My agent just quit. Now what?

[FTJoshua]

My agent of two years just quit her agency, having not sold my first book and about to start pitching my second. "About to," meaning, it was supposed to go out today/this week.

WTF? Can the agency dump me now if they want? And why wouldn't they?

I'll stop here because I really need to start cussing.

[bethany]

OMG, I'm so sorry? Is it a big agency? How does your agreement work- were you repped by him/her in particular or by the entire agency? Did they mention having someone else work with your or what would happen?

I think you need to question your agent/ex agent specifically about all your concerns. Write them down.

[stormie]

Oh that's horrible! Did she go with another agency? Start her own? Or just pack up and leave town to start a new life? I don't think the agency she was with has to take you on. The other agents might not rep what you write. If they do, maybe you could call them and ask. Heck, you were her client through that agency for two years, I think they'd be okay with a phone call.

[FTJoshua]

The agency is allegedly and presumably going to contact me. But looking at the contract, it seems they have no obligation to me now. And since it's been two years and no deals - my fault? their fault? does it matter? - I guess I have to assume the worst.

Two years.

Plus, what do I say in my Fresh New Round of Query Letters? Had an agent at a respected place, but nothing ever sold, won't you be my agent? Say nothing, start over and just hope for the best? I mean...

[stormie]

I'm at the requerying stage, too. I left my agent (amicably). In your bio you can put that you were represented by **** who is no longer with the *****Agency. You don't have to put how long you were with them. It's good they'll see you did have an agent, and if they're interested, when they call, then they might ask what happened. And there are many people--me included--whose book or books the agent couldn't sell.

[Williebee]

It's too soon to panic, and too soon to do more than a just a little "what if". Breathe deep. Distract yourself. Climb something and scream a lot.

You say the agency is "allegedly" going to contact you. Does that mean the agency has told you they would be in touch, or your agent said that?

Is your agent going out on their own? Going with someone else? (Which means maybe wanting to take you with, depending on the contract.)

Has your agent sold anything in the last two years? Is it possible that the reason your book hasn't sold has more to do with that? (So, no, you don't have to assume the worst.)

Identify who else is at the agency, names/numbers/etc. without being rude to the agency personnel. If the agent was carrying a large workload, they have stress of their own, as well.

Good Luck!

About the first part? Seriously. Go wear yourself out.

[Toothpaste]

Don't panic yet. My agent left the agency in February, and I was heartbroken. But I have since been taken care of really well by the rest of the agency and reassured that I am still very much one of their authors.

As to advice, I second what Williebee said. If you were told specifically to wait until contacted, then do that. But if you weren't, I'd drop them a line asking the questions that Williebee suggested.

[FTJoshua]

According to my (former) agent, the agency is going to contact her clients. Frankly I'm expecting a form letter in the mail by the end of the week rather than a call or email, saying, "No thanks, peace out."

My agent has sold recently and within the past two years; and she is not going to continue agenting at the moment.

Thank you all for your comments.

[scope]

Sorry to learn of your problem, but no need to panic.
Does your contract tie you to the agency for a certain period of time, after which either party can opt out, or can you leave them tomorrow, so to speak, and they terminate you? Of course the first thing to do is learn what the agency plans to do. In that regard, rather than waiting to hear from them why not send them an email at once and ask them what they plan to do. Tell them the one thing you don't want is uncertainty and to be left "dangling."

Good luck.

[Norton]

My agent just quit. Now what?
Find her and kill the bitch.http://www.kolobok.us/smiles/artists/laie/Laie_70.gif
Just kidding...
I hope everything will be alright.
http://www.kolobok.us/smiles/big_standart/empathy3.gif

[waylander]

Look hard at your agency contract. My contract says that I'm contracted to the agency, not the individual agent.
I'm sure the other folks at the agency are really busy having to pick up these extra clients in addition to their own but a quick phonecall to ask who is going to be handling your work is appropriate - you after all a contracted client.

[FTJoshua]

Oh, I'm still with the agency, technically. I just have trouble believing they'll bother to keep me on board since I haven't sold anything. Of course, like many writers, I'm neurotic and paranoid, so. I could be wrong. Since my second project was due to be pitched this week, maybe they'll at least try it. I dunno.

The contract is essentially At Will, so either they or I can end the partnership at any time for any reason.

[Shadow_Ferret]

My agent has sold recently and within the past two years; and she is not going to continue agenting at the moment.

Oh. This was going to be my question. Is she moving on to another agency, maybe she would have taken you along, but since she's out completely.

