Finding Your Dream Agent

Procrastinista · Apr 9, 2011

I'm in the midst of an agent search, as many of us are. But how does one determine their "dream agent?"

An agent who has a large number of sales per year might be desirable. But who is to say that such an agent will put much effort toward a debut author? There might be a bit of a "sink or swim" dynamic at play. This may sound callous, but there is only so much time in the day, and agents, just like everyone else, must prioritize.

I suspect that top agents may not give as much attention to debut authors, but their publishing contacts are so rich, that even still, their representation will afford even debut authors marvelous opportunities. At some point, it comes down to the quality of the story, and if the story is solid, it will likely sell.

But what if you can't attract an agent in the top tier, whatever that means? Perhaps landing an agent in the next tier might cause trouble. Maybe now not getting as much attention will mean that a pretty-solid story won't get sold, perhaps because the agents' contacts aren't as solid, or whatever.

And then there are new agents without proven sales records. They could generate huge sales or quit the trade within months. Feels a bit like the lottery.

How do you even assess an agents' sales? Publishing Marketplace posts self-reported sales, so that is not entirely accurate, although it might be the best measure. Heck, some agents might be so busy selling books they don't bother to post their sales.

Some writers are quick to say that you should look at an agents' client list. But again, if an agent has an amazingly long list of clients and many of those clients are best-selling authors, how much attention is given to debut authors?

Suppose your work is good enough enough to attract the attention of a "mid-list" agent, so to speak. Is such an agent worth pursuing? The agents' lower income might not enable them to stay in the field very long. I've also noticed that there are many agents who might have one or two good years of sales, but in general they sell only a couple of books per year. If that agent has, say, twenty clients, the odds that a debut author will have a sale that year is low.

I realize that some of this comes down to interviewing an agent once the agent is wanting to take you on as a client. But there is much we should be doing to narrow our query search long before that interview.

I have read through many, many posts about agents at this site. I will be candid and say that for the most part, I have been disappointed by the information. It seems that most of us are occupied with discussing how quickly agents will respond to our queries. Who cares? I understand that this issue might shed some light on the efficiency and professionalism of the agent, but I doubt it means much. After all, if an agent takes a long time to respond to queries, perhaps the agent is devoting lots of time to their clients, as they should. I'd rather hear about issues that will matter, such as professionalism, sales record, contacts, devotion to debut authors, attention to editing manuscripts, etc.

What I'm attempting to do here is generate a meaningful discussion of an intelligent way to go about finding a "dream agent" or even a solid agent. I anticipate getting feedback from some of you that I'm being too analytical, but I don't think that's case. After all, the point of this category here at PM is to identify productive/nonproductive agents. I suspect some of you have come up with some pretty cool ways to find your dream agents and I'd love to hear how you discovered that the agent was indeed ideal for you, long before that final interview.

fourlittlebees · Apr 9, 2011

I don't have an agent yet. I haven't even sent that many queries. That said, I am approaching finding an agent like I did finding a wedding photographer.

My sister wanted a photographer who had done all the big weddings and had a great following and all the numbers on paper were incredible. And she had a horrible day with the guy barking orders at us and generally "harshing our mellow" until we finally got to be left alone after the first dance and toasting.

My wedding photographer? Took really great pictures, but most of all, she had a great personality and we "clicked." I've taken all my kids back for one-year pictures, and they'll return for their senior pictures as well.

So when I'm looking for an agent, it has a little bit to do with sales and books they've repped that I like, but it has a lot more to do with what I see of them on Twitter and in blogs, etc. Shoot... my wedding photos and my relationship with my wedding photographer turned out better than my marriage.

Becca C. · Apr 9, 2011

It doesn't just have to do with sales. That's a part of it, but for me, what's more important is looking at a list of what an agent is interested in representing. If they list that they'd like a YA book, no paranormal, with a commercial hook, under-represented characters and an edgy, gritty feel, well, my book clicks into all of those. If I also like the agent's blog/online presence, reputation, and know a few of his/her clients that have great books I like/am interested in reading, that's a pretty good candidate for a "dream agent," for me.

As for top-selling versus new agent being better, well, a lot of my dream agents are new agents because they have that thirst to prove themselves and a fresh outlook. Many of them are interested in books that break the mould, and that works with what I write.

scope · Apr 9, 2011

Procrastinista said:
What I'm attempting to do here is generate a meaningful discussion of an intelligent way to go about finding a "dream agent" or even a solid agent.

