Bad Novel = Bad Agent?

knight_tour · Mar 11, 2010

Does reading a really bad novel color your opinion of the agent who subbed it? I'm not certain yet for me, but I did recently pick up a book just because I had been reading an agent's blog and the agent kept raving about her client. I tried the book and it was awful. It does make me wonder whether this would be a good agent for me. Maybe it makes them a great agent, because they can sell even a bad novel?

Brukaviador · Mar 11, 2010

Maybe you don't like it but chances are there's enough of an audience that does.

I've read a few wildly successful authors that I just couldn't get into because I thought their stories weren't interesting or in one case I thought the writing was childish. They may not be for me but they're for someone.

knight_tour · Mar 11, 2010

Viktor Night said:
Maybe you don't like it but chances are there's enough of an audience that does.

I've read a few wildly successful authors that I just couldn't get into because I thought their stories weren't interesting or in one case I thought the writing was childish. They may not be for me but they're for someone.

But there's a difference between a story that simply isn't your cup of tea and one that is written quite badly.

Marzipan · Mar 11, 2010

Well, look at it this way. If the agent was able to sell a bad novel then they must be a pretty good agent right? Just my .02. The agent is going to rave about the books they are trying to sell to publishers, it's just the way it is.

I mean..say you go to a FORD dealership to buy a car. Is the sales person going to tell you it's a bum car or an 'ok' car? Nope. He is going to tell you it's a wonderful car because HE is selling it.

DeadlyAccurate · Mar 11, 2010

Disliking something does not mean it's bad; it means it's not to your taste. And if your tastes don't mesh with the agent's, that probably means you wouldn't be a good match.

jvc · Mar 11, 2010

It's not just the agent who thought the book can sell, though. The publisher obviously thought it could too, or else they wouldn't have bought the book no matter how good the agent was at pitching it. There are books that have won major prizes that I didn't like. But doesn't mean others felt the same way as me. Others must have liked them. Those who made the books the bestsellers, and the committee who picked them for the prize. Horses for courses and all that.

Jamesaritchie · Mar 11, 2010

Chances are it wasn't a bad novel at all, just one you really didn't like.

There are writers I just can't stand to read, but they please enough readers to consitently land high on the bestseller lists. If I put on my editor's hat, I, too, can see why most readers like the novels.

knight_tour · Mar 11, 2010

DeadlyAccurate said:
Disliking something does not mean it's bad; it means it's not to your taste. And if your tastes don't mesh with the agent's, that probably means you wouldn't be a good match.

Actually, it was exactly the type of story I love. It's just that the author kept switching POV from 1st to 3rd and back all the time. The writing style itself was annoying also, but I can usually plow through that.

Toothpaste · Mar 11, 2010

knight_tour said:
Actually, it was exactly the type of story I love. It's just that the author kept switching POV from 1st to 3rd and back all the time. The writing style itself was annoying also, but I can usually plow through it.

Sounds like the only thing you might have liked about this story was the plot. Clearly it wasn't the type of story you love as everything about the style you disliked. A book is so much more than what it is about. At any rate, personally I adore shifting POVs (my fav book of the last year went between 2nd person present, 3rd person past), as you can see, taste varies.

The thing is, obviously you didn't like the book which is cool. But others liked it enough not only so much that it got an agent but also published. That should be a hint that the agent isn't a bad one at all but totally understands his/her market.

Now of course you are under no obligation to submit to this agent if you really don't share the agent's taste.

third person · Mar 11, 2010

I want Miss Meyers' agent. Cos I'm tellin' ya. Bad book, but OODLES of riches. And I'm all about the riches. (In reality it's all about the fulfillment I get from the craft. It's all I've got. But still--it would be nice to have a Richard Meier home while I practice said fulfilling craft.)

ChristineR · Mar 11, 2010

If it sold, then at least an editor thought it had a redeeming feature. How many copies did this book sell? How were the reviews? I can certainly understand you're not wanting to name the actual book.

Smeyer is an awesome writer, based on her sales. Whatever else she does wrong, she must be doing some things right. Any agent would be thrilled to work with smeyer, even if it some people wonder about her taste.

Cyia · Mar 11, 2010

I can think of a few books that I hated, but were sold for highly lucrative contracts. This would mean that the agent is a good one IMO; she did her job and she's on my short list of "favorite" agents. Her job is to get the best contract for her client.

The agent you want is one who believes in the work of her clients and works as hard as she can for them.

defyalllogic · Mar 11, 2010

third person said:
I want Miss Meyers' agent. Cos I'm tellin' ya. Bad book, but OODLES of riches.

this.

and mr. pattison's/ k. stewart's agent apparently you can star in a movie without needing to be able to act. I want in!

knight_tour · Mar 11, 2010

Cyia said:
I can think of a few books that I hated, but were sold for highly lucrative contracts. This would mean that the agent is a good one IMO; she did her job and she's on my short list of "favorite" agents. Her job is to get the best contract for her client.

