I was wondering, what if I get an agent and she tries to sell two or three of my novels, all in the same genre, and nothing sells. What would happen in this case?

Well Katie, sounds like you and your agent will be at a crossroads and need to make some decisions.

Each agent is different, and some agents might set you free at this point, believing they’re not the right agent to help you find success. You’ll want to clarify whether your agent wishes to continue or hang it up.

Remember that you have a choice, too. You may want to consider indie publishing. If you want to continue pursuing traditional publishing, and you think another agent can serve you better, it would be a good time for you to make this decision. Be cautious not to automatically blame your agent for the lack of a sale – she’s put in many hours on your behalf and hasn’t gotten paid a thing. She probably deserves the benefit of a conversation, at least.

If you and your agent want to continue working together, you’ll probably have a meeting to discuss your options. You’ll take a hard look at what’s going on, asking questions like:

→ Why aren’t your books capturing the attention of editors? Is it the ideas? The writing?

→ Could there be something specific about your characters and plot lines aren’t resonating?

→ How much of this is due to the market, and how much is it the specific books you’re pitching?

→ Is it the genre? If so, is there another genre you’re interested in writing that perhaps is more saleable?

Ideally this meeting would culminate in a strategy and action plan for moving forward to find the success you’ve been working toward.

Keep in mind that this isn’t an uncommon scenario. Once you get an agent, it could still be a long time until serendipity strikes again and you find the perfect match between a project and a publisher.

If you should decide to invest in some personalized counsel, I offer coaching for unpublished authors here: My Coaching Services

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Image copyright: scottff72 / 123RF Stock Photo

The post When You’re Missing the Mark appeared first on Rachelle Gardner.

a They don’t research the agency they want to pitch.

a They pitch their product long before it is actually ready. They are so anxious to get published that they don’t rewrite and edit well.

a They don’t do a good job with the competition section in their proposal. They think their book is the only one of its kind. When we see that, we reject the proposal 99% of the time, or at least send it back asking for revision. Authors must do their homework in the competition area. (This applies more heavily to non-fiction writers.)

a They underestimate the importance of the author platform, and don’t understand the author’s role in marketing.

a They think that by including everyone in their target market, their book is somehow more valuable. Narrow it down to a specific section of the audience.

a They think that because their message is important (which it often is) it must also deserve to be published. Writers need to understand that almost everyone has something important to say, but that doesn’t translate into having a publishable book.

So, whaddaya think? Agree or disagree? Have you made any of these mistakes?

The post Don’t Make These Mistakes When Submitting to Agents appeared first on Rachelle Gardner.

Okay, just kidding. Here’s the deal. Every agent has a different style. That’s why it’s so important to try and get to know an agent at least a little before you sign with them. Some agents carry a larger client load and don’t make it a habit to stay in close contact; some carry fewer clients and do more client communication.

I do think it’s reasonable to ask your agent for an update periodically, every couple of months should be okay. Pertinent information would include any new publishers to whom your work has been submitted, or any feedback, positive or negative, from publishers on your work. If you have published works in the marketplace, you’ll want to make sure you’re getting royalty statements and that your agent is available to help you understand anything about them that’s confusing.

I always send an email to the client when a submission is about to go out, letting them know which publishers I’m sending it to. When responses start to come back from publishers, I periodically let the client know what’s going on. (More often when things are happening, such as offers coming in.) When there is an offer on the table and then when there’s a contract in play, we keep our clients updated as often as necessary for them to know what’s going on. Sometimes this can be everyday or several times a day if things are changing fast.

Don’t expect regular communication if you have projects that have been out on submission for months with no positive response. At that point, you may want to contact your agent and talk with them about what you can do next or what you can do better to try and get something more marketable into the pipeline.

Similarly, when you have a contract and you’re in that stretch of months when you’re writing your book, you’re free to contact your agent for random questions, but you probably won’t hear from them. They assume you’re happily writing and don’t want to be disturbed.

The most important thing is: Ask your agent. There’s nothing wrong with writing your agent an email asking the same questions asked at the top of this post. “How often should I expect to hear from you? Is it okay if I email you with questions, or should I wait for you to contact me?”