I don't think it's as difficult as you make it sound. Nor do I think that any one particular agent whose track record is hard to deny is the right agent for every writer. It's very subjective. I think the best that any writer can do is to make a list of all the things s/he wants most in an agent. With this in hand a writer should then do his/her research and make a list of appropriate agents to approach (lets call that list A.) Then I believe a writer should make a list of agents who possess most, but not all, of the attributes s/he is looking for and compile a list of such agents (lets call that list B). Depending on what the writer is willing to accept, s/he could then start lists C and D -- or not.

However, if and when a writer lands an agent, it's only thereafter that s/he will learn if indeed the agent is truly a "dream agent", a phase I truly despise, for whatever that's worth.

PinkAmy · Apr 10, 2011

I look at agents that have repped books I admire (though they're usually not accepting queries, LOL); agents whose clients say are easy to work with and helpful, agents who express an interest in books like mine, and of course sales. I'm probably out of the ordinary and I don't have an agent yet, but to me personality and the relationship are as important as sales (unless the agt has zero experience). I have a people rather than business philosophy.

poppyseed · Apr 10, 2011

The most important thing to me in an agent is one who is passionate about my work. That's the agent that's really going to go to bat for me and rep my work in a way that gets things done. And you really can't know who that is until you've written your best work, queried, and gotten a few bites. Then you can test the waters. So I'd say research for professionalism, a proven track record, and someone who reps books like you write. Once you've queried them and they've responded, check out their attitude towards your work. Are they lukewarm? Even a stellar agent isn't going to do that great for your book if they just don't care as much about it as they do their other projects. But if they're really into your work, seem to get your style, and are excited to represent you, then you've hit gold, as far as I'm concerned.

roseangel · Apr 11, 2011

I've not started querying yet, but here is how I am planning:
Legit agents who take my genre will be queried.
Everything after depends on acceptance and our communication, as I won't know how we 'mesh' til that happens.
My dream agent is a legit agent that loves my work and wants to take it on.

Lyxdeslic · Apr 11, 2011

Research every reputable agent that handles your genre. Write a damned good query letter and an even better book. Send appropriate materials to all. If one says they want me as a client? I've found my dream agent. If not, move on to the next book, finish, edit, re-edit x10, start the whole process over.

Lyx--livin' the dream/nightmare.

tko · Apr 13, 2011

there's a big difference though

You can interview all the photographers you want, knowing you can probably get the one you like.

With agents it's the other way around. You may have one that shows interest, perhaps others will - in a month or two. What's a boy or girl to do? Take the first one that seems decent? Or wait?

There's a mathematical problem called the wedding dilemma. It has to do with how many people you should date before you marry, assuming that once you dump someone there's no going back. Funny that it can actually be analyzed.

OneWriter · Apr 13, 2011

Your dream agent is NOT your dream agent.

I'm echoing what others have said.

You can research as much as you want (and yes, that's a VERY important part of the process), but if said "dream agent" doesn't connect with your work, she's not your dream agent.

You will "know" who she/he is once you talk on the phone and they prove to you how invested they are in your work and your career.

So, my recommendation is: after you've done all your research, don't fall in love with a blog/sale record/client list. Instead, let your dream agent fall in love with your book.

Good luck!

fourlittlebees · Apr 13, 2011

tko said:
You can interview all the photographers you want, knowing you can probably get the one you like.

With agents it's the other way around. You may have one that shows interest, perhaps others will - in a month or two. What's a boy or girl to do? Take the first one that seems decent? Or wait?

There's a mathematical problem called the wedding dilemma. It has to do with how many people you should date before you marry, assuming that once you dump someone there's no going back. Funny that it can actually be analyzed.

See, I disagree. I can follow agents on Twitter, read their blogs, read the blogs and Twitter accounts of authors they represent and see what they say about their agents... Twitter is actually a great gauge. If someone who isn't a published author answers a question or replies to an agent tweet, does the agent tweet back or ignore the person?

