Newb question about agents

SuiSamurai · Feb 4, 2006

If there's a more suitable forum for this, feel free to move it.

I'm currently writing my first novel and I want to try and get an agent when it's finished, just to see if I'm cut out for writing more than anything. Writing is just a hobby at the moment so I can't afford to shell out for an agent if it turns out I'm entirely incompetent. So I was wondering, once you manage to get an agent, do you "hire" them and pay them to find a publisher for your book, or do the agents just get paid from their percentage they get when the book sells?
Thanks.

waylander · Feb 4, 2006

Never ever pay an agent. They make their money from selling your work. From their point of view taking on a new client is a financial risk in that they will incure costs that they may never recoup if your work does not sell.

Maryn · Feb 4, 2006

Amen, waylander, amen.

Any agent who wants payment in exchange for representing your novel is an agent to avoid.

Maryn, agent-free

SuiSamurai · Feb 4, 2006

Ok, that's good news then. Thanks geez.

James D. Macdonald · Feb 4, 2006

Lots of information on finding an agent:

http://www.sff.net/people/VictoriaStrauss/agentsearch.html

http://www.neilgaiman.com/journal/2005/01/everything-you-wanted-to-know-about.asp

The rules are:

A worthwhile agent has sold books you've heard of.

Money flows toward the author.

The greatest agent in the world can't sell an unpublishable novel. More: the greatest agent in the world won't even try.

Branwyn · Feb 4, 2006

How does it work with agents..you send a query, they like what they read, ask for first three chapters, they like that ...but it needs some work. They offer to help edit(for free), then what? Does it mean they want to represent you?

Cathy C · Feb 4, 2006

If they're willing to take the time to help you get the book up to snuff on their own dime, they're probably pretty darned close to offering to rep you.

Branwyn · Feb 4, 2006

Excellent! Thanks. I wasn't sure exactly 'how excited' I should get.

Jamesaritchie · Feb 4, 2006

Baywitch said:
How does it work with agents..you send a query, they like what they read, ask for first three chapters, they like that ...but it needs some work. They offer to help edit(for free), then what? Does it mean they want to represent you?

They may or may not offer to help edit. It's more likely that they'll simply tell you what they believe the problems are, and you'll do a rewrite based on this. . .if you agree with what they say. If they like your rewrite, you'll be taken on as a client.

The thing to remember is that money should always flow to the writer. The moment anyone asks you to give them money, run away. Money always flows to the writer, never away from the writer.

emeraldcite · Feb 4, 2006

This always bears repeating.

Money always flows to the writer

Make it your daily and nightly mantra.

Jeneral · Feb 4, 2006

Baywitch said:
Excellent! Thanks. I wasn't sure exactly 'how excited' I should get.

Sounds like you should get pretty excited. That's awesome!!! :hooray:

Branwyn · Feb 5, 2006

Jamesaritchie said:
They may or may not offer to help edit. It's more likely that they'll simply tell you what they believe the problems are, and you'll do a rewrite based on this. . .if you agree with what they say. If they like your rewrite, you'll be taken on as a client.

The thing to remember is that money should always flow to the writer. The moment anyone asks you to give them money, run away. Money always flows to the writer, never away from the writer.

This person has a positive standing at P&E ($) and offered for free their help to make the ms the best it can be before they would shop it around to publishers.

Yes... money flows to the author...aum :hooray:

stormie · Feb 5, 2006

You'll find agents who might wish to look at your completed manuscript, offer some suggestions on "tweaking" it to make it better, then either sign you on or reject it. (Even though they might reject it after the rewrite, it's still what I call a good rejection. You can learn from it.) What it is, is that you really work hand-in-hand with the agent. If they sign you on, they should send it out to the publishing houses, keep you informed of where it's been sent and rejections, etc. You, meanwhile, write that next great novel.

And as others have said, money flows toward the writer, not away.

