Querying when you might be unreachable

I have an international move coming up but my book's just about ready to query. Knowing that it can take weeks for a response, my instinct is to send the first queries out when they're ready. But, do I mention that between certain dates I may not have internet access and thus would not be able to respond ASAP? How about if I'm not certain of the dates yet, the move being contingent on selling a house? I don't want to chance a bad impression by starting out with a delayed response. Would this be seen as presumptive? Insulting if the date is too far out? Or is it best not to mention it and just keep my devices as hooked up and charged as possible? Or wait til I'm settled before I query?

Don't query before you're in a position to reply in a timely manner.

That said, it seems foolish to wait to query when it's very likely true that there will be a lag time in replies.

I would suggest querying from a NEW email address that you set up just for queries, and ask someone to monitor it for you if/when you're out of wi-fi range.

That person can have a copy of the novel and send it as requested on your behalf. And if the agent asks something, your Designated Sender can reply that you're:

1. sailing the seven seas
2. digging out of prison
3. scouting locations in Canada for the horde of Americans contemplating a four-year sojourn there and will reply when you've resurfaced.

You probably don't want to saddle someone with your working email account (hell, I'd be leery of doing that to anyone even if I paid them a princely sum) but a dedicated email probably won't be too much trouble.

This way too, you're not sending things like "I'll be out of pocket for six weeks...I think" which is not something I want to see in a query letter.

How long do I wait when I'm already a client?

I spent a couple of months reading Query Shark posts, taking copious notes, and hammering out my own query letter. Thanks to your terrifyingly sharp advice, I learned enough about querying to land an agent.

Unfortunately, it turned out there was a reason I was getting positive responses but no offers from the dozens of other agents I queried. The agent I signed with managed to get my manuscript in the door of several big publishers, but all the agents who had rejected me turned out to be right: this was some really good, totally unmarketable writing.

I took the hint when my agent stopped sending me cheerful updates about which editors were reading my novel and started asking pointed questions about how my next novel was going. After pitching the premise to her and confirming that this novel wouldn't have any red flags, I wrote a YA Suspense/Thriller.

I sent this manuscript to my agent a little over a month ago. She replied enthusiastically that she couldn't wait to read it.

I sent a friendly nudge a few days ago, updating her on my current project (yes, I'm keeping busy!) and saying I was excited to hear what she thought of the finished manuscript.

I was hoping for a quick update – something like "I'm swamped, but I should be able to give you a reply in X days/weeks/months." I haven't heard anything back from her.

I need a reality check from someone in the field so I don't turn into That Writer. My agent's site says that querying authors should be prepared to wait up to four months to hear about a manuscript. But I'm a client – my name's on their site and everything.

I've spent plenty of time in the slush pile, and I can hang out there a little longer if that's what I have to do. I guess I thought signing with someone meant I'd worked my way a little closer to the middle of the desk.

There are really two questions here: (1) how long does it take for your agent to read your new work, and (2) how quickly should you expect status updates.

Let's answer the second one first: you should get a reply within a couple days if only to say she got your email and will be able to answer it soonishly. Soonishly is my word for I have no idea but I know it's important and you're not forgotten, really.

What gets in the way of this kind of quick email is guilt: I know I should have read this by now, but I haven't and maybe I can get to it in the next three days so I don't have to tell you I didn't read it and holyhell, where did those three days go, now this email is a week old, and this is just mortifying, and maybe I'll just pretend I'm dead.

We've all been there. It took me a long time to realize that "I got this, I'm a slacker, you should throw me to the wolves" replies were better than silence. I hate telling clients that I haven't done something. HATE IT.

That said, it happens.

So, to avoid being That Client you'll email her about once a month. "Hey, just checking in, hope you're doing well, I am being fitted for a straitjacket!"

If it goes beyond six months, let your agent know you're seriously having a hard time with this silence and let's figure out what we're doing here. In other words, she doesn't get to drag her heels for an indeterminate amount of time here, guilt or no guilt.