Readers, chime in. What kind of communication do you have with your agent? Is it enough? Is there something you’d like to see improved?

Photo by Quino Al on Unsplash

The post Agent-Client Communication appeared first on Rachelle Gardner.

Simple answer: No.

If the agent has given you revision suggestions but not agreed to represent it, you should honor them (the fact that they took the time to give you notes) by giving them exclusivity for a period of time. You should do the revisions and re-submit to THAT agent, letting them know that you are currently letting them see it exclusively. It’s reasonable for you to expect a fairly prompt reply since you’re not submitting to anyone else at this point. Follow up if you haven’t heard a word in a couple of weeks. If the agent ends up passing, you’re free to pursue others.

This principle is the same, by the way, if you’re dealing with an in-house editor. And fair warning… it’s not uncommon for an agent or editor to give notes and request changes and still not end up buying (or representing) the project. So stay positive, but remember there’s no deal until there’s a deal.

Regarding exclusivity in general: Most agents don’t expect exclusivity when they’re looking at a project. But if an agent requests exclusivity and you’d like to say yes, then be sure to put a limit on it, i.e. “Yes, I’d be happy to let you see this exclusively for 3o days, ending June 27th. Does that work for you?”

The post ASK THE AGENT: Exclusivity appeared first on Rachelle Gardner.

What is a book proposal?

Perfectly good question. But it shows this writer needs to get schooled on the basics of getting published. (If you’re writing non-fiction, an agent can’t sell your book to a publisher without a book proposal—that’s one of the basics.)

You’re ready for an agent when you’re ready to approach publishing as a business, even if it’s not your “day job.” Spend some time learning how it works. Take a little time to explore the business of publishing, craft a killer query and a knock-your-socks-off book proposal. THEN come knocking.

One of the most common reasons for agent rejections is that the writer simply isn’t ready: they haven’t spent quite enough time mastering the craft of writing or learning about the business—or both. If you’re seeking publication, here are a few things you might want to do first:

• If you’re writing fiction, then you need to write a complete manuscript. If you’re writing non-fiction, research the market and make sure there’s a desire or need for your idea, and begin crafting your proposal along with a few sample chapters.
• Sometime during that process, you may want to attend a writers’ conference so you can start learning about the business as well as meeting other authors along with editors and agents.
• Edit, rewrite and polish your book or proposal. Get critiques if you can. Trade manuscripts with writing friends and get some feedback. Read books about writing and make sure you’ve done everything possible to make your book the best it can be. You may even consider hiring a freelance editor.
• Research the marketplace and decide what kind of publisher is right for you, and by extension, what kind of agent will be right for you. Gather a list of names, your “target” list of agents and editors to whom you will submit. One way to do this is to spend some time in a bookstore, find books similar to yours, and find out who published them and who agented them. You can also use the Guide to Literary Agents or the Writers Market.
• Spend time creating a winning query letter. Then begin sending your queries. Send a few at a time and see if you get any responses or useful feedback in case you need to revise the query. Then continue sending batches every week or two.  You’ll get an idea of whether anyone is finding your query interesting.

Now it’s your turn. Tell us what steps YOU’VE found necessary so far on your road to publication. Maybe I’ll learn something!

The post Steps for Approaching an Agent appeared first on Rachelle Gardner.

Here are my thoughts: I don’t know the percentage of requested partials and fulls that become clients, but I also think it’s irrelevant information. You can’t apply a generalized statistic to an individual, so stats would be meaningless. Plus, this is not a game based on “odds” because all the players are not equal. For example: about zero percent of writers with uninteresting queries become clients. 100% of writers with queries that knock my socks off will get a request for a partial or full. So you can’t learn much from trying to calculate the odds.

But the question addresses an important point: What if a dozen agents request a partial or full, but nobody goes the next step and offers representation? Then you have a problem. Your query is good, and possibly your first few pages (if they were included with the query) were also promising. But the book itself is failing to deliver. Pay attention to this! It may be time to get some help evaluating your manuscript and try to determine what you can improve.

You could just doggedly keep submitting to agents and that might do the trick. But if numerous agents are reading your manuscript (not just your query) and you still have no agent, seriously consider whether you need to stop submitting and fix your book or write a new one.

