Why Having a Rock Star Agent Matters

The Benefits of Having a Great Agent

I'm sure you've all heard the warning that a bad agent is worse than no agent at all. I've read horror stories (and even heard in person from a best-selling author) about what happens when an agent goes bad and they have to start over and find a new agent. I've also read a lot online saying you don't even need an agent these days, especially if you plan to self-publish. I respectfully disagree. In fact, I went to a talk by a best-selling self-published author, and guess what she had? A top agent from a great literary agency. Another top-earning self-publisher just blogged about recently obtaining an agent for her books. Why? I'll discuss that in a minute. Overall, I agree that having no agent is better than having a bad agent...but having a rock star agent is golden. I know a little bit about this because I have a rock star agent *waves at Jessica* from a great literary agency. So here is how a fabulous agent can benefit both traditional and self-published authors:

1) Editorial relationships. A great agent has a wealth of publishing knowledge and solid relationships with editors, so they know who is be looking for a specific project. For instance, they know if an editor has been dying for a book about killer space monkeys, or conversely, if an editor will stab themselves if they see one more monkey story. Though I try to stay abreast of publishing industry news, I don't have the years of relationships with publishers that my agent does, and I'm so glad she knew exactly where to send my book (which sadly, does not involve killer space monkeys). Some self-publishers are pursuing the hybrid model, which involves having some books published traditionally while they self-publish others, and for any author who wants a traditional publishing deal, a reputable agent has access to publishing houses that don't allow non-agented submissions. 

2) They know books.  This might sound obvious, but it's true. Agents read a ton of queries (after doing my "query critiques for all" giveaway earlier this year, I have even more respect for the massive amount of work they do). They also read a lot of manuscripts and you know, actual books. The bottom line is that agents know books. They know what makes for a great story and can easily spot what works and what doesn't. Every suggestion my agent made for revising my book was spot-on. Her knowledge made my book better, and I'm not saying that just because the book sold to a great publisher...I'm truly satisfied that I created the best book I could.

3) Contract negotiations. Can you say "reversion of rights?" Yes, technically you don't "need" an agent to sign a publishing contract, but have you read one lately? I got a headache after seeing one paragraph. An agent knows their way around the technical language of the contract, and knows where to push for change (e.g. more money, reversion clauses, etc.) They will also likely be more successful in having those changes accepted than if the author negotiated themselves, because part of being a good agent involves killer negotiating skills. Could someone do this themselves if they spent enough time on it? Yes, but personally, I'd rather focus on writing. I have enough trouble negotiating bed time with my kiddos, and am happy to leave legal negotiations in my agent's capable hands.

I'm also including foreign rights in this category, and it's a big reason why some self-published authors either already have or desire an agent, even if they don't want a traditional publishing deal. I can't imagine the time and energy involved in navigating foreign rights contracts, nor do I want to. The agented self-published author I heard speak said that the foreign rights sales alone was the impetus for her to get an agent.

4) Trust. This one is more intangible but just as important (to me, anyway). The author-agent relationship is a business partnership, and if you don't have trust in your business partner, then you're screwed (and yes, that trust goes both ways). For the writer, it's important to feel like you have someone watching out for your best interests. Yes, an agent only makes money if your book sells, but I believe that most agents go into the business for the same reason that writers do--we are all passionate about books. Most agents only take on a book because they love it. They wouldn't devote hours of their time to something they didn't believe in. When you trust that your agent is competent and skilled, it frees you to focus on other things--you know, like writing (well, and marketing, but that's a whole other post).

What have I missed? Any other opinions out there from the agented or unagented?  

Contest Monday with Agent-Judged First Page Contest

Today is Shelley Watters birthday *insert happy birthday to Shelley song here* and Shelley is celebrating with a contest of awesome. It features your first page and literary agent, Victoria Marini. Get the deets on Shelley's Birthday Blowout First Page Contest and enter by 11:59p June 27th (that's tonight, so hurry).