The first question is what you really need to know though: how long does it take an agent to read your work. And the answer is a whole lot longer than you think.  Remember that she's going to read your whole manuscript AND give you notes, or at least feedback. In other words, she's not just skimming along with "do I love this, can I sell this."  That kind of read takes time. (Read, not reading for my eagle-eyed proof readers out there)


Agents prioritize their reading. The rule of thumb is: the closer you are to the money, the faster you get read.

Thus, things I read right away are: contracts. Contracts trump everything.

Next: books on editorial deadline. Those books have contracts and production deadlines. I read those as close to instantly as I can. Often getting that book to the editor triggers a payment and we like that a lot.

Next: books/proposals ready or close to ready to go on submission. Revisions to books on submission are here too.

Everything else comes after those three categories.  Your book isn't under contract, and it's not on editorial deadline. It's not on submission. That means you're probably not going to be read as soon as you wish (or your agent wishes either--trust me, I'd love to have eight eyes and a robot brain most days.)

What will surprise you here is often I'll read queries and requested fulls before some client manuscripts. That's because I can often get them an answer pretty quickly. I don't have to do more than say yes/no and I don't have to read the entire manuscript on a request if by page X I know I'm not going to take it on.

It can feel good to get something done, and off the to do list at least once a day, even if it's not the most important thing on the list. Sometimes mental health requires that. (At least it does for me. Other agents might be more mentally balanced.)

And just to make sure everyone is having a good time here, there's the really fun moment when you're just about to read something that's eight weeks overdue, and a client pops in with a manuscript on editorial deadline. Or a contract for a short story they sold. Or an editor calls with an offer to be negotiated.

Sayonara reading plans.


With manuscripts like yours I have to respond in detail and that means time.
Blocks of time are increasingly hard to find. Any kind of schedule is a fervent hope at best.

Bottom line: don't get on the rodent wheel of panic. Don't assume your agent is a slacker nincompoop. Do not assume she's lost interest in you.  Stay in touch with her gently. Have patience. Keep writing.

A longer quiz (part two)

In part one of today's blog post, there was a quiz about what to do when you get an offer and you have requested fulls out with other agents.

Scenario One:
You've sent out queries and gotten several requests for full manuscripts. You've sent those out. You've gotten confirmation of receipt. At least one of those receipts mentions the dreaded "wait 90 days before following up".

Then, trumpets sound! Angels arrive! An offer! You're going to have an agent! It's not quite a miracle of course cause that's a Damn Fine Novel, but you're feeling pretty damn good!

What do you do next?
1. Accept the offer (after doing all the stuff you're supposed to about questions and research etc)?
2. Ask for some time to give other agents who've requested fulls time to read?
3. Accept the offer and notify the other agents who've requested fulls that you've accepted the offer and thank them for their time?


Scenario Two:
Trumpets sound! Angels arrive! An offer! You're going to have an agent!This one IS a miracle because it's absolutely your Dream Agent! Your DREAM AGENT wants YOU!!! You're not just feeling good, you're feeling so good you can leap tall buildings in a single bound.
What do you do next?
1. Accept the offer (this is, after all, Dreamy herself!)
2. Ask for some time to give other agents who've requested fulls time to read?
3. Accept the offer and notify the other agents who've requested fulls that you've accepted the offer and thank them for their time?


 Scenario Three
More quickly than you thought possible, less than 30 days later, Angels arrive! An offer! You're going to have an agent! You're so stunned at how quickly this happened that you actually call the library to verify today's date.
What do you do next?
1. Accept the offer (given that you're not supposed to nudge anyone till at least 90 days later)
2. Ask for some time to give other agents who've requested fulls time to read?
3. Accept the offer and notify the other agents who've requested fulls that you've accepted the offer and thank them for their time?