It’s easy to focus on the query, because it’s the first step in grabbing the attention of someone who can help get your book published. But don’t forget, the process can easily end with the query if the book isn’t carrying the reader all the way through. Like I’ve said many times before, most of your focus should be on your book. Continually be open to learning how to improve your writing. Even writers with multiple published books are still learning.

So where are you in this process? Have you received requests for a partial or full? Got an agent yet? If not, how are you planning to proceed?

If you haven’t yet, drop by my Facebook page and click “Like.”
www.facebook.com/agent.rachelle

© 2011 Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent

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I know many of you worry that agents gossip about writers behind the scenes. I don’t find this to be true, but what I’ve found is that agents often commiserate with each other about the hard parts of the job (like people in any kind of job). And one of the hard parts is when we need to have a difficult conversation with an author. So this week in my never-ending quest to make you the most informed writers on the planet, I’m going to talk about some of those difficult conversations. I hope that by reading this, you’ll be better prepared and perhaps less devastated if (when?) it happens to you.

Today’s difficult conversation is the one where you’ve written your “next” book—it could be your third or your fifth or your eighth (whatever)—and send it to your agent, or perhaps it’s sent to the publisher. In any case, the agent or editor reads the manuscript and… things aren’t going well.

I know my author is a good writer. As I begin reading, I can tell that, as usual, this book is amazingly written. But when I’m a couple chapters in, I start to wonder about it. A couple more chapters and this foreboding is stealing over me, growing page by page. By the time I’m halfway through the manuscript, there’s this lump in the pit of my stomach. I push myself to continue. By the time I finish, I just know. It’s not going to fly.

It might be the subject matter is all wrong. It might be a genre that’s just too different from what you’ve written previously. It might be the tone is off, or the plot isn’t well constructed, or the characters are cardboard, or you’ve simply strayed too far from the brand you’ve established. Sadly, it might feel like you phoned it in.

Regardless of what the problem is, now a serious internal wrestling sets in, as the agent or editor examines the manuscript and thinks about options. Maybe it just needs a good edit. Maybe it’s not a lost cause. Maybe we can tweak a few things… maybe… maybe…

But finally, we’re forced to admit to ourselves that we simply can’t sell this, and it’s unlikely that an edit will help.

Now we begin to stress about telling the author. After all, you’ve probably agonized for months over this manuscript. You finished it, triumphant, another 85,000 words written! You may even feel like it’s your best book ever. How am I going to tell you it’s not going to work?

I remind myself this doesn’t mean the manuscript will never get published, it just means that now is not the right time. I remind myself that the only reason we need to have this conversation is because it’s my job to help you not only get published, but get well-published. It’s my job to keep my eye on your long-term writing career. And so I can’t be afraid to tell you the hard truth when I believe it’s in your best interest.

I pick up the phone and make the call, and what I wish I could say is, “This hurts me as much as it hurts you.” But I don’t, because I know that no matter how hard it is for me, it’s worse for you.

I’m really sorry to be the bearer of hard truths sometimes.

Q4U: Have you considered that this might happen as part of your publishing journey? How do you think you’d respond?

P.S. Many people’s gut reaction to this is that they’d immediately self publish. I’ve addressed this in the comments. Please see my comment at 8:20 am. Also see Timothy Fish (7:46 am) and agent Michelle Wolfson at 8:08 am.

© 2011 Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent

The post Difficult Conversations, Part 1 appeared first on Rachelle Gardner.

I’ve received emails and blog comments from those who assume agents must be running scared because we’re going to be out of jobs soon. I’ve heard from others who insist I need to be changing my business right now and beginning to do things differently to reflect the changing landscape.

But everyone I know who is a full-time dedicated agent with a full client roster is optimistic about the future. We’re well aware of the ways publishing is changing, and we’re confident we’ll be a part of that. Most of us have years of experience in publishing and have held other publishing positions prior to being agents—many have been editors, published authors, or held positions in sales, marketing and other areas of publishing. Our years of expertise will be even more valuable in the new age of publishing.

Agents have always been here to help authors find readers (via publishers), and in the new age of publishing, we will probably continue doing that same thing, if perhaps in different ways.