Got a contest you'd like to promote? Enter it in Mr. Linky below:

3 Signs That I'm Revising

 I'm in major polishing/revision mode for my new ms, and some telltale signs have appeared:

1) My basket runneth over. Okay, if you've read my prior laundry related posts, you know I haven't seen the bottom of my laundry basket in years (seriously, I think it's possessed). But I aim to keep the clothes level lower than the rim of the basket. Hey, it's good to have goals. This week, a tower of abstract clothing art has overtaken my closet.

2) My inner addict emerges. I know I'm in trouble when I wonder if mainlining caffeine would be a more efficient delivery method than drinking it. While coffee is the biggie for me, chocolate also has a way of disappearing when I'm revising. I've tweeted about the evil called Cadbury Creme Eggs, but since Easter is over, my ass is safe for another year.

3) Sleep is for babies. There's not much I love more than my sleep. In fact, my husband would attest that I am a baby--like, a huge, super cranky one--when I don't get enough (and with two young kids, I never get enough). For me to willingly sacrifice sleep is not typical, but I've been up til midnight or later for the past week because I've been so excited about finishing revisions. As I do best with 8-9 hours of sleep, I realize this 4-5 hours a night thing will catch up with me soon, but I'm really close to the end. At least I better be, or my hubby is going to spike my coffee with benedryl.    
 
Can anyone relate to these? What are your signs that you're deep in writing/revision land?
  
Also, I wanted to pass along info about a great upcoming event: Want to ask an agent a publishing question? Super-agents Kathleen Ortiz and Liz Jote are going to do a LIVE podcast on Thursday, May 5th at 9pm ET.

Contest Monday not on Monday, plus WriteOnCon awesomeness

I thought I'd shake things up a bit and have Contest Monday on Tuesday--which is my way of saying that I totally forgot it was my turn to post this week (*hangs head in shame*) Anyway, we Sisters are so excited that we're about to hit 500 followers. How excited? Well, we're going to do a cool contest once we hit that magic number as a huge thank you to all our wonderful friends and readers, so spread the word!

Also, in case you missed this event from the amazingly awesome peeps at WriteOnCon (yes, so awesome that I used an adverb--sorry Mr. King), here is a link to the "Live Event with uber-agents Michael Bourret and Jim McCarthy" from Dystel & Goderich. This is one of my fave agencies--I've seriously (there I go again) loved every book I've read by their clients (NOTE: they rep Carrie Ryan, Richelle Mead, Lisa McMann and James Dashner to name just a few). Michael and Jim provided a ton of information about their take on the market, queries, MG fiction, and everything else from contemporary YA to zombies. I encourage you to read the entire transcript, as it's also entertaining. My favorite line came from Jim McCarthy when asked about what to include in a query:

"I love a good introduction if you're sending to me for a specific reason. Otherwise, jump right into the plot description. Just don't get all gimmicky: "What would you do if you woke up on Mars and your mother was dead?" I don't know, but I do know I'm about to reject you..." 
 
If you're planning to query this agency (and I hope you are), this is a must-read!

Top 5 Things an Agent Looks for in a Query Letter

I attended Writer's Fest this past weekend, which happened to be held at my all-time favorite bookstore, The Tattered Cover in LoDo (lower downtown for you non-Denverites). It was jam-packed with writerly folks (as in standing room only) when intern Anita Mumm from Nelson Literary Agency took the stage. NOTE: For anyone not following Kristin Nelson's blog, Pub Rants, stop now and go follow it...but come back. Anita discussed the "Top 5 things They are Looking for in a Query Letter," as well as what they're hoping to see more of at their agency:

1) Is the book the right genre? This seems obvious, but Anita said the audience would be surprised how many queries she receives for genres they don't represent. This agency reps commercial fiction, literary fiction, women's fiction, young adult, middle, grade, SF/F and memoir. Bottom Line: Do your homework before submitting.

