How do u help your agent help u?

I write the best book I can write.

I educate myself on the market and publishing, so we can have intelligent, informed, productive conversations.

I communicate clearly my expectations and needs, and carefully consider his advice.

I'm active in SCBWI, go to conferences, interact with other writers, librarians, professionals in reasonable ways.

And mainly...stay out of my agent's way.

His job is to sell, and advise. But beyond that...I just try to be professional and productive so as not to make his job harder.

~suki

Most of the big houses require an agent to submit work, so unless you meet an editor at a conference or something, it's up to your agent to get your work out. Even if you do meet an editor at a conference, you would want to submit to them through your agent if you have one.

And...what suki said!

By staying out of the way

Yeah, I stay out of the way, too.

But I also make a point of being friendly, polite, and professional with my editors and other people at my publishers, and with any editors/others from other houses I happen to meet. Not just because I happen to really like most people in publishing and enjoy talking to them, but because when my agent brings up my name to people I want them to think, "Oh, yeah, she was great, I'd love to work with her!" and not "Oh, man, that girl was horrible."

Of course my actual work matters most, so I make that the best I can, I meet my deadlines, I don't make a fuss over things or act like a diva, that sort of thing. But in general I want to be someone people want to work with, and enjoy working with, and find easy to work with. That's something only I can do for myself and my career, and it's the most important way--again, aside from writing the best book I can--that I can help my agent sell my work.

This is definitely a question you should ask your agent directly. I imagine that he/she will probably second everything that's been advised here, but good communication btwn authors and their agents is paramount.

I trust my agent completely. But if someone recommends a publishing house that is smaller that maybe we hadn't considered, or if I meet an author/editor/someone at a conference who says to give them a shout, or if I read something online that suggests there's a new editor interested in what I'm writing, I'll drop a line to let my agent know. Nine times out of ten she's way ahead of me, but there have been times when she's totally thanked me and sent out a submission based on news that came my way.

Trust is important, but keeping your ear to the ground never hurts. As long as you aren't obnoxious about it. Uh . . . TOO obnoxious about it .