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Guest Author: Annie Dean

[Cool Prize Alert!]

Yes, yes, our dear friend Annie is going to be leave us soon in order to concentrate on her upcoming novels, but didn’t I promise you guys she’ll be back? Well, Annie has written us this long :) but very informative article about how to find an agent. If you’re not a writer, post a comment anyway… it’ll be worth your while, I promise.

Annie Dean
So you’ve come to the stage in your writing where you’re either sick of peddling your stuff yourself, or you’ve realized you don’t entirely know what you’re doing. Maybe a little of both? In any event, this is the point where you start seriously thinking about looking for an agent. It can be daunting, finding the right person for the job. It isn’t enough to find someone willing to sign you. The wrong agent is, most definitely, worse than no agent at all.

First, you have the research stage, and in my opinion, Agent Query offers the most comprehensive resource when you’re starting out. You can search by fiction / non-fiction genres, or if you can search for book titles and authors in the keywords section. Generally, I would advise searching by genre. It’s not a good idea to limit yourself to only querying agents who rep authors you like or whom you think write similar material. It’s best to query widely, unless you have some introductions via other colleagues, which can be helpful. Just don’t make yourself look like a dipshit by pressuring people to refer you to their agents.

Once you’ve come up with a master list of agents, you’ll want to organize them. For me, because I live outside the US, highly effective agents who accept e-queries go on my A-list. That doesn’t mean you’ll want to rank agents in the same manner. Maybe you’ll rate them based on some other criteria, and that would be up to you. The next step is to send out your queries. If you suck at writing those, then your search is over. No matter how good the book is, if your query reeks, then you’ll receive a lot of form rejections (or no response at all, as it’s becoming a more standard practice to ‘reply only if interested’). For query help, go here.

Okay, so you’ve done your research, made up your A-list, written your letter, and sent it off, either by email or post. What should you be doing now? Writing, of course. Try not to think about all the agents you’ve contacted. If your letter fired their imaginations, you’ll be hearing from them soon. Since I query solely by email, my record for hearing back from an agent is an hour and a half, and she requested a full. Don’t pester them. If they want to see your work, they’ll contact you. If you’re the anal-retentive type and you find yourself consumed with fears the email / letter never arrived, wait two months minimum before giving a polite nudge via “Hello, I queried on (date) and I’m checking on the status of (novel title). Thanks in advance for your help.” Or something along those lines. That’s all. Don’t call. And don’t be surprised if your nudge earns you a prompt rejection. Waiting sucks, I know, but it’s best to be patient, and sometimes you just won’t ever hear back, period. Silence is also a rejection. Mark that person off your list and keep querying.

Let’s say you keep working through the process and keep querying. You get some rejections, some silence, and a few requests for partials. Maybe some requests for fulls, as the waiting wears on. That’s good, they’re seeing something they like in your writing. This will most likely take several months. If you’re lucky and have a lot of agents interested, then that will expedite the process. Nothing generates interest like other people’s interest. The agents start to feel competitive, and they want to be the one to sign you. Do NOT lie about this, however. Don’t say ten agents have requested the full when, in fact, nobody but your mom is asking to read it. They’ll be able to call bullshit based on the quality of the writing, and you do not want to get pegged as a liar in this business. It’s a surprisingly small world, and agents do talk to each other.

I’m here to help you learn from my mistakes. After all that querying, waiting, querying and waiting some more, somebody makes you an offer. My goodness gracious, do not break out the champagne just yet. Don’t sign anything. You wouldn’t marry the first man who asked, would you? Not without getting to know him better, I hope. Have someone who knows about such things look at the agency agreement. Check references with a minimum of six clients, and I don’t recommend you do this only with names the agent gives you. Of course they’re going to refer you to people they think will say nice things. They want you as a client, right? You need to break out your Google skills and find some names on your own at this point. See what people who weren’t given as references have to say. Are they all happy? Here’s a few questions, minimum, that you need to ask all these clients.

1) What made you decide to work with (agent name)?
2) What has the submission process been like for you? What’s the current status of your project(s)?
3) Do you handle most business via email or phone? How prompt is (agent name) at responding?
4) Does she send feedback from editors regularly?
5) Is there anything else you can tell me about your experiences?

