting over SWFA and RaceFail, to name a few. And why they're painful is because we have stakes invested and we can't just walk away.

I can't say that I can see a solution to these, except that I don't think withdrawal is the best way forward, for us and for the industry as a whole. But you have a loyal community of supporters :) Maybe you can mobilise us to stamp out trolls, or enforce the rules.

Waaaaaaaaaa, they're saying stuff I don't agree with...help!

While I appreciate the clarification of my job description, I think I'll stick to the way I'm doing things. Thanks. I think you'll be hard pressed to find a literary agent that isn't a "literary type." If our only job was to market, then we'd be selling cars or houses or vacuum cleaners.

A lot of agents (like all of us at BookEnds) were formerly editors at major publishing houses. Therefore, we have experience working with authors to hone their manuscript. But I don't think an agent has to have an editorial background to have a great eye for improving a project.

Some authors are looking for an agent that's very hands-on, like Jessica and I. Others just want an agent that will submit their work. You should enter into the relationship that you feel is right for your career.

"I think you'll be hard pressed to find a literary agent that isn't a "literary type."

Perhaps I oversimplified things a bit.

Of course agents have an interest in literature. However, my main point is that agents should be first and foremost skilled businesspeople, and that's why you want them, not for their editing skills (although, should they happen to have the latter, it's a nice bonus, but it's not the reason you hire them).

Minions, I have spoken.

Nope anon - I just happen to agree with Jessica. I get lonely writing - its nice to join in the conversation sometimes even if i don't have much to say. Thanks for making me feel welcome.

"...i don't have much to say."

That about sums it up.

Jessica, thank you for this post. You're right. And I hope you do move on.

The snarkers are going to carry on; it's all they know how to do. And they're everywhere, on every kind of forum, whether it's current events, music, weather or pudding cups. I'm a relative newcomer to the world of online community -- blogs and forums and such -- and I'm astonished at how just plain mean people can be. I wonder if the anonymity of the medium gives safety for venomous posts. Anyway...

I have come to count on this blog and others like it at the end of my day, as a means to help me learn the in's and out's of the publishing business and how to be a better writer. I like the community. There are good people here whom I assume to not be just a bunch of polite brown-nosers. You write good stuff and it's helpful. But I'm definitely ready to move on to other topics so cheers, hip hip for you!

Thanks so much!

Yes. Negativity spreads faster than a Santa Barbara wildfire. But I want to add, it is not reflective of the majority of writers I have met. In fact, except for two or three, everyone has spoken of agents in, at the very least, professional terms. Agents are holding the reins, they are in control, sometimes seen as a wall that must be broken through to move on. It's easier to blame them for our lack of success instead of our own writing. But, big BUT, when the blame gets displaced, the writing doesn't improve.

Whoa, good morning, my empathy for agents just skyrocketed!

Right on and well said, Jessica! Thank you for the reminder of how much we need each other to succeed.

Have a stellar weekend!

Writers are frustrated and angry because agents and editors seem to hold all the cards. We can't make or change the "rules," we have to live by them...like a people held hostage in a country under occupation.

But previous Anonymous, when you say that the agents *seem* to hold all the cards, you're right. They only seem to, they don't "make the rules" any more than the writers do.

What "rules" there are are made by the market, and ultimately the public.

The public is buying fewer books. The public's desire for entertainment is coupled with the fact that solvent people, even those with the money to frequently buy new books, have much less available time to read a book.

And unfortunately, most members of the reading public know what they like, and want more of the same.

That's why it's hard to sell books. Agents can't change that. Most of them would if they could, I'm sure.

Why shouldn't any agent want to sell as many titles as possible? They'd be accepting every single one that came across their desk, if they honestly thought every one would sell.

Jessica said: If we start snipping and sniping at each other we’re only making our own lives and the publishing process harder than it needs to be. It’s tough out there. Publishers are backing off on buying new books and published authors are being let go...

Well said, and thanks for all you do, you are appreciated.

Amen!! We LOVE our agent. We still LOVE our former agent. It's a rough job, and somebody has to do it. We do not want to do what you have to do and we could not do what we do w/o you!!
DeBerry & Grant

Agent mak-a-me money! Agent goooood!

Here's something for you to consider, Jessica.

I'm going to have to query an agent soon, so I've been latching onto websites like this one, agents that blog, in order to minimize my learning curve. Most of the agent weblogs I follow are not written by agents that I would query; mostly because of their genre preference, and occasionally because I don't think we would get along very well. I preface these points because I can honestly say that I'm attempting to make a fair statement concerning the agent-writer relationship, and that I have no poker in the fire, so to speak.

I don't look forward to the process of finding an agent, I loathe it. Not because I don't like agents, most of you seem to be a swell bunch of people, but more because the process is humiliating for the writer. The humiliation isn't because of rejection, at least for me; I've been writing freelance for over a year now - shorts for magazines - and the rejections don't bather me at all. Twenty years ago, I wrote for a newspaper, I had plenty of articles rejected. Rejection is a part of this process.

The humiliation comes from the attitude of some of the agents concerning the query process. Understand that the writer probably has a day job. He or she wants to make their living writing, not stocking shelves at Walmart. The agent, ostensibly, is already doing what they love for a living. Unless the writer decides to write articles about dog food or go-cart racing or twenty ways to improve your love life or some other nonsense, they are going to have to stay at Walmart until the get an agent's attention.

Some agent blogs actually note their weekly statistics. For example, 157 query's received, 1 partial requested, 328 query's in the slush pile. Most agents that share their statistics have well under 1% of requests from the query. So, right away, writers seeking agents are at a huge disadvantage.

Next, we have queryfail, writerfail, and lots of snarkyness from many of the agents, claiming that all the while they are over-worked and under-appreciated. While some of the criticism is helpful, much of it comes off negatively. It came as no surprise that agentfail brought so many comments from writers that were negative, imagine how frustrated they are!

And, to cap it off, many agents have decided that they need not answer the query. They can't be bothered to reply to a query, perhaps they are too busy bashing writers. This is totally unacceptable to me, and unprofessional. I won't query an agent that has a "no reply means I'm not interested" policy, it's a ridiculous way to do business.

I'm not lumping you in to any of this, just pointing out what I've been reading over the last six months.

Good for you, Gringo--that's it in a nutshell. Many agents seem to take a perverse delight in telling hopefuls how they're so inundated w/ queires. But oftenyou don't know about their "no-response" policy until onth later when...you get NO response! Worse, when they do request your ms., they're just too damn busy to read it cuz their client list is so full.
But still they keep your hopes up and promise to read it "this week" as the months go by...

Meanwhile, they continue to accept submissions, attend conferences, teach classes and workshops, all the while knowing that 99.9% chance of wannabe writers don't have a chance in hell of getting an agent or getting published...
a tad one-sided?

I love your blog. Please! Never stop.
I think agent blogs are a blessing. Tell me what to do and what not to do. I'll take all the advice you got.
My father's best advice: Keep your ears open and your mouth shut!
I think he thought I talked to much :) but good advice over all. Especially when someone is trying to help. Agents want books that sell, we want to sell our books so we should listen to the people who sell them. Simple.

Absolutely.

Thank you, Jessica.

Very good post. I think the problem is that positive, balanced people are often writing and trying to improve rather than constantly posting nasty things on internet. Or maybe we are even living our lives :)

Because of this, agents may get a warped picture of what most writers are really like.

Most of us appreciate that agents are on our side. So - as someone who is often a blog "lurker" - I just wanted to say thanks for your blog.

(1) Maybe you should disable anonymous posters...

(2) Hear! Hear!

Yes, Gringo and May 10 12:44 Anonymous, the agents only put all of that effort into blogging and holding workshops at conferences and, heck, reading queries at all in order to taunt writers. It all makes sense now!

Seriously, if it causes you that much emotional harm to be involved in the process of trying to get published, maybe you should choose another path for your life.

Dear Anonymous 10:39 PM May 13:

Why are you anonymous at all? I'm certainly not, nor am I some emotional invalid, nor would I hide from my comments like you are doing. My comments are meant to be constructive. Yours seem to be meant to be destructive.

I am published. So far, I have managed without an agent, but I'll need one soon. I sincerely hope that you aren't an agent, because you seem to share the exact attitude from some that I've read, and I really don't want any part of that.

If you are an agent, I beg you to reveal yourself, I'd hate to waste a query letter on someone like you.

It's sad, because I know there are wonderful agents too. However, I find myself passing through sites like Absolute Write and avoiding the Ask the Agent board because I've come to think of agents as necessary evils. And I hope to sign on with a publisher which doesn't require one. Even if it means very little money. Life's too short.

Anonymous:

I'm really sorry to hear that because I think if you really dig through the complaints, and as you can see from both my Agentfail and my Agentpass posts, the complainers are always the loudest, you'll see that agents are really fabulous. They love authors and love books and what they want most is to build an author's career and to work as a team while doing so.

Keep in mind that there are literally hundreds of agents out there and when you look at the complaints, it's really a small minority.

Don't let the negativity start to read as truth.

--jessica

Great post! If the agent is working for you and they are not doing their job then you can potentially fail as an employer. After all the stress of querying I would want to relax as well, but like you said getting an agent is one of many hurdles to overcome.

I think the volume of complaints directed at the query system is just a reflection of the readership; most of us are unagented / unpublished author's and our perspective has yet to be broadened to include the further stages of the agent-author relationship.

I'm glad I have the opportunity to read your blog and prepare myself for representation, so that when it happens, it will happen once and it will not fail.

Your Quote: "...In the cases where an agent sat on a manuscript for months and months, not giving feedback to the author and not submitting the work, the agent certainly failed, and in a big way. But what about the author? Why do you sit there for months and months and allow someone else to put your career on hold?..."

I was one of the ones that complained about an agent not giving me feedback on a manuscript for months and months (and not submitting). If I told you the A-list agent that did this to me, you'd probably be stunned.

It's not like I "sat around" while I let my agent put my career on hold. I was emailing her, asking her to get back to me. Asking why stuff wasn't being read. I'd get no response until the third email -- only to be brushed off with "I'll get to you next week." Next week never came.

We've parted ways.

After all the work of writing a MS and finally getting an agent, you want to give the agent the benefit of the doubt, right? Because that person IS saying "they'll get back to you." It takes more than a month sometimes to figure out that an agent is a liar.

At the same time, if a client of yours complained every time you said you'd send them X and were a few days late, you'd chastize them for being too impatient.

I swear to God, writers can't win.

A great post. Nice to know someone was noticing the serious complaints about "malfunctioning" agents, not just the no-response response malarkey.

But outside forces still powerfully stymie good writers with good manuscripts in hand, including those who take their own careers seriously and don't act like doormats (waiting months for agent feedback? Good grief.).

Right now we're experiencing the most serious financial crisis since the Great Depression. Agents are still making deals, but they admit books are much harder to sell. Publishers are gun-shy, editors don't have big budgets to spread around.

If you have a book currently on submission, and it is being turned down because it doesn't look like it will easily pass the money-test, what do you with your book? Has it been shop-soiled forever by virtue of having been passed around in a recession? It seems a very harsh fate for the beloved product of several years of a writer's life, one that did merit representation by a good house. What does a good agent advise in this situation? Is there any future for my book, now, or is it a victim of the times? I don't want to "fail myself" but how far can you go to remedy these things that are out of your control?

As an editor, I've seen some pretty outrageous Agentfails. The most shocking was an author whose agent had been carrying on collecting royalty checks for four years while telling the author the book hadn't earned out. He (the author) finally called us directly to verify sales, and was shocked to learn he was owed thousands of dollars. When he tried to contact his agent, she had totally disappeared.

But the point is--agents are in a position to crimp their careers by being outrageous (I don't think it pays off in the long run, but it's awful easy to do). So the fact that the overwhelming majority of you don't--that you're unbelievably hardworking, professional, and responsive, tireless advocates for your clients, arbiters of a blossoming career (even when it might take years and years to blossom)--makes me sad to see some of the bitterness and agitation toward agents I've seen in the last couple weeks on the internet. Just doesn't make sense.

I think that the truly outrageous stories of Queryfail, Agentfail, Editorfail (should there be one) would be the fun part--"here are the crazy ways people spoil the system!"--but it hasn't really worked out that way.

Anon 9:28:

Please don't assume I meant you were doing nothing, but I do hear many complaints from authors who do seem to do nothing. Your example just stuck in my head. And don't assume I would be surprised by the name of the agent. I don't know anything about "A-list" or "B-list" agents. I think those should be personal to each author. But whatever list you're on as a person you can definitely screw up.

I'm also not sure I'd chastise a client of mine for being impatient. If I missed a deadline I would expect to be called on the carpet for that. Please don't put words in my mouth.

Next Anon 9:28
If your book is being rejected on query alone it's certainly easy to requery again when times are better, but please don't blame everything entirely on the economy. Sure it's tough right now, but I think we should all keep looking ahead because there's no guarantee it's going to get easier anytime soon. Work on your next book. That's the best advice I can give.

--jhf

Anon 9:28 quote: "...those who take their own careers seriously and don't act like doormats (waiting months for agent feedback? Good grief.)..."


Oh, good God. For every unagented writer out there, just wait, WAIT, I tell you, until YOU have a "fabulous" agent.

It has nothing to do with being a doormat. I highly doubt anyone in my life would accuse me of that. Just because you are professional and courteous to an agent doesn't mean they respond back to you in the same way. Some of them lie. They say they'll read your MS over the weekend or next week. They don't. They don't return your questioning emails. They don't follow up with editors about submissions.

You can't MAKE an agent do anything. The only thing you can do is leave. I DID leave. But guess what, that manuscript is now dead. No other agent is going to shop your MS, even if it was only sent to five editors.

I think everyone judging a writer for being a "doormat" has just one, just ONE bad experience with an agent, you'd never blame the writer again.

In response to 9:44 Anonymous, perhaps we should recognize the overall blame balance. Sometimes, agents do fail, and that's what AgentFail was about--a chance to get those stories out there. Okay, so now we've vented. Now it's time to realize that somewhere other writers have allowed themselves to become doormats. Maybe the doormat comment wasn't directed at you (and it seems from your post that you attempted everything you could with the agent in question). As a writer, I'm sincerely sorry to hear about your manuscript that can no longer be shopped around, but as a writer I want to ask you--so what? Work on the next project and make it better. Being bitter will never help you get published. The system failed you and it's awful, so if you're sick of the system, bail out. Otherwise, pick yourself up and move on. Spend that energy writing!

Anon 9:44 a.m. Please accept my apologies for the "doormat" comment. I was not thinking of any specific letter-writer when I wrote that, just responding to Jessica's original post about writers who are stuck in the waiting game with neglectful agents.

You have all my sympathy because we are in exactly the same boat. I've had two "esteemed" agents, and yet could write a book about my shoddy treatment at their hands. You're right, you can't make them do anything if they don't want to do it. Many of them seem to see you as a "winner" up till they get that first rejection, after which they fear you are a "loser" and cannot wait to be rid of you. You can eventually save your self-respect and walk away (also my path), but then you're stuck with a shopworn MS.

And let's face it: publishing on the 'net is still not a desirable option. We're screwed.

Shae W--great advice. Every book you write means the next one will be better. Writers learn something new on every project, and it doesn't matter how long you've been writing or how many books you've had published. Growing as a writer means your confidence grows along with your skills. It's a lot harder for anyone to treat you as a doormat when you're confident enough to stand up for yourself.

I was one of those "doormat" writers for a while. After my first agent retired, I thought finding a new one would be easy. It wasn't. It took me a lot of queries and over two years to find another agent (and that was with three novels through a major publisher already under my belt).

When I did finally find one, I thought this person would do as wonderful a job as my first agent had, leaving me time to focus on my writing. After a year, I realized that wasn't going to be the case but I hung in there because I kept hoping things would improve (I did communicate my dissatisfaction) and because I dreaded the idea of having to start over again with the whole find-an-agent thing. It can be such a frustrating, time-consuming, drawn-out, ego-deflating process that, for me, tolerating an agent who wasn't very good seemed like the lesser of the evils for a while, because it allowed me to focus solely on my writing. By the end of the second year I'd had enough and I finally severed the relationship.

Open the floodgates for all the trite advice to "just work on that next mss."

(Shuts down computer and goes off to stab self with any old thing at hand.)

Whenever this subject came up I've had to click off the site 'cause everyone's complaint was how much of a fail it was. Did they not see the actual #agentfails? Or did they read just a few and thought why bother its a whine fest?

It's sad the true complaints got lost. But on some level I have to disagree with you. Authors are told over and over that agents are busy. It may take months and months to get back. Stop being impatient. Or worse, agents show examples of why not to "bug" an agent because you guys see that as sign we won't have the patience for the publishing industry. Those nudges end in rejections.

So, when some are on the receiving end of this we think, "I don't want to be one of those people." It's a vicious cycle.

Me, personally, I wouldn't wait months and months. If I send a nudge and don't hear back--nudge meaning, hey did you get it?--I move on.

Anyway, this might be the time for agents to remind people what are true red flags for a bad agent.

10:27 Anon, what else do you say except to encourage working on a new project? Do you honestly want someone saying people should give up after one (or even many) bad agent experiences? There are people who are "bad" in their chosen profession no matter which profession you're talking about. I'm horrified by the stories I read on AgentFail, but as a writer I feel like the only thing to do is keep writing.

A bad agent is worse than no agent at all.I agree with that statement 100%.

When you're a newbie writer and an agent signs you, it's natural to assume the teacher/student attitude. The writer doesn't know the industry as well as the agent, so when she tells you something, it's natural to believe her.

With most agents, this wouldn't be a problem, but with a few...

This why, I think, every writer should study the industry, become educated. There is enough information out there, tons of 'what to expect from your agent' posts and websites where you can read or leave feedback on agents. It is possible (and necessary)for a newbie to demystify the process.

Thank you for a wonderful post.

: )

I have to agree with Shae W here and encourage the writing of more than one book. I had a book that gained an agent. It stopped there. Parted amicably with the agent, started working on another book, and still another.

Now when I send out queries I have YA, scifi, fantasy and the original book that started it all.
I actually think my latest work is better than the book that landed an agent, but my point is, my goal is to be a writer, not a writer of one book.

Sure, it can only take one book to make your mark in literature, but you never know which one it will be.

Anon 10:12 --

(I'm Anon 9:44)

Apology totally accepted. I didn't even mean you as in "you" but just sort of an accumulation of all unpubbed writers who haven't been through the bad agent thing. I'm sorry I went into a tizzy there for a moment. And I'm also sorry for you own agent troubles. I have so been there.


Shae W. --

See, that's the thing. OF COURSE I'm working on the next ms. That's what writers do. Again, there is a huge disconnect here. Sometimes when a writer voices her agent troubles she's doing it as a wakeup call to those that are unagented -- that finding an agent isn't nearly as hard as finding the RIGHT agent, who holds up her end of the bargain.