Sorry. *hugs*

[scope]

Oh, I'm still with the agency, technically. I just have trouble believing they'll bother to keep me on board since I haven't sold anything. Of course, like many writers, I'm neurotic and paranoid, so. I could be wrong. Since my second project was due to be pitched this week, maybe they'll at least try it. I dunno.

The contract is essentially At Will, so either they or I can end the partnership at any time for any reason.

IMO even more reason for you to phone or email them today and ask where everything stands. Push (politely, of course) the issue.

[Soccer Mom]

:( :( :( Nothing constructive. Just adding my condolences.

[Gillhoughly]

Your game plan before the weekend:

Gird up, put on your game face. You are in control of your fate!

Gimme a GRRRRRRRR!

Louder.

GRRRRRRRRR!

Good. That always helps me out.

Don't wait for the agency to contact you. Whether your agent sold anything for you or not, you had a valid agreement, and you are perfectly within your rights to ask what's next.

You've been dangling for two years. To me that means you need to either rewrite that book or your agent had her head up her arse.

Harsh, but those are usually the main reasons a repped book doesn't sell.

Even if your book is really good, give it another polishing for new sets of eyes. Two years is a lot of learning experience in this craft. Get a beta reader to nitpick it to death. That's how I got my first sale. I needed to know how to make it better.

If the agency says they will shift your work to another person within the house, contact them, say hello, and take it from there to see if you're a good fit. If you don't feel you can work with this person, then go shopping again.

If they cut you loose--make sure they are clear on that in writing--then you certainly should find someone who will get behind you better! That you were taken on in the first place will count in your favor.

If you are available to shop, then I can recommend giving these a look-see:

The Knight Agency
Spectrum Lit agency
Donald Maass Lit Agcy--query Jennifer Jackson.

The Knight Agency has a stable of young hungry agents actively looking for new talent. My agent is now there.

I've been with all of them, though it was Don who repped for me, not Jennifer. We had some business disagreements, and when he got too busy to return my calls I found someone who was a better fit. I understand Jen is pretty good, though.

Good luck!

This is a case where an inept agent is worse than a scammer.

[Fillanzea]

Unless two different agents quit last night, FTJoshua's agent was also mine (and Maggieuc's.)

She got me a far nicer deal than I was expecting for a first-time author, so I'm pretty confident that she is quite ept indeed.

That said, I'm still waiting to find out what is up with my own representation now.

[FTJoshua]

Thanks, Gill. I do appreciate those thoughts.

I have in fact started rewriting the unsold book, as you suggested, and yeah, it's a million times better. We got positive responses from the editors who read version 1, but no one "fell in love with it" as they say. So I don't think it was my agent's fault. The second book had a lot going for it - to hear her talk about it - but whether it's another agent's cup of tea, I don't know.

For the moment - and I mean that literally, this very moment in time - I've opted to not contact the agency (other clients haven't been contacted yet either, so at least I know it's not just me dangling).

But I'm still waiting to get that contract cancellation in the mail, you know? Call me Mr. Worst Case Scenario. That's the thought keeping me up nights, so to speak.

But thanks again to you and everyone else for your thoughts. I do appreciate them. If it wasn't for AW, I wouldn't have had an agent in the first place, so all comments are welcome.

...I just may not be able to make good on my promise to take the critters of my first query to dinner after publication. And believe me, I am more than happy to be wrong!

[FTJoshua]

She got me a far nicer deal than I was expecting for a first-time author, so I'm pretty confident that she is quite ept indeed.


Agreed. I have no issue with her nor the agency, just for clarification's sake. Other than the black hole of fear I'm in, and the waiting, I still think the agency has rightly earned its reputation as a top-notch place.

[Kirby]

I just wanted to add that I'm sorry that this happened. You must be enduring terrible angst. I know I would be, too. Keep us posted, please, and whatever you do, know that we are here for you.

[IceCreamEmpress]

If either you or the agency or both decide that you'll be looking for other representation rather than staying on, then you'll just have to start querying again.

But, yes, saying "My agent {name} recently left {agency}, and I'm seeking new representation" is a very different kettle of fish than cold-querying (as in, you're a much hotter prospect to other agents).

[Kirby]

I agree. You have a leg up on the rest of us cold, bottom-of-the-kettle fish.

[aruna]

My condolences. The same thing happened to me last year. I had a young agent at Writers House; she tried hard to sell my book and got some good responses, even a yes, from a Random House editor (which turned into a No from the acquisitions team) but failed to sell the book. Then she left the agency and agenting altogether for a job in PR.

The difference between you and me is that I did not have a written contract, much less one with WH. My agent did recommend another non-WH agent, but I did not take that route. I had a referral from an author friend to another very big WH agent and he was so kind as to go over my case but he said the first agent had practically used up all the good publishing houses so he couldn't do anything for me.

