Someone sent this to me: “To get a book published, do I need an agent or do any publishers still take authors without agents? If I feel like I need an agent, don’t I need to have a publishing record to catch an agent’s attention? What I’m really asking, I guess, is when does an author NEED an agent and when does an author NOT need an agent?”

WARNING: This answer is coming from an agent. Discount all numbers by half and throw out the rest. He is totally biased and opinionated. And make sure you’ve got your pipe and slippers, ‘cause this guy goes on and on and on…

I’m a literary agent. I’ve been in the publishing business in one role or another for decades now, a full time agent for the last 15, and started my own agency about seven years ago. I made my living as an author and, later, as an editor and publisher before I fell away from the Lord and became an agent. I’m pretty successful at what I do, in a business where many people call themselves “agent” but don’t know what they’re doing (and, consequently, don’t last very long), I’m fairly well known in the industry and, by and large, have developed a pretty good reputation for the business (more evidence of the mercy of God, no doubt). Feel free to ask around and see what others say. Most people who know me will tell you that I’m not an “agent evangelist.” I’ll be the first one to tell you that not everybody needs an agent. And I’m fairly safe in talking about this stuff because I’m fairly full-up with clients. That is, I’m not looking to add a bunch of authors (however, if James Patterson is reading this, FEEL FREE TO CALL). With that said, I’m going to give this one man’s opinion…

Agents are more important than ever

There has been this mood around some people on the writing side that, with the advent of ebooks and the ability to self-post anything you create, agents are no longer needed. My response: rot. There are more book publishing opportunities than ever before, more contracts and legal issues, more choices to make, and more need for experienced advice than ever. Sure, you can post your book on Amazon, and maybe it’ll break out — I think that’s a good thing. But who is going to help an author make good choices if they have some success? Haven’t you noticed that all those authors who had their self-published books break out then found themselves turning to an experienced agent to help them manage it all? I frequently get people bringing up THE SHACK, and how the authors of that multi-million selling self-published novel did it all without an agent, and bragged about how the whole thing was done on a handshake. Yeah, that’s true… and then, when they had success, they had nobody to bring any experience to the process. So they all ended up arguing among themselves, slinging accusations, suing each other, and having the whole ugly thing wind up in court. Maybe if they’d had an agent put a bit of time in on it, they’d have saved themselves some grief. (And, oh yeah… now that it’s all resolved, they got agents.) I realize this is a selfish argument, but I’m tired of hearing people who don’t know much about the industry expound as though they were experts. Sure, there are plenty of self-pubbed authors who have sold some copies. Good for them. If they want to move on and have actual careers, most of them will get agents.

With that in mind, let me offer some tips for you, as you think through your own situation…

When NOT to get an agent:

-When you don’t have either a full manuscript (if it’s fiction) or a dynamite proposal and sample chapters (if it’s non-fiction). Without those, you’re simply not ready.

-When you’re not a proven writer. By that I mean, have you proven you can do this writing stuff? In general, publishers are looking for great ideas, expressed through great writing, and offered by a person with a great platform. Sometimes they get all three, sometimes they settle for two of three. I’ve taken on some unproven writers because I liked an idea or their writing, but understand that I work MUCH harder for an unknown author (and get less return) than I do for a proven author… and THAT’S why agents prefer to work with proven authors. If you’re not a proven writer, you may not need an agent. 

-When you won’t let others critique your work. Criticism is how we get better. Why is it the worst writers seem the least ready to listen? Maybe because in their hearts they know they aren’t that good, and admitting that would hurt their self-esteem… or maybe I’m guilty of psychologizing. 

-When you’re not ready for rejection. This is a tough business. Do you have any idea how many times I hear the word “NO” in a week? If you can’t take “no,” or if you can’t take criticism, or if you can’t take direction, go back to the dry-cleaning business. You obviously aren’t tough enough for the writing biz yet. 

-When you have too much time on your hands (right… Like THAT’S going to happen).

-When you feel like you’re “giving away” 15% of your income. I don’t think any of the authors I work with resent my percentage…they know I help them earn more than they’d get on their own.

-When you enjoy selling books and negotiating contracts. I think there are some authors who really enjoy creating proposals on their own, who have the contacts to get their manuscripts in front of editors, and who can manage the contract process themselves. But the truth is, all of those aspects of publishing require some special knowledge. So while it happens, it isn’t common. Again, I’m not an agent evangelist, trying to tell every writer they need an agent. If you can manage all of that yourself, perhaps you’re one of those who don’t need an agent. 

 When TO get an agent:

-When you have a dynamite proposal that a publisher will fall in love with (and the agent should maximize the deal).

-When you don’t know who to go to. The agent should have strong relationships in publishing… ALWAYS ask a prospective agent who he/she represents, ask to talk with some of his/her authors, and ask what deals he/she has done lately. If an agent doesn’t really represent anybody, or hasn’t really done any deals, you have to wonder if they’re really an agent or just play acting. An agent lives or dies on his/her relationships, so make sure you pick somebody who is good at those.

-When you don’t know about contracts (they are legal documents that can impact your life for years). Remember that a contract is a legal document that will govern your book for as long as it’s in print. Before you sign one, make sure you have someone with some experience do adequate review of the document. On a related note, I would argue “When you don’t know what a good deal or a bad deal is,” you probably need an agent. The fact is, the information can be hard to find by outsiders, so the majority of authors are going on hearsay. Working with an agent who knows what to look for and what the current market will bear (in terms of money, deal points, and rights) is important.

-When you don’t know how to read a royalty statement. If you can’t (and sometimes I swear publishers make them as obtuse as possible, to keep authors from understanding what’s going on with their books), you may need some help. 

-When you don’t know how to market your book. More and more of my life these days goes toward helping with marketing — a significant change, when you consider fifteen years ago that was a very small portion of my day. Again, you can get glean great information from books and seminars, but my guess is you’ll find it extremely helpful to have a good agent to talk through the publication, marketing, and sales processes. 

-When you don’t have time on your hands and don’t want to negotiate with the publisher yourself. Which is, essentially, everyone. Okay, that’s just a quick list to consider, but I hope it answers your basic question. 

Someone wrote to say, “I’ve been thinking of changing agents. I’m not convinced my current agent is a good match for me. What wisdom would you have for me?”