Why is that associated with being "bitter?"

I'm not "bitter," I'm "wiser." But at the same time I get weary of unpublished writers claiming they'd never put up with such-and-such from an agent. In reality, agents have lots of power. They sometimes use it unwisely.

I think Anon's dilemma is that once you've landed an agent with a great reputation, you're inclined to give the benefit of the doubt.

Even terrific, well-established agents can fail a client, sometimes through no fault of their own. I think what some agents forget is that any writer worth taking on is also sane enough to gracefully accept that the agent is changing focus to another genre, is having trouble making the sale, or is going to take a year off to seek enlightenment in the Himalayas.

If there's anything I've learned in my own two and a half decades of paid employment, it's that setting appropriate expectations, even if they're low, is better than making promises you can't keep.

But whether the agent fails or succeeds, a writer keeps writing. The publishing business moves slowly, but writing a good book takes time, too. If the agent gets you that three-book deal, you want to have the next manuscript ready. If the agent fails, you want to be ready to pitch something else.

An agent, an editor, or a publisher can fail, but a writer who keeps working on his or her craft can succeed in spite of them all.

Boy, this is a toughie. I definitely have sympathy for those writers out there who end up with an agent who doesn't live up to their end of the bargain. I believe they are the exception to the rule, but unfortunately, they are the stories one hears the most about. Writers don't tend to speak up too often about agents who do their jobs well. After all, it's expected that they are professional and know what they are doing, and have the writers best interests at heart. There are places one can go to research about agents, like the Water Cooler and Writer Beware, but they certainly aren't going to catch everyone. There are other things one can do though, which have been posted about, like being able to speak to other authors an agent represents. I'm curious if authors ever contact editors an agent has worked with to get feedback or if editors would even be inclined to do so. There are certain aspects of the business that authors can and should be aware of so they can talk to the agent about these. Communication is the key obviously.

You can certainly be upfront initially with any prospective agent about response times. Whatever they give, they should be held too for the most part. Authors also can have certain expectations about how the relationship should function. It's not a one way street. If you expect emails to be returned within a certain amount of time, you should be able to communicate this with the agent. If you want updates about submissions on a regular basis, communicate this. It's a partnership, not a boss-employee relationship. Grounds for termination should be established right off the bat. This can be a hard one I'm sure, because agents are so difficult to come by in the first place you don't want to have to severe the relationship. Like someone said before, it can take a long time to get another one even if you're already published.

I'm still agent hunting. When I get one that is interested enough in my writing, I'll certainly have a list of expectations for them, and I'll expect them to have the same for me. I'll talk to other authors they rep. I'll try to dig up as much feedback as I can. I'll want to be confident going into the partnership that it's going to work, and not just throwing myself at their feet, thankful that anyone will rep me. I want an agent. I want a career in writing novels that will sell. Even though I know the majority of agents are good, professional, and know what they are doing, but I will go into it with as much knowledge and open communication as I can manage. Success isnn't guaranteed of course, but I will do my damnedest to lay a solid groundwork for me to achieve it. I will also go into it without any qualms about leaving, because it is true that a bad agent is worse than no agent.

I will also keep writing and trying. This is a tough business, and you can't ever expect success or assume that it will continue once you get some. You can't just write good stories and let it go from there. Communication and involvment are important. However, first and foremost is writing a good story. You will go nowhere without that, which is why that 'keep writing' addage is said over and over again. It may sound trite at times, but it is nonetheless true. So, I shall keep writing, and querying, and trying to be as smart and knowledgeable about this industry as I can.

Thanks for revisiting this (treacherous?) territory in a more positive light. I wouldn't be surprised if one of those folks who had a bad experience with an agent starts a website (anonymously, of course!) listing that agent and asking writers who had similar experiences to do the same. If truly negligent agents were "outed," they'd either change their ways, or become obsolete.

I’m glad to see you noticed the genuine horror stories.

Many agent contracts don’t have an easy escape clause so the author is stuck for the term of the contract, no matter how poorly the agent is behaving.

If there is an escape clause, the author has to ask herself--

How long is too long to wait for feedback or the common courtesy of a reply?

It took me a year or years to find this agent. Is waiting a little longer a good strategy in comparison to possible a year or more of finding another agent?

Will more time put my book at risk of being passe´ as the market shifts?

Should I risk being branded hard-to-work with and unprofessional in the good ol’ agent network of gossip?

Other writers are giving me all kinds of advice, and it’s all different. Who is right?

And the questions with few answers go on and on.

Great point Jessica! :) Thanks for posting. Everyone has a little liability in a bad situation like that.

It's really a crying shame when you've trusted someone with your work and they've mucked up and made it useless. And the advice to "no big deal - go write another book" is correct, but it IS a little like being told to go have another baby, 'coz this one's retarded.

Fresh ideas in a glutted market, especially ones you're passionate enough about to spend thousands of hours on aren't all that easy to come by, and it must be depressing to have your manuscript spoiled by a lazy agent.

On the other hand - what else can you do? Take a deep breath and start looking for the next inspiration.

Jim Duncan brought up a good point and that is to talk to other clients of an agent before agreeing to their representation. What better way to gauge the work of said agent? It's not full proof but certainly a great way to find out if the agents current authors are happy.

Jduncan--

"....When I get one that is interested enough in my writing, I'll certainly have a list of expectations for them, and I'll expect them to have the same for me..."

No agent that wants your ms is going to say, Yes, hey, I'm only going to send your ms to five editors and then I'm going to never read your other ms, and after that I'm going to never return any of your emails...

But, sometimes (sometimes!) that is what happens. An Agent snaps you up, heaps all kinds of praise on your work, and then, when you don't sell in five minutes they are done with you and on the the next writer. A good agent like Jessica isn't going to do this, but there are so many that do.

And guess what, you can't find any info on them from other writers -- because you don't know the names of their unpublished writers (because they are unpublished) and I'm betting their clients that have sold aren't going to possibly ruin their own relationship with the agent by pointing out the agent's flaws to someone they don't know.

I'm not trying to make anyone paranoid, but "ideal" situations are often not the norm in client/agent relationship. Because the writer can only write one book at a time, it's a much bigger deal than to the agent who can sell one of their other 20-50 clients' books.

I've worked on both sides of the fence--I used to be an editor, and now I'm a writer. Over the years I've had three agents, and while each was wonderful in his or her way, and had a reputation you could build whole cities on, the first two let me down quite horribly. The third: well, she's a dream, and I adore her.

I know from my own experience that having not just a good agent, but the RIGHT agent, makes a whole heap of difference to a writer's life. I always recommend that writers look for representation. But I also understand the heartbreak of having the wrong agent pitch a book, and not sell it, only to see it languishing unsold for various reasons, not all of them my own. I've since written several better books: but that other one, that didn't sell, is still there, and just as good, and just as unread and unpublished as before.

The real lesson that I learned from Queryfail and all subsequent somethingfails is that writing is a hard craft to master, and a hard business to work in as a writer. That doesn't mean that I blame anyone for the problems that are out there: just that most writers face heartbreak no matter how good and positive, or bad and bitter, they are.

There. That's lowered everyone's spirits, hasn't it? Sorry. I'll try to be more cheerful next time!

Jane writing is not for the weak. When you finally get a sale...believe me, you feel like you've won the war...and some writers are just more battle scarred than others.....but what a feeling when you finally succeed. You gotta keep trying. I do believe that where there is a will, there's a way....but you must take control, be proactive...

Jane, I meant that you were right! I dont' want to sound condescending.... :-)....ok, I need to get some writing done...damn blogs and now Twitter...

Juliana, don't worry, I didn't think you sounded condescending at all. In fact, I might just hire you as my own personal cheerleader. I want you to sit on the corner of my desk and cheer me on every day, and if you could also stop me from eating quite so many biscuits as I do, that would be a bonus!

Sorry Fawn, but I respectfully disagree with this:

"no big deal - go write another book" is correct, but it IS a little like being told to go have another baby, 'coz this one's retarded.

A book is not a person, no matter how attached the writer is to his or her "baby". While I truly enjoy curling up with a good book, it can never replace a loved one.

Also,
Those of us with retarded children and or /brothers and sisters wouldn't trade them for the world. Their giving and loving spirit rivals many the world calls normal.

Another response to your statement: "...In the cases where an agent sat on a manuscript for months and months, not giving feedback to the author and not submitting the work, the agent certainly failed, and in a big way. But what about the author? Why do you sit there for months and months and allow someone else to put your career on hold?..."

But we get told that we have to wait to hear from you, that we will be automatically rejected if we badger you. It's very frustrating when advice seems to contradict the advice we've been given previously.

Thank you for posting this. I think it's time for both sides to 'fess up and admit they were wrong in some aspects. As a new writer we think our agent is there to help us - we wrote the book, now it's time to sit back and let our agent do the rest, and some agents will use that theory to our advantage.

The most we can say is that the queryfail opened our eyes - on both sides - and its our own fault if we let things rest the way they have.

Anon 1:07 - I believe she was referring to already agented authors. There is still waiting to be done even when you have an agent and they are sending your work out on submission. However I am with Jessica on this one, you have to make sure you're up to date with what's going on, communicate with your agent. The good ones will return the favour.

And I want to say that I have never met a bad agent. I mean in person. All the agents I have had the joy of communicating with have been just amazing. There are many good ones out there. Yes there are also crappy ones out there, but to consider that the norm, well that's just wrong. It's simply that we as humans would rather vent than praise, so there is more negative out there on the interweb than positive.

Question: Is it possible that a lot of the silence about a query or a 'request for more info" is because some agents are actually 'shopping the material or idea' before giving the writer an answer?

Here's the thing. As a first-time agented writer, I didn't KNOW what was "normal" agent behavior. I didn't know if my expectations in terms of communication were unrealistic or not. I was trying to be a good client, to not bother my agent too much. This was an agent most writers would kill to have: super experienced with lots of sales, and working for one of the biggest literary agencies in NY.

Yes, my agent was enthusiastic. Yes, she started shopping my ms right away (after I'd done some revisions before signing). And she kept me in the loop on responses. All good. But it took her nearly two months to read a proposal of my WIP (after I'd politely nudged her at least once and she'd promised to look at it "this weekend"). Was that normal agent behavior? I didn't know.

After we signed, it took her an average of ten days to respond to my emails (containing somewhat important but not emergency questions). Was that normal? I didn't think so but I wasn't sure. I was trying to give her the benefit of the doubt and to be patient. We're always told to be patient, aren't we?

Of course, I when she started giving me the silent treatment after the 11th editor rejection, I knew that wasn't normal. I terminated our relationship.

You speak truth. I found myself in that exact situation. I didn't want to press my agent too much so only touched bases every few months. I quit bugging her and concentrated on another book. When it was ready I contacted her and...she informed me she wasn't going to represent any more of my books. Gosh, wish I had been told a bit earlier. Even so, I hesitated making a move. She said she wanted to continue trying to sell the one book she had. But after several more months and no word, etc. I sent a letter of termination and went looking for new representation. It's taken me nearly two years and two books to get an agent offer. Now I'm editing that one per my agent's suggestions. So far I'm very pleased.

Thank you so much for saying this. I've seen so many agents responding to the agentfail stuff written by unrepresented writers -- stuff about form rejections, etc., but everyone was ignoring the real heartbreak stories: agents who ignore their own clients, agents who don't follow up on submissions, agents who give up on a book (as mine did) after a mere handful of rejections. These are not scam artists or self-deluded losers -- these are big name agents with major sales who just can't be bothered to treat their clients like human beings. And since no one talks about this stuff openly, it's impossible to tell when you're signing -- you really have no choice but to hope for the best.

As for why writers don't dump agents like this -- I did, but I can tell you why others don't. One reason is the fear of becoming labeled "difficult" if it comes out you've had more than one agent. I just saw an interview with a group of agents who said they'd be hesitant to sign anyone who had a history of leaving an agent -- they gave all the benefit of the doubt to the agent.

Another reason is the truism that no agent will touch a project if it's already been on submission. A friend of mine's agent doesn't respond to emails except once in a blue moon, refuses to follow up on submissions... my friend would love to leave, but who else is going to touch a book that's already been shown around at seven houses? To have a chance, she'd have to start all over with a new book. I can understand why authors are hesitant to cut bait in that situation.

Anon, I understand your frustrations. I would take issue with that statement that 'most' agents are poor when it comes to communication and meeting expectations. I believe most make good faith efforts. Part of it may be priority and workload. I'm sure Jessica can speak far more on this than my meager observations from agent blogs and such, but some agents are certainly more efficient than others at regular communication. Some have greater workloads than others, to the point of being swamped most of the time, while others are still actively building lists and have more freedom to respond to client needs quickly regardless of whether it's an emergency or not. Established client needs certainly take precedent of new clients. Not saying new clients should be treated less than, but it's something like a business ignoring its core constituency in favor of the new venture. While they want the new venture to succeed, the core has to be maintained.

Actually be interesting to hear Jessica's or other agents on the balance between dealing with new and established client needs. Perhaps I'm way off base here, and they are treated the same, or as more likely the case, it depends on the agent.

Certainly authors can try to establish some kind of boundaries when gaining representation, i.e. how quickly can I expect responses to email questions if it's not an emergency? How many submission rejections will it take before it becomes apparent the book won't likely sell? If it won't sell to the main pubs, will it be shopped to smaller ones and are they going to be interested in pursuing that? Because you really want to know if the agent is in it with you for the long haul. Are they willing to start small and try to build or they going to be disappointed in taking you on if they have to go with the smaller money. Because at some point, the return on investment just isn't going to be viable for them. Agents have to make a living too, regardless of how much they love an author's work.

Anyway, it is a frustrating business. No two ways about it. Agents vary a good deal amongst each other in how they approach their work. Communication is key. Do your research. If you can't find out anything about an agent prior to going into a relationship, that should be a red flag.

Dean Wesley Smith here. Great post and I have passed it along to a number of lists I am on. Every writer needs to hear what you just said to get this "agent as saviors" myth under control. My wife, Kristine Kathryn Rusch and I teach professional level writers and we have a sign that we put on the wall behind us. "You are responsible for your own career."

It sometimes is the hardest lesson we teach.

Thank you for the sound words of advice from the agent side. Very much appreciated.

Cheers, Dean

I just saw an interview with a group of agents who said they'd be hesitant to sign anyone who had a history of leaving an agent -- they gave all the benefit of the doubt to the agent.I saw that same interview and almost cried. I tried so hard to be a good client but was forced to terminate the relationship when my agent disappeared on me. And now it's a black mark against me? Great.

So, BookEnds, when should a previously repped disclose their agented history? And at what point in the query process? Partial ms request? Full? Offer of representation? I'd be very grateful if you could provide some specifics to those of us who are in this unfortunate position.

Or to any writers out there who've had more than one agent, how did you handle things?

Anon, I don't know if it helps, but I disclosed the info in my query that I was 'previously repped by XYZ agent.' The agent has a very good name, and I left her after trying very long and hard to make it work. I figured why wouldn't I disclose that info--it shows that an agent with big name clients thought my work had merit. I wouldn't have done it if the split had gone badly, or the agent had a poor rep.

I'm now agented again, and my new agent asked about it right away, but not in a negative sense like I'd done something wrong. She knows that not all writing marriages work out--that's the biz. I think most agents know this, so I wouldn't feel like you have a black mark against you for being previously agented.

Anon 5:33. I didn't mention prior rep in any of my query correspondence, partial or full requests. Not until I was offered representation. Only then did I bring it up as part of the full-disclosure 'getting to know you' talk-fest after agreeing to representation. And then I emphasized I left on good graces. That was how I handled it as I am fully cognizant of other agents being leery of writers with a past relationship.

Hmmm . . . since I am now going through 'editorfail' I can see both sides of the story.

I had an unagented work accepted by a well respected small press. We went through the initial rounds of copyediting and the first editor [just wonderful] sent it on to the senior editor. Over a year ago . . . All of my emails have gone unanswered. I think my contract with them is about to expire. If I've been shelved, I would like to know.

Not sure what to do next and I am a lawyer by profession for heavens sake.

I can imagine how other rookies must feel if this has left me in such a quandry.

Very depressing when agents hold all the cards and the writers are at their mercy. How are we supposed to know who the bad agents are when people refuse to mention names (for fear of getting blacklisted)? Agents like to protect their own and writers are too afraid to speak up.

The solution is obvious: Publishers should allow unagented submiussions and have jr. editors or assts. go through the slush pile, just as agents do now...

Then we won't have to pay that pesky 15%-20% and we all end up more responsible for our work and in control of our careers. Think of the time and $$ we'd all save! Why not give it a try, publishers?

Oh Lord.

I am one of the people who responded to Agentfail with a story about my agent. Who I swear to god I adore as a person but who can't seem to sell a thing. (Not just my stuff... anyone's stuff.)

We were so close to a sale once, with a major editor calling me to rave over the book and how he was looking forward to working with me and still... no sale.

Now I'm about to send another book to the submission process - and I know this one has got even more of the magic than the last one that didn't sell - but can I work up the courage to let my agent go before I send the novel out?

I feel like I would be letting my agent down by jumping ship just when I have something special to deliver.

How far do I stand with my loyalty?

Anon 12:55:

My question for you is who should your loyalty really be with? Your agent or you and your career? I don't think authors should just leave agents willie-nilly. I've stressed numerous times that communication is necessary and I think the smart authors take the time to discuss concerns with the agent first, but if you are truly and sincerely doubting your agent's ability to sell your work you need to ask yourself what will make you feel worse. You should also find out from the agent what happened with the deal that fell through. That might make all the difference in how you feel about the next book.

Anon 10:32
My point of this post is that agents don't hold all the cards unless you give them all the cards to hold. In addition, keep in mind that many of these stories don't involve bad agents, but simply agents who fell down on the job at one point or another and for one author or another. Some do it repeatedly, some are just bad instances. In the end, when interviewing agented authors, I think what you'll find is that most of them are very happy to be paying the 15% and truly feel they have someone on their side. As for names, I will repeat myself and again you will refuse to listen. Go to Absolute Write. Names are discussed very liberally over there.

--jhf

Writers will always be at the mercy of agents, until we can come up with a system of control that makes things better for us ... and if possible cut them out of the loop with the whole publishing process.

Don't act like you haven't thought about it.

Naming names. Stephanie Kip Rostan. Read full. Asked to see rewrite without any hint what should be rewritten. Submitted massive rewrite. One month later, asked for more revisions--unspecified. Sent in. Responded asking for more revisions.

Discovered in discussions with other authors that she had asked ALL of them for multiple revisions without ever offering anyone representation. Seems she couldn't bring herself to issue a rejection.

