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What are questions for your agent, and what are questions for your editor? I don't want to step on my agent's toes by circumventing her, but at the same time, I don't want to make her work harder for her 15% than I have to. If, for example, I want to know whether a book will be released as a hardback or a trade paperback, to whom do I direct that question?
When in doubt I always feel it’s best to ask the agent. I know many times when a client asks me a question that I feel would be better asked of the editor I’ll simply suggest she go directly to the editor; at other times I can easily go and find the answer for her (if I don’t already know). I don’t think you should ever worry about making your agent work too hard for her 15%. Over time, as you become more comfortable with the publishing process and get to know your editor better, you’ll have a better sense of who you want to go to for your answers. In the beginning, though, go with the person you feel most comfortable with. Questions like whether the book will be published as hardcover or trade might be determined at the time the contract is signed, but not always. In many cases it’s not a tough question for your agent to answer. If, however, the publisher hasn’t decided yet, it’s something your agent will want to know as well and would probably have no issues checking on for you.
One of the the things I often discuss with my clients is not whether they should be coming to me with their questions but whether it’s best I ask the editor or they ask their editors. When an agent goes to an editor with a concern or a complaint it brings things to an entirely new level, sort of like your mom going to your teacher to address your test scores versus you talking to your teacher yourself. There are times when a client will come to me with a question or concern and we’ll openly discuss how it should best be handled, what’s the best way to get an answer, and who should do the asking.
You can never go wrong with asking your agent questions. Are you worried about annoying your agent? Then try to keep your list of questions concise. In other words, don’t send a new email with a new question hourly or even daily. Instead, try to compile the list over time and send it all (or most of it) at once. That way, when your agent has time, she can sit down and either email you back or call to answer as many questions as possible.
Questions are how we learn and take control of our own careers. Don’t ever hesitate to ask them no matter who you need to go to to do the asking.
Jessica
This question is actually part of yesterday’s question, but I thought I would break them up for space reasons and because it gives me two days of posts instead of one.
It seems like, at the end of the day, the book has to sell itself, but if that's the case why do some agents have strong sales track records while others do not? Are agents with few sales just picking the wrong books to rep?
I agree that a book should, in many ways, sell itself. Let’s look at it this way: Do you want an agent who can “convince” editors to buy your book or an editor who feels passionate enough about your book to fight for it every step of the way? Because editors, unlike agents, don’t work on commission and don’t get paid based on the success of the books they buy. Therefore passion is what you want from an editor.
Does that mean that agents with strong sales records get that way because they have the remarkable ability to strong-arm editors into buying a book? No, not at all, and hopefully no one is strong-arming anyone into buying books. There are a number of reasons agents can have strong sales records. The first is history. If I’ve been in the business for 25 years and have developed the reputation for having solid, well-written submissions, then editors are going to look at me with a different eye than they would someone with two years in the business and submissions that so far have only been okay. Because let’s face it, when buying anything, who the salesman is can make a difference. An editor looking at my submissions will hopefully go into them with enthusiasm knowing she usually likes the books I send.
Another reason why an agent might have a stronger sales record is because of that agent’s eye. I don’t think you can easily teach someone how to be an agent. Sure, you can explain a contract and negotiation techniques, but you can’t explain what makes a good book or a successful book easily. I truly think that some agents, like some editors, have an eye for books that become successful. I guess you could compare it to an author’s voice. Some have it and some don’t. So an agent’s eye and an agent’s ability to work with an author to make a book ready for publication can also help build an agent’s track record. So yes, in this case it could be true that there are agents out there who are just not picking the right projects. Of course it could also be true that they aren’t necessarily getting the right submissions to pick from.
And my last thought on track record is perception. Publishers Marketplace is a fascinating tool, but can sometimes give authors a warped perception on sales records and an agent’s success primarily because not all agents report on Pub Marketplace and not all agents report all deals.
In the end a really great, salable, marketable book is going to find a home. No matter who the agent is.
Jessica
How much responsibility does an agent bear for a book not selling? Is a good agent - like a good query letter - simply responsible for getting the manuscript read? Are there different levels of editorial contacts that agents might have - junior vs senior - with more or less power? I guess what I'm trying to understand is whether who your agent is - provided they truly have contacts - really makes a difference in whether or not you get published.
These are a lot of great questions with a lot of answers. I’m going to try my best to answer all of these as clearly as possible because I think this is a really interesting topic. We talk all of the time about big agencies versus boutique agencies and “big name” agents versus those who are lesser known. And of course I’m always encouraging readers to consider those agents who have recently opened up shop and are hungry for clients. But how much responsibility does an agent bear for the sale of the book, or a book that doesn’t sell?
The truth is that the answer to that question is of course “it depends,” and I’d love to hear, anonymously of course, from some agented authors who’ve had different experiences with this. A good agent’s job is to get your work read by not just any editor, but hopefully the right editor. Is the agent solely responsible if the book doesn’t sell? Well, that’s something only you can determine. Did the agent seem aggressive in getting your book out? Do you feel that the agent had an effective plan, and if you asked your agent about the choices she was making could she give you honest feedback? For example, when making a submission plan there are certain editors I would prefer not to submit to and don’t submit to unless I absolutely have to. Why? Ultimately I don’t feel they are the best advocates for their authors. I also know different editors within different houses. I know some things about their personal interests as well as their reading preferences and I also know something about the style of writing and voice they often gravitate toward. I know the editors who like the same style of writing that I do and I know those that don’t. So when putting together a submission plan I’m not just considering which houses I think would be the best fit, but which editors.
