An offer at last!! But...

Tarley

i was normal 6 dogs ago
Registered
Joined
Jun 8, 2016
Messages
47
Reaction score
15
Location
off the beaten path
After two years and more queries than I care to admit, I finally got an offer of representation. The agent was very complimentary and personable on the phone, from a big reputable agency, and repeatedly said she loves the idea of being the agent for this book. However...her offer is contingent on my understanding that she has a very large client load and my book would not be a priority for at least a year, until "things calm down". šŸ˜³
I told her 3 other agents are still reading requested materials and to please let me contact them before I decide.
I nudged the other agents and one immediately responded with an offer! I talked with her yesterday and this agent was super excited about my manuscript (maybe too much??). Until I asked her about her how many books she's sold in my genre. Her website and publishers marketplace only list a handful of sales to small presses. She got a little defensive and said that's confidential information and I would need to trust her.
I can't believe the thing I wanted most, an agent, comes down to this choice. My gut says no agent is better than a bad agent...but beggars can't be choosers, right? Any thoughts would really be appreciated.
 

Richard White

Stealthy Plot Bunny Peddler
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 27, 2005
Messages
2,993
Reaction score
600
Location
Central Maryland
Website
www.richardcwhite.com
Do not get in a hurry.

You have a choice - an agent at a "big reputable agency" who potentially can get your book into a big publisher, but it might take a while OR someone who can get your book into small presses quickly.

Honestly, you have to go with your gut and your own personal desires for a writing career (if that is your goal), but me, I'd take the first option and immediately start working on your next novel while your first one is going through the system. Publishing is a notoriously slow business. Take the time to get a head start on other books, esp. because if the first agent sells it, the publisher may want the second one quickly to build on the momentum of the first one. Getting a head start is not a bad thing, esp. if you type as slowly as I do.

I know it's exciting, but DO NOT rush simply to get a book out quicker. What does it really gain you whether your book comes out early next year or early the year after? Unless you're 92 and worried you're not going to make it to the release date, you should be fine.
 

Stytch

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2019
Messages
1,021
Reaction score
1,682
Location
N.C.
She got a little defensive and said that's confidential information and I would need to trust her.

Nope. It's a business decision, and you need facts, not "trust."
If the used car salesman said "trust me" instead of telling you about the actual mileage or whatever, would you go along with that?
What would this health insurance cover? "Just trust me?"
What are the benefits and salary for this job? "Trust me, it'll be enough."

No. You need to see things spelled out.

Huge red flag to me.
 

Maggie Maxwell

Making Einstein cry since 1994
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 21, 2013
Messages
11,682
Reaction score
10,343
Location
In my head
Website
thewanderingquille.blogspot.com
Yeah, exactly what Stytch said. You weren't asking for details of who and to where. "I've sold five sci-fi novels to various publishers" should not be confidential. Getting defensive and demanding trust right off the bat instead of giving straight answers is a major red flag.
 

Paul Lamb

Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 12, 2019
Messages
550
Reaction score
417
Location
American Midwest
Website
www.paullamb.wordpress.com
I agree with the others. Typical timelines for going from representation to publication can sometimes be a couple of years. If it's a powerhouse agency, thank Zeus that you're in there.

And as Richard White said, get busy on your next work.

Congratulations!
 

Woollybear

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 27, 2017
Messages
9,723
Reaction score
9,705
Location
USA
Congratulations!

Have you looked under comments on query tracker for these agents? You can do that without paying and I'm occasionally surprised by what's out there.

Defensive sounds like a red flag to me, too. The second agent should be more open with you than that. The work they do, they would be doing for you, (and a portion goes to them), as I understand it. Even though it is a partnership they would be 'your' agent.
 

lizmonster

Possibly A Mermaid Queen
Absolute Sage
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 5, 2012
Messages
14,537
Reaction score
24,109
Location
Massachusetts
Website
elizabethbonesteel.com
I have to agree with the others. This isn't a decision to rush.

And...I wouldn't be keen on either of these agents. I mean, kudos to the person who was blunt you'd be last on their priority list, but I don't think it's unrealistic to expect an agent to represent you in a timely fashion. And the defensiveness of the other agent is a different kind of yellow flag.

The conventional wisdom would be to tell you that if you've had two offers there will be other interested agents who are a better fit for you, but I understand how impossible it feels to let both of these offers go. The wrong agent, though, can be really, really bad in ways that are harder to get past than just writing a new novel and querying from scratch.

To the extent you can, pay attention to your business sense here. You're hiring this person to represent you to the publishing industry. You need to have confidence they'll be representing you in a way that works for the career you want to build.