Some agencies have already expanded so that they also function as consultants (almost like a contractor) for those pursuing self-publishing, arranging editing, design, digital formatting, printing if necessary, etc. Others are looking at beginning to function more as publishers themselves.

Unfortunately, most of the opportunities available to agents for expanding to keep up with changing times also bring potential conflict of interest or the perception that they could easily take advantage of authors. (This article from the U.K. addresses that.) So we are going to have to tread carefully as we look to shift our business practices.

However, the most important things I wanted to say today are:

1. Every agent I know is carefully making note of how publishing is changing and thinking creatively about how our roles might look in the future. We’re thinking proactively about how our unique skills could be put to use in the emerging world of publishing, and many of us are making plans toward that end.

2. Even more importantly, most of us are not making this shift yet because… we are still selling books! Things are going well for most full-time agents right now, especially as we come out of the recession. So there’s no need to jump ship when the ship doesn’t appear to be sinking yet.

Agents and traditional publishing are still going to be around for a while!

Q4U: Do you have any ideas about the role of agents in this brave new world of publishing?

© 2011 Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent

The post What Will Agents Do in the Future? appeared first on Rachelle Gardner.

For the last couple of days we’ve been going over some basics of fiction writing – things that someone editing your book might be looking for in their efforts to help you produce the best book possible.

But acquisitions editors – and agents – won’t be spending time analyzing all those specifics. They’re going to to be assessing whether the book is right for them, and here’s how it works: If it’s a “no” they can discern it very quickly. Anything that isn’t a “no” becomes a “maybe” and is going to take a lot longer to make a decision.

Sometimes it’s difficult to accept that agents and acquisition editors can make decisions almost immediately, after reading what seems like a very small portion of the work. You’ve worked long and hard on your manuscripts, and for someone to say “no” after what must seem like barely a glance can be crushing. But there is a ton of experience and knowledge behind a quick “no.” An editor or agent can discern a countless number of things about your writing from a very few paragraphs.

One of the best ways to see this illustrated is to attend a session at a writer’s conference where a panel of agents and editors reads the first page of a manuscript and gives immediate verbal feedback, finishing with a decision about whether the first page would compel them to keep reading. It’s a crash-course in how their minds work and how they’re able to make decisions quickly. You see how your writing style and level of expertise comes across loud and clear on that very first page.

Recently on my blog, a commenter mentioned it would be nice if agents and editors would actually read a manuscript before rejecting it. The truth is, we read exactly as much as we need to. It’s not necessary for an editor or agent to read more than a few pages to determine if it’s a “no.” It takes a lot longer to determine if it’s a “yes.” 

I apologize if you’ve  read this on my blog before, but I came up with this analogy to help explain how we’re able to recognize the “no” projects so quickly.

When shopping for clothes, I can browse through racks fairly quickly. “No, no, no, no… ” My eyes and hands can take in copious detailed information about each item of clothing. Color, style, size, texture, pattern, fabric… so many things register in my brain in a millisecond. I instantly reject the ones that clearly aren’t what I’m looking for – they don’t suit the occasion I’m shopping for, or they’re not “me” for whatever reason. Occasionally I stop at something. “Hmm. Maybe.” I grab that item to take to the fitting room and try on.

If something looks, in a glance, to have something I am looking for, I need to spend more time considering. It starts off as a maybe, and might progress to “yes” or it might not.

So that’s kind of how it is when we look at those queries and proposals and first pages, and listen to your verbal pitch at a conference. The thought process is something like, “No, no, no… hmmm, maybe,” based on our experience evaluating, acquiring, editing and selling books.

Your control comes in writing the best book you can, so that’s where I think you should keep your focus. You’ll never be able to get a handle on what everyone is looking for. You will not be able to identify the magic fairy dust that makes an agent or an editor say the “yes” you’ve been wanting.

So just keep writing. Keep learning in every way you can. Keep getting feedback on your work. It’s the only way!

© 2011 Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent

The post Why "No" Comes Quickly… appeared first on Rachelle Gardner.

Here are a few reasons we might give up:

1. Out of Options
We’ve exhausted our list of editor contacts and don’t know of any more viable prospects among advance-and-royalty-paying publishers.