Do the titles "junior" or "senior" come into play when making those decisions? Yes and no. They do in the sense that the longer an editor has been with a house and/or the more experience she has often the more pull or power she has within a house, but not always. I’ve known Senior Editors with little to no power and Assistant Editors with impressive lists and pull within a house. Does experience equal editorial advice? Not at all. When evaluating which editors to choose I think of my client and what I think she needs from an editor, I think of the book and what level I think it has potential to be within a house. Not all books should be judged the same way. Some are bigger books and should go to editors who can make them such, while others aren’t, even though the author eventually might be.
I think that at the end of the day your agent and an editor can be the very best of friends and have very similar interests, but your book has to be able to sell itself, and frankly, that’s what you want. Because even if your agent is powerful enough to convince an editor to buy it, no one is powerful enough to trick enough readers into buying the published book to make it a success. For example, maybe I know that Editor B is desperate for the exact type of women’s fiction I just read. Maybe Women’s Fiction X isn’t that great, but I know I can get her to buy it. Do I offer representation just to sell a book? Well I don’t. Because I don’t think it’s the best deal for the author. Just because I can sell a book doesn’t mean I can build a career, and building careers is my ultimate goal. Selling a book is a thrilling event for an author and for an agent, but you want it to be the start of your career, not one thrilling moment. In that case you don’t want an agent who can “convince” editors to buy a book. You want an agent who has the contacts you need to find the right editor to launch your career with.
Jessica
I received a very interesting question from a reader not too long ago, one that I think, sadly, has crossed the minds or lives of a number of writers. If you are facing insurmountable (or seemingly insurmountable) challenges in your life, how much do you tell your agent or editor? For example, what if you are going through a divorce and can’t muster up the ability to get out of bed, let alone meet a deadline? Or what if you are suddenly diagnosed with a disease like cancer that is possibly fatal, but also potentially curable, do you tell your agent or editor or quietly take care of yourself and your disease while working your best to meet deadlines?
I think the concern this reader had was whether telling could negatively affect your career. Would a publisher consider a new contract if they thought the author was battling a fatal illness? Would an agent want to continue representation if she didn’t think the author would be able to meet deadlines?
These are tough, tough questions and ones that there is no easy answer to. Life throws us curveballs, and how we hit them or even whether we swing is completely personal.
Ultimately, the decision to tell your agent and/or editor is going to be up to you and is going to be based on the relationship you have with that agent or editor. At the recent RWA RITA awards ceremony one author praised her editor, remarking that they were much more than business partners, but after 20 years of working together were truly friends. I would imagine in this case the editor knows a great deal about this author and her life. That author is lucky though. Few authors spend that many years with one editor, which is why I can’t stress enough the importance of finding an agent you truly feel can go the long haul with you.
How an incurable disease or missed deadlines affects future contracts is going to depend on the publisher, and how professionally the situation was handled. Did you eventually meet the deadlines by setting realistic goals for yourself in spite of the circumstances or did you never turn in the books? And . . . how are your numbers? Because that’s what it all comes down to, sales of your books. If sales are good you can be forgiven almost anything. If they’re not good, sickness or health probably won’t do you any good.
My advice . . . talk to your agent. Your agent is your best advocate in any situation, and if you are worried, your agent should be the one to help alleviate those fears and worries. When I mentioned that to the reader she came back with whether or not that was fair to her agent. She worried that it was putting her agent in a difficult position by asking her to lie. Well, guess what, folks, that is an agent’s job. Well, not lying exactly, but client-agent confidentiality. While I’ve never felt like I had to lie for an author (and that’s good, because I’m not good at lying), I do know that a great deal of what we talk about is confidential. Confidential from other clients, blog readers, and, yes, editors.
My feeling is that honesty is the best policy. If whatever is happening means you might miss a deadline, I think it’s best to be up front and honest, at least with your agent. After all, calling to say you need a deadline extension because of illness, death, divorce, or another crisis is going to be easier than calling to say you need an extension because you just do. If, however, you don’t want your editor told, talk to your agent about how to handle the situation and let your agent handle it. That’s the beauty of having an agent.
Jessica
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Love the analogy about you going to your teacher vs your mom. It's nice to know the writer has clout. Thanks for answering this question in such detail, Jessica. I hope you know how much your blog means to those of us trying to navigate our way around the biz.
A quandry I hope to have in the future
Word Verification - Folumb: The sound one makes slumping into a giant bean bag
Recently, in my dealings with a major magazine publisher who was having accounting issues, I realized how important it is to have an agent. It puts the author in an awkward position to be asking for payment that is overdue on stories that were published three months ago. Of course, I'm hoping this isn't something that happens often with book publishers. It's just been a harsh lesson for me to learn.
I think one thing writers fear is being annoying. Are my questions too dumb? Am I asking the right person? Will my agent hate me if I ask too many questions? How many is too many?
Luckily now a days we have agent blogs that answer a lot of questions. That helps a lot. I think blogging agents are a Godsend.
What Aimless Writer said!
I think the best advice Jessica gave me was to copy her on all my correspondence with my editor. It certainly keeps everything out on the table, especially since I want my agent to know EVERYTHING that goes on with my editor.
I let my agent handle just about everything that goes on between my editor and me, all except the actually editorial notes and discussion of changes in the book.
Everything else goes through my agent.
This is helpful - thanks!
I'd think any agent worth their salt shouldn't mind a client asking such a question, and should be willing to answer it (even if the answer is "ask your editor"). Good to hear it from an agent's lips, though!
Okay, I thought long and hard about this post, and I thought is there any possible way I could continue being combative on this site around this topic.
No! I like this post very much.
Thank you for the clarity. This is very helpful.
This post is a very nice clarification. Thank you for teaching us. ;o)
~ Aithne Jarretta
I hope I'm in this situation someday.
What if you and your agent disagree? Do you still go to the editor?