Rebecca Strauss was my agent for almost a year. I'd been querying that project forever and she seemed like a good choice, good agency, a few clients whose names I've actually heard of before--no matter that they weren't in the genre I wrote in. She had no sales I knew of in my genre/category but she told me she was just looking to get into it. She was super-nice and enthusiastic, we talked at length about my book, so I was like all right, I'm on board.
Well, the first red flag was when she never mailed me back the signed contract. Then she made me do revisions for eight months, taking a month+ to read each new version I sent her. Finally I put something together that was to her satisfaction (I actually disagreed with a lot of the changes but hey... you know how it goes. An agent from NY was paying attention to me so I kept my reservations to myself and did as I was told.) And then we went on sub.
After it didn't sell for six figures after three months, she just kind of lost interest in me. She took two weeks to answer a two-sentence email, she hated everything I sent her... And then she dumped me over email, in the weirdest freaking message I've ever read. In the year I was with her she didn't make a single sale in my genre/category...and as far as I know she STILL hasn't made one.
I was going to just suck it up and move on. But then I had a talk with a friend and (after a glass of wine or two) opened up about this less-than-stellar experience. She strongly suggested I share it with others who are querying/choosing their agent. You may draw your own conclusions, but word of advice--check for sales, not just any sales, but sales in your genre, in your category. To good publishers. Sometimes agents are just new and that's normal, especially when it means they'll prioritize you and nurture your career. But when you're getting neither of these things, it's just not worth the anguish and ruined self-esteem.