This is the ONLY right answer. Even if the agent making the initial offer is your Absolute Must Have Dream Agent. Even if it's been less than 90 days.  Even if you're terrified the offer will be withdrawn (it won't, as long as it's a SHORT window: less than a week)

Here's why: if you sign with an agent (any agent), then email me to tell me, my conclusion is you signed with someone you preferred more than me. No problem. I can live with not being your first choice.  Of course I feel a bit insulted but I'm not going to do anything about it like write back and say "how about a heads up here, Writerly One."

BUT if that relationship with Shiny New Agent doesn't work out (and I hope it does, really I do) and you're querying again next year, and you start with all the people who liked your work before (ie me) you're not Shiny Prospective Client anymore. I'm the one you didn't want the first time around. You think I don't remember? Think again.


If you believe "don't nudge for 90 days" means you shouldn't let me know of an offer, you're incorrect. I'd rather know than not. Give me a chance to get in the scrum. I'm a competitive beast. It's one of the things that makes me good at this job, and dreadful at a lot of others (nun, truckstop waitress, girl scout.)

Publishing is a long game, and you'll be very smart not to burn any bridges unless you absolutely have to.

Is this the post of a massively inflated ego? Yes of course. But it's still true, and it's still something to watch out for. In other words, my ego probably isn't shrinking ever anytime soon.

A longer quiz! (part one)

Here's a quiz to start your week off:

Scenario One:
You've sent out queries and gotten several requests for full manuscripts. You've sent those out. You've gotten confirmation of receipt. At least one of those receipts mentions the dreaded "wait 90 days before following up".

Then, trumpets sound! Angels arrive! An offer! You're going to have an agent! It's not quite a miracle of course cause that's a Damn Fine Novel, but you're feeling pretty damn good!

What do you do next?
1. Accept the offer (after doing all the stuff you're supposed to about questions and research etc)?
2. Ask for some time to give other agents who've requested fulls time to read?
3. Accept the offer and notify the other agents who've requested fulls that you've accepted the offer and thank them for their time?


Scenario Two:
You've sent out queries and gotten several requests for full manuscripts. You've sent those out. You've gotten confirmation of receipt. At least one of those receipts mentions the dreaded "wait 90 days before following up".

Then, trumpets sound! Angels arrive! An offer! You're going to have an agent!This one IS a miracle because it's absolutely your Dream Agent! Your DREAM AGENT wants YOU!!! You're not just feeling good, you're feeling so good you can leap tall buildings in a single bound.

What do you do next?
1. Accept the offer (this is, after all, Dreamy herself!)
2. Ask for some time to give other agents who've requested fulls time to read?
3. Accept the offer and notify the other agents who've requested fulls that you've accepted the offer and thank them for their time?

 Scenario Three
You've sent out queries and gotten several requests for full manuscripts. You've sent those out. You've gotten confirmation of receipt. At least one of those receipts mentions the dreaded "wait 90 days before following up".

Then, more quickly than you thought possible, less than 30 days later, Angels arrive! An offer! You're going to have an agent! You're so stunned at how quickly this happened that you actually call the library to verify today's date.

What do you do next?
1. Accept the offer (given that you're not supposed to nudge anyone till at least 90 days later)
2. Ask for some time to give other agents who've requested fulls time to read?
3. Accept the offer and notify the other agents who've requested fulls that you've accepted the offer and thank them for their time?



How about I give you some time to chew over your  thoughts in the comment trail before continuing the discussion in a new post that will go up today at noon.

more on waiting for laggardly agents to quit eating bonbons and watching telenovelas

I received a full MS request eight months ago today and received personal confirmation that it was received. This particular agent promises to respond to everyone, even when they are only querying. I'm concerned because I waited until the three month mark to politely nudge first then again at the six month mark, yet I never received a response either time.

I honestly don't know if there's anything I can do besides what you said about nudging every six to eight weeks. Like every writer, I'm hesitant to "annoy" the agent. Does eight months sound ridiculous in the realm of full MS submissions, or do I need to just suck it up and deal? Any help would be much appreciated.