Feel free to add your own. Be professional as you’re doing all this, not overly suspicious. Just politely tell the agent, “I’m delighted by your offer, and I’ll have an answer for you by (date), once I’ve done my homework.” This is standard for authors who know what they’re doing, so the agent isn’t going to get mad at you or rescind the offer because you want a week to make sure things are looking good. During this time, you also need to verify sales. Publisher’s Marketplace is a good start for that, but some agents don’t report there. You’ll want to ask for specifics to make sure this agent is selling in your field. If they’ve made four deals for non-fiction, but don’t have a single fiction sale and you write novels, that doesn’t help you. Even if this is a nice person and an effective agent for someone who writes how-to books, she may not be best for you with your romantic suspense. You might decide to take a chance, as I did, but ultimately, I chose to look for another agent, because Agent A just wasn’t selling fiction. This cost me about nine months, where I was repped, but nothing of mine was sold, and time is money.

Once you’ve vetted this agent thoroughly and have found she has impeccable references and quite a few sales in your genre, you are good to go. Break out the bubble and prepare for a long and happy professional relationship. Final notes — it’s important to go with someone who makes you feel comfortable, someone you can talk to about your work, who adores your work, and will be a strong advocate for you. Ideally, the agent / author relationship is full of mutual respect and admiration. You should feel like you can bring up any concern with your agent and that it will be addressed. If you don’t have that rapport, this person may not be right for you, no matter how good she is at her job.

For those non-writers who suffered through this article, there’s a consolation prize. Anyone who comments on this post will receive an entry into the random drawing on Wednesday. Grand prize is a $40 Amazon Gift Certificate and a copy of An Average Girl’s Guide to Getting Laid. Two additional names will be drawn and those lucky folks will also receive free copies of Guide. Feel free to post questions about my agent search, how things went for me, or anything else you want to know. I look forward to hearing from ya’ll!

More cause for celebration, you guys. Annie has just announced that she received a 2-book deal from ACE!! If she weren’t my BFF, I’d hate her. Just kidding, I hate the bitch anyway. Shhh, don’t tell her that. *grin* From Annie:

I’ve joined the ranks of the luminaries who write for Ace, such as LKH and Patricia Briggs. Today we finalized a two-book deal with Anne Sowards, who will edit my books. I hear she’s an amazing editor, and I’m thrilled.

The winners will be announced on 5/23/2007, Wednesday morning, upon which we will also have the wonderful Jackie Kessler, the author of Hell’s Belles and The Road to Hell, as a guest. Yay!

This entry was posted on Sunday, May 20th, 2007 at 3:00 pm and is filed under Guest Author. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

49 Responses to “Guest Author: Annie Dean”

  1. Carrie Lofty
    Posted: May 20th, 2007 at 6:26 pm
    1

    Hey :)

  2. Wylie
    Posted: May 20th, 2007 at 6:52 pm
    2

    Great advice in here, Annie. Thanks for the tips & guidelines.
    What was the name of your agent again? :)

  3. Ashley
    Posted: May 20th, 2007 at 6:52 pm
    3

    That was a really interesting article. I’ve never really felt a pull into the writing profession but, in case I change my mind in the future… I’m now well informed.
    Thanks!

  4. Catherine
    Posted: May 20th, 2007 at 9:04 pm
    4

    I’m not personally a writer, but I think it’s great that you are lending your experience to try and help people avoid mistakes you might have experienced. The waiting game sounds like pure agony.

  5. Mooneva
    Posted: May 20th, 2007 at 9:05 pm
    5

    Thanks so much Annie,
    This is incredibly helpful.
    I’m keeping the option of becoming a writer open,
    and this is a great refrence to look back on if i ever seriously start concidering entering this line of work.
    This is just what a lot of people need to get boosted.
    Thanks again ^_________^
    -Mooneva

  6. Tiff
    Posted: May 21st, 2007 at 12:12 am
    6

    Thank you. I’m not a published author, but I have thought about pursuing a writing career, and this article was extremely helpful and informative.

  7. Jackie
    Posted: May 21st, 2007 at 2:56 am
    7

    Excellent post, Annie. I’d add the following:

    - When you have your A list of agents you want to query, before you actually query them, make sure they are legitimate agents. There are LOTS of scammers in them thar hills. A couple of terrific watchdog organizations are:

    Preditors (yes, spelled correctly) and Editors
    Absolute Write’s Beware and Background Check
    SFWA’s Writer Beware

    And, of course, there are the agent’s websites. Do yourself the biggest favor you can and CHECK THE AGENTS OUT BEFORE you query.

