Help! need to choose between two agents

[wombat]

This is unbelievable after many years of rejections, but I've just got offers from both of these agents to represent a mystery I have written:

Ellen Pepus:
http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29253
and Prospect Agency, Emily Sylvan Kim: ARGH, there is a thread, but I can't get the link to work no matter how I edit it... sorry

I spoke to Pepus on the phone on Thursday. I had a really good feeling about her. I still had the ms. out to Prospect and emailed to ask if she was still interested and she asked me to give her till Monday. I just got an email from her and she is also very enthusiastic. I have not spoken to her yet.

They are both new agencies but Kim seems to have more of a track record. I don't think I can make a decision till I speak to her on the phone also - I mean, this is a very personal kind of business relationship and I should feel comfortable with her, right?

But otherwise I am so freaked out I can't think straight and would love to have any feedback you guys could give me.

[reenkam]

I'd say definitely talk to Emily Kim to see if there's a good connection there. And then, if you write in genres other than the book they both want to represent, ask them each if they'd want to continue to represent you with anything you want to write.

Other than that, it's AWESOME that you've got TWO offers!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!
:PartySmil :partyguy:
:TheWave:

[Don Allen]

That's a problem we all wish we had, do the research and trust your gut....congrats... Thats great..

[Susan B]

Congratulations!! Great news!

Yes, definitely have phone conversations with both, you'd be surprised how quickly you can get a sense either way.

Susan

[JeanneTGC]

Wow, GREAT news! Please keep us posted. Both agents seem very good, so you should be in good hands whichever you choose.

[Saundra Julian]

Congratulations!:snoopy:

[Bufty]

Great news. Congratulations.

[DaveKuzminski]

Perhaps you could talk them into a celebrity death match and go with the winner? ;)

[herdon]

Perhaps you could talk them into a celebrity death match and go with the winner? ;)

Oh, sure, and leave one less agent for everyone else.

[KAP]

Can I have the leftovers?

Congratulations.

[stormie]

Ohh, what fun! Yes, talk to the other agent by phone. Have a short list of questions ready. Congrats!

[Christine N.]

I vote for Prospect, but that's me.

You talk to both, you decide :)

[mysterygrl]

Very cool!

One thing I highly recommend: After talking with both agents--and asking all those important questions--talk to a couple of their clients.

[ClaudiaGray]

Congratulations!

As others have said, phone conversations with them and with their clients (and if they're good, they'll give you a couple of client names and/or e-mail addys) will give you a sense of which way to go. Good luck!

[wombat]

I vote for Prospect, but that's me.


Why?

I like the death match idea. Or an Iron Agent cooking contest. Oh, or does this board let you do polls? Anything that won't make it my fault for making the wrong choice...

[Christine N.]

Because Emily Sylvan Kim sells a lot of books. And because they rejected my book, but were really, really nice about it. Even asked to see the next thing I write.

[rugcat]

Publishers Marketplace lists seven books sold by Emily Sylvan Kim since December 2005. Five are Fiction/Women's Romance and two are Children/Young Adult. You state that your book is a mystery--does it have any romance elements? Or she may be trying to branch out.

Ellen Pepus has no deals listed, but PM deals are self-reported by agents--there are well-established agents who do not post there, so it shouldn't be taken as meaning she has no sales.

I think the advice already given that you should talk to them both is excellent. You may find more rapport with one than the other, and that is a big factor.

[Christine N.]

Oh, yeah, that's the other reason I liked Emily...she sells YA and there aren't that many that do. :)

I

[wombat]

Pepus is very new and it might be right that she has not yet sold a book on her own. I haven't pressed her on it yet. When I was assuming she was my only offer I decided I didn't care - after all, everyone has to sell their first book sometime, and it means she'll really be on fire to sell something, right?

Here's the thing: If one agent has sold nothing or next to nothing, and the other has sold seven books not in my genre... Does seven trump nothing automatically? Or can the 'rapport' thing override the numbers? They are both pretty new - it's not like I'm choosing between the biggest agent in New York and someone who's just starting - so I am not sure what to make of the numbers at this level.

I suppose I should ask both of them if they have a plan - have they already thought of publishers or editors to approach. I hope that will give some idea of what they know about selling the genre even if they haven't previously put that knowledge into action.

Also, I have realized - I don't know what I would ask any of their clients. I mean, I'm assuming they will say nice things because if they didn't like their agent, they'd get a new one - so what would I learn? What do youall think I should ask?

[rugcat]

Also, I have realized - I don't know what I would ask any of their clients. I mean, I'm assuming they will say nice things because if they didn't like their agent, they'd get a new one - so what would I learn? What do youall think I should ask?I would ask, how easy is it to communicate with her? Does she answer your questions adequately? Does she reply in a timely manner to emails? Does she keep you informed of who she's submitted to? (My agent not only kept me informed about who she submitted to, she informed me of their replies within a day of receiving them)

Did she help you with getting the ms in the best shape possible, if that was warranted? (Does she have any editing experience, and do you feel your ms could use some polishing before submittal)

Most important, did she sell your book?

[NiennaC]

CONGRATS!!!
I agree with everyone else on this. I would have a phone conversation with both people, and see how it goes.