There are some agents I would never query. Some I would die to have, and it's not based on sales or big names. The agents who tweet back to the no-names I'm willing to bet are the ones who call you back even if you aren't their top-selling authors. You can tell a lot about a person by how they interact with people.

mscelina · Apr 13, 2011

For me, it was easy. I met my agent at a conference. We got to know each other before she read my work. And then, once she read my work, she loved it...was excited about it...was anxious to send it out and asked for more. Much more. Her contract was straightforward and mutually advantageous, without any quirky clauses. I know other authors she represents, and was able to watch her in action at the conference where she sold over 20 books to different major and independent presses. And everyone in NY publishing knows her name.

Granted, my path to representation was different from most people's. BUT, I'd gone the query route already. I'd been involved with an agent pre-contract with multiple communications and some revision work. I was prepared for my opportunity when it came. And in the end, the deciding factor that made my agent my dream agent was the fact that we just clicked from the beginning as individuals before a single word of my writing crossed her desk.

Procrastinista · Apr 15, 2011

tko said:
You can interview all the photographers you want, knowing you can probably get the one you like.

With agents it's the other way around. You may have one that shows interest, perhaps others will - in a month or two. What's a boy or girl to do? Take the first one that seems decent? Or wait?

There's a mathematical problem called the wedding dilemma. It has to do with how many people you should date before you marry, assuming that once you dump someone there's no going back. Funny that it can actually be analyzed.

Okay, you've hooked me. What's the actual statement of the dilemma and what's the solution? I'd like to know for two reasons. First, I'm curious. Second, I'm a math professor!

Kitty27 · Apr 15, 2011

I want an agent with grind. By that,I mean one who works his/her butt off for their clients. An agent who is on a constant grind to get things done. I like an agent with superb organizational skills and someone that isn't effing around with the business at hand.

I want them to love my book and be a person that I can get along with. I especially want an agent who represents horror. Not one of the half-dozen mash-ups but genuine horror. I want an agent who is searching for evil vampires and willing to take such a book on. They are the rarest to find!

When I go on agent searches,I look at twitter, blogs, websites, Facebook, and always come here to the Beware thread. I trust what my fellow writers have to say. They say that agents can tell a lot about you by your online presence. The same can be said for agents as well. I haven't queried that many since I've switched focus to my horror novels. I am finding the search right now to be pretty hard!

But I have the feeling that I will just 'know" the right one for me.

suki · Apr 15, 2011

Caveat - I hate the term "dream agent." I think it leads newbies (and not so newbies) to chase rainbows.

There are a multitude of good agents out there - any one of whom can sell your work if they connect with it. Some are probably better suited to you and your work than others, but that will come down to research and how well you click on a personal level.

First, you use research to weed out those who don't have the reputation, connections, insights, skills, etc. to actually sell work in your genre.

Then you use research to try to consider who among the possible agents might be best suited to sell work like yours in your genre.

Then I used social media and blogs and online interviews, etc., to try to assess what I could about the reputation, personality and interpersonal stuff of those agents at the top of my list. I also used it to look for how busy the agent was, how many clients they were taking on, whether their clients had sold and how well, how much revision they request, etc.

Then, after I got requests, I researched more.

And once an offer is made, I talked to the agent - and all of his clients - and tried, to the best of my abilities, to assess if he really got my work, if his interpersonal skills gelled with mine and if I thought we could work effectively together.

My take, like many others have said, is you of course research sales and who they represent, etc. And I did consider things like how many clients they have, and do they appear to have a hierarchy among their client lists (I didn't want to be anyone's "c list" client).

But after all the qualifications and minimum standards it comes down to finding someone who gets your work and can sell it, and who can help you achieve your goals.

I didn't want a friend, but I wanted someone I felt comfortable with, someone I could trust to give me sound advice, and someone with the professional reputation and chops to be a strong advocate for me.

Beyond that it comes down to connection and personality and personal style.

And a lot comes down to gut instinct when you are deciding between several possible offers.

~suki

scope · Apr 15, 2011

suki said:
.

I didn't want a friend, but I wanted someone I felt comfortable with, someone I could trust to give me sound advice, and someone with the professional reputation and chops to be a strong advocate for me.

Beyond that it comes down to connection and personality and personal style.

And a lot comes down to gut instinct when you are deciding between several possible offers.

~suki

A big. big ditto.

Vandal · Apr 15, 2011

My goal is to become some agent's "dream writer."

Sandsurfgirl · Apr 15, 2011

The thing is, you don't choose your agent, they pretty much choose you. I've found quite a few people I'd consider dream agents, and then I got nice rejection letters from them. The two partials I have out now are not with people I'd consider dream agents, but they are good agents and I'd be happy to be repped by either one of them.

