How can you tell if your agent is trying his or her best?

Are you asking if this happens, or if it's common?

Because of course there are good agents and bad agents (although I suspect uniformly bad ones don't tend to last), and agents who do well for some people/situations but not others.

The most important thing is how you feel your agent is working for you. If you're concerned they're not pushing as hard as you want them to, ask.

Also, supporting yourself solely by writing is an entirely different subject than how an agent pushes for a deal.

AndreaX said:

For some people, a day job isn't in the cards and writing is all they have to support themselves, so money matters.

I'm wondering though, are there any situations where agents could push harder to get a better deal for a book but they decide not to? What if an agent (a known agent from a good, reputable agency) has this mentality of just taking what is offered instead of taking risks and pushing for better deals/rights/money where the situation might present itself?

An agent is supposed to work for the author, and that all sounds all well and good. But I'm also wondering if there have been instances where a reputable agency/agent will still slack and accept 'less' for their author, keeping them in a kind of midlist status (rather than risk pissing off a publisher/editor by playing hard ball).

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Why would an agent just take whatever? That cuts THEIR pay. What reputable agency would have someone who didn't get good deals? Is this something you actually experienced/heard of?

I read an interview once with an author who thought his former agent had treated him poorly in order to maintain a good relationship with his editor, but I don't think it was just money involved, and I don't know how valid his concerns were.

It makes sense that agents wouldn't want to alienate editors, but I feel like the good ones know how to "play hardball" or push for more money without risking that. In other words, they know how much they can push; they know how to use other editors' interest in the book as leverage; they know when there's less room for bargaining. I could be wrong, but I don't think editors expect agents to do anything but try to get the best deal they can for their clients.

But, as Liz says, this sounds like something for the individual author and agent to discuss. If an author feels like their agent is consistently undervaluing their books, better to get that out in the open—tactfully—and ask for the agent's side of the story.

That's a good question. You can't always tell if an agent is doing his or her best. All an author can do is stay proactive and work with his or her agent and if the agent isn't doing the job then it won't be hard to figure out. One way to tell is if you start to feel neglected and that could be a sign that you're not a top priority especially if the agent has a lot of star clients. With most agents, their moneymakers will come first and you can tell if they are hardly making time for you.

As far as acceptance, I don't believe a decent agent will just take anything. Usually agents who take anything are scammers are very inexperienced and only care about building their client list. A good agent is not going to accept just anything. Now, whether or not a good agent treats you well or you guys fit depends on the agent.

As for midlist status, that's what most authors are and many would be glad to be that. Some authors are not even making midlist figures. There is low midlist and high midlist. There are only a tiny percentage of authors making the EL James type money. Mostly all authors are midlist and that's not necessarily a bad thing because as I point out, midlist means different things. There are different figures that can be considered midlist. Midlist authors are the backbone of the publishing world, not the biggest sellers.

An agent can't "keep" you in midlist status. All they do is sell your book to publishers. They have no control over how well it does. Getting with an agent or big house is definitely no guarantee your book will sell. Most books don't sell well. That's just the way the game is. At the end of the day it's about the readers and they are the ultimate judge. They are the ones that determine whether you'll be midlist or something else according to whether or not they like and support your work.

I'd like to also add that it depends on whether the agent is the right agent for your book.

I read an interview where an agent said he would have taken on the client, offered a TON of revisions, and would have been happy to sell the book for $100,000. BUT, the author ended up signing with someone else who believed in the book and sold it AS IS for over 1.2 million.

So, I guess, even a good, reputable agent will accept a low-ball offer if they don't believe the manuscript is worth much more. Maybe not intentionally, but this is why it is imperative to find an agent who believes in your story as much as you do.

Just thought I'd add that.