Your question prompted me to look at my pending full requests.

1. received July 1, 2015
2. received July 29, 2015
3. received August 10, 2015
4. received August 17, 2015
+ two more from Fall 2015
+ two more from January 2016

1-4  are six to seven months old. I'm sorry to say that's actually the BEST it's been in almost a year as well.

Generally I try to answer nudging emails cause I understand that writers are on rodent wheels of anxiety during this process, but some agents can't stand to reply "sorry, not there yet" and so take the path of least reply and don't say anything.

I know this  because when I've replied "hey, sorry, not there yet" it's all too common to get the reply "well, when WILL you get to it??" and the answer is "hell if I know."  That's just not something you ever want to say to a writer, let alone in any kind of written format.

I will say that nudging every six to eight weeks feels pushy. I'd do more like 90 days.

Only you can decide when enough is enough.

I will tell you this: I've signed clients who waited more than a year for a reply. I've signed clients who've waited more than two years.

You should MUST keep querying while you wait.

Well, that was quick

This fall I signed with a literary agent for a YA novel. When we discussed plans for submission, she said she would contact approximately 10 editors, we would examine the responses, and (if no offer was made) decide if any revisions were necessary before expanding the submission. Well, we did not receive any offers in response to the first 10 submissions and the agent has decided to step aside. She felt there might be issues with marketability (it's a historical novel, set in a somewhat unusual time period), but only one editor actually mentioned that as a reason for passing. To my eye, there wasn't a clear pattern in the editors' responses (they all liked different things and disliked different things). She has said I am free to seek other representation. So I am wondering:

1. How common or uncommon is this scenario?

2. As an agent, how many submissions would you expect to send out before getting an offer?

3. Is it worth seeking another agent or will these 10 submissions effectively kill my chances?

4. How much of this should be mentioned in the query?

While I'm reluctant to stick my long pointy nose into another agent's business practices, A couple things perplex me here.

1. The initial statement that she's only sending to ten editors. While I do not work in YA, I know some pretty successful agents who do. Their war stories often have ten editors coming to an auction. That means there are LOTS more than ten places to submit YA projects. Hell, I can think of more than ten myself.

This seems like an early warning sign that the editor isn't in this with you for the long haul. That's certainly one way to agent, but it sure leaves authors in a pickle more times than not.


2. She's ditching you rather than asking you to write something else.

3. If you signed with her in the fall, and it's now the last week of January, that's barely four months, and one of those months had a lot of "out of office" email replies cause we were all snogging Santa or his reindeer or both (Fifty Shades of Doe, Ray and Me)


Now for your questions:

1. I've seen this kind of thing before. I've blogged about it too.

I think it's becoming more common as agents need to sell big books and decide not to spend time on books that aren't going to go big.

2. My practice is to send out rounds of submissions. If you have ten first choice editors, and they say no, I send to ten second-choice. I've sold books to publishers who weren't my first or second choice, but the author and I discussed the submission and agreed on it. If I run out of places to submit, I generally have already asked the author to start on something new.

3. This book is dead. You need to write something new. I never take on "lightly shopped" let alone seriously shopped books.

4. None. You'll write a new book, and when your next agent calls to chat, you'll mention this and I hope it will become a hilarious story.


The lesson to be learned from this is: ASK what strategy an agent employs for a book they can't sell. If it's the WhamBamPartingGiftsPlan, you'll want to think long and hard about signing with that agent.

Almost without exception each client I've signed wrote a book I loved. If editors turned it down, I thought they were short-sighted and I wanted to make sure they'd live to rue that rejection.


When the client and I have parted ways over my inability to sell their work, it's absolutely not for lack of effort on my part. Yes, sometimes a fresh perspective is needed. Sometimes a new agent will know a category better than I do. When that happens, I am sorry to see the client leave, but I understand their thinking. I have some very successful former clients and I'm pleased as punch for them.

