Choosing an agent

cgswe

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I've been fortunate to receive two offers of representation from two very different agents, and I was wondering if anyone had some insight on which might be better. Both of them seem great to work with! Agent A is a newish agent from an established agency, while Agent B is an established agent who has their own agency. B seems to have a number of successful clients and sales, while A has much fewer.

Which is a better choice, an agent who is established and connected but has a much larger list, or a newer agent who will have many fewer clients? Another factor is that when I spoke to B, they had some reservations about selling two of my manuscripts to publishers, while A has read those two manuscripts and is offering on them. I understand B's reasoning, but am I better off going with someone who is enthusiastic/optimistic about those manuscripts?
 

lizmonster

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Couple of questions.

How much longer has B been in the business?
Does A's agency have a record of good sales in your genre?
 

cgswe

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Thanks for responding! B has been an agent for at least 10-12 years (that i can find record of) and A has been an agent for three years or so. I took a look at what I could find without a PM account, and A's agency is fairly established and has sold to Big Five imprints in my genres.
 

cool pop

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We can't answer this for you. It's about your goals and other things that pertain to you as an individual. If they are both reputable and decent agents then think about what you want your agent to be.

There are pros and cons to a large agency and a small one.

Pros to large agency is that they most likely have connections to the best publishers and have a chance at getting you a good deal. Cons to a large agency is a large agent with a bunch of clients (especially rock star ones) might not give you much personal attention. These agents tend to be harder to get in touch with when you need them and they might not be as communicative as you might want. In other words, these agents rarely hold your hands. They tend to give their biggest authors the most attention because they are the ones bringing in the money and if your work doesn't sell you might have a short lifespan with a rockstar agent. Those are things to think about.

For a smaller, new agent, make sure they've sold something and have contacts first before signing. Pros to smaller agents are more personal attention. They tend to be closer to their authors and more hands on meaning they will be more helpful with edits and getting revisions and rewrites done. They tend to be better communicators than the bigger agents. For example, a smaller agent with a few clients might get back to you the same day opposed to a bigger agent you might have to wait a week or weeks to hear from. Some big agents are so busy that you might have to schedule a conference call or chat before being able to get a hold of them. They also might give your work more time to sell versus giving up on you within months. Cons to smaller agents is they might not have enough experience, might not have enough contacts which means a harder road to selling your work. Do you want your hand held and someone to walk you through the process and give you that extra push? Smaller agents tend to fit these individuals better.

I don't want to generalize, but in my experience, this has been what I've seen. But, every agent is different so you can't know until you get a feel of their personality but you should stay away from agents who don't communicate well. Even if they are supposed to be great, that's a bad sign. There have been many writers right here on AW who signed with rock star agents then a year or so later wanted out of the deal because their agent paid them zero attention or kept putting their needs on the backburner.

You can find a good agent where you can feel like more than just a number. You want an agent who isn't gonna stick you on the bottom tier as if you aren't important. Whoever you sign with, they need to be just as invested in your work as you are.

Me, I'd prefer a smaller agent who I feel will work harder for me and who I can contact whenever need be. They of course will have to be established and have sold books like the ones I write but yes, a smaller agency would be my first choice.

Note, I am not looking. I left the trade world years ago. But, when I searched, this is what I wanted. I wanted an agent I could rely on and not someone who puts their clients in groups consisting of who is important and who isn't. Agents are just like pubs. Some tend to not treat all clients the same. The moneymakers get the star treatment. I'd prefer an agent who treats all his or her clients as important despite what level they are in their careers.

Good luck!
 
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lizmonster

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Thanks for responding! B has been an agent for at least 10-12 years (that i can find record of) and A has been an agent for three years or so. I took a look at what I could find without a PM account, and A's agency is fairly established and has sold to Big Five imprints in my genres.

I'd probably take a look at other junior agents at A's agency and see what kind of track records the newer agents have. Some agencies are going to heavily mentor their younger agents, which is all to the good.

As far as B is concerned - I'd scan their client list for authors they've had for a while, in particular authors who didn't begin with meteoric success or are still medium sellers. You want an agent who's going to help you build a career, not one who's going to dump you if you don't hit the NYT bestseller list right out of the gate.

Personality fit is also important, and something I think too many writers ignore. You're going to have to have serious business discussions with this person. They're going to be giving you good news, and sometimes bad. You're going to have to trust their judgement. If the agents seem equal on paper, follow your nose.
 

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If it were me, I'd go with the agent who liked and was willing to sell the two ms the other agent wasn't too keen on. Seems to me that indicates their tastes are closer to yours. I'd also prefer an agent that wasn't solo, because if that agent becomes incapacitated, the larger agency can provide backup.

Blessings,

Siri Kirpal
 

cgswe

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Thank you all for your thoughts! I’ll have to ponder this in the next couple of days before I make my decision.
 

cgswe

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I have spoken to some very positive clients! Both agents seem to be dream agents for me at this point, each with different advantages. It's going to be a difficult decision, but I can't complain about it. :)
 

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I have spoken to some very positive clients! Both agents seem to be dream agents for me at this point, each with different advantages. It's going to be a difficult decision, but I can't complain about it. :)

One more caveat, not so much for you but for others who might read this thread for advice: talk to clients who've been with the agent for a while, and who've had at least one book out. Without that, the client really doesn't have enough information to be helpful.
 

ShouldBeWriting

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I would like to add that an established agent might also provide just as much personal attention. That’s been my experience anyway. As long as they both have a sales record and thus connections with publishers, I would consider their communication style and passion for your projects as the deciding factors.
 

CJSimone

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Hi cjswe! Congrats on the offers! :PartySmil

Maybe think about how important the other two manuscripts are to you. For me personally, that would be the big thing and I'd go with the one who was connecting with more of my writing and would give the other stories a chance. But if you feel like you could as easily forget those stories and create new ones you think the established agent will like, then it might be totally different for you.

A hard decision, but also a good place to be in. Hoping the best for you!

CJ
 

cgswe

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I think that if I didn’t have B as an option, I would be ecstatic to work with A. B has always been my first choice agent (since before I began querying) but I really have found myself lost because A is SO enthusiastic about my books while B is more sedate. I wound up emailing B yesterday and asking her to take a look at one of those two manuscripts, reservations aside, just to be sure that she will feel some enthusiasm for my other works.

I do wonder if enthusiasm trumps experience in these cases. I love the idea of having a passionate advocate, but I don’t know if effusiveness is the strongest measure of advocacy. B is older than A and might just express interest differently.
 

lizmonster

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I do wonder if enthusiasm trumps experience in these cases. I love the idea of having a passionate advocate, but I don’t know if effusiveness is the strongest measure of advocacy. B is older than A and might just express interest differently.

Only you can really say in this case, because we haven't spoken to them.

But as a quieter person myself, I view effusiveness as a personality trait, and not any real indicator of genuine enthusiasm.
 

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One more caveat, not so much for you but for others who might read this thread for advice: talk to clients who've been with the agent for a while, and who've had at least one book out. Without that, the client really doesn't have enough information to be helpful.

How does one gain access to an agent’s clients in order to talk to them? 🙂