Will they provide you with references? That's of limited value, really, since they'll send you to talk to someone who likes them, but it can give you a slightly fuller picture.
 

Tarley

i was normal 6 dogs ago
Registered
Joined
Jun 8, 2016
Messages
47
Reaction score
15
Location
off the beaten path
I can't believe I'm even thinking it...but my gut says neither is a good choice.
I know you can't get bogged down in 'what ifs' but I'm seriously worried if i chose Agent 1, what if in a year, she's still super busy and doesn't have time? I could see getting lost and forgotten in the shuffle. I certainly don't expect to be a priority with any agent and expect lots of waiting and worrying, but I would like an agent who's working on it at some level and not just liking the idea of representing it.

And Agent 2 worries me even more. I don't have a problem with a small press, but I do with being dodgey.

Self-publishing is looking more appealing everyday.
 

cool pop

It's Cool, Miss Pop if You're Nasty
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 20, 2009
Messages
660
Reaction score
131
Location
Texas
I'm seeing red flags. I don't care who she is. I am not saying red flags as in she isn't reputable but in her behavior and her professionalism. What I can't understand is WHY is she taking submissions if she can't get to clients until a year from now? I also would be wondering if that's true with all her potential clients or if she is just telling you this because she doesn't value your work as much as say someone who sent her something she thought would be the next 50 Shades of Grey or something. I can't see her waiting a year if she gets a book she feels would be a hot commodity that pubs would love. Seems to me she isn't that in love with your book because if she was she'd start working on with you ASAP. I can understand her saying a week or two to get her ducks in order so she can start submitting the book to pubs but a YEAR? I mean, really? And you're supposed to sign with this woman and sit around a year getting nowhere? What would be the difference between you submitting to other agents another year, if you're gonna be waiting for her? Sounds like she might be someone who takes on anyone (no offense to you or your work) but some agents sign a bunch of authors to fill out their stable but have no intentions of giving them all adequate attention. Why does she have so many darn clients if she has to have people waiting on her for a darn year?

I don't know what kind of book you wrote but usually agents like to get on stuff fast because pub's interests changes vastly within a year. If you wrote something that is hot now it will NOT be hot in a year. So, there's that part.

Then the part that really irks me is she is being all secretive about her sales. Really? So she expects you to sign a contract agreeing to give her a percentage of your book income to represent your work, wait a year on top of that and THEN has the audacity to be coy with her sales figures? Oh, no. No reputable agent is going to refuse telling their clients or someone they are seriously thinking of representing, their sales numbers because most agents LOVE sharing their successes. They'll have it all on their websites and social media. Sounds like she hasn't done sh*t and that what she has done is less than impressive.

This isn't ideal to me. Say you sign with her and wait the year. What will stop her from dropping you or coming up with another excuse as to why she needs you to wait some more? You would have wasted a WHOLE year. Don't sign with this woman out of desperation. I can't say it enough. A bad agent is definitely worse than no agent. Trust me and many on AW can vouch for that. There have been some real nightmares about authors dealings with bad agents. That's not something you want to get involved in.

I wouldn't go with this woman. No way I am signing with an agent and waiting a damn year for her to even start submitting my work. :mad: I don't care who she is and it seems like she is already sticking you in the bottom tier. If you let her do this now she will think she can push you aside all the time. Then the fact that she can't share her sales? That's fishy to me. She can tell you what deals she got authors concerning the publishers. How the heck is that confidential? You weren't asking for dollar amounts, you were asking for DEALS and she doesn't want to share that?

Nah, this doesn't seem like a good deal to me but it's your decision. I just see too many signs that say walk away.

ETA:
Hold up. I went back and reread your post. Did you say she only had sales to SMALL presses? Oh, please. You can get a deal with a small press yourself. So you are supposed to wait a year for her to submit to small presses? Something you can do right now on your own? Oh hell, no. :rant: You don't need this woman if that's the best she can do. I certainly don't see why her client load is so full if the best she can do are small presses. Usually that's a last resort for an agent and many won't submit to small presses because it's not worth it for them to do.
 
Last edited:

Marian Perera

starting over
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 29, 2006
Messages
14,333
Reaction score
4,578
Location
Heaven is a place on earth called Toronto.
Website
www.marianperera.com
This isn't ideal to me. Say you sign with her and wait the year. What will stop her from dropping you or coming up with another excuse as to why she needs you to wait some more? You would have wasted a WHOLE year.