SuiSamurai · Feb 5, 2006

I've heard it said that if the agent is wants to read your MS after reading your query, they ask for the first three chapters. My chapters in my novel are pretty tiny; they take up, on average, about 1.5 pages on Word. Not a great deal could be found out about the book based on that, so do they say, for example, 3 chapters or 7,500 words, and give you a choice, or something else?

triceretops · Feb 5, 2006

The consenses is that the first 50 pages is a common request. However, I've seen requests for 10, 20 and 30 pages before too. Real simple: email or phone the agent and explain the truth about your chapter length, and they'll suggest the proper length. That way--no guesswork.

tri

(grasshopper) · Feb 6, 2006

Jamesaritchie said:
They may or may not offer to help edit. It's more likely that they'll simply tell you what they believe the problems are, and you'll do a rewrite based on this. . .if you agree with what they say. If they like your rewrite, you'll be taken on as a client.

That's exactly what happened to me. They made suggestions and I changed things to meet their suggestions. I've got to admit that sometimes I didn't completely agree with those suggestions, though.
But I made the changes and now I have a contract.

dragonjax · Feb 6, 2006

SuiSamurai said:
I've heard it said that if the agent is wants to read your MS after reading your query, they ask for the first three chapters. My chapters in my novel are pretty tiny; they take up, on average, about 1.5 pages on Word. Not a great deal could be found out about the book based on that, so do they say, for example, 3 chapters or 7,500 words, and give you a choice, or something else?

Give the agent exactly what the agent requests.

You never know; some may ask for the full manuscript off the bat. They did for me.

>> Not a great deal could be found out about the book...

This is a red flag. Your first three chapters should sizzle, make the reader turn the page and want to read more. If the first three aren't gripping, your manuscript may not be ready.

Good luck.

Aconite · Feb 6, 2006

I don't think I've seen this mentioned yet: Beware any agent who takes you on and then recommends an editing service. Odds are good the agent either owns the editing service (see New York Literary Agency et al. over on the Bewares and Background Check board) or gets a kickback.

Julie Worth · Feb 6, 2006

SuiSamurai said:
I've heard it said that if the agent is wants to read your MS after reading your query, they ask for the first three chapters. My chapters in my novel are pretty tiny; they take up, on average, about 1.5 pages on Word. Not a great deal could be found out about the book based on that, so do they say, for example, 3 chapters or 7,500 words, and give you a choice, or something else?

1.5 pages/chapter! Unless this is a picture book, I think your chapters are far too short.

Branwyn · Feb 6, 2006

Aconite said:
I don't think I've seen this mentioned yet: Beware any agent who takes you on and then recommends an editing service. Odds are good the agent either owns the editing service (see New York Literary Agency et al. over on the Bewares and Background Check board) or gets a kickback.

This agent comes highly recommended at P&E. They offered free mentoring.
Thanks for the warning though I don't think, thankfully, it's an issue with this particular agent.

Aconite · Feb 6, 2006

Baywitch said:
This agent comes highly recommended at P&E. They offered free mentoring.
Thanks for the warning though I don't think, thankfully, it's an issue with this particular agent.

LOL I meant the post for SuiSamurai, not for you--I've seen you on the BaBC enough that I figured you'd done your homework. But I forgot to address my post, so how could you have known? ::thwocks forehead::

SuiSamurai · Feb 6, 2006

Julie Worth said:
1.5 pages/chapter! Unless this is a picture book, I think your chapters are far too short.

Lol.

Have you read Life of Pi?

The chapters are short, yes, but there are more of them.
I personally prefer it.

Julie Worth · Feb 6, 2006

SuiSamurai said:
Lol.

Have you read Life of Pi?

The chapters are short, yes, but there are more of them.
I personally prefer it.

Such short chapter length (without knowing anything else about the work) suggests to me that there may be a lot of telling and summarization.

SuiSamurai · Feb 6, 2006

Julie Worth said:
Such short chapter length (without knowing anything else about the work) suggests to me that there may be a lot of telling and summarization.

You're probably right. It took 6 chapters to get to the first bit of dialogue. Do you consider that to be a bad thing?

Julie Worth · Feb 6, 2006

SuiSamurai said:
You're probably right. It took 6 chapters to get to the first bit of dialogue. Do you consider that to be a bad thing?

Depends on the book, but I always have dialogue on the first page.

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