I can't think of a single instance where I sent a book to ten editors and four months later fired the client (even passively) unless there was something else going on. You've mentioned nothing that leads me to think that might be the case here and I hope it isn't.

Some of the things that can lead an agent to lose enthusiasm quickly:

1. Nagging. I don't mean follow up emails once a week, I mean "what are you doing" emails once a day.

2. Micro-managing: "I saw this editor bought Book X on Pub Lunch. Are you sending to them?"

3. Incessant over-analyzing "what does she mean "the book isn't big enough.""

4. Eeyore emails "oh, I'm so discouraged, woe is me, maybe I'll just self-publish" after each rejection.

If by some dreadful coincidence, you see yourself in this list, it's not the book and it's not the agent, it's you. (I hope it's not.)

In any case you now know three things:

1. Your agent has fired you.
2. You need to write a new book
3. You're never going to sign with someone who practices the WhamBamPartingGifts Submission plan again.

novel proposal

My agent has asked me to write a proposal for my new novel. Since he wrote the proposal for my last (and only other) novel before submitting it over a year ago, I am genuinely terrified I'm going to mess this up. This novel is in a genre he normally doesn't rep, so I guess I'm the best qualified to write this.

Is this something literary agents expect their clients to know how to do (and do often)? I've bought a couple books and have googled a ton to make sure I get this right, but I can't get my agent to even answer my (few and far between) emails to ask him (I know... I know... that's a whole other problem). Thanks in advance for your advice. 

I'm a tad perplexed here since  I've never asked anyone to write a proposal for a novel. Generally my clients write either
1. a novel or
2. several chapters and an outline.

Which is not to say I haven't sold books based on notes on a cocktail napkin but that's not a proposal either.

Maybe several chapters and an outline is what your agent means.

The best thing to do though is ask him to show you what he wrote for your first novel proposal.  In fact, why is it that you haven't seen it?


You've also not mentioned if the first book sold. If it did, what the publisher needs in order to decide on acquiring the second book (or option book) is spelled out in the contract. It should say "full manuscript" or "synopsis" or "three chapters" or something very similar. It should be clear what's expected.

If your book did NOT sell, you've pointed out a problem with communication with your agent. You might think about addressing that before moving ahead on the next project.

Communication only improves when both parties are aware of the problem and working to fix it.

Did my agent fire me and I just don't know it?

I've had an agent for some nine years now. About three years ago we had a fall-out and didn't speak for some time. I've sent her several scripts in the interim and she acknowledges receipt of them very politely, but never gets back to me. I'd doubt she's really pushing them but I've no way of knowing.
My question is; should I accept she's no longer my agent and look for another one? Is this just how an agent terminates a relationship?  By being polite and not getting back on anything important. Or should I confront her and ask what she wants to do - does she still want to work with me?
She's my first and only agent and I've no idea how it works. 

There's a term for this now in social situations: ghosting. 

It is however completely unacceptable in business transactions.

First, if you have a written agreement with an agent there should be a clause about how the representation is severed. My clause says written notice and 30 days later, done. From either party.

If you do NOT have a written agreement, you have an oral agreement. You still need to sever it in writing.

The reason you need this in writing is because if you sell another book, and the first agent says "hey I'm your agent" you better have written evidence she's not, or you're going to be forking over 15% to her for a project she didn't sell.

And you know when people come out of the woodwork with their hand out? When there's money at stake. 

She's no longer your agent in practice, but she's your agent of record. You need to talk to her directly and ask if she still wants to work with you. If she's just been sitting on your work for years, you might want to find out why that's happened as well.

You mention a "falling out" after which you didn't speak for a while. That's a pretty big clue that something is very very wrong here. 

If you decide to sever, a written notice, sent via a service like UPS or FedEx that gives you a delivery receipt is required.



