The literary agent said 'yes' -- ask before you say 'I do'

 In the previous post, I wrote about what literary agents want to see from writers. But what happens when, after all our work, we've caught the eyes of those agents. Before we say, "I do!" agents Cate Hart and Melissa Danaczko offered some cautionary words at the recent Historical Novel Society Conference.

Although writers will have already checked the agent's website and social media posts, a personal call -- usually scheduled by the agent -- is the time to dig into specifics.

Hart and Danaczko have a list of questions they'd like writers to ask potential agents, including:

• What did the agent like about the book? Why did they love it? Where does it fit in the marketplace?
• What level of revision is the agent looking for? 

   "I usually come to the call with some notes," Hart said. "Once signed, I'll dig deeper."    

• What is the agent's communication style? Phone? Email? Does the writer like regular check-ins? Or want to know what a particular editor said about the manuscript?
• Timelines -- When does the agent expect to receive answers to their submissions to editors? When do they expect follow-up from the writer?
• How many clients does the agent have? Where does the agent see this writer fitting into their client base? Ask to speak to a few of the agent's other clients.
• How many editors does the agent expect to submit to? At what publishing houses?
• Does the agent handle contracts or does the agency use another person/team?
• What will the agency agreement look like?
• What does the agency support staff look like? How do they handle sub-rights such as foreign, audio, TV/film?
• What is expected of the author?

To which I'll add -- what happens if the author/agent ends? Agencies and publishers don't always live forever. Check out what the ever-after may look like.

Image: StockSnap for Pixabay

Writers may well have other questions. Make a list, check it twice -- or more -- and keep it handy, especially if an agent has shown signs of interest.

Writers should also note that if they have submitted to multiple agents, they must inform them before accepting an offer. If an author is still unsure whether the agent on the call is "the one," the author should also check with others they may have contacted to ask if they want to make their own offers.

***

After all that, what should the writer expect the agent to do? 

"We're the middleman," Hart said. "We're continuously networking behind the scenes, for you and the book."

Besides formulating a sales pitch, contacting publishing house editors, and following up on the author's behalf, an agent is the "go-to" person for any other concerns an author has. Don't like the publisher's choice of title or cover? Although I've heard writers have little input on these issues, little doesn't mean none. Let the agent know. 

Agents should also keep up with a publisher's marketing and publicity plans, and of course the sales of multiple rights. 

And perhaps the agent's most important job is to promote and protect the writer's body of work  "Publishers are looking at what's coming out right now," Danaczko said. "Agent's may be able to take a longer look after the initial publication -- looking at your whole career." 

***

Still to come from the conference trenches -- writing a novel with dual plotlines. And -- where to find more agents!

Tips direct from the lit conference trenches

 Here I am, in the middle of back-to-back virtual writing conferences with lots of tips from the trenches.  First up, from this past week's Historical Novel Society North America conference, is a discussion by agents Cate Hart and Melissa Danaczko from their master class on navigating past the publishing world's gatekeepers.

Although many smaller publishers are willing to consider unagented manuscripts "most major trade publishers don't have the bandwidth to sort through the tends of thousands of submissions they receive in a year," Danaczko said. Instead, those large publishers rely on gatekeepers -- literary agents -- to do the initial sorting.

I've lost track of the number of times I've heard fellow writers decry agents who reject a manuscript as "unsellable." But agents, legitimate ones at least, only get paid once their clients receive money. They're the ultimate commission sales force. And because of this, they need "a very clear path in our minds as to how we're going to sell the novel," Danaczko said.

Image: Pixabay

Among the questions they ask themselves when considering a manuscript, particularly historical novels, is where it fits in current culture and whether there are connections between the story's past and our present world.

Connection that can pique an agent's -- and a publisher's -- interest include narratives that have been overlooked in the past but are becoming relevant today. Other connections include reimaginings of works coming into the public domain once their copyrights have expired, or anniversaries of significant events.

However, Danaczko warned, "it can be tricky to jump on trends or even to try to predict future trends. And works relying on topics that have become extremely popular may encounter a glut of similar projects in the marketplace.

Cate Hart concurred. "It's hard to follow trends. . . Write what you love, then work with themes of today to see what fits."

Some things we writers have been taught to obsess about may seem surprisingly less important to agents. Among these are the writer's social media presence.

Hart pronounced social media "not a make or break." And as Danaczko noted, "an author's engagement with social media is something you need to think about but only to your (level of) comfort and enjoyment. It doesn't hurt to dip your toes in the the water," but for her, it's what's on the page that counts most in her decision about who to represent.

However, being a follower on social media can provide much needed information about what agents are interested in, what they love, things they notice in popular culture. And as always, check the agent's website.

Danaczko also noted that many pitching events on Twitter, such as the quarterly #PitMad, offer good practice for authors, helping them refine their pitches and drill down on what works.

So ow, say we writers have completed and polished our manuscripts, preferably with the help of beta readers. How do we put the information we've gleaned into our queries?

"Look at book descriptions" on the blurbs for published books and their online sales and review sites. "What is it about the description that entices you?" Danaczko asked. "I need to have a really good sense of what the book is about and what's at stake."

Or as Hart put it, in a formula she loves, the query needs to have a "hook, a book, and a cook." 

The hook is the elevator pitch such as "X meets Y." (And yes, she loved "Pride and Prejudice with zombies"!)

The book part of the formula is two or three paragraphs, including the inciting incident, highlighting major plot points (but not the ending), and what's at stake if the main character does -- or does not -- accomplish their goal.

This is also where the often-dreaded topic of "comp" (comparative) titles appears.

Although Danaczko admitted sometimes requesting manuscripts even if the query listed no comp titles, these can be a useful shorthand for the book's themes, plot or characters. It's best to avoid mentioning as comps books that either not sell well or, conversely, were massive best sellers.

She suggested such formulas as "for readers of X type of book" or "with the feel of Y book."

"Comp titles work better for high concept/commercial books," Hart said. "But if your book is quieter, comps are less helpful." And although writers are often advised to use only the most current books as comps, "sometimes something older works, if it's culturally on people's minds."

The cook is us, the authors, the reason why we're the one destined to write this story. We often fret if we have no previous publishing experience but both Hart and Danaczko say not to worry. Everybody is unpublished at sometime. Instead, consider whether there are relevant family connections or research specialties, but stay as relevant as possible. 

Surprisingly to me, another often-touted must have -- professional editing -- was less important to the agents. Both Hart and Danaczko noted that although editors can be helpful, too much reliance on external help can be a sign that the writer's own toolbox of techniques may be skimpy. The manuscript should be as polished as the author can make it but "editors are not going to guarantee representation down the line. Take it as far as you can on your own."

After all that, did they have any major turnoffs about queries?

For Danaczko:

• When I can't locate quickly what the book is about
• Queries that promise things nobody can guarantee, such as sales comparisons
• Verbatim repeating of the agent's bio in the query

All of the above, Hart said, adding:

• Pasting parts of the book in the query -- "I still don't know what the book is about" 
• Not a genre I represent
• When requesting a synopsis, "I get two paragraphs when what I need is a beat by beat version"

    ***

 Still to come: what to ask an agent who offers representation? How to know if they're right for you? And what the heck do they actually do?