2. Poor Response
The general feedback from editors was negative or lackluster, and the project never even made it past the editor’s desk to the editorial meeting or the pub board. (As opposed to situations where editors loved it but couldn’t get it approved.)

3. Market Concerns
The market reality turns out to be different than we expected—last month everyone was buying vampires and this month we can’t give them away. We don’t see the situation changing anytime soon.

4. We Were Wrong
We realize we were probably wrong about the project. We thought it was “saleable” but it’s not selling and in discussing it with editors, we realize they have some good points and maybe this one’s not going to cut it.

There could be other reasons, or combinations of the above, but these are the main ones.

The decision to give up on a project is related to another difficult question: If we’re done with the project…

Are we also done with the client?

Again it depends on a number of factors:

1. Does the client have a saleable body of work?
2. Are the client’s other works any better, or do they suffer from whatever weakness that kept the first one from selling?
3. Does the agent still have enthusiasm for selling this writer and do they believe they can do it?

Whatever the agent decides, this is never an easy crossroads. Being a good businessperson and a good steward of our limited time and resources sometimes requires letting something go. I wish it weren’t that way!

Q4U: Do these seem like legitimate reasons for an agent to drop a project or client? Can you think of other reasons?

© 2011 Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent

The post When An Agent Gives Up on a Project appeared first on Rachelle Gardner.

First, a Conversation
It starts with talking to each of them on the phone. You’ll definitely want one or two calls in which you can chat, ask questions, and get a general feel for who they are and how they communicate. Find out how they work, who they’d expect to be pitching your project to, and how close they think your manuscript is to being ready to submit. Get a feel for the other clients they represent and what kind of a track record they have for selling books to legitimate publishers. (You may want to read my posts “Getting the Call” and “Questions to Ask an Agent.”)

Check ’em Out
You’ll also want to do your due diligence in finding out whatever else you can. Read their blogs, websites and Twitter feeds; Google their names to find online interviews or articles; check Writer Beware and Preditors and Editors to make sure there are no red flags. If you have access to Publishers Marketplace, look the agents up to see what kind of deals they’ve done recently.

Got References?
Some people even like to “check references” by talking to some of the agent’s current clients. Many authors have blogs/websites with contact information and you can write them asking if they’d mind being a reference for the agent.

Newer Isn’t Always Better
Some people advise that a younger or newer agent might be a better fit for a new author, and this can be true, but I don’t think you can make your decision based on a generality like this. Try to choose the person who is the best fit for you.

Don’t Rush
While you may be excited and want to make your decision quickly, I recommend you take your time and do as much investigating as necessary first. You should be able to find out everything you need to know within a few days… then put those agents out of their misery and tell them your decision!

© 2011 Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent

The post When Multiple Agents Are Interested appeared first on Rachelle Gardner.

I was wondering, what if I get an agent and she tries to sell two or three of my novels, all in the same genre, and nothing sells. What would happen in this case?

Well Katie, sounds like you and your agent will be at a crossroads and need to make some decisions.

Each agent is different, and some agents might set you free at this point, believing they’re not the right agent to help you find success. You’ll want to clarify whether your agent wishes to continue or hang it up.

Remember that you have a choice, too. If you think another agent can serve you better, it would be a good time for you to make this decision. Be cautious not to automatically blame your agent for the lack of a sale – she’s put in many hours on your behalf and hasn’t gotten paid a thing. She probably deserves the benefit of a conversation, at least. But if you honestly think the agent hasn’t done a good job, you need to address it.

If you and your agent want to continue working together, you’ll probably have a meeting to discuss your options. You’ll take a hard look at what’s going on, asking questions like:

→ Why aren’t your books capturing the attention of editors? Is it the ideas? The writing?

→ Could there be something specific about your characters and plot lines aren’t resonating?

→How much of this is due to the market, and how much is it the specific books you’re pitching?

→ Is it the genre? If so, is there another genre you’re interested in writing that perhaps is more saleable?

Ideally this meeting would culminate in a strategy and action plan for moving forward to find the success you’ve been working toward.