I’ve been doing this a long time, and I’ve occasionally had authors approach me to talk about the possibility of dropping their agent. It usually goes something like, “I’m just not happy with my current agent, and I’m thinking of switching…”

For a long time I struggled with how best to respond to those words. I have a policy against actively poaching other authors, but I have a business to run, so it’s not like I can refuse to answer the phone when a good author calls me to talk about his or her situation. However, I’ve learned to always start the conversation with the same sentence: “Have you talked this through with your current agent?” I mean, it would seem like a reasonable expectation that an author who is unhappy would go to his or her agent, express the dissatisfaction, and try to seek some sort of resolution. If there’s a communication problem, or some unanswered question, it seems like two people who have invested in each other would talk it out. (In other words, we’d all act like adults.) 

“Lack of communication” is the #1 problem between authors and agents. So having regular communication can alleviate a lot of the problem. But that doesn’t always happen, especially when there’s some disappointment in the job being done. People seem afraid of conflict, and would often prefer to flee the situation than to have a potentially difficult discussion. I can understand that reasoning, but I can’t really respect it. You see, the majority of people will claim they’re leaving an agent because there’s some sort of problem with the work being done. But my experience has taught me the real reason most authors leave an agent is because “the agent hasn’t sold my book.” (It’s sometimes “we don’t seem to communicate,” and it is occasionally “my agent is incompetent,” but often it gets back to the lack of a sale.) I’m not saying that’s completely illegitimate — certainly a main piece of your agent’s job is to sell your work, and if the agent can’t sell it, you may eventually face the realization that this isn’t the agent for you. You might need somebody who takes a fresh look at work, or tweaks it another way, or has a different set of relationships. Still, I’d encourage you to think through that decision carefully before dropping your agent. Because if you move to another agent, you have to start the entire agent/author process over again. Things aren’t going to necessarily move any faster. You have to find someone, get to know him or her, ask questions, make sure the individual is a fit. Then you’ve got to share your proposal with him or her, let the agent work with you to get it so it feels right, then allow time for the agent to get it into the hands of acquisition editors. Oh… and here’s big news: If one agent has shown your proposal to a house and they’ve turned it down, chances are remote that house is going to be interested in taking another look just because somebody else is representing it. 

So just changing from one agent to another may not be the solution. This is why I’m always surprised to hear that some authors who have been in the industry a relatively short amount of time have burned through four or five agents. An educated guess would be that some authors might have been better off to stay with one of those agents, rather than bounce around between various people.

And, of course, that will mean putting in time on the front end, not rushing into a decision, and making sure you find an agent who is a good fit for you and your work. One of the basic principles of working with other people applies to hiring an agent: The best time to fire a person is when you don’t hire him. Too many authors say “yes!” to the first agent who expresses interest in their work, then discover a year later the agent isn’t all that great. Suddenly they’re staring at a wasted year that might have been more productive had the author moved a bit more deliberately at the start of things.

Most of the good agents (and I’ll go on record here as saying there are a LOT of agents, but perhaps a shorter list of GOOD ones…um, IMHO) have invested something in an author. The agent has helped the author come up with idea, maybe helped shape it, or might have even spent time reading and commenting on the writing in order to help the author improve. Perhaps the agent has put a lot of time and energy into life coaching or career training or marketing assistance. All of those things are significant parts of the author/agent relationship. So yes, you need to remember that it hurts to invest a lot in an author, help develop their ideas, establish a relationship, then have the author cut things off because he or she feels you “haven’t sold it fast enough for me.”

Something happened to me recently that you may find instructive. An author called me to talk about her unhappiness with her agent. I encouraged her to express that dissatisfaction directly to her agent — I even suggested some wording she might use to get the conversation started: “You know, we’ve been working together for quite some time now, and it feels like we’re out of touch…” The author called her agent, the two of them talked the situation through, and all is well again. (Yeah…I’m a hero. Sorry — my telling you how wonderful I am is not the point of my story.) Would I have been happy representing that author? Absolutely. Great writer; great person. But in my view, it seemed like it was only fair for her current agent to hear and respond to the author’s complaints. For me to jump on board, agree that her current agent is a bonehead, and try to talk her into joining my agency would lack class and abrogate a professional ethic.

Look, I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my career, but stealing authors from another agent isn’t one of them. I got bugged recently when I saw a literary agent contacting authors who were represented (and who the agent KNEW were represented) to try and convince them to switch. It’s one thing for me to answer the phone when an author calls me; it’s another thing entirely to go cold-calling to try and talk people into dumping their current agent in order to switch to me. That’s not ethical. It can also get that agent into potential legal trouble if there is any tortious interference (that is, convincing someone to get out of a legally binding agreement). 

All this isn’t idle speculation on my part. I recently ran into one person sending solicitation letters out to authors: “Come work with me — I’ll make you a star.” That sort of thing. I had that happen with a very big author several years ago. The author had a bestselling book, and we had a legitimate six-figure offer from a very good publishing house. Then a Hollywood agent showed up making huge claims. “Chip isn’t doing enough!” he claimed. “I could get WAY more money!” He talked a great game — Movies! TV shows! Bestseller lists! HUGE deals!!! I asked the author to check and see if that Hollywood agent had ever (EVER!) done a book deal. Nope; it turns out he hadn’t — but that didn’t stop the author from firing me and signing with Mr. Hollywood. The result? No movie. No TV show. No bestseller list. No huge deal. In fact, after more than a year, the agent signed that author with THE VERY SAME PUBLISHER I’d had an offer from, and it was for THE VERY SAME AMOUNT as the offer I’d received. No kidding. (Yes, I thought about going to court. And no, it isn’t worth it. Life’s too short to spend your money on jerks and lawyers.) 

All this has probably come about because there’s this image people have about how easy it is to be an agent. “I’ll just sign up some authors, send them out, and soon we’ll be doing deals and making money!” That goes to show how stupid some people are (especially in today’s publishing economy). I don’t know what career is actually easy (I made my living as a writer, editor, publisher, and pastor before becoming an agent, and NONE of those jobs were easy), but I can certainly assure you that making a living as an agent isn’t on the “easy” list. I’m not complaining; just stating the facts. So before you sign with the woman who used to work at a bookstore but doesn’t know any editors, or the guy who used to be a marketing specialist but has never read and edited words, you might want to ask some hard questions: How long have you been agenting? How many books have you contracted for your authors? What were their titles? What have you represented in my genre? What’s your approach to giving editorial and career guidance? Where did you get your training? Are you a member of AAR? 

