What do you look for in a Literary Agent?

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Reality Check The R word...

  • OperaDivaAlix
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Paul Whybrow

Phobias

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OperaDivaAlix

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My Fellow Writers, What do you look for in a Agent? Apart from the obvious. And to keep it light-hearted please include one fun/interesting fact about yourself. For me, I would have to say I want a Agent who would help me become a better writer, work with me editorially to help turn my manuscript/work/novel into a vision we both see from two individual paths to then join and walk together. Fun fact - I’m a triplet :p:D:)
 
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I want to know what my fellow writers personally look for apart from the obvious representation in a Agent. As writers we are at different stages of our writing and lives. I feel we all have our own distinct voices that has been influenced, inspired and interpreted by the books we have read. How else would we gain such tools to write our own. But like all voices - using singing as an example - they must be trained with technique yet keep their individuality.
 
The link @MaryA posted probably does answer your question. Most agents these days will work with you editorially before they start pitching to agents. A cynic might tell you that publishing companies have forced agents to assume more editorial responsibility -- forcing part of the process into the arena of the unpaid, and therefore cutting the workload/cost of their in-house editors.

But I digress.

Beyond the obvious (a reputable agent who represents your kind of work), I guess most of us would be looking for a person we think we can work with, with whom we can develop a meaningful professional relationship.

Fun fact: I've written this entire message while being jumped on by small children.
 
I agree with Katie, about an agent who likes the voice, the story, who gets it, feels it, who knows who else would love it.

In addition, I also look for a good salesman. Someone who has an intelligent sales technique and who can also be cheeky (in a nice way). But Above all, I'm looking for an agent I gel with on a personal level. I've learnt the hard way that sometimes no agent is better than the wrong agent. After I finished drama school many years ago, I was young and naive, and happy to have any agent as long as I had an agent. Wrong. Long story, but he was impossible to have a rapor with and to top it all, he ended up being black listed with Equity under at least 5 different names. Once I found out about that (it was pre-internet times, so no easy research), I speedily cut all ties.

Nowadays I'm much more choosy. I think that being able to build a good relationship with an agent is essential. We need to be on the same page (sorry, bad pun, I know), and if we can have a laugh, and a beer together, then even better.

As for your request for 'fun' facts: I collect (and use) antique swords. Does that count?
 
Rich. said:
The link @MaryA posted probably does answer your question. Most agents these days will work with you editorially before they start pitching to agents. A cynic might tell you that publishing companies have forced agents to assume more editorial responsibility -- forcing part of the process into the arena of the unpaid, and therefore cutting the workload/cost of their in-house editors.

But I digress.

Beyond the obvious (a reputable agent who represents your kind of work), I guess most of us would be looking for a person we think we can work with, with whom we can develop a meaningful professional relationship.

Fun fact: I've written this entire message while being jumped on by small children.
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Hey @Rich, for a moment you had me worried. I initially read that you wrote this while being jumped on by small CHICKENS. Serves me right for speed-reading.
 
Barbara, you are a dark horse lol. Swords to be fair that is pretty cool and I totally agree with you. No Agent is better than having the wrong one, without a doubt :)
 
Right now I'd like to be a cat!

But getting back to the subject at hand. I guess the agent thing boils down to them being your (unfailing!) champion, with all that entails. After all, you are going to give them a chunk of your money.
 
Rich. said:
The link @MaryA posted probably does answer your question. Most agents these days will work with you editorially before they start pitching to agents. A cynic might tell you that publishing companies have forced agents to assume more editorial responsibility -- forcing part of the process into the arena of the unpaid, and therefore cutting the workload/cost of their in-house editors.

But I digress.

Beyond the obvious (a reputable agent who represents your kind of work), I guess most of us would be looking for a person we think we can work with, with whom we can develop a meaningful professional relationship.

Fun fact: I've written this entire message while being jumped on by small children.
Click to expand...
Not many represent Fantasy these days though, I don’t think. Commercial appeals more to agents I think than literate prose but that’s just my opinion. Yeah, I’m definitely after a agent who would work with me editorially. I have a editor friend who does copy-editing for Gollancz, as well as freelance. He’s not long finished copy-editing the new Witcher book. Excited to give it a read when it’s out.
 
Rich. said:
Right now I'd like to be a cat!

But getting back to the subject at hand. I guess the agent thing boils down to them being your (unfailing!) champion, with all that entails. After all, you are going to give them a chunk of your money.
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Money well spent :)
 
Barbara said:
Cats are best. Furry, quiet, and asleep most of the day...
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I have a Black One called ‘Bear’,who sleeps in my bed, under the covers and only likes the posh stuff, fuzzy bugger, spoilt he is :)
 
OperaDivaAlix said:
Not many represent Fantasy these days though, I don’t think.
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I think you're right. There are a pretty small group of agents who deal with straight-up fantasy, in the UK at least. I don't know about elsewhere. Oh, and they all know each other of course!
I've found Agent Hunter to be useful when researching agents. It's a subscription site but well worth it (although I wouldn't bother with their pitch-letter critiquing service -- I didn't learn anything I hadn't already discovered by googling).

I also write fantasy, so I guess mees and yous is in the same boat. What kind of stuff do you write?
 