2) Strong Voice. Ah, that elusive voice. It's hard to define but every agent knows it when they see it. Basically, the voice of the query should reflect the voice of the book (e.g. a humorous book should have humor in the query).

3) Is it a hot topic? They're looking for the "next big thing," and Anita joked that this does not mean vampires. Specifically, the Nelson Agency is seeking dystopian, post-apocalyptic, steam punk, sci-fi/fantasy, contemporary YA romance, Southern fiction, MG and YA with a strong boy MC, MG horror (seriously), and the more broad "strong literary fiction with a commercial bent."

4) Is the query concise but thorough? They want to see your plot summarized in a clear and understandable way. If the query is sloppy, they'll know the book is likely to be as well. Make sure to include relevant publishing history and note why you are querying the agency. However, Anita cautioned not to overdo the flattery. Stating that you met one of them at a conference or follow Kristin's blog is more professional than "You're the best agent that ever existed, and I'm naming my first born after you."

5) Is the author confident? There's a fine line between arrogance and being too humble, but they want to see that you have confidence in yourself and your work. On one hand, you don't want to say "I'm the next Stephen King and you'd be an idiot not to take me." (NOTE: this was a literal sentence Anita received in a query) I don't even consider that arrogance--I consider it being a jackass, but Anita is more polite than me. On the other hand, what she sees WAY more of is the opposite end of the spectrum. Things like "I've never published anything, but hope you'll consider me anyway" or "This is my first query letter, so please forgive my mistakes." Again, even if you're not published (like *cough* me *cough*), you want to project confidence in your work. 

Anita also conducted a sample pitch session of what not to do, which was highly entertaining. Note: when asked how long your ms is, your answer should never sound anything like "Well, I have 30,000 words written so far." For more on how to pitch, see our earlier post here.

Hope this is helpful and happy querying!

Sadness and Celebration

As much as I've tried to focus on writing-related things this week, my mind keeps turning toward Japan. Like you, I've seen the horrific videos, and reports of millions who've had no food...or water...or heat...for FIVE days, yet I still cannot even imagine what they're going through. Because I'm seeing it all from the comfort of my heated and fully stocked house, with my loved ones safely at my side. Take a minute to send some healing thoughts their way, and is you can spare even a few dollars, consider sending a donation too (if you've had food or water in the last five days, you can probably find five dollars somewhere.) I sent mine through Shelter Box, but there is also Doctors Without Borders (where I've also donated and is a fabulous organization), and the American Red Cross.


Yet, as is the way of life, there is also happy news to report. The lovely and gracious Carolina Valdez Miller is officially represented by Vickie Motter. To help her celebrate, a host of peeps are contributing some awesome giveaways (and Carolina and Vickie are giving away a first page critique!). Get all the details here, but at least stop by to congratulate Carolina on her success!

What Agents Wish You Knew - Or Why You Should Wait Until Your Book Is REALLY Ready To Query!

When I was just a fresh-faced Midwesterner, brand new to LA, I thought, hey, I'm in LA, maybe I should be an actor! (Because, you know, everyone was doing it.) So I started going to these Casting Director (*Casting Directors are the ones who go out and find actors, and audition them for roles in movies) workshops where actors would get a chance to hear a Casting Director speak about what they're casting, and give out some acting advice. One of the things I heard over and over from Casting Directors was "We want you to be good."

No one believed them.

The veteran actors who had been auditioning for years were sure that it was just some line they used to make them sound good, (because Casting Directors only wanted already famous people, anyway). And newbie actors thought, why would that famous casting director care about me? I'm nobody, there's no way they'd ever cast me.

It wasn't until I became a Casting Director myself and was faced with casting 6 major roles in my own film that I understood. It's true, Casting Directors are praying that every single actor that walks through the door is so amazing that they're THE ONE. They get excited by each new face they see. They really truly want actors to be good.