Everybody has to start somewhere — in fact, we have twice promoted my assistants into the role of literary agent, since both learned the process and worked in the industry. But you want to be wary of agents who don’t have any training and don’t have a system to receive that training. They won’t know what they’re doing, and a bad agent can damage your career. You also want to be careful of people who claim to be agents but who are also trying to sell you other services (they won’t even let you be a member of AAR if you’re trying to sell your authors editorial, management, and other services). And, in my opinion, you want to be careful of anyone who claims they’re going to fast-track you to Hollywood. I’ve been doing this a long time, and in my experience that is almost always a load of BS. 

Are there some bad agents out there? Sure. I know of some people who don’t have enough industry knowledge to be agents. I know a couple so-called agents who don’t seem to be able to recognize good writing, or who I don’t think I’d take career advice from. But there are also good agents, who will take care of your career and give you wise counsel as they walk through the process with you. If you’re got somebody representing you who doesn’t know what they’re doing, or who doesn’t have any publishing relationships, or who you’ve completely lost confidence in, then maybe you need to consider your options. But I’m suggesting you be wary before you dump an agent who might have really helped you, just so you can work with Mr Hollywood or Miss Promise. Talk through your concerns with your current agent, and be honest — let him or her have a chance to respond before you make a big career change. Sometimes all that’s needed is to clarify expectations. 

Look, I’ve been married more than 30 years, and believe me, I still mess up. I sometimes fail to recognize there’s a problem. (“Um…is something bugging you?”) I sometimes say and do thoughtless things. If I can’t get it through my thick skull while living in the same house with the woman, then you can pretty well expect I’ll be hopeless when it comes time to try and guess what is wrong with an author I see once a year and exchange emails with every couple of weeks.

Now if all that sounds like I’m preaching patience, I am. And maybe it’s a mixed message, since if you’re with a crummy agent, I’d understand why you would want to move. But my main point would be to appreciate relationships. There are several authors on the writing loops who have admitted to having not appreciated the success they had when they were younger. I can think of a couple authors who had great success early in their careers, but admitted they grew impatient, didn’t appreciate everything that was done for them, and now wish they could go back and make things right. It’s a lesson that’s easy to forget in our what-have-you-done-for-me-lately culture.

Someone sent me this question: “What role do agents have in today’s changing market? And I know you do a lot of work in the religious publishing scene — do agents work in that area as well?”

Yes, I do a lot of work in the Christian market. Not exclusively — I work in both the general market as well as the CBA (Christian Booksellers Association). So yes, there are agents who both areas, though not many. The role of agents is changing, just as the role of publisher is changing. Most publishers, including most religious publishers, simply do the bulk of their business through agents. That is to say, most books are represented by a literary agent. Publishing houses rely on agents to do the initial weeding, so that the proposals being considered by acquisitions editors have already been vetted in some way. That’s a change that has come over the past ten or fifteen years — the dross has already been skimmed away. Publishers also expect agents to know contracts, to help make sure the author makes his or her deadline, and to keep the author on track with all the pieces that come with creating a book. 

Authors should expect agents to know the bookselling market and have the relationships in place to get a proposal seen by the right people at publishing houses – something many beginning writers lack. Every author expects his or her agent to understand (and explain) publishing contracts, so the agent can protect you from making a bad decision – an important but often overlooked point, since the document you sign is a legal agreement that will govern the terms of your writing as long as it’s in print. And a good agent will know current publishing economics, so that he or she can negotiate a contract on your behalf that is in line with current market standards. The book world is constantly changing, so staying on top of trends and knowing who is doing what is important. 

Most importantly, an agent can offer you direction and advice to help you shape your writing career, and I can think of very few other sources to whom a writer can turn for that type of help. (While I love publishers, I don’t think they make great career counselors. A publishing house is concerned, first and foremost, with the success of the publishing house, not the long-term success of any individual author.) Therefore, in many ways the agent becomes the go-between, working with both authors and publishers to identify good ideas, foster great writing, negotiate a deal that works for both sides, and ensure the long-term future of the author. That said, remember that your agent works for you, not for the publisher. Your agent ought to be singing your praises, assisting you in the process, and looking out for your best interests.

There’s been a lot of discussion about the role of literary agents recently — the rise of self-publishing has convinced some folks that an agent is unnecessary. But when anyone has a bestselling ebook, what’s the first thing they do? Find a good agent. Why? Because there is a benefit in finding wise, experienced counsel. And when you have some success, and there’s a lot at stake, you need that assistance more than ever. In fact, I’d argue that with the rise of mico-publishers and the sheer volume of opportunities these days, a good agent who can offer solid career advice is more important than it has ever been. (And yes, I’m totally biased. I’ve been in the industry for 30 years, and have been agenting for full-time for 15. I have my own convictions about this.)  

Back to your question, there are a few Christian publishers who still take a fairly paternalistic attitude toward authors, and seem to resent the intrusion of agents into their small, controlled world. But the fact is every profession moves toward more specialization, and therefore needs people who are experts in the details. For example, selling a home used to be a fairly easy transaction to undertake. You turned over some cash, you signed an agreement, and the deal was done. That’s still the basic premise of a home sale today, but with various commissions, layers of government, and everybody from insurance offices to title companies trying to get a piece of the deal, it’s become considerably more complex. When my wife and I refinanced our home recently, we spent nearly two hours in an office, signing our names to a two-inch stack of documents. You can still sell a home on your own in this country – it’s just considerably harder than it used to be, and it’s going to take some significant learning on your part to make sure it all gets done properly. The same is true with a book deal. You can learn a lot of the process, and invest in the relationships you’re going to need, but you should know going in that you’re facing a steep learning curve.

As we move toward more and more digital books, the contracts have been reshaped — it’s important to work with someone who knows those documents and has your best interests at stake. And in a world where any schmuck can get his book published by simply posting it online, working with someone who knows a bit about marketing and sales is vital. Many authors are relying on their agents as de facto business managers, so knowing what you need in your life and business, then finding someone who can assist you in those areas, is essential, in my view.

Okay, so I’ve already turned this into a pro-agent screed. Sorry. Let me offer some additional thoughts: First, I freely admit there are good agents and bad agents. Not every author is a fit with every agent. Sometimes, even two talented and friendly people will be terrible business partners. So don’t be quick to sign with an agent. Check him or her out, asking questions like, “who do you represent?” and “who have you done deals with?” and “what do you do well?” Different agents, like different authors, will have unique strengths. If you need an agent who can offer a strong editorial eye, don’t sign with one who is strong on marketing but knows nothing about words. If you need someone to handle all your business arrangements, don’t assume you’ll be happy with an agent whose strength is editing and discussing ideas. Think carefully about what your expectations are in an agent before signing any sort of representation agreement.

