- Joined
- Jul 10, 2009
- Messages
- 447
- Reaction score
- 69
- Location
- Austin, TX... for now.
- Website
- www.cheryletchison.com
First off, let me say my Plan A is to query agents with my manuscript and not submit directly to publishers. I definitely see the value of a great agent. But while compiling my target list, I've noticed a trend.
In the romance community, I see a ton of people saying "I was published with XYZ before I received an offer of rep" or "I had a contract in hand when I got my agent." I've also read comments at Query Tracker where a poster mentions they have several author friends who were offered rep by Agent X only AFTER they had been published by a digital first or had a contract in hand.
With the help of my friend who has a subscription to Publisher's Marketplace, we started researching the sales of several agents who rep romance. Going back 18 months or so, we found many who did not have a sale at an imprint where unagented writers couldn't submit directly (i.e. RH's Loveswept, HC's Avon Impulse and Carina Press, GCP's Forever Yours, Entangled, etc.)
Then today, Kristen Nelson posted this as a possible red flag: *A high number of small- or no-advance deals could indicate that an agent is operating on the shotgun approach.
http://nelsonagency.com/2015/07/because-agents-are-human-article-1/
There may not be a right or wrong answer here and no two situations are identical. But how are writers to know when past sales are a red flag?
I realize an agent could improve a digital first contract, but if that agent can't sell any of their client's books to publishers who don't accept unagented submissions, are they worth having as an agent?
Can you pay someone a flat fee to review the same contract and then query agents for your next book?
In the romance community, I see a ton of people saying "I was published with XYZ before I received an offer of rep" or "I had a contract in hand when I got my agent." I've also read comments at Query Tracker where a poster mentions they have several author friends who were offered rep by Agent X only AFTER they had been published by a digital first or had a contract in hand.
With the help of my friend who has a subscription to Publisher's Marketplace, we started researching the sales of several agents who rep romance. Going back 18 months or so, we found many who did not have a sale at an imprint where unagented writers couldn't submit directly (i.e. RH's Loveswept, HC's Avon Impulse and Carina Press, GCP's Forever Yours, Entangled, etc.)
Then today, Kristen Nelson posted this as a possible red flag: *A high number of small- or no-advance deals could indicate that an agent is operating on the shotgun approach.
http://nelsonagency.com/2015/07/because-agents-are-human-article-1/
There may not be a right or wrong answer here and no two situations are identical. But how are writers to know when past sales are a red flag?
I realize an agent could improve a digital first contract, but if that agent can't sell any of their client's books to publishers who don't accept unagented submissions, are they worth having as an agent?
Can you pay someone a flat fee to review the same contract and then query agents for your next book?