And a year is the minimum. As Tarley said, "my book would not be a priority for at least a year", so what's the maximum time limit here? Two years? What happens if, during the waiting period, the agent signs some established authors or receives manuscripts from her top clients?
 

waylander

Who's going for a beer?
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 24, 2005
Messages
8,278
Reaction score
1,567
Age
65
Location
London, UK
I would not go with agent 2. Any agent should be proud to give you a list of their sales in the relevant genre if they have them, the implication here is that she does not have any such sales.
 

ubriel

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Sep 23, 2019
Messages
50
Reaction score
3
Location
Florida
Ask agent 1 if you would be pushed for newer clients or if she puts clients in the queue to wait their turn. Also, check up on them with query tracker and other agent review sites. Maybe post a "what do you know about them" on here. But unless she would be pushing you off indefinitely for newer clients or has a bad reputation, she sounds like a busy and industrious agent. I would do my homework but if nothing bad came back, I would probably take it. She would likely give you work to do on the manuscript or something new as well.

I would not go with any agent who was not willing to share their history or sales record. Agent 2 would not be my choice.

Congratulations and good luck!
 

mistri

Sneezy Member
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
533
Reaction score
62
Location
UK
Website
www.livejournal.com
It's an odd one, I'd think an agent who thought your book was saleable would be keen to make some money and submit it at least - a month or two wait maybe, but a year?!
 

lizmonster

Possibly A Mermaid Queen
Absolute Sage
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 5, 2012
Messages
14,537
Reaction score
24,109
Location
Massachusetts
Website
elizabethbonesteel.com
Self-publishing is looking more appealing everyday.

Self-publishing is a valid career strategy, but I'd caution against treating it as a fallback position. It gets your work available to the public, yes; but it's a lot more work (since you're doing everything - or subcontracting everything - yourself). There are a lot of successful self-publishers here on AW who can guide you if you decide to go that way.

But if your dream is trade, I wouldn't throw in the towel just yet. Like I said upstream, two offers is a good sign, although (like everything else in this mercurial business) it's no guarantee. I'd at least exhaust your query list for this book before you change your strategy. Maybe even for the next one. (I'm assuming 2 years of querying encompasses more than one book?)

I guess my point is to think through what you really want, and try to make a choice based on something other than frustration, annoyance, and disappointment. Self-publishing may indeed get you everything you want, but do take the time to learn all the gory details and think it through. It's not easier than trade publishing - it's just different.
 

Tarley

i was normal 6 dogs ago
Registered
Joined
Jun 8, 2016
Messages
47
Reaction score
15
Location
off the beaten path
Thanks lizmonster. Being traditionally published IS my goal and I guess I'm flirting with self-publishing only because I'm frustrated and annoyed. I have been querying this book for two years, another for a year before that. After several R&Rs and agents going silent on fulls and now this, maybe I need a break. Or a big drink.
 

lizmonster

Possibly A Mermaid Queen
Absolute Sage
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 5, 2012
Messages
14,537
Reaction score
24,109
Location
Massachusetts
Website
elizabethbonesteel.com
Thanks lizmonster. Being traditionally published IS my goal and I guess I'm flirting with self-publishing only because I'm frustrated and annoyed. I have been querying this book for two years, another for a year before that. After several R&Rs and agents going silent on fulls and now this, maybe I need a break. Or a big drink.

I'm with you on the big drink. :)

I'm not exactly the poster child for handling all this in a healthy manner. But have you been working on something new while querying this book? It's not at all uncommon to write several books before acquiring an agent. And if you do choose self-publishing, a regular publication schedule can give you a big boost.

There's a reason everyone says persistence is critical in this business; people get discouraged and give up all the time. It's brutal. The biggest thing, of course, is that persistence doesn't guarantee you anything either. It just gives you a fighting chance.
 

Carrie in PA

Write All The Words!
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 25, 2006
Messages
1,942
Reaction score
1,078
Location
in my own little world
I can't tell you what to do with Agent 1. I'd drop Agent 2 like a hot cockroach. That's not confidential information, and I can't say it any better than Stytch did.

As to self-publishing. It's always been my dream to be traditionally published. But I've done some soul-searching and wrote a trilogy I'm going to self-publish. Learning how it all works is like a new part time job. Check out the facebook group 20BooksTo50K (even if you go trad pub, there's lot of marketing info there, I highly recommend the group regardless). It's definitely not a fallback from traditional, it's a whole new path with its own ups and downs. :)

And to the frustration - I feel you! Not much can be done about that except a stiff drink and shouting your favorite curse words into the void. :e2drunk:
 

MaeZe

Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 6, 2016
Messages
12,775
Reaction score
6,482
Location
Ralph's side of the island.
Everything important has been said. I'll add, if you have been soliciting agents for a long time, have you made any improvements in your query or your approach? Maybe you've finally got a good pitch and it won't be that long before the next offer.
 