Second, remember that anybody can call themselves an agent these days, and I sometimes run into people calling themselves agents who don’t know words, don’t have strong publishing relationships, and don’t know how to shape a writer’s career. Don’t sign with someone who charges fees for reading or for simply meeting — that’s a blatant violation of AAR guidelines. Be wary of agents who are also running editorial companies or are trying to sell you other services (agents earn their money from publishers, not off their authors). Though you’ll be tempted to sign with the first agent who expresses an interest in your work, be willing to take the long view. Your career matters, and nothing has the potential to shape your career more than the people you hang out with. 

I hope all this ranting helps. If you have a question about writing or publishing, send it along and we’ll offer some perspective. And if you have a good or bad agent story, I’d LOVE to have you share it in the “comments” section! 

I mentioned the other day that I’m going to be speaking at the Dallas Writers’ University on Saturday, May 4 — a one-day writing conference where I’ll talk about “Creating Your Publishing Strategy” and “Developing Book Proposals that Sell.” Other speakers include Jeane Wynn of Wynn-Wynn Media (a fabulous freelance marketing specialist who I’ve worked on numerous books with) and Michelle Borquez (who runs Bella Publishing and will be talking about “Building Your Author Platform”). There’s also going to be an attorney there, Gary Ashmore, talking about publishing contracts. It’s a great group, and I love the fact that they invited me to participate.

Now the big news: they told me this morning that anyone who registers for the conference and mentions my blog gets a big discount. The normal price is $199 for the full day (that includes all the sessions, your lunch, a face-to-face meeting with me, and access to the other speakers). But if you want to come and you mention you saw this on Chip’s blog, you  can attend for $149. So I hope you’ll consider coming. Space is limited to 30 people, and I’m not sure how many are signed up, but I love doing these intensive one-day gatherings, and not just the mega-conference with three thousand people.

AND if you decide to register and let me know in advance, I’ll offer a full review of your book proposal. Fiction or nonfiction, I’ll give it a review and we’ll talk through it face to face. So if you live in the Dallas area, or can get there easily enough the first weekend in May, please come join us. The event is held at the Ashmore Law Firm in downtown Dallas. You can find out all the details by going to www.dallaswritersuniversity.eventbrite.com

Again, I’m not doing many conferences these days (I’ll be at RWA and ACFW, but that’s about it), so for those who have wanted to know how you can meet an agent face to face, this is your chance. Hope some readers of this blog can participate. I look forward to meeting you.

As always, feel free to ask me questions about the conference if you have them. See you in Dallas!

We’re continuing our “ask an agent anything” series, where I’m trying to offer some short answers to your general publishing questions. If you’ve got a question you’ve always wanted to ask an agent, send it to me or leave it in the “comments” section. One reader wrote to ask, “What is “voice” in writing? “

Voice is the personality of the author, expressed through words on the page. When you write, your word choices, your phrasing and structure, your thinking and themes — they all help establish your personality as a writer. So the way I write is different from the way someone else writes — my personality comes through, and shows how I’m different and unique as a writer. (An example: Stephen King and William Faulkner both like long sentences, psychological implications, semicolons, and the use of the word “and” in their works… but nobody ever picked up a Stephen King novel and mistook it for a William Faulkner novel. Though they share some characteristics, each writer has his own personality, and that comes through on the page.) Of course, not every writing voice is good — just as not every singing voice is good. A great writer has a voice that is appealing and interesting.

Similarly, another person asked, “How does a writer know when he has established a strong voice in his work?” 

It takes time and effort. I’ve always thought a writer recognizes his or her own voice over time, so the more you write, the better you hear yourself in your words. My experience is that, as I write more and more, my personality becomes clear on the page. When we talk, your words don’t sound like mine. Your stories don’t sound like mine. Your personality is unique, and getting that to be clearly expressed on the page will help you define your voice. (So, for example, when I tell my story of being in the air on Sept 11, the way I tell the story of that day will be different from the way YOU might tell it.) The writers we love best express themselves through their own voices, and we love hearing those voices because they are individual, and, in the words of Carolyn Sloan, “they teach us to be ourselves by supplying us with an example of genuine emotion…” Great voice in writing is a unique and courageous act. And I don’t think it can be created — I believe it rises up from the soul of the writer.

And one writer wanted to discuss contests: “I’m entered in the Writers Digest Short Story competition, which states that Writers Digest has one-time publishing rights for the top 25 entries. So if I’ve entered, have I given up my publication rights? And as an agent, would you chew me out for being a bonehead? I just want to know if I’ve made a mistake in giving up my non-exlusive rights.”

You might very well be a bonehead (I’m reserving judgment), but you’re pretty safe with the WD contest. First, if it’s really “non-exclusive” rights, you’re free to re-sell those rights. And if this is a one-time agreement, it’s similar to any other print publication article. I doubt I’d chew you out… especially in the short story market, which is a tough, tough place to get published.

One writer wrote to ask me, “What do you think of POETS & WRITERS magazine? Do you subscribe? Why or why not? And if you used to, why don’t you now?”

I think Poets and Writers is a wonderful magazine. It offers very good information on writing and the industry, incorporates a lot of event and academic stuff, and has always worked to get writers connected to one another. There’s not much else like it. I used to subscribe, but I no longer do. That has nothing to do with the quality of the magazine, but instead with the fact that I can’t stay up with so many publications. A couple years ago I took steps to simplify my life, and that included giving up some of the magazines that were good, but that I didn’t have time to adequately read. (I took further steps last year, cutting out even more magazines, axing TV news, etc.) For those writers interested in the literary side of the industry, Poets and Writers is an excellent resource.

I have received this question several times: “You apparently do a lot of religious books. Is there a website that connects inspirational writers specifically with Christian agents? If not, do you think there’s a market for one?”

I do not know of a website that connects religious writers and agents. That doesn’t mean there isn’t one, it just means I don’t know of one. There are websites that attempt to connect Christian writers and publishers, including ChristianManuscriptSubmissions.com, but I don’t know if there’s one aimed at agents. Would there be a market for one? Maybe — my sense is there’s a market for just about everything. The questions would be “is it any good?” and “is it better than what we currently have?” The industry is rapidly changing, which means the role of agents is changing significantly. Some well-meaning sorts tried to create a Christian literary agent association a couple years ago, but it didn’t work out. I thought it was a noble effort, but I also wasn’t in favor of joining… I just didn’t feel it was set up appropriately. You’d have to think through things like “how are you going to define Christian?” and “what sort of guidelines are we going to have?” I have no doubts about the sincerity of religious-book agents — I just don’t know that it’s big enough to really have its own organization. Why not simply do what I did and join the Association of Author Representatives (the trade organization for full-time literary agents)?