Several years later foolishly queried again. Received a request for the full. Sent it. No response. Emailed after 6 months. No response. Emailed again at a year. No response.

Is this reply an improvement on asking for revisions? Perhaps as it saved me wasting a lot of time on revisions.

Is this someone you should do business with? Your decision.

An agent responded to my query with a very personal connection to my manuscript. She read the requested full and responded in a reasonable amount of time with a nice rejection. Overall, not a bad querying experience...but then a few weeks later, she sent me a form rejection. Because what's better than having one submission rejected TWICE?

I'd like an agent that is a little more organized than that (not to mention more organized than the one who lost all of her files - including client files - in a computer crash. Backup?)

The whole, follow our guidelines, but we'll read any story if it's well written, drives me nutty.

Favorite dislike for e-queries is "no response means no." So how long do I wait till no means no, given that "reply in 6 weeks" usually means 12?

Favorite dislike for snail-queries is the "If you sent a stamped addressed envelope we are returning..." letter, sent in the stamped addressed envelope. They could at least have two form letters couldn't they?

Agentfail is when you receive a photocopy of a photcopy (slightly off center) of the agency's canned response. Looks dreadfully unprofessional.

Agentfail is when you get a canned response to a full manuscript which the agent requested.

Agentfail is when the agent loses your stuff TWICE and you have to keep resending.

Agentfail is agent arrogance.
A potential customer might be the lifeblood of the agent's business.

"No response means no."

What if no response means your email got sucked in by the spam filter? Or got lost behind the desk? I got a response that simply said "I'm sorry, this isn't for me." It wasn't even personalized, but I sure appreciated the verification that my query was received.

Looking down/being impatient with new writers is always a turnoff. Also the "no reply is no interest" rule. I don't mind form rejections but a reply is common courtesy.

We know agents are busy, but when we take the time to query or email an agent, all we ask are 3 seconds for a "no thanks".

**And the whole no response thing? Yeah, that has to go. How are we to know if you even receive the submission, let alone want it?

**Don't judge us by our query letters. Just because we cant write a good query letter doesn't mean we cant write a good book. Queries are by far the worst thing we have to do (Synopsis is a close second) and if I'm going to be rejected because of my query whats the use of trying to find an agent when they wont ever see what the manuscript is like?

**And another issue: Agents that respond with no salutation, just a No, not for me, and no name. total Agent fail. We took the time to query you properly, you should take the time to reject us properly. We all know your busy, but we are too, and we treat you with respect. we want the same.





Yes. Yes. Yes. A thousand times yes!

Form rejections are not my ideal; if given the choice I'd prefer personalized so I have the opportunity to improve but I understand the need for them. You're busy, you get a million queries in a day. But can I get a PROPER form rejection for the love of god? When I receive an email with no signature, no punctuation, no salutation, nothing but "not for me" you have no idea how tempted I am to reply with, "thank god." After that, I don't want to work with you anyway, and why would I? If you're unprofessional with me, who's to say you aren't with editors as well?

And when I sold that very same book you so rudely dismissed, entirely on my own, guess who didn't have to share her royalties? Guess who didn't need you after all?

Yes, we know there are more of us than there are of you. We get it. But you know what? YOU need US, too. Start acting like it.

Twitter. If I could plant a cyber bomb in Twitter and destroy it forever, I would.

Oh, and agents becoming partners in publishing companies? EPIC. FAIL.

Give me a form response: this just isn't right for me, etc.

I normally query one letter at a time, wait for a response, and then move on to the next agent. Lately, I've been bypassing 'no response' agents since a response just makes my life easier . . . and it's all about my life being easier. : )

Seriously, how difficult is a form response in a world where agents are blogging and twittering and doing whatever in electronic mode?

I wasn't going to comment, because I didn't think it would make any difference. But Janet Reid just wrote a post urging writers to participate in the discussion. What the hell.

Like so many commenters have already said, getting a response, any response at all, is crucial. You have to put yourself in our position. You've all applied for jobs; what's it like to hear nothing? How do you know where you stand? Nathan Bransford answers queries within a day, often within an hour. Is it so hard to answer within a month???

My opinion of an agent PLUMMETS when she doesn't bother responding to my query. And in case you don't know, aspiring writers all network with each other, and share notes, and some of you (not Bookends; this is generic) are universally vilified for the way you handle slush.

We forgive a janitor who adopts a "keeper of the keys" mentality, because his self-esteem needs boosting. But a literary agent? With a college degree?

"And it is a bit mean to expect them not to have any personal life at all. We all procrastinate, I'm procrastinating right now!"

But if that guy becomes your agent and you are waiting and waiting and waiting for revision notes or a return phone call, you might get a tad annoyed when he's twittering constantly about how much he enjoys eating cheddar cheese.

Yowch. I thought I'd keep my mouth shut on this one, but wow, people. There's some serious hostility out there.

Agent requested partial via informal talk. Queried reminded of talk and asked if okay to send, if still interested. Instant rejection. Then got another email saying rejection was a problem. Sent in manuscript. Two days later get another rejection. But it's the [insert title here].

That agent and agency is off of my list.

I don't mind form rejections. Though a personal one with a line or two on a requested manuscript would have been great. A form rejection with the title inserted would have been better.

My biggest pet peave is "no response in X weeks means we are passing".

To me that is a cop out. It takes just as much time to send a form rejection (hello, copy & paste) as it does to delete the email. Just send it so we can mark it off our lists instead of agonzing for 8 weeks.

We realize its hard for you to send rejections because you don't want to hurt feelings and maybe you feel that some aspiring writers are totally in the wrong element and not worth the time. But if someone seriously paid attention to detail to your querying requirements and sent it the exact way you asked (which is probably better than most) give them a benefit of a response...even if its form.

To me it's just more respectful. And while no one wants rejection I bet more would prefer knowing to waiting in order to find out the same answer.

I want my agent to let me know what they're doing. They work for me, in part, and I'd like regular progress reports. At the very least, I'd like a monthly or every other month email summarizing what they've done on my behalf.

THIS! The lack of information from my agent drives me absolutely bonkers. It makes me worry she's not actually doing anything at all.

@Anon 12:34: Please understand I say this because I genuinely want to help; if you have a fantastic novel I'd love to see it on the shelves. But if your comment here is indicative of the spelling, grammar, and punctuation you display in your query letters, that's why you're not getting past the query stage.

@Jade Objective Entertainment has been going through their back queries and sending that form rejection to everyone who has previously queried them, even if they've already rejected them once already. It's insanely unprofessional.

I crossed an children's book agent off of my list after I heard him say this at a conference regarding his taste in middle grade fiction:

"my question is, how dark can we make it. How twisted can it get?"

a few years later, I heard him chortle gleefully at another conference:

"people complain about how dark children's books are getting. Well they're dark because that is what people want."

I'm so tired of smug, wannabe hipsters being the gatekeepers of taste. Quit aiming a ceaseless stream of snark, dark and ugly at our children. Get some therapy for your issues. There's a world beyond NYC. Seriously.

Whew, I've been holding that in for two years. Thanks.

Good for you, Anon 1:46 for naming names! Is this the best you can do? This is our chance to speak up and refuse to be IGNORED!

Despite what agents or editors think, we're not whiny insecure wallflowers (Rachelle Gardner called fiction writers "introverts" on Twitter) waiting (begging) for the right agent to ask us to dance...We're creators, thinkers, innovators--and we all have lives, just like you do. Treat us with some respect and dignity!

Which other agents are on your list of agentfail? Names or agencies, please! As for me, I've been waiting five months for a response on a full from Trident--any other problem agencies?

I think the fact that everyone is choosing to post as "Anonymous" speaks volumes.

Sad.

Wow. Someone opened a can of worms!

Most of this has been intriguing. I'm writing from the perspective of a writer trying to get an agent for a first novel. There are really only two things that come to mind.

At a conference recently, one agent was blatantly rude to writers. I understand only the best writing will get representation (theoretically), but the agent sitting right next to aforementioned (rude) agent managed to reject the same writers with respect and sensitivity. I can't imagine what it's like to read poorly written queries one after the other, but becoming published is a sensitive dream for writers. Being respectful seems like a no-brainer. I'm not expecting a shrink, but someone who has a heart is ideal.

Also, I'd like to see an agent's authors listed on her web site bio. Some agencies do this. Some do not. Some offer a few names but not a complete list. This is helpful info for querying writers like me.

Thanks for the opportunity to share this with you. I'm not directly involved with your agency (remember, still looking), but something tells me that if you're concerned enough to open this discussion, then you're probably above a lot of this criticism.

As for me, I've been waiting five months for a response on a full from Trident--any other problem agencies?

With this agency I've seen very quick responses and infants graduating from high school before there is a reply.

I sent a query to an agent who was recommended to me by a client who suggested I query her because she was such a wonderful agent. I cited the client's name in my query. I waited six months for a reply which when I got it was two words:

"No paranormal."

The book wasn't a paranormal.

Jenny Bent just left Trident, so if you were querying her, you might want to resend.

I understand that agents have to read quickly, but it's really frustrating to have a partial or full rejected, when it's clear from the comments that the agent read so quickly as to miss things in the text, and then list those things as reasons for rejection.

Things like: character names, gender, major plot points that they just clearly skimmed over and missed.

Because maybe you really liked that agent, and now your shot is blown, just because they didn't read carefully.

You know, the more I read about things and watch things, the less I want to get into publishing. I can take rejection, I mean a no isn't that bit of deal. I've been rejected for stories in magazines before, you deal. But some of the unprofessional things agents do is really making me wonder why one would even want an agent?

I know I've put time an effort into my writing. I don't need an ego stroke, but I do expect professional honesty. I've been looking into publishing for over two years now, just to kind of understand the industry. I can't tell you how many blogs from some agents and comments from others make me not want to enter the publishing industry.

I worked hard on the novel, taken the creative writing classes, have people edit things: I don't need to be called an idiot on twitter, a blog, etc. just because you don't feel like answering queries and are trying to get through them. It makes you look bad. Fail, Agent off my list.

I spent however many months/years writing my novel only for an agent not to be able to send a one line rejection. Your not going to hurt my feelings, I just want to know. Fail. Worse then that, the agent with an attitude response. Double fail.

I haven't queried my novel yet, but dang, this doesn't inspire much confidence in even having an agent.

Agents expect writers to be professional, I think by the majority of the posts, we'd just like the same respect shown. I think the internet has given people (Some agents and writers) an ego, that nothing in internet land can harm you. They feel that they can say anything about anyone and it can't hurt them (It's just someone on the computer).

Problem for agents is the same one for teachers and why they discourage teachers from having a myspace or twitter or facebook: How you portray yourself online can come back to bite you offline. It would just be nice if some agents remembered that.

Not every writer doesn't follow the submissions, writes in caps, replies constantly. Stop treating us/writing about us as if we all do.

I guess my agent fail is more general from someone who hasn't even made the leap yet. If I'm already seeing this just from blogs, just imagine what your putting out there to writers who are still finishing their novels...the next gen. If it keeps up, the some agents could ruin it for all agents.

Look at the publishing industry now...if the some ruin it for all, agents will be written out by the writer. Without the novel, agents don't have a job. We want an agent because they're supose to help us, not hurt us.

"No paranormal."

The book wasn't a paranormal.



Ouch. Classic #agentfail.

I really like this discussion because it shows that agents can fail just as writers can. Now the true test is if agents take some of the suggestions to heart and not just write them off as writers whining.

First agent: would send out my novel to one publisher at a time and refused to follow up even after three months because "They'll get to it when they get to it" and he didn't want to annoy them. When I would breathe down his neck, sometimes he'd follow up and find out that oh yeah, they lost it. One publisher, he said, "Would definitely get back to us." We parted ways two years ago and that publisher still never got back to us. Maybe following up is a good idea...?

Second agent: signed me in July, said he would submit multiply and would do follow-ups and career guidance etc. In October I said, Dude, aren't you going to start sending it? He whined that he had a mortgage to pay too, you know,so he was doing things other than agenting. He stopped responding to my emails, so I had to phone him to get responses. In December, he promised me he would start sending it in mid-January. In early January, he closed his agency without warning and without making any provision whatsoever for his clients.

What I hate most about this business is when agents say, "We're all looking for fantastic books!"

Well, you are and you aren't. What you're really looking to do is, "FIT AND PLUG!" That's what I call it. Agents are looking to find something they represent, (the FIT), and PLUG it into whatever the editor at Whathisname's publishing house wants/needs/or is popular at the moment to fill out the list. If that book happens to be fantastic, so much the better, if not, let's PLUG in what we agree by consensus is "the best FIT!"

"I mean," the editor says to the Agent, "Boogers are all the rage now! We can't go out this Fall without a booger book. Agent sniffs the air, replies, "I ain't got no booger books!" Editor says, "Find one! We'll do lunch." Agent scurries to find a FIT, - of some sort. Agent comes back to editor... "Hey, I found this yahoo, he's got something called "The Booger Book Hall of Fame." Editor says, "Send it over ASAP. Agent sends. Editor calls Agent, "Sold! It's not the best book, but at least we'll have a PLUG this Fall."

Meanwhile, there are five outright deserving "fantastic books," sitting on the Agent's desk, not a Booger amongst 'em!

Agent to Writer. "Sorry kid! Your outright fantastic submission is just not right for us.
P.S. "Hey, you ever pick your nose?"
Sincerely,
Agent

And the world keeps turnin.'

Haste yee back ;-)

There are a couple of reasons I've parted ways with agents in the past -- note, these are agents with whom I worked, not those with whom I negotiated a "maybe":

--the agent wanted to take "time off" (a year's sabbatical) to "find herself" -- but didn't want me to submit anything while she was gone. Um, sorry, this is how I make my LIVING, gotta keep writing/submitting/selling or I don't eat and I like to eat. Just for the record, don't know if she ever found herself, but she never went back to agenting; whatever she's doing, I hope she's happy, because she was a lively lunch companion.

--"just write me a traditional romance with a less independent heroine -- it's easier to sell." Well, that's not really what I write or the market I usually seek out, so I don't think we were quite the right fit. It was a case of the agent liking the characters and dialogue but wanting them in a different genre and story, so we weren't the right fit.

--"I'm really backed up right now; it'll be six or eight months before I can get your novel out on submission." Well, as I mentioned above, this is how I make my living. I understand it takes months to land a contract in some cases, but I at least want it out there. However, I appreciated the agent at least told me that, instead of letting the novel gather mold on a shelf somewhere as I thought it was making submissions. Still, it wasn't the right match.

--"You can only write in one genre." One of the reasons I publish under a half a dozen names is because I enjoy different genres and I don't want to be limited. I understand if someone's only interested in one of my genres, but I CAN and I WILL write whatever interests me. Since I sell regularly in multiple genres, I must be doing something right. Again, not the right fit.

In the submission/query go-round, I don't submit if the guidelines are contradictory or if it states that "no response means no." If I'm rejected, I'm rejected, that goes with the territory, but lack of communications makes me crazy.

Agents! Are you getting any of this? Tomorrow, let's hear from you.

Thanks, Bookends, for the topic, but after the dust settles nothing will have changed.

I've started following agents on Twitter and Google Reader, and have noticed that *some* of them tend to Tweet or Blog away at a considerable rate (I'm talking 30, 40, 50 tweets a day in some instances).

I find myself wondering how much actual "agenting" they're getting done if they can manage so many tweets or blog postings.

Other than that, all you agent folks out there just rock my world.

Two things -

For the anon concerned because of the complaints on this thread it might not be worth entering into publishing, may I just point out that this is a thread pointing out the negatives. I personally did not experience ANY of the things people are talking about here while I was looking for an agent, and my current agency is just fantastic at standing behind me and my work, as well as communicating with me. I feel like a partner, not like their employee. There are flaws in every industry and to read a thread only about them, you could think that this industry was just terrible. But there is good with the bad, trust me, I've seen it.

To the anon who posted about the gleeful agent talking about dark MGs and who responded: "Quit aiming a ceaseless stream of snark, dark and ugly at our children. Get some therapy for your issues. There's a world beyond NYC. Seriously." I understand your frustration, and maybe that agent had some attitude that I can't sense in what you posted, but the fact is that children's books have been "dark" since they first were written. Read Peter Pan, and you'll see what I mean. What's more, the kids really don't seem to mind the dark in the least, and I find it is adults who are the ones who take the most issue with it. I'm not sure what New York has to do with anything, but as a kid I always loved dark children's books. And I should also point out that even though said books may deal in dark subject matter, they almost always end on a hopeful note. Heck even Lemony Snicket ended his series with hope for the future. I think some people see only the surface of these stories, and fail to read deeper into them and realise that almost all the time in the end, these tales end with tried and true messages: that family and friends are important, that yes life might be hard, but it will be okay in the end, and that there are things worth fighting for.

I'd hardly say Harry Potter was dark, but even in its darkest moments, it always promoted such values as I mentioned. Which is more than I can say for a lot of adult literature these days.

My point is simply, there is room to point out the unprofessional behaviours of agents in this thread, but to give such snark towards an agent seeking out books written in a style that is very popular, and then to add some kind of backhanded insult towards large cities at the same time, does not seem productive. At least not to me.

As to the question at hand . . . I will say, even though my personal experience has been lovely, that the concept of exclusives has always frustrated me a little. I understand that agents don't want to put in all this work only to find out that the author went with someone else, but nor does the author want to spend upwards of a year waiting on a single agent, only to be rejected. Possibly something could be worked out where an agent is only allowed an exclusive for a month. That I think many authors could tolerate. But some stories I've heard of exclusives lasting months and months, well that's just not fair I think.

I wish the agents whose blogs I love reading would represent the genres I write! I love reading the insights, love hearing about what's going on, but alas, this agent reps mystery, that agent reps religious, the one over there only wants YA...
Completely no one's fault, but this is the only gripe I could think of at the moment.

People, no response does NOT mean no. Only "no" means no. If you don't hear back after 2 months, send it again! Works for me.

I agree with Christine. the agent bloggers are great, but they're all YA/romance/Cozies/Fantasy...

Where's all the thriller/suspense agents?

You forgot "paranormal whatever" to the above list.

Don't insist I rewrite part of my MS with an odd I've-always-wanted-to-see-this-in a-book idea of yours only to act like it isn't your fault when EVERY single rejection comes back praising the book, but not taking it on due to the rewritten part, as it is "too unbelievable/too out of character/doesn't fit with the rest of the book."

Oh, and also dear God, please don't send my new book to the very same agent that just rejected my last book. Why the hell are you an agent if you don't know more than one editor at a house? WTF?

An independent producer sees two chapters of my book and LOVES them. Wants to buy an option. The book is unfinished, but if I could have $1000 - a month of no freelancing - I could finish it.