When you read people saying they sent out 150 to 200 query letters before they found an agent, unless you are a super genius or really lucky, you're probably going to send at a minimum 30 or 40 and on up from there. There are people fortunate enough to get multiple offers of representation, but there are a heck of a lot who get one offer of representation and get rejected on a whole lot of partials and fulls.

Finding a dream wedding photographer is easy. There are tons of photographers and they aren't in the business of rejecting you to be their client unless they are some fancy photographer to the stars or something.

I only query agents who have experience, at least a decent sales record and who take my genre. At this point my dream agent is the one who will represent me out of the list that I chose to query.

Don't query someone you wouldn't want representing you, but also cast a wide enough net that you have a chance at catching that fish.

MikeGrant · Apr 16, 2011

PinkAmy said:
I look at agents that have repped books I admire (though they're usually not accepting queries, LOL); agents whose clients say are easy to work with and helpful, agents who express an interest in books like mine, and of course sales. I'm probably out of the ordinary and I don't have an agent yet, but to me personality and the relationship are as important as sales (unless the agt has zero experience). I have a people rather than business philosophy.

I'm with you on this. I want someone I get on well with, and a good sense of humour is a must. Luckily, from the look of many agents' Twitter feeds, that shouldn't be a problem!

Bushrat · Apr 16, 2011

Sandsurfgirl said:
The thing is, you don't choose your agent, they pretty much choose you. I've found quite a few people I'd consider dream agents, and then I got nice rejection letters from them. The two partials I have out now are not with people I'd consider dream agents, but they are good agents and I'd be happy to be repped by either one of them.

This is what it boils down to. I was over the moon when my dream agent requested the full manuscript fifteen minutes after I emailed him my query - but he ended up rejecting

What made me think of him as a dream agent was his background (almost 20 years as a publisher) and work ethic (gleaned from interviews with him that I found online). I still sigh about not getting this agent and worry that getting rejected by someone with this much publishing knowledge might spell doom for my ms but . . . I think I'll warm up pretty fast to whichever agent ends up seeing marketable merit in my book.

bunderful · Apr 16, 2011

I dunno. I think that landing certain agencies (like ICM or William Morris or maybe Trident - any others you guys can think of?) basically means that when your agent tries to sell your book - the publisher knows it's big deal stuff. I think that is what makes a dream agent - maybe it's more of a "dream agency" - it doesn't mean that your agent will be amazing or be your advocate or anything but to me it means that they are at an advantage when querying publishers because of the "name" that their agency carries.

No?

I mean, I think that if your novel is good enough it shouldn't matter. But I am afraid of a less experienced agent not "going for broke" with the bigger publishers or editors and then never knowing if my book had the chance to "make it big". Maybe I'm wrong and maybe if your book kicks butt it doesn't matter because good literature will be recognized etc. etc. but nowadays I think a lot of it has to do with marketing...

suki · Apr 16, 2011

bunderful said:
I dunno. I think that landing certain agencies (like ICM or William Morris or maybe Trident - any others you guys can think of?) basically means that when your agent tries to sell your book - the publisher knows it's big deal stuff. I think that is what makes a dream agent - maybe it's more of a "dream agency" - it doesn't mean that your agent will be amazing or be your advocate or anything but to me it means that they are at an advantage when querying publishers because of the "name" that their agency carries.

No?

In my experience, agency carries more weight when it comes to negotiating the contract than in getting the manuscript read.

For getting the manuscript read in the first place (and by read, I mean read sooner, rather than later) it seems to come down to the specific agent's relationships. Now, maybe he or she can trade on those of colleagues, to some extent, but from what I've heard/seen/experienced, editors read the manuscript faster based on a sliding scale of: (1) urgency (other pending interest, extreme personal interest, hole on their list this would fill, etc.); (2) the trust of this particular agent's prior submissions and opinion; and (3) trends and other interest.