[jordijoy]

A big congrats from this struggling writer to one on his/her way to bigger and better things.

[MissLadyRae]

Ooh! To have this dilemma! :)

Just chiming in to give my congrats! Let us know how it goes!

[ORION]

There are several questions to ask at this point.
Does the agent have publishing contacts, do they have a client list, have they made sales?
This is when a PM subscription is worth its weight in gold.
Many times on Agentquery.com you can find out which agency an agent came from as this can also indicate experience and possible publishing contacts.
I know it is exciting to get offers of representation but it is crucial to think carefully at this point. You want someone who has a clear idea of where and when they would submit your book. I would not worry so much that the sales did not match exactly your genre- it could be the agent (like you say) is branching out or has had specific requests from editors for your type of book.
Hope this helps

[wombat]

it is crucial to think carefully at this point.

I know, and all I can think is things like "I have to call that agent now and take notes... where is my lucky pen???"

I really appreciate all of your feedback and congratulations - I will keep youall posted.

[atthebeach]

Congratulations!

[Kasey Mackenzie]

Just wanted to add to the congratulations! I agree that it's important you speak to both agents on the phone, and see about contacting a few of their clients. Good luck!!!

[Toni1953]

It's fabulous to be able to choose. Let us know the decision!

[wombat]

OK, so, I have made a decision, but I am going to torture you all with suspense till everything is signed and all. In the meantime, flashback...

Since I pretty much just lurked here till I showed up with these offers, just so you all know I was not an overnight success and maybe can be encouraged by my story:

The short version is that I sent close to 120 queries to get to this point.

The long version: I decided to write a mystery series. So, I figured I should write the first two before I started trying to sell it. Because otherwise how was I sure I could write more than one?

So once I had two and was ready to start trying, my writer friend said to send the second one to her agent. I said, but it's the second! She said, but it's better, and you should send your best work. I thought she was confused about the genre and the concept of a series, but did as I was told.

Her agent rejected it - not surprising really when she was doing it as a favor and not because she'd read a query and found it interesting - what are the odds, really.

So I started to try to sell it the usual way, researching agents and so on. (This is in early 2004.) Now, the ominous foreshadowing music should have begun above where I doubted my friend's advice. Because what I tried to do was sell the first one. And really, most people should probably write a book, put it in a drawer, and then try to sell the next one. Especially when their PUBLISHED WRITER friend tells them the second is better.

But, it took a long time to realize this because I got a lot of positive responses to my query. Lots of requests for partials and quite a decent amount of requests for the full. So I kept going.

So about 100 of those queries were for the first one, which was always ultimately rejected. I finally decided that I was getting positive responses because the concept was great but that the first book had plot problems that I couldn't easily solve. So I rewrote the second to stand as the first volume and started to send that around. And it took roughly 20 queries to get to an offer this time.

Partly luck, I am sure. But I sure should have listened to my friend who missed her stop on the subway while reading the second book.

[stormie]

I like the fact that you did eventually listen to your friend and you didn't give up altogether. Congrats again on getting an agent!

[aruna]

Great agent story! Congratulations and good luck - can't wait to hear the outcome!

[Grey Malkin]

Partly luck, I am sure.

Sounds to me more like you've considered good advice, managed to review your work with a serious, critical eye, seen it's flaws and worked hard to achieve your goal.

No luck required. A testament to those who put in the hours!

Great news, and a terrific story.

[Maprilynne]

Partly luck, I am sure.

Oh yes, give luck its credit for its whole 1%. ;)

[midwife]

Thanks for sharing your story. Congrats on landing an agent and best wishes for the future.

[wombat]

I have finally put the signed contract in the mail, so now, the end of the story if anyone is still following along...

I emailed two clients of each agent. They all said that their agent walked - no, danced - on water. Didn't narrow it down much, but I learned that if you want a good letter of reccomendation, you should get a real writer to write it for you.

I talked to and emailed both agents and made sure I had asked them both all the same questions about their background.

I contemplated the Gut Feeling question. I liked them both. They both were enthusiastic about my work and seemed to really get it. Pepus had actually rejected an earlier version and suggested I revise and resubmit, and her comments let me put back all kinds of stuff I had cut due to advice from earlier, obviously less clever agents - so obviously I felt they were quite insightful suggestions! And Kim, when I told her that a couple of earlier agents had passed because they were not crazy about my heroine - well, she seemed positively indignant. You gotta love that.

So in the end it came down to arithmetic - Kim had more years of experience and more sales.

So... now I've pushed the rock up to the top of the mountain, and what's up there is another mountain, of course. But still, that's progress!

Thank you all for helping and listening.

[reenkam]

Congradulations on your choice! Good luck and I hope that your manuscript is picked up by an editor the first time out :)

[aruna]

Great choice! Just a week ago I heard another flowing report from Kim - by another agent. I;m sure you'll be happy with her. Here's to a fantastic sale, and soon!

And well done at not jumping to the first best offer; I think many of us writers do do that. I don't know if Id had have the nerve to ask for clients and keep them both waiting while I decided. Well done! It;s always nice to hear of the shoe being on the other foot - of agents biting their nails for US to chosse THEM, for a change!