Instead of just giving me a contract to sign and a check, she puts me in touch with an agent - someone she met at prep school, now at William Morris. The agent LOVES the two chapters, says she can get an advance on six chapters so I can finish the book.

William Morris takes 7 months to finalize the contract.

An editor sees the two chapters and LOVES them and asks if it's too early to make a preemptive bid, and the agent (telling me later) says Yessss!!!!!!!

battery dying,

"You can only write in one genre." One of the reasons I publish under a half a dozen names is because I enjoy different genres and I don't want to be limited. I understand if someone's only interested in one of my genres, but I CAN and I WILL write whatever interests me. Since I sell regularly in multiple genres, I must be doing something right. Again, not the right fit.

Thank you Devon Ellington for your post.

I am so sick of agents telling writers that they should limit their creativity to one genre, which is the equivalent to me of "no, son, dreaming big is really unrealistic... no, you can't become an astronaut... best you become a plumber."

(No offense to plumbers... our lives would be seriously crap without them!)

Artists and Artisans website:

"However, we usually do not respond when we are not interested - no response should be a clear enough indication."

Well, folks, read the comments section of this blog to see how we feel about that attitude.

And they are now on the list for the Backspace Conference. Ugh.

Once overheard an agent mock the book I'd just pitched to her - to her next group appt. Unprofessional much? But then she was probably whacked on coke at the time...

1) 'The age of no response means no' - my crystal ball is flawed. I don't know whether you don't respond because you're overwhelmed, accidentally deleted my e-mail, whether my mail landed in your spam filter or yours in mine - and when in doubt, I'll probably requery. Please set up an autoresponder: 'if I am interested, I'll contact you' is fine. Radio silence is not.

2) Please make up your guidelines and share them. And make them the same everywhere - on your blog, your agency webpage, Publisher's Marketplace, anywhere else you post them. Don't let me pick and choose the wrong set.

3) Also, clarify. If you think a 'short synopsis' is three paragraphs (rather than two pages), say so. If you like paranormal romance, but not heroic fantasy, don't add 'fantasy' to your guidelines. If you reject e-mails by 'real name' <[email protected]> outright, tell me. Anything else is a waste of time. (And eventually, makes me wonder how efficient a communicator you are.)

Unlike many commentators, I think it's ridiculous to expect agents not to have a life. I blog, I twitter; so why shouldn't agents? You're not compelled to _only_ talk about your business anymore than the next person: #expectationsfail.

To Adrienne:

It's not the dark I object to, it's the snark. It wasn't only that he had a preference, it was his arrogant disdain for all that did not fit it. It was the way my fellow writers came out of their meetings with him in tears. He took pleasure in it, and said as much. Toughen up people, or you'll never make it in this business.

And there was his tone, at our non-NYC conference (hence the reference, I love the city, was born there)...It was the comments about the local airport, the hotel food. He let us know that he was slumming.

Trust me --people are still talking about this guy. He's never been asked back.

The feeling I got from him was that he wanted children's books to have the same "rip the scales of illusion" from one's eyes effect on readers as his brutal critiques had on aspiring writers.

Of course literature can be dark, Grimm's fairy tales anyone? But is it too much to ask that it also be illuminating? Must it be "twisted?" Must we push boundries for the sake of pushing them? Which was this guy in a nutshell. Like the self-conscious artist who paints distorted and ugly on purpose and calls the old masters crap.

Agent fail. At least for me. Which I thought was the point. If he's your cup of tea, have at it.

I really just want to say that I agree with the posters pushing for the naming of names. If you tell us who these agents are, you make a difference. You give them a reason to evolve. If not, you are just inviting other writers to endure the same trials.

In all of our different locations and with all of our different lives, we are the writing community. Help us out.

I'm still at the querying stage of getting an agent, so my experience is limited, but I really hate the "no response means no." I've had so many emails to friends get lost in the ether, I would hate to miss an opportunity with an agent just because the Internet is full of black holes.

Even an automated "we've received your query. If you don't hear back from us by x/x/x then that means no" would be better then nothing.

The no response to requested fulls and partials after six plus months is super annoying.

But, seriously, the most egregious agentfail I've seen lately is an agency sending out letters to all their rejected clients (going back a year or more) recommending "self-publishing with AuthorHouse" as a means of getting their feet in the door. OMFG! I'd hope most writers are smart enough to know this letter is complete crap, but I'm sure there are newbies out there green enough to think it's kosher. The letter is so misleading and insinuates that some of this agency's bestsellers started with self-publishing.

The agency? Objective Entertainment. Seriously. Check out the thread at Absolute Write. It's nauseating!

I'm floored by what I'm reading here. Maybe I should send my agent some flowers.

I have to say I was never very bothered by no response. The minute I sent my query, I assumed the answer would be no, since that's the norm. So for me, the only responses that mattered were the ones requesting something. I just stopped thinking about the rest.

The only time I decided not to query an agent was when her blog suggested she was disorganized. That style would not match mine at all.

Dorothy Winsor

Again, folks: Who was blatantly rude to writers at a conference?
Who wanted dark & snark? Who dissed your novel? Let's name NAMES or AGENCIES, guys! What are you so afraid of?

You don't really care what these agents think after the way they treated you? This is all a waste of time if we don't NAME NAMES!

I have issues with conflict of interest. I've read cover quotes from agents who both write (and are quoted for the cover because of this) and either rep the author in question, or belong to that author's rep agency.

It feels dirty and sneaky.

Also any agent who is going to show up to a conference should consider whether he or she has the personality to deal POLITELY and KINDLY with the people who paid to be there.

Jessica was so respectful of the people in her workshop... it set me up to be shocked by the behavior of others this past weekend.

Naming good agents would be good too.

Thanks for giving us this opportunity. It is clear from this comments section that some of us needed some serious venting opportunities. :)

I have an issue with agents who don't accept queries by e-mail. It concerns me greatly to consider having an agent that isn't up to date on technology. Particularly in this time of change the the publishing industry. Let's save a few trees... at least until we have an advance and a publisher. ;)

On my wish list: I would like for agents to have a little more faith in writers, particularly new ones. If you love the idea and request a full, but our book isn't exactly right--you already said you love the concept. Give us a chance to fix it. We might just surprise you with an amazingly improved product that is exactly what you'd been hoping for. Some of us might actually surprise you with our ability to grow and adapt to what you want from us. If not then at least you can be sure you made the right decision by telling us no.

Also, I love the idea of an #awesomeagent day or whatever so we can brag about amazing agents we've had contact with. :)

Anon 3:28 p.m. That goes beyond #agentfail. Hence the good agents should get the respect they deserve.

I once was asked to submit a complete manuscript, so I did, with sufficient postage and envelope for its return upon rejection, with a note in the cover letter asking for return. I never got anything back except a brief rejection letter. The agent didn't have the courtesy to reply to my polite follow-up inquiry on the whereabouts of my manuscript, in which I reminded the agent I'd provided postage and requested return.

I had printed a 100K word manuscript on an inkjet printer, which took five hours and cost around $35 in ink. It would have been nice to have it back. I have no idea why the agent threw it away, unless the agent did not even look at the cover letter or enclosed postage and envelope. Or possibly the manuscript, either.

Name: Rachel Vater

"I typically respond to email queries within a month."

Query sent: September 08

Crickets.

Foliolit Website for Rachel Vater:

**Please Note: As of February 10, 2009 I am currently not accepting query letters**

Seems she really wasn't accepting and responding long before that.

Setting up very complex submissions guidelines on your website and when I email the assistant for clarification of ambiguities getting an answer that directly contradicts the website. This is a big name agent with a stellar track record, but I am hesitating about querying now. I feel like I've been set up for failure.

I also don't agree with the comments criticizing agents for Twittering or blogging. I find it invaluable, both in objective information and the sense I get of the personality of the agent. It helps me know who to pursue ardently and who to cross off my list, not necessarily because of failings but because of personal compatibility. And I really understand that everybody needs downtime. Of course, if they are spending a lot of time doing that, I would be concerned.

But mostly I would like to thank the agents who do go public with information. Because of you, I know how not to make a fool of myself in a query letter. Because of you, I know what questions to ask an agent to determine whether we'll be a good fit or not. Because of you, I have an idea of what your day really entails, so I can treat you with some understanding and also know what I can realistically expect. Which means I will feel entirely justified in being hard-nosed about the expectations that are realistic.

When an agent calls you and expresses how excited they are about your manuscript. You talk about a few changes and it sounds as if they're going to offer to represent you. They want to see the changes first. That's OK because the phone call went great, you're so thrilled you could float on air. Finally! Only the manuscript never comes. You email--they promise it's on the way. Eventually, after a change of seasons, you realize it ain't happening. =HUGE AGENTFAIL

Will make you a deal. No complaining if you become my agent! Have fab chick-Sedarisesque memoir; seeking agent. www.pajamasandcoffee.com

wow--lots and lots of anonymous anger today.

If an agent tweets 100 times a day at 140 characters per time--that is like 30 minutes total. And many are tweeting from their phone and not following the whole thread. It's really not a big deal and a great way to get to know the personality behind the agent or editor.

That is like getting mad at an author for blogging about going to a movie instead of writing the next book in a series. People are allowed to have free time. Not every agent or editor or writer is using social media as a professional publication. It's a social thing.

I understand being frustrated by the industry as a whole, but when I get a rejection, I have to think it's not really "them" it's me. I don't feel I need to judge the person rejecting my work for spending their free time doing the same things I do with my free time--twittering, blogging, watching tv and movies....etc.

I wonder if by posting the names of "agent failures" we are opening the owner of this blog up to legal issues. Slander,libel & whatnot?

I thought the point was to share our experiences so that other agents could learn from them. Not to point the finger at individuals.

I wrote about Mr. Snark and Dark because it infuriates me that such a high handed ass is setting trends in children's publishing. But for all I know he's warm, fuzzy and wonderful once you get to know him. I would never say his name as it boils down to one writer's opinion.

If the queryfail twitters had used the actual names of those submitting, wouldn't that have crossed a line?

anonymous 10:28

I think we had the same agent (note the past tense). Exactly the issues I had.

We parted ways. She di NOT fire me, I asked her a specific question, got an answer that indicated we were no longer comptible and severed the relationship.

Someone else said the agent "fired" someone. WRONG!! Who pays whom in this scenario? The agent quite, maybe. But agents do not fire writers.

Agents who do not remember that they work for the client and not the other way around: massive agentfail.

Naming names, at least to me, has crossed the line.

But, all I can say is--uh,oh.

Anon 3:58 - How can he be my cup of tea when I've never met the fellow, nor know of whom you are speaking?

You said none of the things you said in your follow up post and merely said originally:

**I crossed an children's book agent off of my list after I heard him say this at a conference regarding his taste in middle grade fiction:

"my question is, how dark can we make it. How twisted can it get?"

a few years later, I heard him chortle gleefully at another conference:

"people complain about how dark children's books are getting. Well they're dark because that is what people want." **


You said nothing about him putting people down, or making people cry, or making fun of a city that wasn't New York. Of course that's terrible and unprofessional and I don't blame you a bit for despising this gentleman. But I had nothing more to go on except for your apparent disdain for agents who like dark children's books. I'm very glad you expanded on your point though, because now your reaction to him makes so much more sense.

Honestly, you can see how I could be a bit confused what NY had anything to do with someone wanting dark children's books, and why you had such a problem with someone wanting such books especially when he adds on by saying that that is what the reading public wants.

At any rate, this gentleman sounds really unpleasant, but it has nothing to do with living in NYC, or liking dark children's books. It just has to do with the fact that he's a smug jerk.

I've submitted the same partial to agents and editors at big houses.

The editors responded in a timely manner and asked for fulls, read them and got back to me with brief but cogent explanations for why they hadn't bought the book. Their responses made it clear they liked my writing and would look at more.

The agents sat the on fulls for many months and either did not respond or wrote curt rejections. Several told me that my book wasn't anything editors would be interested in, when, in fact, the very editors these agents sell to read the partial and requested the full.

I write stuff that is a bit out of the ordinary in my genre. So I definitely got the feeling that the agents were looking only for books that were clones of what was already selling, while the actual editors were more open to new ideas.

It takes months if not years to write a novel...and what... a whole twenty seconds to send a rejection form letter? I totally get how backlogged agents get, but it may save a double submission to an agent if a writer was sure their query was actually received. Just my little opinion!

It seems like most of the posts are from writers trying to get agents. It's too bad that once you get an agent you have to put up with the same things.

1) No communication. If your own agent can't read your new MS in a few weeks,or even a month, why don't they just email you and let you know? Why do they have to wait a month and a half for YOU to have to pester them? Just so they can complain about how busy they are?

2) Why do agents ask you to change this, and this, and this, but when you follow up with an email to ask a specific question concerning their comments, they act like you are stupid. Hello, I can't read your mind!

3) Why send the MS anywhere if you are never going to fucking follow up on the submission?

4) Why do agents tell you they are too busy to get to your new book/proposal/editor question and then sign up three new clients in a week? Why, so they can ignore them too?

"I think the fact that everyone is choosing to post as "Anonymous" speaks volumes.

Sad."

What do you mean? Of course people are choosing to post under "anonymous". It's hard enough to get into this business without burning bridges...

For any who regularly follow the blog you know that it's incredibly rare for me to step in and delete comments. The only time I typically do that is when it's clearly spam. In this instance however, after some internal debate, I've decided to delete the comments where you have named specific, individual agents and let me explain why.

I agree, if you've had trouble with an agent you should certainly let others in the writing community know of your situation so that all writers can truly take into account other experiences when hiring an agent. However, this is not a forum in which these agents are going to get a fair discussion. What seems to be happening is that readers are simply throwing out names will little explanation of the experience they deemed bad and, I doubt we're going to hear from a lot of writers who have had good experiences, at least not today.

So while I encourage you to share your experiences, good and bad, with others, I think the best forum for doing that is Absolute Write. It's also the best place for you to gain well-rounded insight into specific agents or agencies. You'll hear the good, the bad and the ugly and that's what you need to make an informed decision.

--jessica

Bravo, Faust, bravo.

Also, have to second Absolute Write doesn't hold any punches. Great resource.

Maybe this is unreasonable and not really an agentfail as much as an industryfail.
Get with the new times.
How must faster would your response time be if
1. Email queries AND submissions.
If you all could accept submissions by email, you'd save a ton of space AND you'd lose fewer manuscripts.

2. Track changes.
Publishing demands that writers comply with their guidelines. Why not use track changes throughout the industry? That does mean writers would be forced to produce a manuscript in a certain format, but we have to do that anyway. It would create an easier way to leave comments AS THEY OCCUR rather than just reading something and thinking "meh".

3. Start providing new technologies to interns and editors.
How about ereaders? Aren't laptops a requirement these days?

Frankly, it would be so much easier to keep track of submissions and rejections if you had them in email inboxes.

*shrugs* Maybe I'm wrong, but the whole snail mail thing just seems to be to the author's disadvantage.

...and to piggy back on Jennifer's post--if submissions are emailed--why not save a step and ask for full instead of partial? It would not require agent to read entire book--they could certainly stop whereever they felt the wall to be--but then they would gloriously already have the rest if they want it and would not need to add all that extra time to the process.

And I see by my last very long sentence that I can benefit from an editor.

To the Anon demanding names (and yes, we all know there is just one of you, no matter how many times you post):

The point of this is to tell agents how they can serve us better, and to point out that we DESERVE better. If we begin childishly naming names, that harms us, I think.

There are very few completely unprofessional a-hole agents that need to be avoided at all costs, and you can discover their names at places light Absolute Write. This is not the place for that.

However, TONS of agents fail to communicate with clients properly. Most complain about being busy, to the point where clients (and potential clients) feel as though the agent is doing them a favor by responding to their emails. Several adhere to the "no response means no" policy. They do these things because they are human, not because they are complete jerks. So, perhaps after reading the suggestions we've provided, some of them will change their practices.

But only if we, the writers, are equally understanding and professional.

1) I'd really love to see more agents who rep sci-fi blog. I want to know as much about an agent's taste and style as possible before I query because I don't want to waste my time or theirs. If you can't blog, at least do more than the standard list of what you'll look at. Be specific. If you're going to choke and die if you see another Chosen One story, let me know!

2) No response means no. Sorry, it means I won't query you. Ever.

3) Catching an agent bashing readers, genres, or anything in public. I know agents are real people with valid opinions, but when you're on the clock (i.e. visible to any writer at all) I want you to be professional. I'll return the favor by not insulting any editors who take us to lunch or dissing other writers to the national media.

4) Make sure your submission guidelines are online and up to date. No, I don't have the book of submission guidelines. I will Google you. I'll check your agency website. Spend the money and pay someone to keep that website looking professional and up to date. Include minor details like, "I'm taking a year off for maternity leave!" I do need to know that.

5) Once I'm signed, keep me updated. I'm a compulsive scheduler. I am usually booked a year in advance. Give me some advance warning for any major changes coming up, your sudden need for a six month vacation, or anything that's going to change my status quo. We don't need to be best friends, but I need you at the top of your game 24/7.

6) Give me the time of day. Honestly, authors gossip. We know which agents are absolute pricks and querying you means we're scrapping the bottom of the barrel. Be polite. You don't have to love everything I write. I may not be a good fit for your list. That doesn't give you a license to be rude.

7) Seriously, be specific! If you've decided you can't read a genre any more or never want to see another urban fantasy say so. This is a repeat of number one. It needs to be repeated! I hate going to query and realizing the agent hasn't sold a novel in that genre in the past decade. That scares me.

I'm just starting...have only sent out three query letters and these posts are scaring the hell out of me.

I understand why Jessica had to delete posts with names. Publishing is a small world, and the agents named are likely her friends.

That said, someone should start a blog where bad agents can be outed and good agents can be applauded. Anyone? It would be immensely valuable because there are lots of jerks out there.

On another note, so many people here have posted gripes with agents about lack of response.

Let me tell you what happens when you have a truly salable book. Agents respond to your queries.In fact, they fight for your attention. They read fulls very quickly, within days. Once you settle on an agent, the rejected agents may even call you, hoping to change your mind.

That's what you want. If you're sending out 25 queries and only one agent responds, that says something about the viability of your project.An alarm bell should go off in your head: It's time to re-evaluate.

And you shouldn't look to agents to tell you why your project doesn't fly. That's up to critique groups or trusted friend or perhaps just time and distance.

Successful writers don't point fingers outward. They look inward. They read the trades, visit bookstores, read new books, re-write their novels and treat publishing like a business. Writers like that don't worry about careless agents because they are in the catbird seat. They can pick and choose.

That said, sometimes the writer picks wrong. Sometimes they pick the agent who thinks it's more about them. They choose agents who have forgotten why they are in the biz in the place: For the love of lit.