Another writer had a similar question: “Is there a place in religious publishing for a strong Christian story, but with rough patches of reality along the way?”

Of course there is. Publishing is replete with examples of literary novelists with religious themes who include some of the grittier aspects of life. If you’re unfamiliar, read the works of Lisa Samson, Flannery O’Connor, Gina Holmes, Susan Meissner, Ann Tatlock, Mark Bertrand, Elizabeth Musser, Ginger Garrett, Mary DeMuth, Alice Wisler, and Charles Martin. There are plenty of writers doing Christian books in a real-world setting. (I’m going from the seat of my pants, so I’ve doubtless missed some other fine writers who ought to be included.)

Similarly, I’ve received several forms of this question: “Do religious publishers really have such overly strict requirements that they cannot use such words as ‘priest’ or ‘sex’ without being dismissed?”

No. That’s completely untrue. At least, in my extensive experience. Sure, if you’re doing a sweet romance, you can’t use racy language — but that sort of expectation is extant in ANY publishing line. You write to your audience. If your audience wants a clean romance, you write a clean romance. If they want a vivid action scene, you create a vivid action scene. But there’s not some written or unwritten code, other than societal norms. Think of it this way: If you’re writing to a religious audience who is offended by overt sexuality, then it’d be pretty dumb to include it in your novel with is supposed to be aimed at them. (A note: You may be referring to a blog post from bestselling novelist Ted Dekker a couple years ago, in which he cited a long-out-of-date document from Harlequin that listed certain words they didn’t want used in their religious fiction, in order to keep from sounding sectarian. Harlequin has since taken down that document, and the discussion has moved on.)

Happy to keep the conversation going…

I’ve been trying to answer a backlog of questions writers have sent my way, so we’re doing some short-answer blog posts for a while. For example, one person asked, “At what point in the process does an agent want to see a book proposal? After the book is completed?”

Most agents will look at a nonfiction book proposal before the book is completed, but after the author has figured out what he or she wants to say. That is, the author has figured out the question and the answer, and has tried to put some structure (in terms of an outline or table of contents) to the material. With a fiction proposal, most agents want to see a synopsis or overview, just to know what the basic story is, then the first ten to fifty pages, to see if the author can write. If the agent reads a portion and likes it, he or she will probably ask for the rest of the manuscript.

Someone else asked, “I’ve been told the internet has killed nonfiction… Is nonfiction really dead? It seems like most of the questions you get have to do with fiction.”

My wife was cooking an East Indian dish the other day, and needed a recipe. Where did she go? To a cookbook? Nope, she went online. I was looking for the answer to a port wine question yesterday. Did I look at one of my wine books? Nope, I went to the web. The internet has made basic information available on every topic to anyone with a computer. That puts the core of nonfiction at risk. I think this points to a major shift we’re seeing in publishing — away from much nonfiction in traditional print form. There will still be plenty of nonfiction that sees print (history, memoir, and much of the “literary” side of writing), but a lot of the how-to side is quickly shifting to an electronic format. People still love and buy nonfiction books, but only when they NEED to, or they see it as having literary quality,  or the material is not readily available in a digital format.

One author wanted to know, “Is it the agent’s job to tell the publisher they’re being too slow, or to withdraw a project from a house, or is that the author’s job?”

If the agent sent a project to a publishing house, it’s the agent’s responsibility to follow up on that project. That said, I don’t often tell a publisher they’re being “too slow.” Publishing is a slow business. I will often check on a project, to make sure it’s being reviewed and hasn’t fallen through the cracks, but I don’t often push them to make a decision. (Why? Because when pushed, the easiest answer is “no.”)

Another asked this: “If I regularly read an agent’s blog, should I mention that when I query them?”

I would. It establishes a connection.

A friend wrote to say, “You’ve often encouraged authors to promote themselves, yet you do a lot of inspirational books. How do you reconcile self-promotion with the Christian teachings on pride and being self-effacing?”

I was just asked this question on another website recently, so let me share the response I gave to them: “Promotion” and “pride” are two separate things. The church tells people to beware of pride — not to have too high an opinion of oneself, or to take all the credit for something, lord your success over others, or brag about how wonderful you are. When we do that, we lose our perspective as to where our talent comes from. But “promotion” is different than “pride.” It simply means we are encouraging or advancing something — and with a clear conscience, it’s promoting something we actually believe in. Move this out of the realm of books for a moment… If you were selling vacuum cleaners, would your faith keep you from advertising them? (“I can’t tell anyone about my vacuum cleaners — they’re really good, but it would look like I’m too proud of them.”) That’s crazy. If you work hard, have confidence in your work, and feel your product is helpful to others, should you feel awkward about telling others about it? I don’t think so. An author is creating art, so would we ask a singer not to sing in public, or a painter not hang her art in a gallery for fear others will notice their gifts? Of course not. Similarly, I think authors can promote the books they create in good conscience. Sure, that could cross over into the realm of an unhealthy, overweening arrogance — but any business where people are publicly successful holds that trap. So I think an individual take steps to make sure that doesn’t happen. I see nothing in my religious faith that tells me not to share the art I believe in with others.

One author sent this: “Will self-publishing my novel help me or hurt me when I approach a traditional publisher?”

Most likely, the answer is “neither.” Self-publishing probably won’t help you land a deal with a traditional publisher unless you sell a bajillion copies. Yeah, yeah… The Shack did exactly that, but that’s news because it’s so rare. For every Shack there are ten thousand other self-pubbed novels that did nothing. And then, if you sell a bajillion copies, you may not need that traditional publisher. But I certainly don’t think self-publishing will actually HURT you, unless your book is so horrendously bad that it becomes an insider joke.

I got this interesting question a couple weeks ago: “I wrote a story that is being produced as a play. A friend suggested I invite an agent to come see it. Is that common? Would it help me in any way?”

It may not be common, but I don’t see how it could hurt (assuming the play is good, of course). My suggestion: contact the agent, introduce yourself, explain the situation, invite him or her, then leave two good tickets at the door. I’ve known authors who have done that.

And I had several versions of this question: “How difficult is it for an author to break into more than one genre?”

