I wrote my first book a shade after I’d turned twenty. I’d always wanted to write one, but had never had the guts to try. For some reason one afternoon I decided to finally just do it. So I told my new husband my plans, locked myself in our office and three months later produced a 120,000 word doorstopper that demonstrated every single new writer mistake known to man.
Of course I didn’t know the book was bad, not then. So, I polished it up and started trying to find and agent.
And I tried.
And tried.
And tried.
Rejection after rejection came in. Some were form rejections, others were personal rejections telling me they’d liked my book, but a, b, or c was wrong with it. Some were simply my query letter returned to me stamped with a big NO on top. I couldn’t understand why no one was recognizing my brilliance! Were all the agents of the world blind to a great book when they saw one! Hahaha. But I heeded all the advice for new writers, filed the rejections away dutifully and, (being the persistent poop I am), kept trying.
Finally, one day I got a nibble. She was a new agent and had just begun taking on clients. She had one published author so far and wanted me to revise my book per her suggestions. She thought she could sell it if I did.
Cue the Hallelujah choir.
I still remember how excited I was, how I danced around our apartment and called all my friends. I thought this was it. Surely I’d hit the big time. Ah, how innocent I was back then. So, I revised the book, taking her suggestions into account, and ended up with an improved version of the novel.
And she signed me! Celebration! Champagne! Cheering!
Nightmare.
Soon after I signed the contract, the agent became unavailable, always out when I called her office. She didn’t return my phone calls or letters. As it turned out, agenting was just a sideline for her, not her primary focus. I didn’t hear anything about my book for months and months. The agent, not having any contacts in the industry, just sent my work over the tranche to every house, every editor, regardless of suitability. (I mean, I could have done that myself!) She began to get a bad reputation in the publishing business.
Worse, I’d signed her contract without negotiating anything in it that would allow me to leave the relationship if I wasn’t happy. In addition, it gave her the right to collect royalties on anything I sold during the course of the contract…even if I sold the project on my own without her help. That meant anything I sold to magazines, e-publishers, ect, she would collect royalties on. That was my fault. I shouldn’t have signed the contract in the first place, but I’d been green and eager and, well, there you have it.
The result? I was stuck for years. I ended up having to wait out the end of the contract before I could sever my association with her. My entire writing career (such that it was) went on hold during that time.
That’s how I discovered the hard way that having the wrong agent really can be worse than not having an agent at all.
Here’s what a good agent should do for you….
- She should be easily accessible and interested in communicating with you.
- She should have contacts in the publishing industry and have a good reputation with them.
- She should be knowledgeable about the market and know which houses and editors best suit you, your manuscript, and your overall career goals.
- She should be diligent in checking back in with editors after she’s pitched your project.
- She should negotiate the terms of your contract to your benefit (as much as possible).
- She should be watchful of your royalty statements/payments.
- She should be mindful of your overall career goals and not just be working with you on a book-to-book basis. This includes keeping you apprised of market developments and giving you professional advice.
- She should do her best to promote you to editors and publishers.
Of course the story ends with an HEA. The next time around I was far more careful and ended up with Laura Bradford. She hits all of the above, has a great editorial eye, is personable and obviously has great taste in selecting her clients. 
I know firsthand the desperation of the new author, but please take care when looking at literary agents. Here is a partial list of resources to help make a determination when considering a literary agency:
Association of Authors’ Representatives (AAR)
Writer Beware
Writer’s Net
Preditors & Editors
Agent Query
Absolute Write’s “Water Cooler” forum
Passionate Pen’s Agent List
Karen Fox’s Agent List
And what happened to that 120,000 word doorstopper? I rewrote it several times and now it’s down to a slim 90k. I never did sell it, however. It’s still stopping doors.
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A Contest
Here’s a contest that has nothing to do with finding an agent and everything to do with magic. (Although finding the right agent can seem like magic.)
I believe in magic. Not the stage kind of magic, but the everyday kind of magic that has the power to transform disappointment to contentment and sorrow to a bit of happiness.
For me, writing is magic. Losing myself in my characters and their worlds will instantly transform my day from a bad one to a good one. The purr of my cats and the feel of their fur can blunt the sharp edge of any disappointment, and my husband’s arms can turn sorrow to bliss.
Tell me about the magic in your life. Leave me a comment about everyday magic and you’ll be entered in a drawing for an autographed copy of Witch Fire. To give everyone a chance to enter, I’ll announce the winner next Monday when I blog again.