Keep in mind that this isn’t an uncommon scenario. Once you get an agent, it could still be a long time until serendipity strikes again and you find the perfect match between a project and a publisher.

Q4U: What would you do if you were the writer in this situation?

© 2011 Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent

The post When You’re Missing the Mark appeared first on Rachelle Gardner.

Maybe they’re seeking an agent, and they’re in the midst of a convoluted and confusing process of agents requesting partials and taking forever to respond; other agents never responding to queries; perhaps an agent expressing interest but never following up.

Sometimes the writers asking questions already have agents. They’re not necessarily looking to switch, but they’re having trouble communicating with their agent, or they’re confused by the process, and they want some advice. For whatever reason, it seems easier to ask me about it than to talk to their own agent. So they email me, asking, “Is this the way it’s supposed to be?”

I often sense what people are really asking is: Am I crazy or is this a terrible way to do business?

And more importantly: Should I stick with this situation (this agent? this publisher?) or should I move on and find something better?

Here’s the gist of the answer I normally give:

1. You’re probably not crazy – if you sense something isn’t right, that may be the case. You may be working with someone who’s not handling things ethically or responsibly. Beyond that, I think the whole system is crazy-making. The query process is hard on everyone, and even when you’re represented, things don’t always go as you (or your agent) would want. Add to that the fact that everyone has more on their plate than they can realistically handle, and it makes for a crazy system in which it’s impossible to keep everyone happy. So something may not feel right, but it may or may not be a “normal” part of the system.

2. The best answer is always to communicate as clearly as possible, directly with the person with whom you have an issue.

3. I don’t know whether you should stick with your situation or move on. There are countless variables and every situation is different. Unfortunately, I’m not the right person to advise you on the specifics of your situation. This is where you take all you’ve learned in general about agents and publishing, put it in a pot and stir it with your wisdom, try to eliminate your emotional response, and come up with a plan for yourself.

One of the reasons I write this blog is because I want to share general information to help you navigate the system. I hope to give you a sense of the industry so that you can add your own wisdom and make good decisions.

Basically, I’m trying to “teach you to fish” so that you can be confident in the publishing world. I’m not able to give everyone their own “fish” but I hope the fishing lessons on the blog are useful!

Having said all that, I must admit that I do try to respond to every email that lands in my box. But sometimes I can’t help feeling that if the writer would just read more blogs, talk to a couple of writer friends, and get their emotions out of the way, they’d be able to come up with their own answers fairly easily.

If you’re tempted to write an agent with a question about your own process, I recommend you take a few moments to deeply examine all you’ve already learned about the business, and see if you can come up with a workable answer on your own. Are you asking for fish when you’ve already been given the hook, line and sinker?

Got a question you’ve been wanting to ask an agent? Leave it here.

I’ll answer as many as I can in the comments, and others I’ll answer in future blog posts.

© 2011 Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent

The post Fishing Lessons appeared first on Rachelle Gardner.

Your agent…

…is not a mind reader. If you’re having an issue—if you feel the agent is inattentive, or you need more feedback or more frequent communication—it’s best if you let your agent know. They can’t fix a problem if they’re not aware of it.

…has dozens of clients, while you have one agent. Of course, we try to help you feel like you’re our only client, but you know that’s not true. There’s no excuse for poor communication skills or lack of timely interactions, but if you have a realistic picture of the situation, it’s easier to maintain reasonable expectations.

…wants to hear from you! My clients often start their calls or emails with, “I know you’re busy, I don’t want to take up too much of your time…” and I do appreciate how conscientious people are. But if I’ve agreed to rep you, then I WANT you to take up my time when you need to. So don’t hesitate to make contact.

…is probably an agent because of a genuine love for authors, books, and publishing. Don’t forget this basic truth! We are all on the same side. Agents exist to partner with, and advocate for, authors. It’s not an adversarial relationship, and if it is, it’s not working right. Agents aren’t in this business because they want to get rich – if money was the most important thing, they’d be doing something else. Like you, your agent appreciates the written word and wants to see great books published.

Q4U: What are some hints you’d like to give agents so that they’ll understand what it’s like on YOUR side of the table?

© 2010 Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent

The post The Agent-Client Relationship appeared first on Rachelle Gardner.