Here's why:

1. Auditioning actors is very time-consuming.
- First they have to sort through hundreds (literally) of headshots to find the ones who look most like what the role requires.
- Then they have to schedule auditions for all those with the right look (that might be a hundred again).
- Then they have to sit down with each one of those actors and have them read through the scene, narrow down the good ones, and do it all over again until they have 5 or 6 of the best that they can take to the director and producers.

If an actor comes in who is so amazing that they get immediately skip ahead to the meeting directors and producers stage, think of all the time the Casting Director has saved!

2. When a Casting Director finds the perfect actor for a role, that actor and film can win awards, which means more recognition and more money for the Casting Director. It's not in their best interest to cast their Uncle's cousin's best friend's kid. It just isn't.

Hmm... Does any of this sound familiar?

If you substitute Writer for Actor, Agent for Casting Director, and Editor and Publishers for Director and Producers, (and okay, obviously, books for movies) it sounds a lot like the publishing world, doesn't it?

So this is what I want you to know:

AGENTS WANT YOUR BOOK TO BE GOOD!

Before they click open your email they probably say a silent prayer like, Please God let this one be THE ONE!

Even though they might complain about their overflowing inboxes, they secretly thrill at all of those potential bestsellers just waiting for them.

How You Can Take Advantage Of This Knowledge:
DO NOT SEND YOUR BOOK OUT UNTIL IT IS THE BEST THING YOU HAVE EVER WRITTEN

Then, write a query letter that SHOWS your book is THE ONE. (Don't write "This is the book you've been waiting for!" Just. Don't.)

Don't let yourself think, It doesn't matter anyway, it's not like that agent will ever really rep me, I'll just send my query/partial/full and get the rejection over with. (WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?? WHY WOULDN'T YOU WAIT AND SEND SOMETHING YOU BELIEVED IN 100%?)

Because trust me, that agent isn't looking at their inbox thinking I can't wait to reject all of these losers today! They're thinking, PLEASE let this next one be THE ONE!

Advice from Literary Agent Sandra Bond

Thanks to the wonderful Casey over at Literary Rambles for having me as a guest blogger--again! If you don't follow her blog, you should!

*Don't forget you have until this Sunday to enter our 300 Followers Contest!

I spent Sunday afternoon with the wonderful members of the Parker Writers Group listening to literary agent Sandra Bond of Bond Literary Agency discuss numerous agent-related topics. She was kind and gracious, staying an extra half hour to answer all the audience questions. Some of the info was geared toward those at the beginning stages of writing and I won't go into the basics that were addressed (e.g. writing a synopsis, how to pitch to an agent/editor, the importance of the first line, and researching which agents to query)--for those topics, you can see our prior posts here, here, here, and here.

Fun Fact about Sandra: She doesn't like synopses and rarely asks for them. I know some of you are jumping for joy right now! 

Book I'm Most Excited to Read by One of Sandra's Clients: I just picked up Postcards from a Dead Girl by Kirk Farber (and got it signed by him). I can't wait to read it!

Here are a few key questions that Sandra answered for the group:

What makes a manuscript pop?  Sandra stressed that agents have different tastes and likes/dislikes. She prefers great writing over story (some agents look first at the story/hook) and acknowledged she likely would have turned down a writer like John Grisham. What makes  a submission pop for her are:

• great writing (she always looks for this first, above all else)
• the voice
• the characters
• the first sentence, first paragraph, and first chapter are respectively, the most important parts of the manuscript. She knew within the first page of the manuscript that she wanted to sign several of her clients!!! HINT: If you feel your story doesn't really pick up until Chapter 3, you may want to revisit the first chapters.
• Another important aspect of submitting involves following agency guidelines (Sandra asked a writer to submit the 1st two chapters of their novel, and he responded that although he knew what she wanted, he thought he'dsend the last chapter instead as it was a better chapter.) DON'T DO THIS! 