So even though we aren't naming names of bad lit agents, could we possibly name the names of the ones who are WONDERFUL. Anyone?

How about agents who react completely defensively when you ask them a simple question about their process for sending out your book and dealing with editors?

Or whose request for changes show a complete lack of organization in addressing the MS--minor issues first, major ones last, e.g. Mind-bogglingly major ones at the point you both believed the MS would be going out, showing a complete lack of understanding of and respect for the writing process?

Or who do the email equivalent of screaming when you won't change something you feel strongly about? Not acknowledging the fact that 80% of requested changes were made, happily and with no fuss.

Worst of all--how about agents who show a complete lack of love for your book when they are on the point of sending it out to editors? Talk about making a writer feel completely discouraged and sick at heart.

When you're desperate to be represented and get your book out there, you will often take the first agent who comes along. I deeply regret doing this. My agent was uncommunicative, passive-aggressive, and most of all UNENTHUSIASTIC. Agents: don't take on anyone you're not 100% sure you want to work with--you do us no favors.

I know they say it's rare that ideas are stolen, and yet I find it strangely coincidental that I submit an MS (requested, by the way) to a well-known agent, have it rejected, and three years later, a book comes out with a similar (and unusual) plot device, co-written by an author represented by that agent? I'd like to think I'm just paranoid, but still...

Nothing new to the list...just another pair of dittos on agents needing to give a response to a submission, and the need to keep guidelines updated on their site.

My elevator pitch request would be: be professional, be communicative, and show respect.

That said, here's some things to consider:

* No response? Don't worry, no query, either.
* Exclusive? If I agree, please reply by the specified time. (And don't be annoyed if I follow up on your lateness.)
* Do not slam authors. Do not slam their work. Do not slam your associates, interns or partners. The only slam appropriate is the response to this: *headdesk*
* Do not reply to my carefully-crafted query/status update/email with a one-line insult.
* If you do not have a website (or do not update it appropriately), I have to wonder if you are familiar enough with the Electronic Age to be an agent.
* If we cannot find a time to communicate about our failing communication, it's clearly time for one of us to move on.
* If your advice for "What's next?" is "Just wait," then you are not paying attention to my career, the market, or both.
* Do not say,"I'll get to it Monday" or "I will call you at 2pm" and then hours/days/weeks later tell me how busy you were getting a huge deal for another client. Good for you, bad for me. Take responsibility and 10 seconds to type an email apologizing and ask to reschedule.
* You are a person and a professional, like me. Act like one and treat me like one and I promise to do the same. My awe of you is gone. Shared respect may remain.
* Silence is not golden, it is deadly.

=All examples of real #agentfails

Interesting comments. I have no problem reading about agents' personal lives, etc. but where I draw the line is with the rude comments about "stupid" authors. I quit following one such agent on Twitter and will never send anyone to her agency, ever. Oh wait, she's closed to submissions anyway--don't you stupid people get that?!

Anyone who has spent any time in publishing has had challenges with authors but to berate them in a public forum is the height of rudeness and is wholly unprofessional. This is one of the things I found shocking when I joined Twitter a few months ago. Yes, it's a small community and a lot of us are paying attention.

I think the only thing missing from these posts are names. Agents always stress professionalism. Put out the names of those who don’t practice what they preach so people don’t waste their time sending a query.

"The no response to requested fulls and partials after six plus months is super annoying."

it is your own fault for waiting so long without a response! When you send the partial or full, you should get a mx response time from them. If they say 6 months, fine, then query others while you wait. But yoou should never let 6 months of your life go by waiting for a response. Query every agent who handles your genre and follow up every 2 months. Be a pitbull, not a wallflower. You want to SELL books, right? Then be a SALESperson. You don't sell by waiting. Bug the crap out of them until you get a response.

True, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. In fact, I've heard it argued that with the proliferation of agent blogs, the herd of unrepped writers are all doing exactly the same things to the point that those who so something else are at an advantage by way of standing out, as long as that something else is also professional. But all these "guidelines" are just that. Don't take it too seriously. Do whatever you have to do.

I appreciate LLC for taking out the posts that named names.

An editorial assistant called to say she lovede my work and set up a call with me, her and the VP of the agency. The VP was really pressed for time that day, but she did say that the agency wanted to move forward with representing me so to think it over and let them know by the end of the week.

I spoke with the EA at length, and she gushed about my work and said she thought the agency could sell it to a major house. She said she hadn't liked anything so much since she read "Twilight." Now, my BS detector was going off, but I thought it was a good opportunity, so I called back the next day to say yes, let's proceed. "Great, I'm so excited, I'll get you the contract," said the EA.

End of the day...no contract. I called again. "Oh, we just have to get the owner to sign off on it. It should be fine."

"So, can I tell my parents I have an agent?" I asked.

"Yes, that would be fine," she said.

Fast-forward to a week later with no call and no contract. I called again. "I am so sorry, it's been super-busy here, but I'll have an answer for you tomorrow," she said.

I never heard from anyone there again. And this is a well-respected agency that represents some major, major projects. FAIL!

Grr. . . must check spelling before posting . . . okay, second attempt:

Another point that I feel should be addressed. I appreciate that most agencies in North America function in the world of internet, that email queries etc have become the norm, what's more that it is just so much more practical for everyone involved and saves our rather useful trees.

But you should know that in the UK many submissions are still done through snail mail, I'm not sure why, but this is the tradition there. Please don't let that stop you from submitting to them. I can tell you from personal experience that these agencies are firmly up to date in all the latest developments with the industry, including ebooks etc. Like I said, I'm not sure why they still prefer snail mail, but please don't close yourself off to an entire country just because you think that because they won't do email, that must mean they are old fashioned and don't understand current trends.

Each country has its own traditions, you need to make sure you understand them before submitting (for example in the UK there are no query letters, there are cover letters and sent with them in the first round is usually a one page synopsis and first three chapters - quite different from the North American submission preference).

I'd SO love to see a Client Fail done by agents. Anonymously of course!

I'd SO love to see a Client Fail done by agents. Anonymously of course!

So would I. I want to be a good client, and if I find I'm actually making some major faux pas that all agents wish their clients wouldn't do, I would like to know about it, if my agent would otherwise be uncomfortable calling me out on.

Not kissing butt here, but I would really rather the agents that did these things read about themselves w/o their names mentioned. Who knows w/o being specific another agent may have committed the same crime, and think it was them. This way it gives them a chance to redeem themselves and save face. Unlike Queryfail let's show how teaching really works.

Now with that being said, agents expecting personalization or having petty rules is my agentfail.

Also, before criticizing use of words, please google them and find out what they mean. Words mean different things in different regions and age groups. The dictionary only works on traditional definitions.

BTW I wish every agent would adopt NB's new deal of attaching 5 pages of MS.

What I’ve noticed in the majority of comments here are people feel the need to be treated professionally and with respect. Not too shocking. When an agent does not do that they fail. Part of respecting others is acknowledging them, even with a form rejection. If something is requested from a business, a timely and thoughtful response is expected. When an agent can’t do this, it’s bad business.

I think #queryfail started as an idea to educate, but the mockery that ensued was definitely not respectful. People here should not sink to that level.

I would never blog about this, but since you asked...

-Agents with NO web presence = fail
-Agents whose web presence is only a very unprofessional blog
-Agents who don't take email submissions = fail


More personally, I recently submitted to Big Name Agent who has no web presence (no website, no email) and who can only be submitted to via snail mail. It was a big enough pain in the butt to craft that highly personalized query letter and get it in the mail. She sent an impersonal postcard requesting the full...

...but her rejection of that full was done on a form rejection postcard that had been designed for rejections on the query stage. She'd taken the time to cross out the words "query" with "full ms. submission"...but not the time to even add my name, let alone any details to the work.

Look, I know agents are busy and they don't owe me anything...but basic polite courtesy would be appreciated. I equate this to a person who acts interested to you at the first course of the dinner party and won't even look you in the eye during dessert.

Wow, just wow. I didn't run into any of this while agent hunting, and though mine is one of the "No news is a no" group, I knew that going in. All who requested the full kept in contact (I'm talking like within a week or two at the most) and when I emailed them to tell them I accepted an offer, they were all super excited and offered congrats. So glad I didn't run into any of these! Yikes!

Expecting and author to be good all things such as computer geek stuff, marketing, being able to control your voice when making an elavator pitch, and thinking their first attempt at selling their book should be perfect, and in general anyone who thinks they are more important or busier than anyone else, these are just some of my agent fails. Most authors have day jobs, families, and spend every spare minute writing.

I'm sure I could complain, but I'd rather tell you guys this.

This is still my favorite R of all time. I keep a copy of it on my computer...and this R came less than 4 minutes after I sent the query--for real. 4 minutes.

from Daniel Lazar, Writers House
Thanks Debra, but this isn't right for me.

Straight and to the point. I will send to this guy again. :-)

I'm not sure if this has been mentioned, but I get so frustrated when I go to an agent's bio and it's all about their dog, or how they love skiing and wine tasting, but nothing about what they are actually looking to rep. While I don't mind knowing where they went to school or what board they sit on, I really, really, really want to know if they don't rep YA or if they really want an edgy urban fantasy. This will save me from submitting in vain and cut down on them getting a submission for a genre they don't rep.

I find the anger level here ... less than helpful. I understand the frustrations, I'm in the same boat as many of you. However, the anger spewed by some posters could be enough to prevent agents from seeing the changes they can make.

1) Auto-responders would be lovely so that writers know queries have been received. Especially for those agencies with a 'no response means not interested' policy

2) Responding, especially to partials/fulls within the time you say or a brief e-mail explaining the need for more time.

3) Ensuring that your guidelines are the same everywhere. It will encourage more queriers to submit properly.


Those are the three that I see as issues for the stage I'm in. But, like some other people, I want to point out that agents aren't machines, they are human beings. Saying they shouldn't twitter, or blog, or have a life outside of agenting is both selfish and rude. Many agents have other jobs in order to allow themselves to pay for things such as housing and food. They don't make money until their clients make money. Don't expect them to be something less than human. Otherwise how can you expect them to see you as a human being too?

Thanks for doing this!

Most frustrating Agentfail - Paying money to snailmail a requested full only to receive a XEROXED form reject with my name written in pen on the top.

Would it have killed them to print out a new rejection slip with my name printed on it? After all, I took the time to print out my book and send it to them.

I'm afraid I disagree with Beth (8:34 PM) about unprofessional webpages.

Agents should make sure their submission guidelines etc are the same everywhere (PW, website etc).

I suspect the reason the websites usually don't have the correct information is that many agents won't know how to write webpages themselves. This is fine but DON'T get a technical, polished and professional website if you aren't willing to pay for it to be updated for you regularly.

It would be far better for you to get something you can edit yourself, even if that means using Wordpress. It won't be as slick but at least it'll be up-to-date. The information on the website should ALWAYS reflect the current situation!

It's amazing how lucky we new authors are. We can fire up our computers and access hundreds of agents online. We can read their blogs, gauge their responses to various commenters and get a sense of what they like to represent.

In the past, we had to rely on publications that were sadly out of date, or word of mouth. We were basically on our own.

We have the privilege of picking and choosing potential agents based on their voice, just as they do with us.

We have the opportunity to improve and adjust our methods of communication, to read different personalities and hopefully find our match.

Agents have always been real people, but up till now they were merely names on lists. Agents and authors who take these suggestions with wide open eyes will enjoy more success than those who forge ahead with blinkers on.

My Agentfail? Bad grammar in a rejection.

Wow....and then people wonder why agents sometimes get bitter about non-clients who think that the agent's main purpose is to spend time and/or money doing things to make their lives easier. There are some valid complaints scattered through these comments, but there's also a huge amount of entitlement. Do some of you even listen to yourselves?

I once queried an agent who never replied. Not just to me, but not to anyone. Around the time I queried her, she apparently stopped responding to any queries at all. Months later, after several authors, in addition to myself, had decided to write her off, her website finally posted that she was not receiving more queries. Glad to know that it only took her three months to post that after making the choice. agentfail.

Dear [Insert Agent's name here],

You had my query for 14 months, and in that time I heard what from you? Nothing. Not even a sigh. Seven months after the book was published, you sent me this sweet email: "Sorry for the delay in getting back to you; we think this is too hard to sell."

1. Be prompt. Say yes, say no, but say something.

Dear Agent who is burned out and thinks she is God:

You were one of the first agents I queried. You chose my email as a model of idiocy and misrepresented it on your blog. You LIED about me.

I have two books under my belt since then, and I'm a much better writer. Should I ever be in the market for an agent again, you will not be on my list.

2. Do NOT abuse me, even if you think I'm an idiot. Being new and inexperienced is not the same as idiocy.

Dear Agent who proclaims her niceness:

Your not; you only think you are. You’re rude, a bit crude, and very self-serving.

3. Remember how you make your money. You make it off the hard works of authors such as myself.

No more agent's words shall bind us,
Arise you writers, no more in thrall!
.... We have been nought, we shall be all!

Dear Agent whose name begins with R:

Lovely name. With an additional letter, I share it with you. Your handwritten comments on the bottom of a rejection letter kept me writing. Thanks! I've kept the letter even though it was a rejection, and I will always value the time it took for you to write what you did.

4. Take the time to cultivate talent when you see it.

Too many agents to name, to them one and all:

Don't be stupid. Many of those querying you are smarter than you are, prettier than you are, and meaner than you are. We have long memories and we share agent stories just as you share “bad writer” stories.

5. Remember that roles can reverse. If you are not predisposed to civility, at least adopt it for the sake of your career.

I love my brother/sister writers, BUT, I find it the height of cowardice to come on here as Anonymous and call for "outting" Agent names.

Anonymous's/Anonymae/Anonymi... if ya ain't got the balls, stay outta Publishing halls!

Haste yee back ;-)

I agree with the consensus view on no response = no interest. And I agree with the people who are sick of agents whining about how busy they are. Dilbert once had a recurring character who walked around all day with a coffee cup balanced on his protuberant belly, telling people how busy he is. Every office has one. Why not literary agencies?

But the number of posters complaining about agents who make fun of writers on their blogs or Twitter accounts is surprising.

Don't you people have jobs? I'll bet you goof on your bosses from time to time. And bosses: How often do you mimic a certain whining class of employee? I'd bet both of you can do a fair impersonation of certain broad types of annoying customers too.

That doesn't mean you don't need each other. It doesn't mean you hold all bosses in contempt, or all employees, or all customers.

If I had 50 or 75 queries arriving every day, you could be sure I'd develop an emergency supply of dark humor before my first week was out. Especially if I made sure I read them, because I still hoped to find real talent in there.

I crossed a few off after reading their blogs and their rude comments about authors and submissions. If I treated potential clients like that, I'd be fired. Sure snark can be funny, but at its base, it's demeaning. YMMV.

Yeah, Hste Ye Back and Michael, let's hear a few complaints out of you, since you're SO brave. How often have you told your boss off to their face?
That's what I thought...
Read the blog again. Writers aren't stupid. We're just fed up and maybe we don't want to put up with this bs anymore.

We're not saying agents can't blog or Twitter--just quit complaining how BUSY you are when all you do is Twitter all day about boring crap.

Too bad agents are SO overworked and underpaid: Boo hoo...Try being a writer for a change.

Don't take six months to send notes to me.

Don't show my manuscript to your editor friend for feedback without my permission and think somehow I will be flattered--it is pretty obvious you are just trying to get a sure sale before you sign me.

Don't tell me to change major plot points--if you don't like the book, don't take it on, but don't try to make me write the book you want to write but won't.

Don't think you're all that. Because you are really not.

Wow. I read all of this tonight and felt like I was still at work (in psychiatry). That is never a good feeling.

Anyone who writes and finishes writing anything has an emotional investment in their work. I have often felt like it is my brain that has given birth. We don't sell our literal children. It's difficult to "sell" a brain child in the strict sense of sales. Rejection stings, becomes too personal. That was my problem with a novel I wrote some time ago. I was looking at it like a literal baby that came out of my head. I learned that if I continued to see what I write in that way, I would never be able to "sell" it. I would never accept anyone rejecting it more than I can tolerate cruelty toward my flesh and blood child.

What I see in the comments here is so much negativity that it hurts my head to continue reading. My rule about time off the unit is that I only function in my licensed profession when I'm paid to do so. In other words, I don't get paid enough ON the clock to afford the luxury of doing the job OFF the clock. Yet here I am, responding to what feels like an Axis II festival.

Many agents blog and give (literally GIVE) free advice. They are coaches. They are educators. They are so much in love with books and writing that they endure incredible muck to give anyone who bothers to do a minuscule amount of research, tips and advice. Agents are not super-human. Some might be superb human beings, but they are still human. They have likes and dislikes just like the next guy.

Some writers seem to have unrealistic expectations when communicating with those bearing ",Agent" behind their names. Don't expect everyone to agree with you that your novel is perfect as is, the best thing ever written, because YOU say so! Unless I am more clueless than I think I am, the point of the query isn't to state that "I am right - this is the best novel ever!!!" but to write something that grabs the attention of the agent so they want to read more.

Now, whether or not the actual MS fulfills the expectations built by the query or not is another matter. A request for a partial or full is not a guarantee of anything more than a request. It still falls upon the author to have an engaging story that doesn't die after the first fifty pages. Publication is a marathon, not the fifty-yard-dash.

Sales is a difficult profession. Sometimes, you're not just selling a product. Sometimes you're selling yourself too. Unyielding, unbending personalities fail to make sales.

What does this have to do with agents failing to meet the expectations of authors? Not much. I just read things like this and think, "Oh God, I've stepped back into the kill-you-milieu, and I can't simply ignore it."

A few of the comments/suggestions have been constructive here, with good advice on ways to resolve some of the frustration of writers which in turn could make this process feel less adversarial or even anxiety-ridden. Other comments have just been petty and mean. Talk about a discouraging dialog for unpublished writers to read!

Entitlement - no matter who exhibits it - is bad for your health. That's my free, off the clock advice. If people want respect, EARN IT. It isn't automatic even if you ARE a published author.

Ms. Reid, you have my respect. I may not agree with every word you say, but it's not required that all people agree on all things at all times. What a boring world this would be if we did. You have earned the respect of many, I would imagine, because you present yourself as a very straightforward, honest person. What a gem to discover in this day and age. Not all people share that skill. So thank you for communicating with readers and potential clients. You make the process better by communicating your expectations. No one should honestly expect more than that. You are #agentwin.

Anon 11:51 PM sums it up for me, but for one thing.

Someone used the term 'customer' rather than client, and I think that's telling. Agencies are not like corporations, and you're lucky if you can get 24/7 service on your computer these days - you cannot expect for 'the customer is always right' to apply here.