If you’re a genre writer in fiction (that is, you’re basically writing romances, or historicals, or mysteries, or westerns, or thrillers, etc), then each time you switch genres, you have to start over. If you’re a literary fiction writer, it’s a bit easier, since you don’t have a genre-specific readership. However, be aware that if you have a loyal following in one genre, your readers might view your move to another genre as breaking your promise (“You ALWAYS write legal thrillers! And now you’re writing boring novels about poor people painting their house?!”). As I’ve stated earlier, moving from fiction to nonfiction is exceedingly, abundantly difficult. Fiction readers won’t cross over to read your nonfiction, and the skills used in the genres are very different.

I’ve been going through a long list of questions people have sent in, trying to offer short answers (as compared to my usual loquacious responses). One person wrote this: “I’m interested in getting an agent. How do you know which agent will work hard for you? For that matter, how can an author know which agents the publishers view as legit?”

If you want to know about an agent, you can always start by asking around. Ask publishers and editors in confidence what they think. Go onto the agency website and check the agent out. Check with “Predators & Editors” and “Writer Beware” to see which agents are not considered legit. Look into “Agent Query” and the other agency-ranking organizations. Pick up a copy of Chuck Sambuccino’s Guide to Literary Agents so you can do some research into the agent. In my opinion, you should look for an agent that’s a member of the Association of Author Representatives (AAR), the professional organization for literary agents. To see if the agent will work hard for you, all you have to do is to see which authors are happy and which agents are doing deals — you can find information on the number of deals done by an agent in the “Dealmakers” section of Publishers Marketplace. A lot of people will just tell you to “talk with other authors,” but I find that less than helpful. First, most people don’t want to say bad things about an agent, or worry that saying something honest will lead to a lawsuit. Second, many authors don’t often know a good agent from a bad one — if their agent got them a deal, they’re happy. I know some authors who have a lousy literary agent, but they’re completely satisfied because they don’t have anything to judge it against.

First, make sure your novel is well done. Have some other writer friends read it, get feedback from some experienced writers, and if possible talk with an editor about your work. The #1 reason projects get rejected is because the book isn’t really done — it might be a good idea, but it’s basically 60% completed, and if you send that in you are sure to get rejected. Second, do some research on literary agents. Don’t do a mass sending to a bunch of agents — find out who represents the type of book you write, who among that list is taking new clients, then try to get some sort of introduction. Publishing, like all businesses in this country, is a relationship business. If you can meet and talk to an agent (perhaps at a conference, or simply through an introduction from a mutual friend) you’ll be much further down the path in the submission process. Third, research what makes a good query letter. I sometimes laugh when I see an author has spent two years writing a book, and two minutes banging out a query letter.

This came in from a writer a few weeks ago: “What word count should I shoot for with a light romance? I heard one agent say if a novel gets over 115,000 words, she gets nervous. Are some of the long bestselling novels exceptions? I’ve seen several very long bestsellers lately.”

The genre romance houses are basically asking for 55,000 words for contemporary novels, and 75,000 words for historical novels. If you move away from a genre house and begin talking to more of a general lines publisher, you’ll find this publishing economy demands more from writers — so novels are often in the 90,000 to 100,000 word range. But yes, I am VERY reluctant to take on someone who has written more than 120,000 words. The investment by the publisher is huge, it takes extra work, the production costs are higher, and the final price point will be higher… so publishers find it easier to reject a book like that. They have to fall in love with a longer novel to contract it. (Pointing to mega-bestsellers that are extra-long is an exercise in futility. Better to look at the norms, not the exceptions.)

I got this question in from an author I met at a conference: “I recently won a writing contest, then saw how many ‘winners’ there were… It felt like I had ‘bought’ the win with my entry fee. How do agents and publishers feel about writing contest winners?”

I realize the people managing contests want to have happy customers, so they name a lot of “winners.” But in my experience, agents and publishers still like to see authors who can tell them they won a national writing contest. There’s still a prestige associated with that.

Here’s a question I get frequently: “I have published a novel, but now want to do a nonfiction book. What advice would you have for me?”

A nonfiction book is a completely different animal than a novel. A novel basically offers entertainment — a nonfiction book offers a solution to a problem or an answer to a question. It requires a different writing style. Most nonfiction writers think in terms of “telling,” and most novelists in terms of “showing.” For a nonfiction book, you’ll need to think about scope and sequence, strong principles with clear solutions, and good, illustrative stories. Don’t expect your fiction readers will cross the aisle and read your nonfiction book — they won’t. If you’re just trying your hand at NF, my best advice would be to study the basics of writing again. It’s not easy to slide from fiction to nonfiction.

One young person said, “I have a work that has promise, but needs a good, literary editor. Are there any grants or programs available to help inspirational authors fine-tune a work?”

I am not aware of any grants, however joining an online writing group or a critique group might prove helpful. It gets your writing in front of other eyes, so that you gain from the perspectives of others. You could also consider taking some formal writing classes, to glean advice from good writing instructors, or trying to team up with one of the many successful writers who run a mentoring program.

Another writer sent this: “It seems like the information about ‘platforms’ is always geared to nonfiction authors. What steps would you suggest for a fiction writer to start building a platform?”

That will depend on your novel, of course. The core of marketing is to figure out where the readers who would be interested in your story are gathering, then go stand in front of them. So if you’re writing Amish fiction, it would be good to figure out where people who love Amish gather — what sites do they visit, what ‘zines to they read, what programs do they follow. Where do they go and take part in a community of other like-minded readers? You want to figure out how to get in front of those folks. I’ve said this before, but think of “platform” as a number — the number of people you can say read your words and have some sort of investment in you, so they’re strong possibilities to buy your book. If you have a blog, do articles in your local newspaper, write things in your church or denominational newsletter, contribute to an online e’zine, speak to groups, teach classes, and appear in the media, all of those activities have a number of potential readers associated with them. You build your platform by participating in those activities, getting your words in front of people, and making sure they know the words are from you. You do your best to capture that audience, so you can approach them with your novel when it releases.

Again, if you have a question you want to post to an agent, ask away — I’m trying to blow through a bunch of topics quickly, and I’m happy to respond.  

Someone wrote to ask, “Must a novel always be 100% finished before an agent will want to take a look at it? Or if you spotted great voice in an unfinished work, would you take a look and offer encouragement?”

If I absolutely love the voice, I might sign an author based on the quality of the writing. That happens on occasion. More often, I will look at a project and offer encouragement to the writer if I like his or her writing voice and think it has potential, but still think it needs to be completed. Right now the market is more or less demanding a novel be completed if a publisher is going to take a risk on a new or newer author. So yes, an agent might very well say he likes your work, but put off a decision to sign you until you complete your novel.