So I had to start the agent search all over again. I never found an agent for that book. I wrote another and (fingers crossed) right now the full is being read by an absolute dream agent and I also have a ms request from my former editor, who is tops in my eyes.

I believe that if something goes wrong there is something better waiting round the bend, so don't let this keep you down. Just keep right on the way you are and

[FTJoshua]

Thank you to everyone who's had such encouraging things to say this week, it's been very helpful, and one of the many reasons AW rocks. This is a great community.

I should have more definitive information late next week, and it sounds as though all hope is not quite as lost as I assumed; but I won't really feel better until I talk with a new agent personally. So you can expect either a sigh of relief or a total meltdown, probably by Friday.

I'll keep you posted, and thank you all again.

[Soccer Mom]

.

So you can expect either a sigh of relief or a total meltdown, probably by Friday.

I'll keep you posted, and thank you all again.

Either way, we'll be waiting with booze for you.

[stormie]

Either way, we'll be waiting with booze for you.
Yep. http://bestsmileys.com/drinking/17.gif

[basilsands]

I understand your dilemma. My own agent dropped me after a year and a change of heart. Switched away from Thrillers to non-fiction and memoires. Starting over again just as I am finishing my fourth. Bummer.

But smile and carry on. :)

[Kirby]

I am so sorry that you went through this. It's like seeing the Promise Land and not being allowed to enter...for now.

[FTJoshua]

Thanks, Kirby and everyone. Still doesn't look too good from where I stand, but there's room for me to be wrong. I love being wrong. It's one of the advantages of being a cynic.

[stormie]

Hey, you never know: in the long run, it could be the best thing that happened.

[rljude]

Hey, sorry for your unfortunate dilemna - may I ask if your agent ever offered you any feedback regarding why it wasn't selling or tips to make it better? Seems like the agent should have offered some "parting words".

Sending good thoughts!
Rosa

[FTJoshua]

I got great feedback from editors on the first book, yes. My agent shared all of the rejections with me, and they were helpful. The "best" part was that they all said something different, which to me - at the time - suggested there wasn't some big glaring flaw that was killing me; they just didn't "fall in love with it."

The second book was supposed to have been pitched this past week. So I guess I missed the pitch for book 2 by about 24 hours or so.

[IceCreamEmpress]

So what have you heard back from the agency? Is one of the other agents there interested in taking you on? (And if so, are you interested in working with him or her?)

Or are you back to Square One? (Which is really Square One-and-a-half, because agents will look differently at "I'm looking for new representation" than "I'm looking for representation.")

[Dana-Lynn]

OMG! I am soooo sorry that happened to you! That sucks on so many levels.
I'm really, REALLY sorry that you have to go through this.

:Soapbox:

Keep your chin up and try to stay positive . . . you never know, this could turn out to be a good thing and something really great will happen because of it.

Everything happens for a reason, even if we don't understand the reason why at the time. . . .
;)

Hang in there!
And keep us updated whenever you find something out, k?

:Hug2:

[Darzian]

It's so difficult to land an agent. Getting dropped like this is like the tax cut at the lottery. :Hug2:


I don't have any experience which agents (yet :) ) but if this happened to me, I'd call the agency after a couple of days to find out what's going to happen. I mean, I really hate waiting and I see no reason why you shouldn't call them. Is there any particular reason why you're so anxious to not contact them?

[FTJoshua]

As promised, the update is: All is well, I am an agented writer again, with the same agency, and a good start to my new relationship with my new agent. Looking forward to some revision and submission. (Which can sound dirty if someone like me points out that it can sound dirty.)

I want to thank everyone who commented and encouraged me, it helped. I learned a lot about myself this past month, one of which was: Why do I not get this upset about much more important things? Don't get me wrong, I wanna publish a book more than just about anything, and I aim to do that. But these past few weeks have also made me realize that if maybe I got equally as upset over, say, poverty...mightn't I make a bigger difference in the world than I do now?

Anyway; soapbox off. Mostly I just want to say thanks, as once again AW proves to be peopled with awesome, positive writers. Thank you all!

[Dana-Lynn]

:e2cheer:

:e2woo:

:e2dance:



:e2drunk:



:e2headban

:e2flowers

:Clap::banana::Clap:

:e2woo::e2woo::e2woo::e2woo:

:e2arms: :Hug2:

:e2cheer:

[stormie]

Celebrate! Funny how things do work out. Congrats!

[scope]

Good for you on all fronts. Lots of luck

[HeidiHole]

If she left the agency, her heart wasn't in it and you are better off without her. Literary agent is not a job for quitters.

[Kirby]

That's great news. Congratulations.