Sure, offer up helpful criticism, but don't hate people for living their lives. Sure, writers have day jobs and write - I assume agents do other things in their spare time that they enjoy. Asking them to essentially be 'on the clock' all the time is unfair, and frankly? Weird.

Overall, I agree with Kathleen MacIver. But since I'm commenting Anon this once . . .

Just from one conference:

1. Agent said during her panel that she welcomes questions & wants writers to feel she's always approachable; acted like I was a stalker when I thanked her for an informative discussion immediately after the workshop.

I don't expect someone I've just met to act as though we're old friends, but don't treat me like a leper five minutes after telling the room how accessible you are. Be genuine or stay home.

2. Ridiculing query letters to the point where half the room was visibly uncomfortable, but she was laughing out loud & having a blast.

If she's that dense during a workshop, will she miss every body-language cue during meetings with editors? Plus, making fun of people who're querying you just strikes me as being in very poor taste.

And another vote against the "no response = no" deal. Take three months to answer; send a one-word e-mail (No.); use a template (no different than a photocopied form letter) -- but when we take pains to follow published guidelines it's just rude to ignore us.

1. No response means no interest. I detest this.

2. If you change your guidelines, update your site.

3. Sending your promotional materials back to my in my sase if I sent it snail mail.

4. Political rants on a business website. Don't care who you support or vote for, but I have marked a few agents off the list for rabid political bs.

5. I like seeing the personal side of an agent also, it gives me an idea of whether our personalities will mesh. However, if 9/10's of your posts are about your kitties, then I tend to wonder if you have any business.

To all the agents (top notch agents too) that piss and scream about wanting a personalized query letter, and send me back a "dear author" letter in return, try to at least insert my name next time. I spent hours reading blogs, your website, your clients' website, their books, to personalize that query letter, at least you could spent 5 seconds to insert my name.

I won't submit to someone who doesn't care to respond. There are plenty of agents who will send out some form of "no."

I don't mind the "gallows humor" agents have with respect to bad writing. How else are they going to respond the nth time their eyes have to deal with your that should be you're and etc.?

I like it when agents and editors blog and tweet about anything whether personal, business, whatever. I'm basically eavesdropping on their world for clues on how not to be -- what's the word? Oh, yeah. An idiot.

As for the agent-who-will-remain-nameless who closed down for submissions until she gets caught up: My esteem level for her went way, way up when she did that. That is, I think, the height of respect, for herself and for all the writers who want to submit to her.

I wonder how many other agents would have the confidence and self-discipline to close for submissions until they get caught up? It would be like a gold panner turning away from the stream to sort the stuff she's already pulled out of the river. What if a big nugget floats by while her back is turned?

But then the work never gets done. So my hat's off to the agent who was willing to step off the conveyor belt in order to get caught up.

Anon at 6:22 pm said it best;

If you're sending out 25 queries and only one agent responds, that says something about the viability of your project.

Successful writers don't point fingers outward. They look inward. They read the trades, visit bookstores, read new books, re-write their novels and treat publishing like a business.

That said, sometimes the writer picks wrong.

And sadly, Anon 6:22, I think I might have.

My agent hasn't made a sale for a couple of years. While she is incredibly motivating and has absolute faith in my writing I wonder whether she's got what it takes to get my work across the finish line.

Some of the bigger issues have been submitting the out-of-date manuscript she should have destroyed all copies of, and then forwarding the rejection from the major publisher that pointed out all the issues I'd already fixed...

Twittering, blogging and trawling through time-wasting sites like Authonomy are also issues - because she's not making sales, she's not selling my book but she's busy trying to be the BIG IMPORTANT AGENT everywhere she can.

I just wish I could fire her... but I feel this sense of loyalty because we've worked together for so long.

*gathering courage*

These comments are fabulous. When I read them this afternoon, they had a surprisingly relaxing effect. Thanks, Jessica...and Janet and Nathan, my 3 faves. I wasn't going to add to this huge list, but couldn't resist being comment #200 at 1 AM.

There's this agent at G, a big film agency too, and she wanted a partial, but I was so honest with her about my situation, doing revisions for another agent. She said she would only look at it if it were "free and clear." So I waited 2 months and finally put some pressure on the agent for a response to my revisions. It was a really nervous time for me. I felt loyal to the agent who made suggestions; but at the same time, if he wasn't interested, I wanted to show my work to the big G. So I put a little pressure on him, saying another agent was interested, and he let me go. Finally I was able to contact the big G agent...and she rejected the partial in 3 days with a very curt note. So I lost everything at the time. Why had I been so honest with her? She would have seen it, rejected it, and perhaps I'd still be with the other agent.

Anyway, I learned from that experience, what Richard Curtis said: Keep your big mouth shut! Me, that is.

Still I don't appreciate this agent who teased me along, making me think she was so interested, only to put pressure on the first agent...and then be left with nothing. I'm not sure if this makes sense, but I'm in a much better place now.

Michael Gavaghen:

Your post is insulting and nonsensical. Your post reeks of ad hominem. Of course we have jobs, or most of us do. We work hard at them; we raise children (and goats); and we write.

Not everyone is impolite, rude and stupid. Those who are should not be welcomed or excused.

I owned an antiquarian book business for years. I did not ridicule my clients or employees. I expected politeness and respect from my employees, and I gave it to them. Many of my clients were professional people, often educators, and sometimes simply educated collectors. A fair amount of new collectors came my way, many of them ill informed and full of questions that might have seemed silly. Answering these silly questions built my business. If I had posted them on a blog and ridiculed them, exactly what do you think would have happened to my business?

It would have been silly for me to assume that collectors and readers needed me because I had the books. There are many other booksellers out there, many of them well informed and honorable.

Not every customer was nice, but it was my business to treat them with courtesy just as surely as it was my business to fill their book-collecting needs. That is professionalism, and it is decency.

I expect the same level of civility from an agent. No matter how rude, silly, ill informed or stupid a writer may be, agents should keep their reaction to themselves. There is a distinct difference between educating new writers and ridiculing someone who’s put their life into the manuscript they wish read.

We have a right to expect kindness and civility. Accepting anything less leaves one with a civilization of sorts but one that is not civilized.

Your conclusion is that writers and agents need each other, so we should tolerate bad behavior. Nonsense! Writers do not need rude and stupid agents. They may need an agent, but certainly not one who enjoys ridiculing and misrepresenting writers who query them for the sake of a blog post.

That you find it acceptable to ridicule and insult those who post here says more about you than it does those you wish to criticize.

I just got a rejection from an Agent (not the one I queried in that agency) that said that my work wouldn't sell in this "limited market" and would I allow her to send my information to a self publisher.

EPIC AGENT FAIL

3. Sending your promotional materials back to my in my sase if I sent it snail mail.

Oh, big, fat, huge #agentfail.

I like to see some kind of response if you say you are going to respond. Even a form rejection lets me know you received it.

Current guidelines.

For the comments about agents blogging or twittering. Yes, some of it is just socializing. However, this also gives you a peek at the agent. The form responses in various venues give you no glimpse at the agent's personality. I can look at stats and guidelines, but they don't really tell me anything about the other side of the agent. Since I am a bit more laid back, I don't want a hyper, obsessive, domineering personality as a business partner.

Aside from that, they quite frequently will answer questions about publishing if you are even remotely polite.

If you think they blog or twitter too much, don't query them.

It's all just another tool to use or not as you see fit.

I don't mind Twittering and blogging agents. I know they need downtime.

As to the "no response = no", I blogged about that recently. I understand them doing it when they've gotten back hateful responses to rejections. No one wants to open themselves up to eff-you letters on a daily basis. Although, if you're only doing it because of time issues, check into gmail's "Canned Responses" feature. It will allow you to paste in a pre-written letter in one click. Nothing could be easier.

My agentfail moment recently: I queried an agent and the response said the agent (well actually her college student reader) was *offended* by the sex in the book and I could resubmit if I'd take out all the sex. She said: You're trying to combine erotica and paranormal, and that's never going to work.

Oh really? This person obviously doesn't understand the market. I could list dozens of writers who have sex scenes in paranormal romances! (Plus, my book *wasn't* erotica. I write both and I know the difference. The language was soft and vague.)

I really think that was a one-off situation and not an industry-wide problem. When I get a rejection like that, it's very easy for me to shrug and move on.

Would like to see more: Agent websites with *current* guidelines/wants.

I see a lot of stuff I agree with here and have heard from authors, aspiring and published.

From an 'aspiring' point of view, nothing is more irksome than have a request for a partial or full MS THEN never hearing from the agent again.

Other stuff bothers me too (some of the mightier than thou meanspiritedness I see going on, BUT that's not entirely unwarranted given what some querying authors do).

It's people clashing with people.

But of the comments I saw listed, I agree that if agents have strict submission rules (and some border on Draconian), then they should follow their own rules as well.

Thanks for offering this place to vent today.

How about submitting a manuscript to your publisher without ever reading it and when the publisher rejects it agreeing with me that the ms needed a lot of work. Thanks for the heads up. I could have fixed it before she submitted it, but she was too busy to read the d*** thing. I now have no agent and have sold 7 books, so really, who needs the headache?

If the dentist/builder/bank manager/cashier/hairdresser acted in such ways they'd never work again!--

If dentists, bank managers, hairdressers dealt with the sheer volume of unsolicited "customers" agents do, plus taking care of all the other business, they would be changing their policies also.

I think some of you are missing the point of this thread. It was an invitation to bitch about agents, and people certainly rose to the occasion.

Granted, the cloak of anonymity made some people bolder than usual, and there definitely has been some vitriol throughout, but wasn't that sort of the purpose here?

I don't interpret this as a bunch of bitter, disgruntled authors with anger issues rallying a lynch mob. I see it as authors - both published and unpublished - airing their grievances in a rare opportunity to share our side of the coin. The agent/author relationship is a symbiotic one, and the balance of power shifts back and forth throughout.

As someone above commented, we need you, agents, and you need us, too.

Hearing authors rag on agents probably feels similar to hearing agents tell us our work is crap on a stick.

Hopefully any agent reading through this thread can do the same thing we authors do when we receive a rejection - take the valid criticism and try to improve, and toss the rest.

I would love to see the practice of sending a SASE eliminated for those agents who only take snail mail. Half of them never respond anyway, and postage is getting more expensive. It would also help the environment.

If an agent got something to his or her liking, just send an email or pick up the phone asking for the manuscript. Just think of the time saved stuffing form letters into envelopes.

Personally, I don't need a form letter if the answer is no. Not hearing anything is the same for me.

I am an agented writer who has only rarely received an email from my agent that was not completely sloppy with mistakes, both grammatical and mechanical. Since she graduated from an Ivy League school, I assume that she does everything in haste and doesn't think well enough of me to waste time proofing her terse communiques from her big important world. If I put all her crazy emails to me together and mailed them to her boss, I do not imagine he'd be pleased. But I would never do that. I will state here, though, that agents should understand that this consistent sloppiness conveys a certain attitude to an author, and not a good one. It also tends to make you want to choke when same person gives you suggestions for revisions. (I understand email is a more relaxed form of communication...but that is not the kind of mess I'm referring to in this complaint.)

I wasn't going to do it, but ah well, here I am.

My #agentfail moment was thus: after following the equery guidelines to the letter, I *still* have not gotten a response. When did I query? June of last year. How long did the guidelines say? Six weeks. Yes, perhaps no response indicates no interest -- but I find that amusing because of a couple of high-profile things that would have made me worth at least a partial request at that time (and did at every other place I queried).

Further, when I talked with someone from this agency at a conference a few weeks later, they said they'd look for my query and make sure it got to the agent I'd sent it to (all queries went to one addy, then were distributed). But I still haven't heard a word.

Now of course my query could have gotten lost in the Spam filter. I realize this. But to wait six weeks and then have to do it again? No.

These are not sour grapes from an agentless writer. Three months after sending the no-response query, I signed with a well-respected, well known agent and sold in a two book deal to a major NY publisher.

My agent responds to email usually the same day. I like this. She also sends me statements in a timely manner, though we've yet to get to the royalty statement stage. I have every confidence she will do that efficiently too. The no response worked out well for me, but it still irritates me to be ignored. In that respect, I think I agree with the writers who simply want an acknowledgment -- even if it's an auto-response. No one likes to be ignored.

I'm with the crowd so much here. I'm so tired of agents who complain about how hard their life is and how they're so put upon by us stupid writers.

Yet, when times get hard and someone has to get shit on it's the writer who takes the hit. It's not the agents who decide to change their practices to be more efficient or to, god forbid, stop Twittering about how bad writers are and go back to doing their jobs.

And I would personally like to say that I think agents who say "no response means no interest" are a disgrace to their profession.

There is no other business in the world where you're allowed to get away with not responding to someone who sent you legitimate business correspondence, either by email or snail mail.

Yet agents feel like they can treat writers like crap because we'll always be there begging for a moment of their attention.

I'm so tired of how arrogant and bitchy agents have gotten. As though sitting at a desk reading is the hardest thing in the world.

There are surgeons who work in third world countries who don't bitch as much as some agents do. Seriously, though. Get over yourselves. You're the ones who control the market practically, and you get 15% of the paycheck that I earned, which I put up a years worth of work for, and yet I'm somehow beneath you and contemptible.

Look, I'm sorry if some writers don't follow the rules, but there are a lot of you guys who do some really slimy things to writers and yet we can't complain about it if we want to ever have a career again.

Tell you what, why don't you try doing a year or two's worth of work in between your paying day job and your kids and your spouse when you're fucking sick and tired and exhausted and can't even pay your medical bills even with your job and then stay up 'til 3am just to read some agent's stupid Twitter feed just so you can personalize that query letter that they won't even bother to reject with a form letter and then have a bunch of agents piss all over writers just like you and hold an entire event just to laugh at you and then see how YOU FUCKING FEEL ABOUT IT. See how professional you think those people are.

I hear over and over again agents telling writers to act professional, to be professional, but won't bother to be professional themselves.

Sometimes I wish agents would realize how hard authors work just to get to their doorstep and recognize that instead of acting like we're these hideous unwashed masses who are infringing on their time.

I don't mind treating writing like a business, but I expect the agent to do the same, and a lot of them don't.

Demand an exclusive, then after 12 weeks go by say, "Sorry the interns are behind on sending out rejections."

It seems to me that the "no response means no" is the most voice grievance here, and I would have to delightfully agree.

Automatic correspondence is NOT a hard thing to do with any form of email. I mean, even if your email program doesn't offer that service there are FREE services out there that do so.

I have to disagree with those who think "no response" is a perfectly valid professional behavior because it isn't.

And to Jim: when I apply for a job online -- I usually get a robotic response of some sort saying that my application/resume/CV was received. If I go in person, there's usually a call to either say there's an interview wanted, I got the job, or they aren't interested.

IMO, that's quite simple professionalism.

I've been reading these posts for an hour, not expecting to join in, but since this hasn't been mentioned (or maybe it was and I missed it?), I thought perhaps to add something.

The "no response means no" theory - the majority of writers state frustration at this, wanting closure, something, anything that acknowledges a query. One person asked why we would so adamantly demand so much rejection?

Tax purposes. No response also gives you no proof that you're actively pursuing a writing career. You can only go so many years claiming writing expenses on your tax return until your accountant begins to smile at your little "hobby." Having something to show him/her helps.

The whole #queryfail thing. It's a seemingly American Idol mentality to find entertainment in putting people down and the more we feed into it, the more its popularity grows. Was it educational? Somewhat. At least we know what NOT to do, right? Was it professional? Not really. The cackling glee of insults with writers lining up to cheer them on only served to encourage more.

I believe all the writer comments on agents boil down to one simple thing: Respect.

If you want it, you should give it in return. Goes both ways and is as simple as that.

All time agent lows?

A big name agent who requests queries, partials, and fulls, snail mailed, but only responds to the queries (and with strips of paper.) I paid for the stamp, surely you can afford to put your form response on a full sheet of paper.

Another big name agent who rejects with a form letter and suggestion you buy his book...

Agents don't have it easy. Neither do writers. I'll offer a sample of observations that will get a potential agent listed on my "do not query" list:

1. "No response means no thanks" means no query. Why should I waste my time? If you're too busy to reply, then I'm too busy to query you.

2. You get 90 days. If you can't respond in 90 days, then you won't have time for me as a client. If I'm your client, and your publisher buys my work and wants a second novel within a year, they're going to get it. Giving you 90 days to respond to my query is generous in comparison.

3. Your form letter response to my query has a multiple-choice format, and you've circled choice number four. Clever. And very unprofessional. "No thank you" is just fine. Specific comments are a wonderful touch, if you have time. Save the multiple-choice rejections for romantic suitors.

4. I need to know what you've sold. This is the most important factor in my decision to query you. If you can't tell me what you've sold, then my guess is that you're not very successful. Pass.

5. Be professional in all aspects. Give writers as much information as you can concerning your guidelines.

Good writers aren't going to have many issues with good agents. I promise to do everything I can to be a good writer if you promise to do everything you can to be a good agent.

All of you need to take e-queries. All. It saves the planet, and in case you hadn't noticed, a lot of people are broke and cannot even afford the postage is takes to send out a bunch of queries.

There's nothing more CRUEL than letting a hopeful person hanging. Whether in love, in business, in the business of writing. If a person cares enough to submit, human decency and good manners say you give a person an answer.

To do otherwise is arrogant, selfish, unkind and ignorant.

IMNSHO.

I know a lot of people are concerned with all the anger and frustration in here, but I don't think it's too bad.

This AgentFail idea has probably prevented a couple of random mall shootings. I mean, better to vent one's spleen in here than to be up in the bell tower zeroing a sight. rofl.

I was a huge fan of QueryFail, but I'm seeing many of the same complaints being made about both AF and QF. I keep looking to see if QueryFail comes around again.

Problem is, I didn't see a whole lot in there that was of practical use to any but those making the most boneheaded query mistakes.

I would have liked to see a few containing more subtle mistakes. I mean, how many of us query agents with naked photos of ourselves or picture book mss containing blood-letting ceremonies or show up at an agent's office to deliver a paper query while dressed like a bunny?

So yeah, a lot of the ones posted had huge, common-sense errors that most people who are taking their medication just wouldn't make.

I think that may be the reason so many looked at QueryFail as just an agent's opportunity to laugh at the most comical queries they get. Still, I enjoyed it immensely.

But now we have AgentFail, and I have to say yeah, it does need to go both ways.

Yes, agents are busy, but so are writers. Even writers who have been published still need a day job--it's just understood that unless you blow up like Stephen King or JK Rowling, you will not be able to adopt this as a full-time vocation.

It will not sustain you or your family. So we're working our writing around real, full-time jobs, our families, and a multitude of other obligations.