What should an unpublished author put in the biographical part of their query letter? I'll do a comprehensive post on query letters in the future, but this question is important for those sending out that first query. Again, you need to research individual agents to see what they prefer but Sandra likes a writer to include the following information if applicable:

• membership to a professional writing group (e.g. SCBWI)
• writing conference attendance
• established critique group membership
• career which involves writing

What is she looking to represent right now/what is she not looking for?

In fiction, Sandra stated she is always looking for a well-written, commercial crime/thriller novel. She emphasized the "well-written" part several times, and said she's looking for a James Lee Burke. So far, she's only taken on one client in this genre because of the well-written part.

She's also seeking a variety of commercial and literary fiction, including women's fiction and YA. For kidlit writers out there--while she is open to urban fantasy in YA, she's not really looking for any post-apocalyptic scenarios.

Sandra does NOT represent romance, adult fantasy, poetry or science fiction.

In non-fiction, she is seeking interesting, well-written narrative NF (e.g. Eat, Pray, Love or Three Cups of Tea). She would also love an interesting science book by an expert--remember that having a platform is a key compoment of selling most NF. Memoir is an area that she hasn't taken on, because the genre is so tricky--great writing is the most important aspect of memoir and she hasn't yet found it.

Sandra is NOT looking for any self-help books. She doesn't usually represent history, although she did sell the incredible book Her Story: A Timeline of the Women Who Changed America.
 
How to Query Ms. Bond: send a query letter via email or snail mail to her attention (see her link above for her email and mailing address.) If interested, she'll ask for more. Due to the number of submissions she receives, she won't reply if not interested--so don't take it personally.

Final Note: It's so awesome when agents take the time to do things like this. It's not like they get paid for it, and it's a huge benefit to aspiring writers. If you get the chance to attend an event like this, be sure to thank them!!!

Got Micro-tension?

I was lucky enough to attend a workshop with Donald Maass on the importance of having micro-tension in your manuscript. Just as the term suggests, this doesn't refer to the over-arching conflict or obstacle facing your main character (which you could think of as macro-tension). Micro-tension is the tension that keeps readers turning each page in that "Oh, I'll read just one more chapter before bed...oh my god, it's 3am" kind of way. It's "line by line" tension. Do you have enough micro-tension in your story? Is there some sort of conflict on every page of your novel. Every. Single. Page. Mr. Maass discussed 3 main components of micro-tension:

1) Dialogue - every interaction between two characters should involve some sort of tension. This doesn't need to be overly dramatic, such as a fight. It can be subtle and implied, but it should still be there (think Hills Like White Elephants). 
2) Exposition - this is a great place to show the contradiction (conflict) between what a character is feeling/thinking and what they're doing (their actual behavior).
3) Action - while this might be the easiest place in theory to create micro-tension, you still need to make sure you have conflicting emotions in order to keep readers turning the page.

A great idea from Donald Maass: Print out your full manuscript and throw it in the air. Yeah, this might give overly organized peeps (like me) a heart attack but it's still great advice. Pick up a page at random and see if there is micro-tension on the page. Then pick up another page, etc. until you've picked up Every. Single. Page. If there's a page without micro-tension - fix it. His reason for doing it that way is that when writers read their manuscript in chronological order, they tend to over-estimate the tension on a given page. It's easier to be objective when picking a random page off the floor.

Any other tips out there on ensuring you have micro-tension on every page? Now get out there and throw those manuscripts!

An Important Question to Ask a Potential Agent

I attended my first big conference this weekend (Pikes Peak Writers) and it was the Best. Conference. Ever. The faculty was incredible, I learned a ton, and I met so many wonderful peeps. I told my blog Sisters that I have material to blog about for the next year! One particular session that blew me away was one titled "Industry Climate Change," and no, it had nothing to do with global warming. It had everything to do with the topic that makes my eyes cross more than any other - eBooks and their effect on the publishing industry - which is why I forced myself to attend. I'm so glad I did. First of all, the panel was amazing: super-agents Kristin Nelson of the Nelson Literacy Agency and Scott Hoffman of Folio Literary, as well as lovely editor, Kathleen Gilligan. Donald Maass even came up from the back of the room to throw in his two cents. Yeah, pretty cool. Their competence regarding the issue was impressive, and Kristin's blog today highlights her views way more eloquently than I could. Read them here.

