Comments on: 4 Signs of an Unhealthy Agent-Author Relationship

By: Lucy Carson

Lucy Carson — Tue, 17 Nov 2015 21:29:21 +0000

Hi! As an agent, I just wanted to provide a bit of context for one of the examples listed here. All of what Chuck says is VERY good advice, but there was a tiny moment where I thought, "this is worth telling the other side of the story". Under the section on scenarios where you and your agent may disagree, the example is "The offer comes from XYZ Publisher, but a writer friend of yours published by that house has told you of her negative experience there." The time to speak up about publishers with whom you do NOT want to do business, based on evidence both anecdotal or otherwise, is before your agent makes a submission, not after an offer has been received. No agent should pressure into ANY deal, but when we make our submissions, it's with the understanding that we would like to do business with the editorial to whom we have sent the material and requested review. Talk to your agent about where the book is being sent in order to avoid this tricky scenario. Furthermore, be wary of using another author's experience as your gospel: all publishers have failed a certain number of the authors they have published, whether through negligence or through no fault of their own. No publisher can claim that every author has had a perfect experience with them, and since every book is unique and every relationship surrounding every book is unique, there often isn't a simple way to discount an offer based on a friend's report. I do wholeheartedly agree with the overall sentiment though, which is that if you and your agent are having informed and detailed conversations wherein you still don't agree on these integral issues, it may be time to make a change.

By: M Ray Holloway Jr

M Ray Holloway Jr — Fri, 17 Jul 2015 00:10:12 +0000

I appreciate this advice from someone who has obviously been there and know what he's talking about. I am at the stage of securing an agent for my first works, so these things are definitely going to be on my mind for the future. Thank you so much.

By: James M. Copeland

James M. Copeland — Wed, 03 Jun 2015 21:43:51 +0000

Chuck, this may seem to be a, 'I've been there, done that.' However, I have. The first traditional publisher who sent me a contract one year later sent me a message that she was pulling out of the publishing business. She actually said she was going to sell. She didn't have anything to sell. My book is sitting dead at Amazon. I can't buy any, unless I want to pay Amazon's price. Any money I send to her for book purchases will go straight to her pocket. I won't get my books either. It can happen. It's very hard to turn down an offer if you haven't had one thru several hundred query's. But, like you said, it would have been better for me to turn down the contract than to accept her offer. I am going through your 2015 Guide to Literary Agents now trying to find the right agent. Regards, James M. Copeland

By: Dana Prophet

Dana Prophet — Wed, 27 May 2015 11:39:21 +0000

Useful article! I am one of the many who do not have an agent yet, and need all the insight I can get. Now that I have found you, Chuck - I plan on going through and reading everything I can get my hands on! It's a little scary, putting yourself out there, but armed with all the help I can get, hopefully I will make the right decisions. Thanks!

By: L. M. Quraishi

L. M. Quraishi — Tue, 26 May 2015 16:01:36 +0000

I'm at the other end of the agent experience--never had one, looking to find the right one. But I find this post to be very comforting and illuminating. It reminds me that I am not interested in working with just anyone, but am looking for a relationship that will not only help me sell my work, but fuel my writing life with positivity and trust.

By: Gina Greenlee

Gina Greenlee — Tue, 26 May 2015 14:55:59 +0000

In reply to Jenny Hansen. "watching my friends get signed with varying results. I often see new authors sign with the first person who wants them, rather than trusting their gut and waiting for a great fit to come along." Yup. That was me. I'm older and wiser now.

By: Gina Greenlee

Gina Greenlee — Tue, 26 May 2015 14:54:08 +0000

Wow. Great post! Thank you. I had an agent for about 12 minutes and experienced the "you're not important enough" vibe with delayed replies and literal sighs of exasperation then being told "I'm in the middle of negotiating a deal with XYZ New York Times Bestseller...so away with you." You've succinctly outlined my 12-minute agent-author relationship.

By: Jennifer Dyer

Jennifer Dyer — Mon, 25 May 2015 13:26:19 +0000

It's tempting to think once you get an agent everything will be peachy. But since we live in an imperfect world... This is good advice. Thanks.

By: Dana Michaels

Dana Michaels — Sat, 23 May 2015 22:42:39 +0000

Interesting, thanks. Items 1-3 are signs of trouble in any relationship, and it's good to know the agent-author situation is no different. Item 4 is especially helpful for those of us who are new to this business and may wonder if such differences are routine. Many of us think we're lucky if any agent will sign us, and assume the experienced agent is always right. Thank you for telling us that sometimes we should listen to our gut and see if perhaps we should seek an agent who is a better match for us.

By: Christine Dorman

Christine Dorman — Thu, 21 May 2015 18:53:41 +0000

Thank you, Chuck, for this excellent advice. George Moore brought up the topic of warning signs to look for before signing with an agent. Do you address this in your book? Also, I am wondering how ending the relationship with one's agent might impact one's relationship with a publisher if the writer has already published at least one book with the company, particularly if the writer is working on a series.