 

Agent question: inventory/old novels

Say you have written manuscripts A, B, and C (A being your oldest written, and C your newest). You are lucky and land agent with manuscript C. Would an agent look at manuscripts A and B at all? Is this decided by how recent they were written, or if the author wants the agent to also look at them? Just curious over all, how does this type of thing work and what factors play a role in these types of decisions?

When I sign a client for a Shiny New Novel, one of the things I do ask about is inventory. If you have inventory, and you sign with an agent, you tell her about it.


Most likely she's not going to read any of it while her hands are full with Shiny New Novel.


If Shiny doesn't sell, then I look at inventory.
Chances are inventory isn't going to sell either, so it's on to New Book.



There's no way to quantify this because every writer has different inventory, and agents work differently.  This is why you want good clear communication with YOUR agent. Ask HER what she wants to do.

I've sold inventory novels. I've flat out refused to look at inventory novels after hearing about them. There is no one answer here because the question has four dimensions: the author, the agent, the book, timing.


You thought three dimensional chess was tough? Add time as a factor and you've got  a good metaphor for this.

So, is this normal?

Imagine my excitement when I landed Big Time Agent! However, after I signed the contract, crickets.

After 2 months I sent a gentle email nudge (BTA's preferred form of commo) asking if there were revisions needed, if I needed to do anything..etc).

After a couple of weeks, BTA responded and we talked. BTA had obviously forgotten about me and (1) asked me to resend the ms, saying that BTA got so many emails that it was lost somewhere. I did so, along with some other requested things.

It's been a month and...still those darn crickets.

I know now I should have asked more questions during The Call, like how often communication would occur.

Here's my question: is this normal, the prolonged silence? (2)  I know BTA has many best selling authors. I respect that BTA is busy, but I also run a business and I know to respond promptly to clients. How long should I give this before terminating (yep. No termination clause. I am exposing my ignorance on the internet because it might help others who are blinded by the light).


I know one of BTA's authors and this author speaks so highly of BTA. Of course, the author is a best seller, which probably helps. I think highly of BTA too, I just need to know what is normal in the agent--client world.

First, you have no idea if BTA forgot about you unless she said she had. You can't read her mind. (If you can, please fire her at once, and come sign with me)

Second, the question isn't whether this is normal. The question is whether this is how you want your working relationship to be.

Normal could involve dancing pantsless in bars on Seventh Avenue (and trust me, for some of my clients who shall remain nameless

it does)


The question isn't whether dancing pantsless is normal, it's whether you want to do it.

And it's clear you don't.

You need a different style of communication. One that does not require months of silence and phone call prompts to hear from your agent.

For some clients that style might be just fine. I have clients who hear from me no more than twice a year and are ok with that.

I have other clients who hear from me several times a week, and one of those might be a phone call just to shoot the shinola.

Every client is different. One of the things one learns as an agent is what each client wants/needs and then tailoring communication to fit that.

That kind of tailoring does not come quickly or easily.  I have clients who've given me wake up calls. I have some ex-clients who did so as well.  Sometimes we learn the hard way.

You need to do the following:

 Speak to your agent candidly. Mention it feels like she forgot who you were. Be very direct that waiting for a month feels disrespectful and like you don't have value.

Then, listen both to what she says and how she says it. If she gets defensive and blames you, or faults your expectations, things are not going to change (ie get better.)

If she listens carefully, apologizes, and the two of you work out plan for meeting your needs, things are going to change (ie get better)

If you realize things are not going to change, you have a choice to make: suck it up or terminate the agreement.

This is where you need to be brutally honest with yourself: what do you want in an agent. Some very good agents are terrible with client communication. If she can sell your book, and get you a good deal, will it be worth the communication downside?  That's a question only you can answer.

You need to think about this NOW before the book is sold, because once the book is sold, she's the agent for that book forever.