As someone who is about to jump into the query process headfirst, I wondered how I would know if an agent had a good handle on this subject? An aspiring author wants an agent who can negotiate a contract to the best possible advantage of the author, and this has many implications for an author's long-term career. Now, the three agents in this session were clearly made of awesome. But if you're querying someone that you researched online, it's harder to tell from an agent's listing or website if they fully grasp the complexities of industry change. NOTE: Nathan Bransford is another agent who definitely understands this issue - it's one of his favorite blog subjects and he makes my eyes cross on a weekly basis.

The question I'm adding to my "Things to Ask an Agent List" - What are your thoughts on reserving multi-media rights in a contract? Seriously, I added it to my list of questions for potential agents. I actually came up with this question and wrote it down while the panel was speaking, and then a conference attendee asked the panel something similar, so I know I wasn't the only one thinking it. If an agent gives you a comprehensive, knowledgeable response (even if you don't fully understand it), then at least you know the issue is likely something they've handled. If their response is "huh?" you might want to rethink choosing that person.

Here's the thing. As a writer, you want to focus on writing the best book you can. Yes, you'll also have to focus on marketing and publicity, but that's just how it goes these days. You want an agent who has your back and is uber-competent at their job, so that you can focus on what you do best. So, yes, my eyes still cross at this subject but after that session, it made me even more resolved to find an agent made of awesome. Much more PPW Conference wisdom to follow in the coming weeks...

I know it was a big conference weekend. Anyone else have any great tips to share?

Agents: Making your list and checking it twice

Okay, I'm worn out from wrapping presents and am taking a break to discuss one of my favorite topics. Agents. Lacey discussed the components of a good query letter last week and I'm going to talk more about "the list." You know the one I'm talking about and it doesn't involve Santa. It's your list of dream agents -- the ones that will receive your pitch perfect query letter and beg for sample pages before trampling each other in order to offer representation. Hey, I did use the word dream.

How do you craft your list of dream agents? If your answer is "I'll hire a service and they can research the agents and send my query out for me. Hey, maybe they'll even write it for me," then go away. Seriously, now. Okay, for those of you who are left, the correct answer is RESEARCH.

Since I'm a huge research geek anyway and my favorite form of procrastination involves researching those mythical agent creatures, I thought I'd share some of the fun sites I have bookmarked.

1) Querytracker - Many of you know that Querytracker has an awesome blog but their agent search function on the main site rocks. You can search for agents by genre, word count, submission response time, and even by agents with similar tastes. It also lists each agent's clients so you can see the books they rep. Oh, the hours of fun I've had there. There are many more features besides what I've listed here so definitely check them out.

2) Agentquery - This site also lets you research agents by genre and it often gives tidbits about a specific agent's likes and dislikes. Some have links to interviews as well as recent book sales.

3) Literary Rambles - Casey's Agent Spotlights are amazing, in-depth articles that showcase a different agent each week. Catch them on Thursdays but she also has them archived. NOTE: This is geared towards writers of juvenile fiction but some of the agents also rep adult work. As I write YA, I LOVE her blog. Take the time to read her interview links as they provide a ton of additional info about the agent.

Those are my top 3 but there are a ton out there. I've heard Verla Kay's board is a good resource and you should also check out the Preditors and Editors site to make sure the agent is on the up and up. Publishers Marketplace gives you info on recent deals made by agents so you can see how active an agent is and if they are selling books similar to yours.

So I have my dream list and continue to revise it along with my manuscript. I haven't done anything with it -- yet, but it is almost a new year. I'm not one for resolutions but maybe I'll venture out into the scary world of queries in 2010.

What are your favorite sites for researching agents? Does anyone else find it as fun as I do? Have you started your query process? Oh yeah, and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!