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Rich. said:
I think you're right. There are a pretty small group of agents who deal with straight-up fantasy, in the UK at least. I don't know about elsewhere. Oh, and they all know each of course!
I've found Agent Hunter to be useful when researching agents. It's a subscription site but well worth it (although I wouldn't bother with their pitch-letter critiquing service -- I didn't learn anything I hadn't already discovered by googling).

I also write fantasy, so I guess mees and yous is in the same boat. What kind of stuff do you write?
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I’ll PM you :)
 
Literary agents should fulfil a variety of roles, including editing, nurturing your career and being knowledgeable about contracts. It would be a bonus if you liked them too, but that's not their function. Would you want a cuddly or an alert guard dog to look after the rights to your stories? Mind you, it's possible to go too far, choosing an agent who only cares about the money, as Frasier found with Bebe, an unscrupulous pitbull.






​
 
I don't know. A sense of humor. Someone who really GETS me. Great abs.

Yes. I'm joking.

I haven't spent any time thinking about this. I've pitched to agents before and they are surprisingly human with clay feet and everything. So -- neither monsters or saviors.

I'm really pessimistic. I'm convinced agents and publishers days as they currently exist are numbered. New types of agents and publishers maybe... I'm not sure what that would look like and I haven't given a lot of thought to possibilities.

I plan on self-publishing.

...and since this seems to be the price for playing... a fun fact about me ....

I took ballet from a teacher trained by ISTD and RAD. Examiners came from England to test us at different skill levels. They sat behind a long table at the end of a room while we did barre and floor work. They always had to have their tea. The certificates from RAD were signed by Dame Margot Fonteyn.
 
Chickens, cats? I thought the question was Literary Agents? Or is this a comparison test?? Actually what I'm looking for is an Agent who will read the whole novel... As for interesting fact about me? Hm, does completing 10 novels count, or the fact I live in a cottage ex Inn that was built in 1832 count? No, I don't own it :D
 
I'm no longer looking for an agent, but when I was, I really hoped to get someone with good sales and marketing savvy.

A fun fact? Well, since we're on a writer's forum, I'll tell you I read my poetry on television (on the programme Christopher's Magic Cocoon) when I was nine years old, shortly after I published my first writing in a children's magazine. That was back in the 1970s, when I typed up all my submissions on my mum's manual typewriter, which smelled of grease and leather (the leather was probably the chair at the desk, but its smell is tied forever to the typewriter in my mind).
 
An agent who ‘gets’ my book. Tick. An agent who can place my book in front of the right editor at the right publishing house. He’s yet to prove himself on this one ;)

Fun fact - hmmmm ... I can’t tell you - it’s a secret!
 
Barbara said:
I agree with Katie, about an agent who likes the voice, the story, who gets it, feels it, who knows who else would love it.

In addition, I also look for a good salesman. Someone who has an intelligent sales technique and who can also be cheeky (in a nice way). But Above all, I'm looking for an agent I gel with on a personal level. I've learnt the hard way that sometimes no agent is better than the wrong agent. After I finished drama school many years ago, I was young and naive, and happy to have any agent as long as I had an agent. Wrong. Long story, but he was impossible to have a rapor with and to top it all, he ended up being black listed with Equity under at least 5 different names. Once I found out about that (it was pre-internet times, so no easy research), I speedily cut all ties.

Nowadays I'm much more choosy. I think that being able to build a good relationship with an agent is essential. We need to be on the same page (sorry, bad pun, I know), and if we can have a laugh, and a beer together, then even better.

As for your request for 'fun' facts: I collect (and use) antique swords. Does that count?
Click to expand...
Swords??????
Amber said:
I don't know. A sense of humor. Someone who really GETS me. Great abs.

Yes. I'm joking.

I haven't spent any time thinking about this. I've pitched to agents before and they are surprisingly human with clay feet and everything. So -- neither monsters or saviors.

I'm really pessimistic. I'm convinced agents and publishers days as they currently exist are numbered. New types of agents and publishers maybe... I'm not sure what that would look like and I haven't given a lot of thought to possibilities.

I plan on self-publishing.

...and since this seems to be the price for playing... a fun fact about me ....

I took ballet from a teacher trained by ISTD and RAD. Examiners came from England to test us at different skill levels. They sat behind a long table at the end of a room while we did barre and floor work. They always had to have their tea. The certificates from RAD were signed by Dame Margot Fonteyn.
Click to expand...

Oh my God, me too - back in the 60s. I still have my certificates somewhere :) My examiners always sat infront of large windows, so they were back lit. The room seemed so big and grand then, (OK, I was smaller) their table so long, their faces so serious and their tea so important!

As for an agent, I haven't got there yet. My mum had several. I remember her being particularly pissed off with Deborah Rogers. Mum had met a publisher privately and negotiated her own deal, but still had to part with 10% (or whatever the amound was back then) to Deborah. DR was her agent and got a cut, even if she never negotiated a thing. If possible I want to avoid that and simply find one that believes in me and is on my side.... and makes me obscenely rich :D (kidding)
 
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Reality Check The R word...

  • OperaDivaAlix
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Paul Whybrow

Phobias

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