WeaselFire

Benefactor Member
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 17, 2012
Messages
3,539
Reaction score
429
Location
Floral City, FL
I had an agent years ago who was completely honest when I asked this question. She said "None." Mine was the first she sold and, for the time, I got decent money. Then she got married and left being an agent. :(

Many large agencies are backed up, it's just a fact of business. You need to have enough in the pipeline to stay solvent. Book timelines in fiction are rarely short, but you may find the agency sells your book really soon, without much effort.

Choose wisely.

Jeff
 

PeteMC

@PeteMC666
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 26, 2011
Messages
3,003
Reaction score
367
Location
UK
Website
talonwraith.wordpress.com
Run away from Agent 2, that's a massive red flag and to be honest most small presses take un-agented subs anyway, so what is she even for?

Agent 1 would depend on exactly who it is, but unless they're an absolute rockstar I wouldn't recommend it. In fact if they ARE a rockstar with mega-famous clients you're going to be their lowest priority forever unless you also become mega-famous, which is far from ideal.

I know it's a difficult decision, but personally in that position I'd keep querying.
 

frimble3

Heckuva good sport
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 7, 2006
Messages
11,574
Reaction score
6,396
Location
west coast, canada
All I know about agents and publishing I learned here, so I have nothing new to add.
But 57 years of dealing with people are screaming "If they say "Trust me!",DON'T!"
Especially if Agent 2 is getting defensive about your asking.

Even if her reason is that she's embarrassed to how badly she's doing, you want somebody honest, or how will you trust her later, when stuff comes up?
 

CameronJohnston

Great Old One
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 7, 2017
Messages
1,201
Reaction score
119
Location
Glasgow, Scotland
Website
www.cameronjohnston.net
I totally agree with Pete. Agent 2 is huge NO from me. My first agent was new but said she had X experience and Y intentions on what to do with my book. It's not confidential information - would you do a business deal or hire a kitchen designer/architect/anybody with people who won't tell you who they have worked with previously and what they did for them?
 

Earthling

I come in peace
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 3, 2016
Messages
1,210
Reaction score
192
I can't believe I'm even thinking it...but my gut says neither is a good choice.

Your gut is right, IMO. I understand what it's like to be querying and how turning down ANY agent seems crazy. I think when I was querying I would've signed with Agent 1 to get a foot in the door, but I also know I would've regretted it bitterly.

Agent 2 is a 'heck no' from me.

...however, frustration and impatience, however warranted, isn't a good reason to self-publish. I might've regretted signing with Agent 1 but it pales in comparison to how much I would've regretted self-publishing the manuscript.
 

D.L. Shepherd

Revising, revising, revising...
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 15, 2012
Messages
678
Reaction score
86
Website
donnaowczarek.com
I don't know if you've made your decision yet, but since Agent 1 was really happy with your work, but unable to do anything with it for at least a year, what about telling them that you'd like to continue querying in the meantime, and if you haven't found anyone in a year, you'd be willing to commit to them when they have time to commit to you? (with nicer wording, of course!)

If they really like your work, they might be understanding that a year is a long way off.
 

Murky

Registered
Joined
Mar 2, 2017
Messages
18
Reaction score
2
First off, congratulations with not one but two interested agents, but as others have pointed out - this is the moment to "play it cool" have not rush into a deal you might regret later.

The only reason why an agent would say "that is confidential" is because they are ashamed of their actual sales, so that is a red flag to me.
Not because they have low or no sales numbers - everyone has to start somewhere - but because they try to hide it.
It might be a sign that their network isn't that large, which would make a publishing deal tougher to get, or perhaps that they are not up to date on the trends at the moment and have difficulty selling your book because of it.
It could be that the agent's clients aren't all that good, which is a red flag in itself.
On the other hand, that agent could be perfect for you and your book... but do you really want to risk it?

You have tried for a while and I am sure fed up with the rejections, but you have gotten two in a short while. So things are changing. Perhaps a little more querying will land you that perfect third offer.

As another poster wrote - perhaps the first agent would be interested in waiting that same year until you sign, so that you are free to query elsewhere in the mean time?

Your writing is obviously good enough for her/him to try and keep you and place you under a contract. Which in my view means that you hold all / many(?) the cards.
You should not have to wait a year (or even six months), but try and discern how important it is for the agent to keep you.
Of course sharing the agents attention is needed. Few agents have only one (active) client. But surely you deserve at least some attention and effort?