    Really. Don’t wait until you have an agent interested in representing you before checking to see whether they’re on the List of Twenty Worst Agents. (Yes, there is such a thing.) Remember, the rule of thumb is money flows TO the writer. If an agent EVER wants you to pay for representation, RUN FAR AWAY and don’t look back. (And I’m not talking about postage reimbursement; some legit agents do this, which, frankly, I don’t agree with, but hey, I understand that it’s a valid practice for some.)

    Getting an agent is perhaps the most validating feeling you will probably get in this business–you have an industry pro telling you that yes, Virginia, you CAN write your way out of a paper bag. But anyone can hang a “Literary Agent” shingle outside their door — agents do not have to go through a certification program, or to literary agent school, or even have a sale to their name before calling themselves a literary agent. Do your homework, and be smart — this is a business, after all.

    Believe me, it will be worth all the effort you put into it.

  8. May
    Posted: May 21st, 2007 at 3:18 am
    8

    I don’t just live overseas, I’ll be hopping between two countries for months at a time, and moving every year in the UK. So if the agent doesn’t take email, she/he will be all the way off my list, at least for the next three years.

  9. Ann(ie)
    Posted: May 21st, 2007 at 4:27 am
    9

    I didn’t suggest they check the “20 Worst Agents” list because it didn’t occur to me that those posers would be permitted in the Agent Query database. If that’s the starting point, I believe agents add themselves, but the Agent Query team checks up on them as well. I’ll need to confirm that with the site. There’s also a link on the site that says Beware of Scammers. I think if someone starts here, they should be pretty safe, not that it ever hurts to double-check.

    Anyway, I searched for Barbara Bauer in the database, who is supposed to be the worst of the worst and came up empty. I don’t think Agent Query endorses scammers, so I suspect the worst you’d end up with is an agent whose style isn’t a good match for you.

  10. Jackie
    Posted: May 21st, 2007 at 5:11 am
    10

    Annie, I don’t know what qualifications Agent Query uses. I lean toward paranoia (I blame my mother), so I’m a big believer in checking credentials from various sources.

  11. jmc
    Posted: May 21st, 2007 at 6:12 am
    11

    Question from a non-writer — are the agents for romance writers primarily women? I’m just wondering how female-dominated (or not) the romance publishing industry is. Yes for the writers. Agents? Editors? Publishers?

  12. Jackie
    Posted: May 21st, 2007 at 6:41 am
    12

    JMC, my agent is a man, as is my editor.

  13. Ann(ie)
    Posted: May 21st, 2007 at 6:54 am
    13

    My agent is a woman. My editor(s) are women as well. There’s more women than men in romance. I don’t know about the divide in other genres, but if I were going to speculate, I’d say sci-fi, for instance, has more men than women.

    Interesting note on that — I didn’t query any men. I’m not sure why. It wasn’t a conscious decision I made, just the way things turned out.

  14. danette
    Posted: May 21st, 2007 at 8:58 am
    14

    Hi Annie,
    Nice advice for the writer’s out there, I found myself thinking about it and I’m not a writer(dorky,I know)
    Hugs *g*

  15. Tumperkin
    Posted: May 21st, 2007 at 9:22 am
    15

    Fab article Annie. And great timing for me. Saves me an evening searching Google, that does.

  16. Crystal B.
    Posted: May 21st, 2007 at 9:43 am
    16

    Great advice. :) Very helpful for aspiring authors.

  17. shuzluva
    Posted: May 21st, 2007 at 11:30 am
    17

    While I know I’m not eligible for any prizes, I gotta say, I thoroughly enjoyed reading about hell. Because that’s what I would equate the search for an agent with. Either that or picking a doctor for open heart surgery from a hat and praying for the best. Or finding a nanny. I think they must reserve a special circle of hell for nanny placement and agent representation.

    Great advice Annie. I’m glad you reminded everyone out there to be a suspicious paranoid skeptic. It works!

  18. Ann(ie)
    Posted: May 21st, 2007 at 11:53 am
    18

    I’m embarrassed to say, when I signed with my first agent, I went by the agency’s reputation, which was stellar. I didn’t take into consideration that my agent didn’t play a role in any of the impressive sales listed on site. I was just so excited to have an offer that I pounced on it.

    So I didn’t check references, verify sales beforehand, or anything. Once the initial euphoria wore off, I had an odd feeling of unease, as if I’d made a capricious, unwise decision. Eventually I felt sure of it and made my concerns known, which led to giving notice and starting Agent Search 2007.

    The good news is, it went much better, much faster, than the first time. I knew what I was doing, and it wasn’t long at all before I had another offer from a fabulous agent, who I did check out thoroughly.