Meaning, if your agent has previously sold stuff to that editor or has a good reputation for high quality submissions, then that can get the manuscript read faster than a submission from another agent the editor doesn't know/has never had anything pitched from/etc. regardless of the agency. Agents from small agencies or who are essentially on their own, but who have good contacts and relationships, can sell as effectively, if not more effectively, than a lesser known/lesser respected agent from a "dream agency." This is because the editor knows the agent knows their particular tastes, and targets their particular interests. So, the good agents, the ones worth having, know the editors who would be the best fit for your project - and can get those editors to read it in a timely fashion.

bunderful said:
I mean, I think that if your novel is good enough it shouldn't matter. But I am afraid of a less experienced agent not "going for broke" with the bigger publishers or editors and then never knowing if my book had the chance to "make it big". Maybe I'm wrong and maybe if your book kicks butt it doesn't matter because good literature will be recognized etc. etc. but nowadays I think a lot of it has to do with marketing...

Also, I don't know of any reputable agent who shies away from submitting to well known and experienced editors they think would be a good fit for the project. Not any agent worth being represented by. They "go for broke" all the time. But there a lot of editors even within imprints - and the good agents know the specific tastes of those editors, and can target submissions to maximize the possibility of a sale.

Any agent not willing to submit your project to the houses best suited for it probably isn't an agent worth having. Now, what is the best house? It might be a smaller publisher - even a more independent or niche publisher. But your agent should be able to articulate why that particular editor at that house is a better fit.

~suki

kaitie · Apr 16, 2011

I'm someone else who isn't a big fan of the "dream agent" phrase. I had a couple of agents who I followed online, and while one of those in particular would have thrilled me, I also am not entirely sure we would have worked well together. While we have similar tastes, the agent in question isn't very hands on, and I wanted someone who gave more editorial input.

The thing is, even if you have a favorite, the chances of being picked up by said agent are slim. More than that, though, I think it's just nearly impossible to truly know who is most likely to be good for you. After all, we're judging based on blog entries or tiny paragraphs of information or lists of other sales. We might pick someone for any one of those reasons thinking they'd be perfect (and I did), only to find that our personalities don't click and it would never work, or that they have a different vision for your work than you do.

The agent that I went with ended up being someone whose agency was very near the top of the list for me, and someone I was thrilled to work with. There were several people I considered my top tier, but that was more about tastes and success than anything. They were people I thought were most likely to enjoy my work, and those who had a track record. Truth be told, as long as I have an agent who can sell my work and who is dedicated to my career, that's all I need. I think it probably serves us better to focus on things like that than to set all of our hopes on one particular agent.

tarak · Apr 16, 2011

fourlittlebees said:
See, I disagree. I can follow agents on Twitter, read their blogs, read the blogs and Twitter accounts of authors they represent and see what they say about their agents... Twitter is actually a great gauge. If someone who isn't a published author answers a question or replies to an agent tweet, does the agent tweet back or ignore the person?

There are some agents I would never query. Some I would die to have, and it's not based on sales or big names. The agents who tweet back to the no-names I'm willing to bet are the ones who call you back even if you aren't their top-selling authors. You can tell a lot about a person by how they interact with people.

I agree with this. I look at a lot of agent blogs and follow a number on twitter. I had an agent call me to discuss my MS, give me tremendous feedback, and tell me to resubmit after I revise. She was so helpful and enthusiastic to someone who wasn't a client. She may very well be my dream agent.

maestrowork · Apr 16, 2011

I don't look at "dream agent" as someone with the most sales or biggest name, etc. I mean Donald Maass is a big agent, I wouldn't query him.

Big agents are like big companies. Yes, big may be good, but that also means you may get lost. These agents have many clients, many are probably superstars in the literary world. The amount of attention they give you may not be enough. They may lack the personal touch. You may become just a number for them. Big may not always be good. Sometimes it's better to start with a small company/agent/whatever and work up from there.

I see my "dream agent" as someone who represents the kind of novels I write, is passionate about the business and good books, is not too small (meaning no sales or struggling) or too big, is a champion for my book(s). that means they really must fall in love with my writing and will do anything to get it out there, instead of me being just another number.

Many best-selling writers start with small agents, and they all grow from there (Theresa Park, for example, continues to be Nicholas Sparks' agent).

Finding Your Dream Agent

chief sitter on people

Commonsensical Maverick

New kid, be gentle!

Crazy Young Cat Lady

Laughing every time I choke.

just thanks fore everything

Ubi dubium ibi libertas

chief sitter on people

Teh doommobile, drivin' rite by you

So Goth That I Was Born Black

Opinionated

Commonsensical Maverick

In the Center of things

reaching for the sun

Opinionated

With great power comes

for certain qualities of "sane"

Fear the Death Ray