Another asked, “How much of a difference does it make to an agent to hear I’ve been referred by one of their current clients? And how does that compare to a face-to-face with an agent at a conference?”

It always makes a difference to me when one of the authors I already represents sends a talented writer my way. I figure the writers I represent are already my friends — we understand one another, so they’re probably going to send people my way who would likely be a fit. So consider that a good start. That said, it still usually takes a face-to-face for me to really get to know someone. A conference meeting is often too short (sometimes ten minutes), but it’s a start. In both cases, it will need to be followed up by great writing and a long talk or two, where we both get a feel for whether or not we’re a fit for one another.

One writer asked, “How are royalties paid? Why is it the contract says you get 10%, but the author never sees that much?”

The standard hardcover contract pays the author 10% of whatever a book sells for on the first 5000 copies, then it rises to 12.5% on the next 5000 copies, then 15% thereafter. (But I should note the standard CBA contract will pay the author somewhere in the 12-to-18% of net — that is, it pays not on the retail price of the book, but on the amount of money received by the publisher.) The publisher keeps tabs on how many copies are sold, and quarterly or semi-annually pays that amount to the author. For subsidiary projects (that is, the words sold in another format, such as an audio book or an e-book), there will be a separate royalty amount. Sometimes a large company (read: “Wal-Mart”) will purchase a big quantity of books, but to do so they’ll insist on a huge discount. In a case like that, the author will be paid a discounted royalty. That’s why it can be hard to track a book’s exact earnings. I recently had an author on the bestsellers list receive a very disappointing check — the bulk of the sales were done through big box stores like Sam’s Club and Costco, so while the number of books sold was high, the discounts made the royalties lower than expected. Does that adequately answer your question? I can say more about royalties and payouts if you have more questions.

Another writer sent me this: “I sent something out to an agent prematurely. The agent rejected my project, but was nice enough to make suggestions for improving it. Now that I’ve taken her advice to heart, would it be reasonable to re-send to her? How unusual is it for an agent to reconsider an author they’ve already rejected?”

While it’s fairly rare for an agent to want to see a project he or she has already rejected, the situation you’re describing is a type of exception you’ll occasionally find. I wouldn’t make a habit of re-sending rejected proposals, for fear of establishing a bad reputation with agents. But if an agent has offered helpful advice, and you’ve really taken those words and improved your work, it wouldn’t be considered impolite to at least go back and ask if that agent would like to see the better, polished version. But be careful… Make sure it’s REALLY better. Nobody is going to look at it a third time.

This came from an experienced magazine writer: “I’ve quered a few agents who said they liked my writing, but there was no market for memoirs. Is there no market for memoir? Should I try to pitch the book as something else?”

Well, if the agents you’re approaching are saying there’s no market for memoir, then, for them at least, there’s no market for memoir. So you either have to look for other agents (who perhaps have a different perspective), or alter your book. My guess is you’ve written something that YOU see as memoir, but agents see as just a personal story — something that doesn’t have the broad appeal it needs, but is simply a cool story about something that happened to you. That’s the sort of thing I see ALL THE TIME, and there’s no market for it. That type of story fits best as a magazine or e-zine piece. If you want to reshape it into another book, you may want to think about the lessons you’ve learned — how can you turn your story into a self-help book, where you focus on the principles for living more effectively, and use your personal story as backstory to buttress your points. That might hold more appeal. OR you could leave it alone and do it as a magazine article, which will garner you more readers anyway.

And this came from a newer writer: “I’m a finalist in a writing contest. I’m also talking with an agent. If I win and get published, would if be customary for my agent to take 15% of the book?”

I love a question that’s off the beaten path. I don’t know that I’ve ever heard this before, so let me try my hand at it… If you came to me, and already had a publishing deal in hand, I would probably not take 15% of the deal. Since I didn’t help you shape the piece, or help you improve it, or shop it to publishers, it wouldn’t feel right to me to do so. I would probably offer to negotiate the contract for you, and hope to improve it, and perhaps suggest taking half my usual commission. (And, if you think I’m simply posing, I invite you to talk with some of the publishers. I’ve done exactly this in the past, so this isn’t some sort of empty windmill-chasing.) That said, other agents may disagree with me entirely. A good agent is going to help you shape your career, not just land one book deal, so they may feel entirely comfortable participating fully in the deal via a 15% commission. Depends on the individual. Don’t let it be a surprise — ask this question up front, in a non-combative way. No sense letting this create a headache for you later.  

I dug into my “blog” file this weekend, and realized I’ve got a backup of more than 300 questions people have asked. Gulp. That means I could start today, take the next year responding to them, and still not get to everything. So… a change in plans for the next few weeks: I’m going to try and tackle several questions each day for a while, just to offer some answers and catch up a bit.

To begin, someone sent me a note that read, “My agent won’t tell me who she sent my proposal to. She also doesn’t show me the rejection notices. Is that normal?”

Not showing rejection notices has become normal. You need to understand that the days of editors sending long rejections to agents, detailing the perceived issues with a manuscript, went out with the Reagan Administration. It’s not uncommon to get a brief email that says, “No thanks” or “We looked at this and we’re not going to pursue it.” And frankly, there’s not much value in my forwarding those notes to one of my authors, unless I want to drive her into depression and a possible drinking binge. (On the rare times I receive a thoughtful reply, with notes on how the manuscript could be improved, I try to always pass that along to the author.) So tell your agent you’d like to know what people are saying — that’s a fair request. However, I’ll admit I don’t know why an agent wouldn’t show you a list of who’s looking at your proposal. I mean…it’s your proposal, so I wouldn’t think that would be a secret. You may want to ask your agent what the reasoning is behind that decision. I find it odd. I’m not saying she is necessarily wrong, but it’s definitely not the norm.

Someone else wrote and asked, “Can an agent help me plan the marketing for my book?”

Normally an agent can help you think through some of the marketing, maybe even help you plan it or oversee pieces of the marketing plan. But a literary agent is different from a publicist or a marketing manager. As the author, YOU are most responsible for marketing your book, so don’t leave all that up to your agent, your publisher, your sales staff, your publicist, your mom, or anyone else. YOU are in charge of marketing. Nobody knows the book better than you, nobody has more invested in it, and nobody is more committed to its success than you. I probably have marketing conversations most days with authors, and try to give input and provide advice where I can, but I’m not a full-time marketing consultant (if I were, I’d never get my author’s books sold).

One author wrote to say, “I haven’t heard from my agent in six months. Is that unusual?”

