As some of you may know from reading my agent experience in "Ask an Agent" forum, I had some deciding to make.
I had an agent a while back for my third book, but after 6 short months, it didn't work out. In the middle of all this, I wrote my fourth novel. So after getting out of a disappointing experience with my former agent, I decided to persue getting a publisher for the 3rd book and pitch the 4th to agents again.
I started querying in late August and was receiving requests for partials and fulls right away. But one by one, they crumbled with a rejection. I had a few close calls, but no one really and truly "fell in love" with it. It ticked me off to no end to hear my work was really good, but not good enough in their eyes.
But I kept searching, and researching and sending my query in when I came across my wonderful new agent. I sent her the query and about a week later she had anxiously wanted to see my ms. And I kid you not, she read it by the next day and got back to me right away and displayed her love of my work. She mentioned it needed to be brushed up with some minor grammar errors and a few typos, but all and all, I got what I was looking for, an agent fawning over my work. But I was so taken aback by it, I questioned and asked and questioned and asked again, for about a week or so, maybe longer. Her and I talked extensively via email back and forth. Through this she was excited each time to answer each and every single question I had given her with flying colors. She never let down with how open she was.
In the meantime, as I continued to hesitate and belabor the deal, thinking this is TOO good to be true, I found out here this agent wasn't recommended on the P&E and had charged postals submissions to authors in the past that they seemed to complain about. But nothing substantial. It bothered me though, so I quickly alerted all the other agents with fulls. And boom a few days later, I got a counteroffer from what had seemed like the much better agency-- supposedly with a flaunting record of a 99% rejection rate and only dealing with all the major publishers.
Turned out this agent wasn't as enthusiastic about my work. But yet she wanted to offer rep if I didn't take the other offer. She said, she "liked" the book, but it needed editorial help. I was like okay fine. I asked some questions, but didn't get all my answers. She left me hanging and wondering and waiting, still. It just didn't feel right. Plus she was cold and only answered with short consice messages shown that it was made through her Ipad and that she was traveling always and hard to get a hold of. This went on for months.
I told the first agent offer, I was passing. Then I waited and waited for the other. This was during the holiday too so I gave this other agent some slack. Last I heard was that they weren't an editting service too, but she still wanted to rep me. Okay fine. I asked, well how will I have to get editting done then? She said someone else will have to do it. Who? A professional? (that meant money, which I do not have) Immediately my heart sunk, I thought "oh, no" here I had told the first agent no--one who told me NO costs will come my way. One that was "in love" with my book, one who the only reason I said no was because she had some petty charges to authors in the past on postal submissions, and one that wasn't the greatest TOP agent in the world.
So I went back to her, hoping she would still be interested. And she was, happily. I also told her about my 3rd novel and how I just signed with a publisher on that and found enough flaws to back out, she looked at that one too and yes, loved that one also.
So my point here, is most writers on here all think that the most reputable agent is the best way to go. Not so in my case. Turns out that this smaller and some may think even mediocre agent was the much better choice for me. She was very responsive, very open, has solid sales (not in the 100's, but so what) and runs a tight ship with only a few authors as her clients. Not like the cold unresponsive, disappointing big shot. As it is, that one still hasn't responded. Doesn't matter, I made my decision.
I will announce soon just who that special agent is once I get my agreement back from the weekend. I really appreciate all who have helped me in making the decision easier. AW is really a wonderful place for writers. But just know, you shouldn't listen to everything and everyone you hear on here, as it just might all be hear-say. Remember to do all the homework you can before you get involved with an agent AND a publisher, cause you just might find out the bestest of the best out there may not be the best for you.
I had an agent a while back for my third book, but after 6 short months, it didn't work out. In the middle of all this, I wrote my fourth novel. So after getting out of a disappointing experience with my former agent, I decided to persue getting a publisher for the 3rd book and pitch the 4th to agents again.
I started querying in late August and was receiving requests for partials and fulls right away. But one by one, they crumbled with a rejection. I had a few close calls, but no one really and truly "fell in love" with it. It ticked me off to no end to hear my work was really good, but not good enough in their eyes.
But I kept searching, and researching and sending my query in when I came across my wonderful new agent. I sent her the query and about a week later she had anxiously wanted to see my ms. And I kid you not, she read it by the next day and got back to me right away and displayed her love of my work. She mentioned it needed to be brushed up with some minor grammar errors and a few typos, but all and all, I got what I was looking for, an agent fawning over my work. But I was so taken aback by it, I questioned and asked and questioned and asked again, for about a week or so, maybe longer. Her and I talked extensively via email back and forth. Through this she was excited each time to answer each and every single question I had given her with flying colors. She never let down with how open she was.
In the meantime, as I continued to hesitate and belabor the deal, thinking this is TOO good to be true, I found out here this agent wasn't recommended on the P&E and had charged postals submissions to authors in the past that they seemed to complain about. But nothing substantial. It bothered me though, so I quickly alerted all the other agents with fulls. And boom a few days later, I got a counteroffer from what had seemed like the much better agency-- supposedly with a flaunting record of a 99% rejection rate and only dealing with all the major publishers.
Turned out this agent wasn't as enthusiastic about my work. But yet she wanted to offer rep if I didn't take the other offer. She said, she "liked" the book, but it needed editorial help. I was like okay fine. I asked some questions, but didn't get all my answers. She left me hanging and wondering and waiting, still. It just didn't feel right. Plus she was cold and only answered with short consice messages shown that it was made through her Ipad and that she was traveling always and hard to get a hold of. This went on for months.
I told the first agent offer, I was passing. Then I waited and waited for the other. This was during the holiday too so I gave this other agent some slack. Last I heard was that they weren't an editting service too, but she still wanted to rep me. Okay fine. I asked, well how will I have to get editting done then? She said someone else will have to do it. Who? A professional? (that meant money, which I do not have) Immediately my heart sunk, I thought "oh, no" here I had told the first agent no--one who told me NO costs will come my way. One that was "in love" with my book, one who the only reason I said no was because she had some petty charges to authors in the past on postal submissions, and one that wasn't the greatest TOP agent in the world.
So I went back to her, hoping she would still be interested. And she was, happily. I also told her about my 3rd novel and how I just signed with a publisher on that and found enough flaws to back out, she looked at that one too and yes, loved that one also.
So my point here, is most writers on here all think that the most reputable agent is the best way to go. Not so in my case. Turns out that this smaller and some may think even mediocre agent was the much better choice for me. She was very responsive, very open, has solid sales (not in the 100's, but so what) and runs a tight ship with only a few authors as her clients. Not like the cold unresponsive, disappointing big shot. As it is, that one still hasn't responded. Doesn't matter, I made my decision.
I will announce soon just who that special agent is once I get my agreement back from the weekend. I really appreciate all who have helped me in making the decision easier. AW is really a wonderful place for writers. But just know, you shouldn't listen to everything and everyone you hear on here, as it just might all be hear-say. Remember to do all the homework you can before you get involved with an agent AND a publisher, cause you just might find out the bestest of the best out there may not be the best for you.