A word of warning: a lot of people will weigh in on this topic. Some will have a list of "shoulds." Be very careful about listening to other people's should lists. The ONLY thing that matters here is YOURS. I've seen too many writers go astray listening to other writers telling them they should do this that or the other.  Listen to yourself (and me of course!)

Query Question: so, you think publishing is a small world?

Bob and I have been sharing works forever. Bob hates my writing but loves my ideas. I guess one day Bob loved an idea so much Bob decided to write it better. I'm afraid to share my most recent work with Bob now. Bob really wants it.

Here in my little suburb everyone is friends and knows everyone. You can't have a critique partner that's not someone you sit with at church. For example, I sent my kids to a sleep away camp two hours away. I didn't tell a soul and fifteen people from my writing group and church told me how much fun the twins were having. Then they all sent pictures.

This isn't a writing problem. This is a people problem. I'm probably not the right person to ask about people problems because I've long believed the world would be better off if I was in charge and everyone had to do what I say. Not for nutthin' does my nameplate say Queen of the Known Universe

I often hear that writing is a solitary pursuit. It seems like you need more of the solitary and less of the pursuit. 

While it is true that everyone executes ideas in their own way and what Bob writes will be very different than what you write, even if you start with the same idea, it's just plain rude to ask a writer to see their work in progress. Of course, he's gotten in the habit of doing so because you've let him.

As to how you change this long standing practice of sharing, I do not know. My way would involve something that would probably get you shunned by the community, bless their hearts.

On the other hand, the readers of this blog often demonstrate they are very nice people. I'll bet they have some dandy ideas.

Readers?

Author/Agent Life: What does a good working relationship look like?

What does a good working relationship with an agent look like?

I've been with my agent for more than a year, and don't hear from her often. She's submitted my work to three publishers (that I know of) but I've only received feedback from one (a very kind rejection with suggestions on revisions and an open door to read my next book).

In the past year, I've had a baby, so work on my third novel took longer than I expected - I'm just wrapping up revisions, then it will go to beta readers, then I hope to have it completed by end of March.

I've emailed this agent twice since the new year, first on Jan 4 with outlining my goals and timeline, asking her opinion on whether I should attend a national conference & try to personally meet with editors, asking if she's gotten feedback from the other two publishers, detailing my plans for the rest of the series. All organized & concise. The second time was to follow up a week and a half later, as I hadn't heard anything back - not even an acknowledgement of receipt of the email. She's the president of the agency and I understand she's busy, but hearing back even from the assistant would be great at this stage! Still haven't.

I would love to know if this is typical for a relationship between an agent and an unpublished author - if not, what is? After working so hard to get an agent it's disappointing to say the least to only hear from mine once every 5-6 months and to not hear back at all in a timely manner so far this year. If this IS normal, I don't want to overreact and rock the boat!

Any and all advice would be appreciated. Thank you!

This is NOT a good working relationship because YOU are not happy with it. There are no standards about this kind of thing. If you're not happy, it's not working.

I have fallen behind on communication with my clients from time to time. It's not something I'm proud of and in fact is something I work hard to avoid. But it does happen.

BUT, if I get an email or a call that says "hey, this is a problem for me" from a client, I smarten up and pay attention.

Thus, you need to make your unhappiness known. Say to her what you said to me.  She can't fix a problem she's not aware of.

And emails can go astray. Or get buried. Or maybe her assistant was supposed to reply.

Let her know you're unhappy. See if things change. If they don't, well, you know you need an agent who is better at communication than this one. That national conference is probably a good place to meet one.

Agent question: Is she just not that in to me?

I’m a historian with several academic books on my CV; I also write for some well-known mainstream magazines and blogs. A couple of years ago, I was contacted by an agent who had seen my journalism and was interested in representing me if I ever wanted to do a more commercial nonfiction book (which I did).

At the time, she was new to agenting but had solid publishing credentials and worked for a reputable agency. We met and chatted, and a few months later I sent her a query and sample pages based on some new research. She liked the project and made useful suggestions, but ultimately felt the subject was too specialized to appeal to a mainstream publisher.

