What happens after you get an agent?

It would be great to meet them face to face, but it's not likely to be necessary. From what I understand, necessary communication is done over the phone and you can do document-signing via fax or PDF email.

Long-distance business relationships are very common in this day and age.

Libbie's right. A lot of authors never meet their agents in person. You won't need to meet to sign papers.

Usually your agent calls you and offers representation. After you accept, they mail you a contract (if they work on contract. Not all do), you sign a bunch and send back their copies. After that, your communication with them will be through e-mail and phone calls, and you may never meet them in person. I happened to meet mine face to face at a conference, but not everyone does.

If they're an editing agent, you'll work on revising your manuscript (if it needs it) and they they start sending it out. They'll e-mail you the responses (if you want) and call you when they get an offer. Then they advise you on what to do.

When you sell your novel, they handle all the negotiating stuff and work with you to ease your transition into working with your new editor. Then they bow out until you need them. They'll check in to make sure everything in going well with your book, and to make sure things are moving along correctly. If you have any problems with the book or the editor, they'll be there to handle them for you. And they're always there when you have questions.

I did a few blog posts about my experience. One on getting the call that I sold my novel, and one on what happened after that. (and that reminds me I'm due for the second part of this one)

What Danthia said.

I've spoken to my agent several times on the phone, but we've never met. In the digital age, it's no longer necessary. I hope to meet him one day, of course, if I ever get back to New York.

The Kidd said:

Do they fly down to meet you or do you fly to their location to meet them and sign papers. Do you have to pay for your plane trip? How do these things work? I've just been really curious, it seems so strange to have a long distance business relationship. Just a question from little ignorant me . Maybe you could share your experience and shed some light on this topic that has me (and possibly others) clueless?

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Everything's been handled over the phone and by email with my agent. I do hope to have occasion to meet her in person sometime, but I've heard that many writers go years and years without meeting their agents. It's be fun, but in this techno-instant time, it's not necessary or necessarily a wise expenditure.

Danthia

Great blogs! That really helped.

This is a really informative thread for those of us who have yet to go through it. Danthia - great, clear description of the process! Thanks.

Danthia,
Thank you for that amazing advice! The dramatic hamster was my favorite part!

Thanks for the thread Kidd, and for the great response Danthia.

The other things to think about once you have an agent is stocking up on patience. Finding an agent is only the first hurdle, though the good part is that he/she is now in charge of doing the work. In any case, it is an ideal time to think about opening a blog, twitter account, facebook page etc, because, in this day and age, you will be required to perform some marketing yourself, even if signed with one of the Big6.
So, now that your agent is busy looking for the ideal publisher for your book, investing time in pre-marketing activities is highly advisable.

Great post. Thanks for the information.

I haven't met my agent yet. His agency, one of the oldest in NYC, works on a gentleman's handshake rather than a formal contract -- we did the handshake over the Internet, with him sending me an email detailing our mutual expectations and obligations and me sending back my agreement.

We've talked on the phone but haven't yet met in person.

But here's the main thing that happens after you get an agent:

Instead of waiting for agents to offer rep, you start waiting for editors to offer publication.

I heard agents are harder to get than a publisher so I'm not going to worry myself about this one for a while

I've never met mine, we have spoken on the phone many times, and we e-mail, sometimes the call is just to say hey it's been awhile since we talked, vs e-mailed, or an exchange on facebook.