thinking like an agent

Not really weird. Agents, like editors, will see something different in a manuscript that another agent might not see. When I was querying, I had interest from two agents and both had very different ideas for revisions. One wasn't going to offer yet, until revisions were complete. Since I agreed with the revision suggestions that the first, offering agent gave me, I signed with him.

The important thing is how do you feel about the agents and their suggested revisions? It's always our first impulse to go with the bird in the hand (ie, the offer on the table), but make sure it's because you really think this is the right agent.

Obviously the first agent sees something in your book, and s/he's willing to work with you to make it something s/he can sell. But s/he also wants to make sure you can do the work.

It's your call, obviously.

Doesn't seem weird to me either. I think the first agent saw something he really liked in the manuscript, but he didn't want to take you on as a client until he felt it was saleable. Some agents take on the client and then ask for revisions, some ask for revisions and then take the client on. This guy was cool enough to work with you, rather than just dismiss the manuscript because he didn't perceive it as ready.

At the same time, he was also ethical enough to say, "We don't have a formal arrangement, so if you want to keep on querying, I understand." He did this despite having spent time working with you. I expect he was disappointed that you went with someone else, but *he still doesn't think the manuscript is ready*. Again, he shows himself to be extremely honest and ethical.

Whether the manuscript is ready or not is a matter of opinion. There will be agents who think it's good to go because they know the publisher will have changes regardless, and there will be others who want the manuscript as perfect as possible on the front end regardless of whether the publisher will want more changes.

It certainly sounds like the agent you were originally working with passes the 'character' test.

I think the first agent though he was the writer. You're better off with the second.

No, it doesn't seem weird to me at all. It seems like the first agent is a gentleman.

silver76 said:

I did and received an offer of rep.
I let him know- he came back and said Congratulations- i didn't think the manuscript was ready, but might have been after another revision. Didn't offer rep...

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It's not that uncommon. I actually had one agent who was super-excited by the partial she read and got my hopes way up while she was reading the full. In the interim I got two agent offers from other agents, which I informed her of, and she told me that she thought the book needed major revision and wanted to change some major things before she would be willing to make an offer of representation. The revisions she wanted were nothing close to the book I wrote and not something I was willing to do. So needless to say I focused on the agents who had connected to what I actually wrote - not that I thought any less of the first agent. I'd far rather someone who's honest than someone who chucks in an offer for representation just because someone else has.

Congratulations, by the way.