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Manual process
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How to get the most out of working with an agent
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It can be hard work finding an agent to represent you.
Make sure though that, when you set up the relationship, you do so in a
professional manner Don’t let your eagerness to find representation
mean that things are left vague. You will be depending on the agent to
process all your income from the books they sell, so you need to have a
written record of your arrangement, preferably a contract. |
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Be wary about agents who charge you upfront for any
services. Charging fees for reports is frowned on in the agency world and
your agent should only charge you for direct costs such as photocopying. |
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It’s important for both of you to meet before deciding
whether a particular agent is the right one for you, so make sure you
do this if at all possible. You might loathe each other on sight and this
is no basis for a productive working relationship. |
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Make sure you are clear about what the agent will charge and how this
will work. All your income flows through them. They usually charge 10%
or increasingly 15% on most income – advances and royalties – you earn,
but they will also charge a higher percentage on translation, film and
some other rights to allow for paying a sub-agent (who would sell your
work to be published in another country or form). |
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Don’t ever take on an agent you don’t like or don’t trust, however
desperate you may feel. You have to be able to work with them in what
should be an extremely important relationship for you as a writer. You
must also feel confident that they are competent, enthusiastic about your
work and can be trusted, both in terms of the advice they offer and in
relation to handling your money. |
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Be honest and businesslike yourself in dealing with your agent.
Don’t shop your work around if you already have an agent. Tell the truth
about progress on your work and your knowledge or qualifications. Make
sure you tell them if there is likely to be any delay in delivering the
work on time. |
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Keep in regular contact, even if it’s only an occasional email to
update them on your progress with the current manuscript, but don’t feel
you need to phone them every day. They have other authors to represent and
will tell you when there is any news. |
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| Take their advice about the market and your work. Your agent is
the expert working for you and if you don’t think they are competent, or
if you have a major disagreement about your work, then you should look for
another agent. They should be your literary adviser, business manager and
trusted friend, but you should also feel you can respect their
professional knowledge of the book world. |
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| If there’s anything you don’t understand about the way your book has
been handled, your royalty statements or the financial side of things,
make sure you ask to have this explained to you. |
See also
Finding an agent
Agents listings
From the Inside Publishing series:
Advances and Royalties
The relationship between
publishers and agents
Subsidiary rights
© Chris Holifield 2006-7
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