The agent you want is one who believes in the work of her clients and works as hard as she can for them.

Yeah, I mentioned that in my original post. It just made me question the agent's judgement, though. It may not be a bad thing if the agent can sell just about anything.

BTW, it is a rare occasion that I won't read a book all the way through. I read close to 100% of books I start all the way. It takes something truly attrocious on several levels to make me stop reading.

Mr Flibble · Mar 11, 2010

Depends what you call bad writing. Changing tenses isn't bad writing( well, if unless mid scene....) it's a stylistic choice you happen to not like.

Danthia · Mar 11, 2010

Not a bit. Everyone has their own tastes. If you read several books from that agent, and you don't care for any of them, there's a good chance that's not the right agent for you. You probably have different views on what makes a "good" book. And the editors they work with also have different views, since they bought the books you didn't like. But it doesn't make the agent bad just because you don't like what they like. Just look for agents who take on the books you enjoy.

kangolNcurlz · Mar 11, 2010

third person said:
I want Miss Meyers' agent. Cos I'm tellin' ya. Bad book, but OODLES of riches.

This shows how subjective the words "bad book" are. I liked Twilight and thought it was a cute love story. I'd reread it if I didn't have Cormack McCarthy calling my name.

Overall, if I read a book that I thought was bad then I'd wonder 1) what the author was thinking writing it, and then 2) what the publisher was thinking publishing it. The agent wouldn't enter my thoughts, because s/he is doing what agents do - sell books to publishers. But, just because I don't like a book doesn't mean it's truly bad, it's just not to my liking, for whatever reason.

The only time I'd think about the agent is to wonder if my book was within her taste, but I'd still sub to her and let her decide.

Jamesaritchie · Mar 11, 2010

third person said:
I want Miss Meyers' agent. Cos I'm tellin' ya. Bad book, but OODLES of riches. And I'm all about the riches. (In reality it's all about the fulfillment I get from the craft. It's all I've got. But still--it would be nice to have a Richard Meier home while I practice said fulfilling craft.)

Bad book? Do you mean Twilight? Like hell, it's bad. It may not be written as well as some other books, but it tells one hell of a good story, and has some great characters and dialogue.

If you can write a book like Twilight, you can get any agent you want. A pet poodle could sell Twilight to a major publisher.

jana13k · Mar 11, 2010

If you don't like the books the agent reps, the agent may also not be interested in you. Some agents (mine included) will only rep work they personally love and I know my agent has referred work she was certain would sell to other agents because she wants to represent "careers" not books. So if she doesn't want to read what you write for the next twenty years, then she might not want to represent you.

Try reading some other books by authors that agent reps, but the fact that the agent sold it and a publisher bought it speaks loudly to something being right - if only a highly marketable premise.

Toothpaste · Mar 11, 2010

Jamesaritchie said:
Bad book? Do you mean Twilight? Like hell, it's bad. It may not be written as well as some other books, but it tells one hell of a good story, and has some great characters and dialogue.

I'd argue though that that point is subjective (I for one so utterly and completely disagree that the characters and dialogue are great). But the fact that it is subjective demonstrates how one person's bad book is another's great book. In this case, many many many others' great book.

Because I, for example, think there is nothing good about Twilight (I could barely get through it and only did because I was starting to write YA and wanted know what the fuss was about), doesn't mean that it isn't a good book to someone else, worthy of getting an agent and published.

Nateskate · Mar 11, 2010

Apart from the issue of good and bad taste, you want to find an agent with a history of recent and consistent sales in your Genre, because the sale of your book is the issue.

If you have the choice of many agents, you are fortunate and can be as picky as you choose.

shaldna · Mar 12, 2010

Jamesaritchie said:
Bad book? Do you mean Twilight? Like hell, it's bad. It may not be written as well as some other books, but it tells one hell of a good story, and has some great characters and dialogue.

If you can write a book like Twilight, you can get any agent you want. A pet poodle could sell Twilight to a major publisher.

So domestic abuse is the 'in' thing right now?

shaldna · Mar 12, 2010

Personally I don't think you can judge an agent by their writers. Judge and agent by the sales and the deals they make, because that's what really matters.

What you think of their other clients is irrelevant, it's how well the agent is going to work for you that matters.

Jay Jennings · Mar 12, 2010

Just a quick newbie question -- finding a list of agents is not hard, but how do you find out which agent represented a given book/author? Is it public knowledge that's published somewhere?

Thanks.

Jay Jennings

shaldna · Mar 12, 2010

Jay Jennings said:
Just a quick newbie question -- finding a list of agents is not hard, but how do you find out which agent represented a given book/author? Is it public knowledge that's published somewhere?

Thanks.

Jay Jennings

Often agents will list their clients on their website or blog, or in thier Writers Handbook entry.

Often a writer will thank the agent in their book.

Or you can resort to trusty ol' google and try typing 'Dan Brown Agent' and chances are you'll get a whole load of reference to Heidi Lange.

Bad Novel = Bad Agent?

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