    I can’t stress how important it is to establish good communication with your agent. You should feel comfortable with this person and feel able to drop an email anytime you have a question. I don’t recommend doing so fifty times a day, but you know what I mean. Establish your expectations from the jump, so you both know what’s in store, going forward.

  19. Skyla
    Posted: May 21st, 2007 at 12:55 pm
    19

    Great article, Annie–have bookmarked for future reference and made a point of passing it on to some writers I know. ;-)

  20. Kimberly
    Posted: May 21st, 2007 at 1:51 pm
    20

    Wow. This article was incredibly helpful. Although I consider myself a writer (dormant at the moment, due to grad school), the days when I will need an agent are reasonably far off. I hope I can still find this article when I do need one, because this is the sort of useful information that won’t just fall into your lap. Thanks so much!

  21. Michelle
    Posted: May 21st, 2007 at 4:12 pm
    21

    Thanks for a great article, I’m glad you put this down for me to bookmark for future reference. Now if I can just finish what I’m writing….

  22. Shelley Munro
    Posted: May 21st, 2007 at 4:14 pm
    22

    Great article, Annie, and full of good advice. Finding an agent can be more difficult than selling directly to a publisher, and yes, there can be lots of waiting. For me, waiting is the worst thing. That’s when paranoia can take hold! :)

  23. Katie Ann
    Posted: May 21st, 2007 at 4:37 pm
    23

    Geez I didn’t realize how complicated writing (and, I suppose, profiting from that) as a profession could be. Kudos to those of you who succeed at this.

  24. Devon
    Posted: May 21st, 2007 at 6:07 pm
    24

    That’s an interesting article. Good luck on your writing and all. Your reviews were very good.

    I’m sure you’ll be around, though.

  25. L.E. Bryce
    Posted: May 21st, 2007 at 6:22 pm
    25

    *waves* I never win at these things, anyway. *sniff*

    I’m going to miss your book reviews! They were humorous and informative.

    Agents are really only for print books, right?

  26. Ann(ie)
    Posted: May 21st, 2007 at 6:49 pm
    26

    Yeah. If you’re focusing on an ebook market, you can handle that yourself, unless the environment changes a whole lot in the near future. Since epublishers don’t pay advances, it’s not like the agent can negotiate more money for you or anything.

    And yeah, Devon, I’m still blogging and what-not. Just no more once-a-week reviews from me.

  27. Michele Lee
    Posted: May 21st, 2007 at 7:24 pm
    27

    *poaches your agent client questions* I have a list of things to ask any agent that offers representation, but I never knew what exactly to ask the other clients. Thanks Annie!

  28. Ann(ie)
    Posted: May 21st, 2007 at 7:56 pm
    28

    I should give credit where it’s due. That list actually comes from Tawna Fenske, an author who contacted me for a reference on my first agent. I read her questions and was like, “Yeah! That’s awesome!”

    Used it in my next agent search. :) Her mortician series looks awesome, and I’ve keeping an eye out to see if it sells.

  29. Selene
    Posted: May 21st, 2007 at 8:28 pm
    29

    A nice summary of how to go about the agent search. It’s encouraging to see someone outside the US get an agent, what with comments abounding on how agents are more reluctant to take on anyone who’s abroad. (Yes, I don’t live in the US. :) )

    Selene

  30. Tania
    Posted: May 21st, 2007 at 8:44 pm
    30

    I wish I wrote, but alas, I seem to, how to put this nicely…suck at it. But if I ever start being good due to, I don’t know, being hit by lightning, I know how to go about getting an agent.

  31. Tania
    Posted: May 21st, 2007 at 8:44 pm
    31

    Now, I mean. Not before. See, this writing coherently thing is hard.

  32. Ann(ie)
    Posted: May 21st, 2007 at 9:04 pm
    32

    Selene, I haven’t noticed it being a handicap thus far. I’m fortunate in that I’m an American living as an expat in Mexico, so I can do book tours as I need to, when we get to that point. The airfare isn’t as prohibitive, as if I lived in New Zealand. I could theoretically spend one weekend a month in the states doing signings without too much trouble.

    The main problem I encountered during my search was the agents who insisted on (a) having a snail mail query letter and (b) an SASE for their reply. Getting US stamps can be a pain in the bottom when you’re outside the country. I had someone in the US mail me a couple books of them, although I wound up signing with an agent who is tech savvy, so I have spare US stamps if you need them! :D

    I think that’s quite an archaic way to do business, but supposedly, proving you can follow all their instructions, however tedious and minute they may be, verifies your worthiness and determination or some such thing. It’s like the Holy Grail Quest for writers and some agents are reluctant to abandon the rigors of such testing in favor of progress.

