Finding an agent for F and NF

I'm a tenured academic at a great university, incredibly fortunate to have a wonderful job that pays me to teach, research, and write.  I've published two academic books with excellent scholarly presses, and both have been successful by the metrics of my field.  

While I'm still working on academic projects, I'm now writing two nonfiction books that are aimed at broader audiences.  Colleagues who've made this move before have advised me to seek representation before reaching out to popular press editors, and a couple of wonderful folks have offered to recommend me to their agents.  I'm thrilled!  

But here's the thing: My first love is fiction.  I've been writing fantasy and sci fi for decades, and I've published short stories in pro markets.  I've now got a novel in the works that I hope will be polished and ready for querying sometime next year.

I'm worried that querying nonfiction now might throw a wrench in my plans to find an agent for my novel.  Am I just having cold feet, or an attack of the jitters? (no, you're just worried about the wrong thing)

Are there things I should be thinking about before I start querying nonfiction projects, so I don't inadvertently scuttle my chances at landing an agent for my fiction?

And, if and when I query those nonfiction books, do I mention my fiction sales?

You're assuming the agent you get for non-fiction won't be interested in your fiction.
Do not assume that.
In fact, do not DO that.

Find an agent who represents both.
Lots of us do.

Here's why: the contract you sign for any book will have terms like "next work" "option" "exclusive" Your agent negotiating the contract can't advise you correctly if she's not aware of or familiar with the terms of any other contracts you may have signed. These terms apply to YOU, not just the book under contract.

You, as the signatory on the contracts, are the one who will be held responsible if you violate a next works clause, or an exclusivity clause. An option clause drawn too broadly can tie up your next work well beyond what it should. 

While the chance this will happen isn't huge, it's a concern. And it's not something you want to screw up on.

One of the reasons I flat out insist that all my clients show me every single contract, even the ones for work I didn't sell (usually short stories) is to avoid this exact problem.


Therefore, your agent search may need to be different than your colleagues and friends in non-fiction. Your needs are different.

Any questions?