My response: Um…really? Six months? Well, to each his own. (Or “her” own, depending on the sex of the agent.) The biggest complaint people have about their agent is generally described as “lack of contact.” Everybody wants to be in touch with their agent. And I guess everybody’s work style is different. I represent a couple authors I speak to every week. I also have a couple authors I have to remind myself to call every couple months, since they are so low-key I want to make sure they’re still breathing. Perhaps you and your agent aren’t on the same track (though I think six months is a bit much). My suggestion would be that you contact him or her and talk about expectations. Make sure you both can live with the amount of communication you have. And remember that you’re probably not the only client your agent represents, so be willing to understand his or her business and adjust your thinking a bit.

I swear I’m not making this one up — I had someone write to this blog say, “I sent you my proposal three months ago! What’s wrong? I need an answer!”

So, um, I gave him one. I won’t share my exact words, but it had to do with a cliff, and the author going there to jump off it. Good grief, learn to be polite. I never mind an author checking in with me (“Hi Chip – I haven’t heard from you in a while, and I was just wondering if you had any updates for me.”). That’s part of the business. And, if this were an author I already represented, I’d have been much speedier. But I have a different reaction when somebody presumes I owe him a response just because he saw my name in a book somewhere and decided to write to me. I mean, what do I owe this guy? I didn’t ask him to write me. I didn’t invite him to send me his proposal. Where does it say I even owe him a response? Listen to me: politeness still counts. (And I’m so polite I even deleted the name “Jerkface” at the end of this answer.)

Another author wrote to ask, “I was told I can’t sell my book without an agent, even in CBA, where that used to be possible. Is that true?”

More or less, that’s true. Most of the houses have instituted policies requesting authors to send them proposals through an agent. It professionalizes the relationship, takes a bit of the emotion out of the process, and moves the task of skimming the dross from publishing houses onto literary agents. Of course, I think it’s still possible to find a deal with a publisher without an agent, but it’s considerably harder than it used to be. To use an analogy, think of it as trying to sell a home — realtors have pushed state legislators to pass so many requirements that it’s a daunting task just to fill out the paperwork on the sale of your house. Four times we’ve sold homes, Patti and I have used a realtor. But we’ve sold another four homes by owner, working to make the place presentable , buying our own ads, and hosting our own open houses, so it’s still possible to do that — just a bit more difficult. It’s the same with selling a manuscript — if you have a great idea, you’ve put together a solid proposal, you have established a good platform for yourself, and you work to get a face-to-face appointment with an editor where you can pitch your idea, it’s still a possibility. It’s a lot of work, but it’s do-able.  Still… consider what you want handled by a professional. When I wanted a will, I didn’t use one of those free online downloads to do it. I felt it was an important enough process that I went to a lawyer and had a professional create it. When I was setting up my retirement account I did some of the investments on my own, but I also used a professional to set up and manage the bulk of it. Ask yourself if you have the knowledge, time, and desire to manage your book contracts and your publishing career.

Someone wrote me to say, “I’ve got my manuscript done, I’ve run it by a professional editor, and I’m feeling ready to talk with literary agents. Can you suggest ways I connect with some good agents?”

Sure I can.

-Go meet agents. Attend conferences, make appointments at their office, connect at a book show, etc. Don’t just focus on one person — try to get some exposure to a few literary agents. 

-Get to know and trust the agent. Again, I think there are a group of people who claim to be agents but don’t really know the business. So check their websites, read their blogs, ask around. 

-Find out if they like books and if they’re good with words. The best agents are word people first… and that’s an important point. Just because a guy has negotiated contracts doesn’t mean he can help you with ideas or writing or editing or selling.

-Ask who they represent, then go check with some of their authors. Just because she claims to be popular doesn’t mean her clients are happy. Go ask others. 

-Ask “how many books have you contracted in the past year?” You can also ask about which houses, which genres, etc. I’ve frequently suggested a number of questions you could ask agents. Check out some of my old posts on “agents” and make a list of questions that fit your particular situation. 

-Look for a full-time agent, not somebody who is part agent, part editor, part author, part Amway salesman. More and more I think this is true. Look, not everybody can be an agent. Just like not everybody can be an author, a copy-editor, a sales rep, or the quarterback of the Green Bay Packers. So look for somebody who knows this job and is sold out to doing it, rather than somebody who is trying to represent people while also doing a dozen other things.

-Go create a wonderful proposal with good writing and a complete bio. Make sure to include your sales history and a market analysis. The fact that you’ve completed your novel and have had it reviewed by a competent editor is a plus. 

-Remember MacGregor’s Law of Agenting: Make sure you LIKE the person. There’s nothing worse that having to do business regularly with people you don’t like. I LIKE the authors I represent. Most are personal friends. I can’t imagine working in my office, having the phone ring, hearing the receptionist say “Mr Farnsworth is on the phone,” and me going into a spasm of disgust – “Yikes! Farnsworth! I HATE that guy! Tell him I’m not here!” Life is too short. I routinely tell authors that I’m not the agent for everyone. My personal style is fairly gentle (believe it or not…I’m not nearly the smart-ass in real life as I appear in print), and I’m pretty soft-spoken at meetings (people are often disappointed when they meet me). So I’m not the right guy for a writer who wants Mr. Take-Charge. If you don’t LIKE the individual, don’t hire him or her. 

-Once you settle on someone, make a commitment to work with him or her long term. A good agent should talk with you about your writing career. My goal is to work with the authors I represent for the next 20 years, so we can all retire together and still be friends. (That said, always ask if the agent you’re talking to relies on a “term” agreement or an “at will’ agreement. I use an at-will agreement. There’s no term — it starts the day we sign it; it ends when we start calling each other names and throwing copies of manuscripts at each other. I’ve talked with too many authors who got locked into really bad term agreements — “I’d like to have you represent me, Chip, but I’m stuck with Mr Bonehead for the next two years.”)

Hey, the strength we have at MacGregor Literary is that Sandra and Amanda and I are both WORDS people (not just “contract” people). But does that make us the agency for everyone? Nope. Again, I tell would-be agents:(1) only represent people you like, and (2) only represent good writers. I’ve been able to hold to that, and done really well in the business. So… can you get published without an agent? Of course you can. You can also sell your house without a realtor and draw up your own will. But a good realtor can smooth things out for you, and a good lawyer will probably get the will done faster and more neatly. By the same token, a good agent should help you decide on a salable idea, create a better proposal, and get that proposal in front of the decision-makers who matter.

I hope this helps. Let me know any other agent-related questions you have.