I just got a phone call from a good friend. She has a junior agent, whom she loves, at a very big mondo fantastico firm who sold her first book (non-fiction, based on a proposal) in a fabulous deal. The junior agent recently had a baby, and has decided to go it alone, starting her own firm. My friend can go with her or can stay at superlargeandprestigious agency.
This made me wonder about what happens when agents leave their firms and start somewhere else. I know it is something that happens often, but I think it may be the one thing even Miss Snark didn't cover. I believe that the money for all books negotiated under the agency of record, stay with that agency, even if the agent moves on and the client moves with him/her. Does that mean that books can get caught in limbo, with no one really interested in pursuing reprints/further rights sales? What other issues are there? Have any of you had this happen to you? What did you choose, and why?
This made me wonder about what happens when agents leave their firms and start somewhere else. I know it is something that happens often, but I think it may be the one thing even Miss Snark didn't cover. I believe that the money for all books negotiated under the agency of record, stay with that agency, even if the agent moves on and the client moves with him/her. Does that mean that books can get caught in limbo, with no one really interested in pursuing reprints/further rights sales? What other issues are there? Have any of you had this happen to you? What did you choose, and why?