Our eyes glaze over at 3 o'clock in the morning in the soft glow of a computer screen, just trying to get that one scene right before we have to jump in the shower to go to work.

Any small changes an agent can make to ease the burden and stress on both sides of the fence (like auto-responder--which needs to be set up once and then never again, or accepting e-queries--which helps agents, writers, and the planet) will make a huge difference.

Hopefully some agents/agencies see some of the posts in here and decide to tweak a few things.

Sure, a lot of us are angry, but that's par for the course when you're talking about human beings venting. I've seen a lot of snarkiness on both sides. Strip that all away and see if there's anything constructive underneath.

Some posts are tempered, some are irate, but many make some damn good points.

Thorns in my side:

1. A rejection letter that states the following: "I'm sorry to say that this is not a book but would make a great article," instead of 'this isn't for me' (not the same as this isn't a book!).

2. A reputable agent who hyperactively asked me to fed ex my proposal and said he would read it right away. Two days later, he opened the conversation this way: "I am so disappointed. I am just so disappointed. I am still trying to think about why--but I'm disappointed." A little personal--let's leave that language for parents and partners.

3. A rejection letter e-mailed from a Blackberry

4. When a rejection letter and a 'please send ms' e-mail arrive from the same agency. Can you and your intern get it together, please?

In the hopes I won't sound arrogant, I think there's something to add here that so far, no one has mentioned.

Some background: I am a teenager. I have a (very legitimate) agent. I have won contests and published in small venues. When my manuscript went out on submission, it was universally rejected. Nicely, helpfully, with requests for revisions, but still rejected.

I gave up everything for my book. My friends, my education, my health, you name it. After two years and a dozen revisions, as selfish as it sounds, I am pretty damn tired of hearing "keep your chin up and keep trying" from everyone and their ugly stepbrother. I am the shell of the writer I could have been, because I was openly lied to by the people around me who insisted I was good.

So rule number one for me: do not think for one second that just because a person is of a certain age that you are inclined to "be nice" and lie to them about how very, very hard it is to get published. I would have saved myself a lot of pain, loneliness and therapy had someone just told me the truth.

I just signed on with my first agent, and she's been wonderful, getting my work to editors of five major houses within a week. She returns calls and emails any updates. Very professional in every way.

You should know I did not query any agent who participates in the internet bashing of writers, even if it's done in the veiled attempt at "humor." I have no desire to line the pockets of anyone who is mean. I don't care how powerful they are. It's easier to deal with nice people with class.

I'm sure those agents couldn't care less about one less query letter. But if I get lucky and sell my book for a million bucks, that agent just tossed away 150k by being cruel. Posting such feelings on the internet might seem cute and give them feelings of superiority, but eventually it is going to cost those agents serious money.

Pretty expensive habit, this Twitter thing, huh?

Sweat-shop agent: “I sit on my bunghole reading queries. This is worse than picking cotton.”

Dig a ditch or clean toilets for a few days then get back to your coffee and queries and tell us how hard you work.

Agent whore: “Hey, you suck, but buy my books and learn how to make agents like me think you don’t suck as much as you, in fact, really suck.”

Mullet agent: Compliment up front, rejection in back. “This is wonderful, but, unfortunately, there’s just not a market for it now.”

Mullet agent’s cousin, or, the un-Christopher Columbus-like agent: “Thanks, but even if you had the talent of Maupassant, we’ve never discovered, then nurtured and produced a star writer.”

Gravy-train agent: “Get a platform. You know, prove that you can sell your book, so we can help you, uh, sell your book. For 15 percent.”

The agent of Oz: “DID…YOU…NOT…READ…MY…GUIDELINES!!!!!! ARGGGHHHH, WHIPPER SNAPPER!!!!!!”

Agent PSYCHE!: “Thank you for your submission. Unfortunately, our client list is full and we are not taking new writers.”

Uh, care to put that on your site before I send my query?

The fitting agent: “Unfortunately/sorry/regrettably . . . this just doesn’t’ “fit” what we’re looking for.”

Does this query make me look fat?

The Bono/Cher/Madonna agent: “Pass.”

“Your crap is not the kind of crap I sell” agent: “You know, author, this thing you submitted to me is really bad. Now, look at the roster of writers I represent. You’ve never heard of them and never read them. Now, doesn’t that make you feel worse?”

Hilarious! Kudos to: Anon 2:07 4/04 Don't forget the elitist snob agent...Maybe you should try getting THIS published? Anonymously, perhaps, but WITHOUT an agent! LOLOL

Twitter is for the birds...what a hen house of nonsense, good grief, grow up. I only read through it for a few seconds, and felt too insulted to continue. If you dislike writers so much and think we're idiots, get out of the business of being agents.

Without writers, you wouldn't have a job.

My complaints:

I don't like wasting my time researching or querying agents who claim to represent literary fiction when they actually represent commercial fiction.

I find it disrespectful when agents have a partial or a full who don't respond in a timely manner.

I'm simply tired of agents telling me my MS is too long for a first novel...yet, The Time Traveler's Wife and The Historian are beefy tomes that make excellent doorstops happen to be best sellers.

The latest excuse is the economic downturn...yeah, whatever.

Might as well self-publish, which I have. Now that my book is in the grubby hands of readers it's tainted. Oh well.

You better look out, the barbarians are at the gate.

;)

Agentfail 1:
Recently, an editor had taken three of my manuscripts to her editorial meeting, where she told me they were well received. I was using this heavily in my pitch, of course.

I pitched to an agent at an agency that was having a query holiday. I was told that my three manuscripts could not be read due to the deadline for the query holiday.

Blink blink. So, I'm getting serious interest, but you are going to prioritize people that you probably would have rejected based on their query -- because of a rule you made up yourself. This tells me something about your business sense.

Agentfail 2:
At the time, I was starting out my query with the information about the editor's interest. One agent rejected my query -- not the book, the query. She wrote back that I should visit her website and query again based on the extremely strict guidelines she explained there in minute detail.

I dunno, it seems to me that the info I provided was relevant, but what do I know?

But I feel very lucky for both these agentfails. Knocked two off my list.

I ended up with three offers of representation and a very shiny agent, so it worked out excellent well.

An agentfail I've seen very often, with multiple people:

"I loved the partial. Send me the full right away! I'd be really surprised if we don't offer you representation."

Surprise.

Agents just don't seem to be aware the effect this has on us. Please don't use words like love and representation unless you're offering representation. Please.

Excuse me, michael gavaghen, but some of us work as writers, and some of our work is the prose for marketing material. When you say
I don't know anyone who pours heart and soul into marketing copy. Wordsmith the hell out of it, sure. Take pride in its cleverness, absolutely. But why be insulted when someone rips into your marketing material -- especially when they don't attach your name to it?
you make me want to puke. "Wordsmith"? Feh. That's the pseudoverb people who can't write use to refer to the act of writing. Try having some respect for those of us who put bread on the table by crafting original, insightful, dare I say well-written advertising/marketing material. I've been in this business for 20 years, and only people who can't do what I do make fun of it.

One time an agent rejected me. I imagine he is still laughing with his motorcycle gang.

Sure they want to find the BIG author but having said that, none of them want to take a chance on a new author who might be, could be, probably will be, big.

Antonia Woodville, this statement is patently and provably untrue. I know dozens of writers who got an agent without prior publishing credits. It happens every day.


And Anon 11:23, 4/03...I'm sorry, but this:

I think we all just need to accept the fact that the publishing industry doesn't exist for the benefit of writers, it exists for the benefit of publishers and agents.

is seriously one of the dumbest statements I've ever seen anyone make.

The publishing industry exists to provide books to readers. Period. It exists for the benefit of readers, you know, those people who buy and read books? The industry runs the way it runs in order to provide those people with quality entertainment.

I don't generally mind "no response equals no" policies too much because I reject them as a ludicrous concept in this age of spam filters (and if I've send you a $.42 SASE, forget it, buddy). If an agent doesn't respond within a few months, I re-send. What are they going to do? Call the query police? Ignore me extra, super hard?

I do mind no response to requested materials very, very much, however. You are in posession of something that is mine, something that is important to me. No, I didn't send you my only copy, but come on.

That said, I consider these (and many others of the common complaints listed here) to be agentannoyances more than agentfails. I've really only got two I consider true agentfails.

1) The agency currently referring it's rejected queriers to iUniverse and AuthorHouse, which is mentioned a few times here already. We're talking about a big selling agency (recent seven figure deal), that is *was* considered reputable. Their new practice displays a deep and disturbing disregard for writers as an entity IMO, suggesting that if they don't think they can make a buck off a writer's work it is useless, that no other agent or publisher could ever find any worth in it, and thus the writer should just take it out of everyone's way by paying for self-publication. Respectfully, bite me.

One of their agents was considering two of my manuscripts, was in regular contact and seemed very enthusiastic, and had promised to be in touch about them within a day or two of this bizarro business beginning. I emailed her for information; cue hemming and hawing. Agentfail. Capital F. I withdrew both books from consideration.

2) An agent who requested the full manuscript of my first book in May 2008 (after reading the first 60 pages, so she knows she's at least cool with my writing). No response to status queries, not ever, but a WHOLE lot of Twittering.

I love agents who blog and Twitter. I'll take inside info anywhere I can get it, and I'm grateful. But when the volume of an individual's Internet activity displays page after page after page of Tweets, with very little down time evident and includes multiple references to being bogged down by requested materials (back to May, no less) and unresponded to queries, I start thinking Internet addiction. Should this agent finally get to my manuscript and love it, is she actually going to power down and submit it to publishers? Perhaps, but it's hard to take that gamble, and it does rankle. Agentfail, but with sadz and some concern.

I feel strongly about these two, but I enjoy the Authorpass/Agentpass entry more. I think I'll go post another good experience or two. I've got lots to choose from.

(Okay, my word verification came up "deall." Is somebody funning me?)

If an agent states the policy as "no response," grow up and accept that. You may not like it, but it's the agent's right to do so. That said, I don't like the policy, but I can chose not to query such an agent. It doesn't make the agent bad, just not a fit for me.

It occurs to me, however, that if agents took a few seconds to distinguish for the hopeful writer - "your query really sucks" (my first few did - I'm humiliated!), "your idea is absurd," "your writing is awful" or "this is okay/good/well written but not for me," it would not only help the writer but the agents. If I got a few "your query really sucks" I'd take a look to see what I could do to improve and I'd stop sending to more agents until I did. Wouldn't that cut down on the crappy queries that agents receive and therefore take up less time? Perhaps a universal rejection letter with some check boxes? If my plot, writing, etc. are awful, I'd like to know. In the 20 or so queries I've sent out I've gotten two "interestings" and one "intriguing." I have no idea what this really means. It's interesting but there's no market? It's intriguing but I find your plot hard to believe? Your characters unrealistic? Or maybe, as stated, none of the above and they simply don't think it's right for them.

In other words, if an agent has taken the time to read the query, would it really take that much longer to write a few words to point the author in the right direction, even if it's to stop writing (tactfully put, but clear)? I'm going to keep sending queries but that may be pointless; I don't know. To me, that is the frustration. I've not had an unkind or rude reply to my queries (most have been incredibly responsive) but I do feel frustrated, not that the agents aren't responsive or doing their jobs, but that it seems like it could be even better if a bit of feedback were provided. Just a crazy idea!

I thought that the agents who participated in the whole query/fail debacle acted unprofessionally. Talk about tacky! I lost respect for all of them and one of them happened to be my agent. It probably doesn't hurt to remind agents (and editors) that without writers most of them would probably be umemployed.

Still puzzles me why writers must follow all of an agents' guidelines, turn in a near-perfect query and ms., wait patiently for a reply (often months)--and then act grateful to even get a form rejection or personal feedback.

But when an agent is rude or slow or makes any kind of mistake, they shrug it off with, "We're too busy" or "We're only human." Well, guess what? So are we writers. Why don't WE get a break?

Great educational post!

At the query stage, I think aspiring authors should do their homework like the Divine Miss Snark instructed. A lot of agents have blogs now or have been interviewed in a variety of places throughout Cyberspace. Some of the problems can be avoided by not querying incompatible (however excellent) agents in the first place.

Jessica, another timely and informative post!

I truly believe the most important ingredients for a successful agent/client relationship is a mutual enthusiasm for the story and a strong faith in one another's abilities. If you have that, and in return the agent has a track record of sales with NY publishers and a small list of happy clients, you both have something solid to build on.

Thanks so much for the info and troubleshooting tactics. :-)

Years ago, there was a Roz Chast cartoon in The New Yorker which had three panels, arranged left to right. The picture in each panel showed people dressed in normal formalwear, exotic garb of some sort, and finally fantastic-nightmare clothing -- like folded-up antennas, aluminum foil, bizarre solid objects, and so on. The panels' captions were "Dressed to the nines"; "Dressed to the sixes"; and "Dressed to X, the unknown."

Here's what made me think of that cartoon (you were wondering, weren't you?):

As an agent, have you ever had (or heard of, from the ubiquitous friend of a friend) a client of type X, the unknown? I'm assuming there's the client from hell, and the client from heaven, and then, well, the client you just end up not "getting" at all?

Very good, timely post. I think authors tend to panic when things don't go 'as planned' in the relationship. We hear tons of stories about how some clients are annoying nags and call all the time...so we resolve to be the 'good' client and not nag at all. And in the process, we end up shooting ourselves in the foot.

And to be honest, sometimes we hate to recognize that a relationship isn't working. If the agent isn't showing enthusiasm despite repeated discussions, it's time to cut the cord after all. Sometimes it just takes hearing it from another person.

Great post - thank you so much for writing it.

I think a client/agent relationship, when it's working, tends to develop as time and new projects move forward. The client needs less hand holding and the agent has more knowledge of the client's ability to produce. At some point, the type of communication changes from the panicked calls from the newbie author (guilty party waving madly here) to emails noting various publicity, reviews, etc. to occasional phone conversations concerning new projects, etc. Like any relationship, it evolves into one that's comfortable but not overwhelming. Those first months of a new contract though, at least in my case, probably had my agent looking for a good place to hide!

Jessica, thank you so much for this information. This is incredibly helpful, and I'm saving it for future reference.

Thanks for the frank and positive post! "Long-term relationship" can be a scary phrase to some but I think it's exactly what most of us writers are looking for. The one-agent/multiple-authors ratio you mentioned might sometimes make an author hesitate to infringe for fear of coming across as naggy or high maintenance -- it's encouraging to know that an agent doesn't mind us initiating discussions about career plans and long-term goals.

Have to agree with Anon 9:50. I had an agent for a number of years. Wonderful lady, a published writer herself. She tried and failed to sell several of my books. Did get an offer from Dorchester for my third book which we decided to decline but then she seemed to lose interest after a couple more rejections. In the meantime I slaved away on another book. When I finished I contacted her and it was then she informed me she wouldn't be 'representing' any more of my books...but wanted to try to sell the last book. Well, needless to say I was blind-sided. Had no idea she was giving me the ol' heave ho. I had made it a point to be the 'good' client by not bugging her. I kept my contact strictly through emails and only asked for status reports quarterly, if that much. Needless to say, I will be much more 'in the loop' with my next agent (God willing I ever get one again). But once again your article is very helpful and I will paste your comments to my computer for when the time comes... and may the fiction gods grant that time soon.

So many liken an agent/author relationship to marriage, and just as it happens in some of the best marriages, people can grow apart. What you were writing when your agent signed you may not be what you want to keep writing. You may decide to spread your wings and try something totally different. Or it may be that market changes force you to redirect yourself into other genres or subgenres. If your agent isn't on board with your new project - if she isn't 100% enthusiastic about it - she can't sell it well. Hopefully she'll say so before making any half-hearted attempts to market the project and you will have the opportunity to move on and find someone else.
It's not to say the agent didn't do her job. But there's no denying how subjective this business is, and while an agent may love one project, she may dislike another. It's lovely if she thinks everything you write, including your laundry list, is awesome - but not terribly realistic to expect it.

Just another observation from the trenches. :)

Good post.

A very helpful post. Thank you.

I work hard to not mistake professional relationships for personal ones, and I shudder to think that I'd ever feel married to an agent.

I understand the idea that you must work to find the best route of communication and avoid misunderstandings with your agent, but that's where the similarities end for me.

If I had an agent, I'd hope we'd get along nicely, perhaps grow to be friendly, but I'd never forget that some day, I might have to fire her. Or she might have to fire me. And I know from direct experience that it's really hard to stay friends with someone after you've fired them.

Besides, I don't need an agent to love me (or even like me, really) or listen to me blabber about my day. I need her to sell my books, and if she can't do that, well, she's just not useful to me. And I wouldn't be useful to her either, so we'd best part ways with as little personal pain as possible.

I don't think of parting ways with my agent as 'firing' her. She didn't feel excited enough about my new project to represent it. I felt it was the best thing I'd ever written. So I suggested perhaps it was time to move on. She said she hated to see me go, we shook hands and smiled, and I walked away. No hard feelings. I saw her just last week in San Francisco at a conference and was genuinely delighted to see her. We chatted for a while and I was glad to know she's doing well.

She was never my best friend. I don't want a best friend. But I do want someone who reads what I write and thinks it's awesome enough, she's happy to traipse across Manhattan and find the one editor who will love it just as much.

No, it's not exactly like being married - but it's a relationship that is as important to a writer's career as marriage can be to one's personal life. And just like dating can be a bitch, and finding the right man/woman can seem impossible, finding the right agent is freakishly similar in difficulty.

That's why agents like Jessica and Bookends, as well as others around BlogLand, are seriously wonderful for sharing their insights. If for no other reason, their candor gives the searchers among us a wee looksee into how they operate - how they agent. It's a gift and I appreciate it.

I wonder if there'd be a market for a service like Match.com for authors and agents? :)

I don't understand how an agent can be constantly communicating with writers and get anything else done and I'll wager most people in the business agree.

I am astonished that you send out rejection letters. If you don't want to do business with some wannabe, ignore her (I assume you only do business with women.) Trash cans were invented for people like that.

As for communicating after you sign 'em, all I can say is "Why?" You're not a baby sitter. If their crap does not sell, they will figure that out after you ignore them for a year or two. If it does sell, all you need them for is to sign the contract and/or make changes.

In due course agents are going to treat writers the way business managers treat their inferiors. It works for Fortune 500 companies. Why should it not work for the publishing industry? That problem Moonrat outlined a few weeks ago would not exist if agents and editors maintained a proper sense of hierarchy.

Anon 10:40--

You seem to forget that agents work for the author. There shouldn't be any heirarchy. We are all in this for the same purpose. To sell books. We write them, the agents help us sell them.

I think when anyone on either side begins to feel superior to or more necessary than the other, that's when problems arise.