  33. Selene
    Posted: May 22nd, 2007 at 12:13 am
    33

    I live in Europe, so weekend trips to the US would be quite harrowing, what with jet lag and so forth. :)

    Tech savvy agents definitely go higher on my list as well, but it’s not the determining factor (there just aren’t a lot of agents who rep fantasy, not like mysteries or Romance, so other things take precedence). Still, I know a lot of agents use e-mail with their clients, but still prefer snail mail for queries. And as you say, agents really want you to follow the minute details of their instructions. At least you can order stamps from the USPS homepage in these days. :)

    Selene

  34. Phoenix
    Posted: May 22nd, 2007 at 8:20 am
    34

    (long time lurker and first time poster)

    Thank you very much for this very informative entry. I have always wondered about the nature of the publishing process-as I enjoy writing immensely-and it was most helpful of you to offer your knowledge.

  35. Ericka Scott
    Posted: May 22nd, 2007 at 10:22 am
    35

    Lots of great information in this article! I’ll be bookmarking it for future reference.

    Thanks!

  36. Renaesance
    Posted: May 22nd, 2007 at 10:23 am
    36

    I just enjoy reading the fruits of the efforts of authors but it was a well written article. Thanks :)
    Renee

  37. Teresa Warner
    Posted: May 22nd, 2007 at 10:40 am
    37

    Interesting article learned lots of stuff.

  38. Ann(ie)
    Posted: May 22nd, 2007 at 10:42 am
    38

    There’s more news on my blog today. *dances*

  39. Roxy Harte
    Posted: May 22nd, 2007 at 11:00 am
    39

    You had me at tired of peddling yourself…
    Maybe I have delayed long enough…
    Thanks for “poking the bear”

    Hugs
    Roxy

  40. Nikki
    Posted: May 22nd, 2007 at 11:25 am
    40

    Thank you for the interesting post about your agent search. I am not a writer but have many friends who are interested so advice is always welcome to pass on. A question for you though, in your experience, do you feel having an agent increased the likelihood of your submisisons being accepted?

  41. Ann(ie)
    Posted: May 22nd, 2007 at 11:55 am
    41

    Yes, absolutely. I wouldn’t have made the deal I just announced today without Laura. She’s the best.

  42. Jessica T
    Posted: May 22nd, 2007 at 1:06 pm
    42

    I never knew writing would be such hard work - when I was younger and reading and dreaming of writing I always assumed you just wrote the book and then it magically got published. I really enjoy these blogs and the reviews, and good luck Annie!!

  43. AnimeJune
    Posted: May 22nd, 2007 at 1:56 pm
    43

    Cool beans - right now I’m writing a novel, but I don’t plan on looking for an agent until I can get more stories published, because then I can use those credentials in my query letter. But I am writing lots of stories and sending them out, so I’m getting closer and closer to my goal all the same. :)

  44. Jackie
    Posted: May 22nd, 2007 at 2:43 pm
    44

    CONGRATULATIONS, ANNIE!!!

  45. Ann(ie)
    Posted: May 22nd, 2007 at 5:03 pm
    45

    Thanks. :)

  46. Kaitlin
    Posted: May 22nd, 2007 at 5:41 pm
    46

    First of all…Annie, that’s AWESOME! Congratulations!

    As for my comment…even though I’m not published or anything exciting like that, I’ve had the thought of an agent/publishing/et.al. on my brain for years. This article was very informative and nice for someone like me who hasn’t reached this part of the writing process yet. So, this is more a thanks than anything.

    I’ve wanted to read this book since I read the blurb thingy that Bam did. It looks awesome. :)

  47. Lyvvie
    Posted: May 22nd, 2007 at 11:02 pm
    47

    That was a lot of great advice - thanks! Congratulations on your deal and best of luck for the future.

  48. Susanna
    Posted: May 22nd, 2007 at 11:16 pm
    48

    All the best Annie, I am looking forward to your LSB release!

  49. Ann(ie)
    Posted: May 23rd, 2007 at 9:27 am
    49

    Thanks, I’m hope everyone learned a little. And I hope you enjoy Your Alibi, Susanna.

    I feel I should note that my Ace releases will be out under my given name, Ann Aguirre. My Ann Aguirre books are darker and edgier, and while they may have sexual content / sex, they aren’t, by definition, erotic titles. Annie Dean is a pseudonym under which I write more sexually explicit material.

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