Excellent post! I'm an attorney, specifically a public defender. I make my expectations known to my client up front. I'm your lawyer, not your social worker. I want you to keep in touch with me, during business hours, but I don't want to 'chat.' I'll take care of my part of the transaction [interacting with the court] and you take care of yours [stay out of trouble, stay in touch, be on time to court, bathed and dressed, etc.] and this will go well! The client is well within their rights to check up with you and ask for accountability, but not to demand that you assuage all of their fears and whims. The difference between an agent and lawyer is that I count is as success when I get rid of a client - that means I successfully resolved their case. For you, it's just the opposite!

Thanks, Terri. Anon 10:40, what you say makes sense. Let me offer a different perspective. In the business world the person who controls the purse is the superior being, not the one who produces the products and services. So in publishing the editor pays the agent. If the agent is honest, she pays the writer. If not, she forgets to do that or even charges the writer a fee for being her agent. The editor and agent are making handsome livings, whereas the writer either gets nothing or works for less than the minimum wage. Only if the writer is a bestselling author such as John Grisham can he claim to be in a one up position relative to anyone.

In any business except publishing writers would be regarded as peons and treated accordingly. In Hollywood writers are actually despised by some producers and actors.

Apparently literary publishing works differently. But for how long?

A lot of weird Anons here!

I had the fortunate circumstance of being able to choose from a handful of offering agents, and one of the things that I loved about my current agent was that she sent an email before we talked on the phone that outlined how she liked to work with clients and what I could expect. And I can say that she's absolutely followed through on all of it too.

Thanks for this great post, Jessica!

I attended the RWA conference in San Francisco, and had the luxury of going to dinner with two NY Times bestselling authors. I just recently signed with a wonderful agent, and at this moment have a ms that's been pitched to several NY houses. So, while moving ahead in this career, I'm still a relative newbie. One of these lovely ladies, took the time to offer me a lot of wisdom and advice that she learned on her journey, and one piece stood out for me....the agent works for us...period. We should never be afraid to ask questions or give opinions to our agent. And if said agent doesn't return phone calls,emails etc, don't be afraid to address this issue....and if it's not working out....find someone who will work for you and communicate with you

Here's my issue. (And I thought about emailing you to ask your opinion.)
A lot of fellow authors I know got an agent BECAUSE of a deal. In other words, the publisher wanted them and the agent came next.
The thing is, an author can't know whether that agent is going to LOVE the author's work.
I want an agent who will do what Barbara Poelle said she'd do for one of her authors---go to a monkey fight and win to get that sucker published.
What do you do if the agent came AFTER the deal? And if the agent isn't really loving your work, isn't it time to walk away?
What do you think?

This is a great post, thanks for sharing it because many aspiring authors don't know exactly what comes next, all we know is getting an answer to those queries is a huge step in the process - but it not the last.

A friend of mine recently fired her agent. She'd been feeling neglected for a while, and been unhappy, despite several conversations. But it was when she asked for a list of places her latest work had been submitted to, and was ignored, that she finally decided to throw in the towel.

My advice to agents would be to "fire" an author if you know darn well you have no intention of ever giving them the time they deserve.

No, not every book is going to sell in five minutes and some might not sell at all. But if you know you aren't doing right by an author please, just let them know it's time to move on. Because this isn't what happens. You bring up your concerns to the agent -- they aren't answering your emails, they aren't letting you know if your stuff is being rejected, they aren't being proactive in sending yor work out, etc... and all you get is their promise to do better by you.

But they don't.

You waste a year or two with someone who really could care less if they sell your work.

Im on my third -- yes -- third agent. Dear God in heaven, what a pain in the butt its been.

I've been outright lied to, my ms have been left to languish on editor's desks for 8 months at a time without follow up. I've had to beg for any and all information about where stuff has been sent.

Where is the integrity? Where is an agent's respect for their own job? How can they face themselves at the end of the day, knowing they haven't done jack for you for the last 8 months and then aren't going to return your email, either?

Unfortunately, by the time you're fed up listening to all the "I'll get right back to you," and "I'll email you later about this" rhetoric, your ms has been shopped to too many publishers and you have to start all over with a new agent and book.

I would appreciate an agent that had the balls to say outright that they weren't passionate about my book anymore rather than giving me the run-around until I fired them.

Great topic, Jessica. I'm looking forward to reading the comments on this one.

I think that it's a hard decision to fire an agent . . . or for an agent to fire a client. But there are times when it's obvious the relationship isn't working, and parting ways is the best solution for all concerned.

As for firing an agent because he/she can't sell your work, I don't think that's fair if the agent made a good faith effort. On the other hand, if the manuscript hasn't sold because the agent hasn't been submitting it, or has been submitting it to the wrong editors/publishers, well, that's a different thing altogether.

I'm more than certain that there are writers in this business that love their agents. But more often than not, I've learned that the praise an author heaps on her agent in public is actually the stellar opposite of how she really feels abou the relationship.

Sad but true.

Agents get back to you when they feel like it; follow up with editors if they feel like it; let you know what's going on when they feel like it... it's an unbalanced relationship, with the agent in control of all the feedback.

I resent all the people that say to form a list of everything to ask an agent before you sign with them... The truth is, agents tell you what you want to hear to get you to sign if they want your book. The relationship after that has very little resemblence to those promises. I was told by an agent she would absolutely sell this book for me. Lo and behold after only 5 submissions, she's done. Suddenly doesn't think it'll sell. If an agent can be discouraged by only 5 submissiions, why the heck is she an agent? Talk about discouraging. I just spent a year and a half of my life for an agent to not care about my book. Now, if I go to another agent, the book is already considered "shopped."

How I wish you'd posted this six weeks ago--it would have made my decision much easier. Looking back, I wonder why I waited so long. The answer...it's uncomfortable to fire someone.

Over a period of eighteen months I watchd my agent's initial enthusiasm fade. I was told "I don't notify my clients every time I submit a work--just when I hear a decision." The last straw was her asking me to rewrite my latest work to make it conform to the genre in which she's most comfortable. So I severed our relationship.

I'm once more represented by an agent, one who "gets me" I think. At least, I hope so.

Anonymous 8:46, I probably praise my agent privately even more than I do publicly, so yes, there are authors who are VERY happy with their agents. I like to think we respect one another's strengths, communicate well and do what we do best without interfering with one another--I write and she tries her best to sell my books. It comes down to respect, communication, and an honest love for doing what you do. However, if I didn't feel this way, I imagine I'd be shopping for a new agent. FWIW, almost forty years ago I fired a husband and shopped for a new one, and I've had him w/o complaint for thirty-six years, and yes, it is quite a bit the same!

Good post at the right time, I think. Thanks.

I appreciate you opening this topic, Jessica. It's bound to bring out some bitterness because, as in any business, there are agents who are more ethical or more professional than others. I count myself lucky.

I did have to go through making the decision to separate from my agent. We cut ties (amicably) over a year ago. It was a very difficult decision, especially since my concerns had nothing to do with her ethics. She was (is) an honest, ethical, responsive agent who simply did not have the contacts in the publishing world in my genre. I also think that she "lost the love" for my ms when it didn't sell immediately. Never the less, I count myself as very lucky that she continued to act professionally during the split. She mailed my submission history, wished me the best and it worked out. Could have been a whole lot worse!

Unfortunately, since that ms had been "shopped" to a few editors, it's considered a used commodity. Or so I've been told. So, now, I'm in the position of shelving that ms. and beginning a new book/new search that someone mentioned earlier. That was my biggest fear when leaving my agent originally and it's part of what needs to be considered in the decision for or against leaving. I hate losing that book, and hope someday to resurrect it, but I don't regret my decision. When I think in terms of a long-term career, the partnership wasn't working.

For me, the bottom line in making my decision had to do with the loss of excitement more than anything else. Yes, it's a business, but there's an element of salesmanship involved and when an agent loses faith in his/her product there's a real problem. Or, I might add, when a writer loses faith in the agent.

I don't consider it a waste. I learned some things. I practiced my writing. Time to move on.

Wow, finding an agent sounds like a scary thing. I hoe that if I ever get one I don't have to fire him/her. And that they don't have to fire me, lol!
I did hear of an author who had over forty rejections by subbing herself, then got an agent and sold almost immediately to an editor who still had the author's sub in her slush pile. Very interesting, I thought.
To a few of the anons, it stinks what happened to you. Unfortunately, agents are just people. Some might be lazy, some might be go-getters. I don't know, getting a bunch of "bad" ones in a row stinks but I'm positive based on all the agent blogs I read that there are great ones out there. I hope y'all find them.
Thanks Jessica, for the post. Good stuff.

I think finally landing an agent for many new authors naturally seems like the first step to getting published, and it is. However, you can fall off that step if the work is unable to be marketed.
When the ego gets in the way and the author can't believe the work won't sell, he/she can fire the agent in a moment of fiery passion. But it isn't really the agents fault.
I think if I were working with an agent and the top three people she submitted to all said nay, then I'd pull my work and have another good hard look at it. I'd discuss with the agent what areas in my story needed changing based upon the comments from the three editors and I'd make them. Then I'd try again with the next three editors on the list.
Baby steps. I'm in no hurry.

I think it all boils down to good old-fashioned honesty. Honesty with yourself, first and foremost, about your work, your goals, and your agent. Honesty in your communications, from the beginning, with your agent, can't hurt either, but of course it has to work both ways. Thank you, Jessica, for the food for thought.

A positive agent/author relationship sometimes occurs naturally, but one can also be cultivated. How? By following a few simple guidelines:

1. Respect the fact that your agent is a busy person. If she's shopping around your work and you haven't heard from her, she probably doesn't have anything specific to report. When good news comes her way, you'll be the first to know.

2. Keep communications short and to the point. No need to talk about your home remodeling, your dog's surgery, or your flu-stricken sextuplets. After a brief greeting, get down to business.

3. Keep your word. If you say you'll send revisions within two weeks, do so. If you need more time than that, tell her long before the deadline approaches.

4. Submit your best work possible. I can't tell you how many times I've heard writers say something like, "Well, if it needs to be changed, we can do that later." You should feel that everything you send to your agent is in the best shape it can be, for the moment. It goes without saying that quality work is much easier to represent.

It is definitely more pleasant to work with someone who is respectful, cooperative, and punctual. And that goes for both sides of the relationship.

I'm happy with my agent and I have been all along. I like that when she took me on, I already had a contract offer from a publisher, but she still read the manuscript first to see if she could get excited about my writing. I have always felt that she is forthright and honest, knows how to calm a panicky writer, knows how to deal with the publisher side of the business and she communicates. That communication is the real key. Sometimes I can go long stretches without needed info, then I can email her every other day for a few weeks as things heat up. She's always reponsive and always gives me the info I want.

In this post, what's a curious question is the one--what if she can't see your work? I think it's somewhat different for writers breaking in. You're caught between this place where your agent is excited and interested, but can't get editors excited and interested. Does that mean that work is dead in the water? Does it mean write something new (yes to the second by the way--even if it sells, you want to be working all the time).

My agent has shopped around proposals that have not sold. She's also sold other proposals. I'm very sorry not to be working on some of the proposals that didn't work because I wanted to play in those worlds and with those characters, but there's a point at which you have to cut your losses. The question is when. I think your agent helps you come to that decision, but she can only do that if you trust her. I think if you don't trust her, then that's probably a serious sign of needing to find new representation.

I agree with both anon: 8.46 and therapist Writer. I too had an agent who only sent my ms out to a handful of main publishers (because they offer the biggest advances) before she decided that she couldn't sell it, despite telling me to get on and write the sequel. Now I can't submit either books to any of the main publishing houses because the initial book has already been shopped. So I feel that I have wasted the past 18 months and have to start all over again.
Someone once said that an agent is the only employee who interviews their employer!

One of the above comments about prior agents and sequels made me curious.

I'd think that if a sequel works as a stand alone that it could still be queried to new agents. As long as a new agent knew that a prior book had been submitted, it doesn't seem to me it should halt the submission of the new one.

In a stand alone series, it seems that the first could be re-worked to be the second. As an alternative, perhaps an editor who liked the second might be willing to take another look at the first.

Am I wrong? (I'm so often wrong it would be really amazing if I weren't this once)

I'm in this exact situation in that I split the sheets with my agent. Basically, she seemed to put me on the back burner after failing to sell several of my books. After finishing another and then approaching her with submitting it, she informed me she would not be representing any more of my books but wanted to continue to try and sell one of the books she really believed in. I left it at that but after another six months I informed her it was best to end our relationship and to please pull the book from a publisher that had had the book for over a year (when I would ask her why it was taking so long for the publisher to respond, her comment was 'they are notoriously slow to respond'. So now I'm in the midst of seeking new representation and have a number of agents looking at partials or fulls. So far no bites but plenty of passes. Hope abides. In the meantime I am working on another project.

"Now I can't submit either books to any of the main publishing houses because the initial book has already been shopped. So I feel that I have wasted the past 18 months and have to start all over again."

I guess I don't quite understand: does it have to be at a "main" publishing house? Perhaps I don't know the business well enough to offer suggestions, but I think my first response in a case like this would be to move to self-representation (after a good hard look at the book, perhaps with a hired editor), and try to sell to a mid-size or smaller independent publisher. If they do well with the book, a bigger house may become interested in picking up the sequels, and your series is on its way. Just a thought...

In response to Lucy's post 11.19pm: I'm not sure what it's like in the States, but here in the UK agents will only submit to the big publishinhg companies because they are the ones who pay high advances and the bigger the advance the better the agents commission. Most of the bigger publishing companies won't accept mss without an agent, so it's a bit of a catch 22 situation: if I got another agent he/she would only send my ms out to the bigger publishers who have already seen it. Because the bigger publishers are buying up many of the independent publishing companies over here, authors are finding that even the smaller companies are asking for submissions only via agents.

I think honesty is the key to the relationship. If the agent has cooled off toward the writer, he has to say so, and vice versa. When it's over, you have to admit that it's over and move on. IMHO.

I fired an agent who sold three books for me, for what I considered to be very unethical behavior.

I love the title of this thread. What's really scary is that I've worked for people who could wear that description on their name badges.

"I supply a list the minute the submission goes out and keep my clients regularly updated on where else it might be, who else has requested it and, of course, when the rejections come in. It’s a team effort and team efforts don’t work unless everyone knows the plays."

Agreed. That's what the agent who had my children's book did and I adored her for it.

On the other hand, the agents who had the suspsense novel couldn't produce my finalized manuscript or the diskette with the manuscript when my computer crashed. Since my backup diskette was corrupted I was so thankful they had all 406 pages, or so I thought. Not sure how they were submitting the manuscript since they couldn't find it.

*shakes finger at them* Bad agents! No more snickerdoodles for you.

I'm trying to remember now why I terminated the relationship.

"I supply a list the minute the submission goes out and keep my clients regularly updated on where else it might be, who else has requested it and, of course, when the rejections come in. It’s a team effort and team efforts don’t work unless everyone knows the plays."

Agreed. That's what the agent who had my children's book did and I adored her for it.

When I "fired" my agent a number of years ago, she never responded and never sent me any rejection letters. I suspected she was lying to me about where it went, so I called up one of the editors and he told me he never saw it! So I got to submit to him directly (which ended up being a rejection). After many polite attempts, with no answer, I stopped trying to contact her. Sometimes the reasons for firing the agent make the aftermath equally difficult. Thanks for the smile at the end, Jessica. I do hope my agent will be as wonderful as you!

wow! that headline was my chuckle of the morning! thanks! (and best of luck to the poor writer)

Don't forget to check web sites like "Writer Beware" (http://www.sfwa.org/beware/)before signing any contract with your agent. There are a lot of crocodiles out there in the water, and sites like this give writers a nice little band to put around their snouts :)

Shaun

Sites like "Writer Beware" will only warn you of the scam artists, not the reputable agents who, for whatever reason - too many clients, life stresses, alignment of the planets - just fail at doing their jobs.

That's what is happening with my agent. She's just not doing her job - I have to nag her to follow up about money, nag her to read my submissions. I'm tired of it, and I'm not the only one since she's lost several other authors of late.

"It’s a team effort and team efforts don’t work unless everyone knows the plays."

Love that.

Not to be morbid or anything, but has the author checked to see whether this agent has died? Agents die too, apparently, just like the rest of us.

-Sarah

Wow, Jessica.

This just makes me appreciate my agent. Seriously, it can be scary to trust your career to someone, and if you don't think that person is in your corner, it can really be scary.

...and it's entries like this (we love you when you're in a mood!) that has you on the top of my "Best Agents" list.

Communication is key. You're so right, it's a joint journey and like a bad husband, divorce is sometimes the right answer.

Thanks for the candid sharing!
Nancy

Hey, Anon, about the dead agent thing. I heard CJ Box speak at a luncheon in Denver and he told us about his experience of becoming a published author. He hadn't heard from his agent in over a year, all his emails and letters went unanswered, and he couldn't reach the guy on the phone. Finally he got a call from someone else at the agency letting him know the agent had died the year before. So yeah, it does happen.

Loved the title - a fudge sundae of frustration, a banana split of fed up with it. Good info, insight and encouragement in post itself.

To follow up another commenter, the chuckle of my afternoon.

I feel so bad for that author! Just when they thought they found the dream agent, she turned into a nightmare!

I can't believe that a professional would ignore correspondence for seven months.

I hope everything is all right with the agent. If not, then that's just rude.

I would definitely check the obituaries, but I have to say, that would drive me bonkers.

That poor author!

My "Very Experienced Agent From A Big Literary Agency With A Cool Client List And Lots of Sales" shopped my book to about a dozen publishers, and showed enthusiasm for my WIP. Then . . . silence. I contacted her on a monthly basis, trying to find out if the project was dead (or she was dead). She ignored me. After six months of this junk, I sent a certified letter terminating the contract.

Ignoring clients in hopes they'll go away is ridiculously unprofessional and disrespectful. And it wastes everyone's time. Why, why, why do some agents do this? Why not just send me the termination letter and be done with it?

The good news is, I learned some valuable lessons I can apply to my next agent search.

I would also suggest that anyone dealing with an unresponsive agent like this post the details, complete with name, somewhere online so the rest of us can be warned. No histrionics, no adjectives, just facts.

I know it's not cool to publish frustrations with your agent online, generally speaking, but just clean, honest facts could really help someone else.

Janet, I hear what you're saying, but dissing my former agent in cyberspace isn't something I would ever do, even anonymously. I doubt it would be helpful, anyway. If I read something online about a well-known agent's bad behavior, I would wonder what part the client played in the scenario.

In addition, I've been in direct contact with two of my former agent's clients, and they adore her. One is a member of my local writers' group, who's been with this agent for nearly a decade. I've also heard second-hand raves about my former agent.

Clearly, she isn't the proverbial "bad agent"--she was a bad agent for me.