I should point out that it took weeks if not months for her to respond to my emails about the project, which were by no means frequent or pushy. But we kept in touch and a few months ago I sent her a second, much more commercial idea which she seemed really excited about.

Again, we went back and forth (sloooowly) for a couple of months with her giving feedback on sample pages and me fine-tuning, and finally she said she wanted to represent it and I should send her a formal proposal, which I did.

No response. I sent a follow-up email after two weeks, to confirm that she received the proposal and ask if she had any suggestions for improvements, or if perhaps she was having second thoughts about its mainstream appeal.

Again, crickets. Now it’s been a month and I still haven’t heard anything.

Is this normal, or is she just not that into me?

Having spent two years building a friendly relationship with a real live agent, I don’t want to burn that bridge, but I'm passionate about this project and I would like to move on and query other agents if this is going nowhere.

If you had asked me this question even just a year ago, I would have said something like "hang in there, agents are often behind, her lack of reply doesn't mean lack of interest."

However.

In the last three months I've had three specific instances of agents basically dropping the ball and leaving clients (let alone queriers) high and dry.

I posted about one agent who was essentially forced out of a job which is not quite what you're talking about here, and there are two other instances where I'd helped writers connect with agents other than me, and had those agents drop the ball.

Now my advice is this: you're not running your railroad on Agent Time. If she's dawdling, you start querying. She has not offered you a contract, and you have not agreed to work with her. It's not only fair to query other agents, it's smart.

I've gotten off the rails with clients before, and I will again. It's part of the time management problem of balancing the important with the urgent. However, when I'm wooing a client to work with me, I'm generally trying to put my best foot forward and NOT behind too much. And I've learned (which this agent clearly has not) that keeping queriers informed is the ONLY way to assauge their fears while their work is under consideration.  I tell queriers who have full manuscripts with me that they can check in any time they need to.  And I do reply. It's often "haven't gotten to it yet, but I'm not dead, and I am working."

Query widely. Just because you've spent some time talking to this one agent does NOT mean she's the right agent for you.

Query Question: Now that I have an agent, what mistakes can I avoid?

What the most common mistake debut authors make when they sign with an agent? (Yes, I'm asking for myself *throws confetti*) I've read every QueryShark blog post on catching the eye of an agent, but now that I'm signed, I couldn't find much info (other than not being rude to support staff) on How Not To Screw It Up. 

 Yay for you *plucks confetti from gills*!  Congrats and huzzahs.  There's not just one thing to remember there are nine:

1. Surrender the idea that things get done on a schedule or to deadline. I think this is the number one thing that bugs my clients. It bugs me too, but it's just a fact of life.  If I tell a client I plan to read a manuscript over the weekend, I do plan to do it. Many times, I don't get it done. One thing or another happens to keep me from it.  Sometimes it's just I'm really tired and cranky and that's NOT when you want to be reading your stuff. (Trust me on this.)

A lot of times manuscript reading is delayed for weeks. Sometimes longer. That's no one's preference but the world operating system does not run on Janet Reid Preferences. Would that it did.




2. Do Not Assume/Fear casual comments made on Twitter or Facebook about the job are about you. They never are. Never. They're always about That Other Client.


3. Support the other clients.  Retweet their book news, good reviews, awards and accolades.  Follow them on Twitter; like them on Facebook.  Several of my clients have build lasting friendships after meeting across my bar.  Of course, you don't have to be a slave about this. Follow your gut on this. Not all my clients appeal to each other.  Some agents have lists where not all clients appeal to each other.

4. Don't be afraid to ask for what you need.  If I can do it, I will. If I can't, at least I'll know and we'll avoid misunderstandings.

5. Don't suffer in silence. If somethings wrong, tell me. I am a mind reader but only if you're within a certain number of feet of my desk.

6. Ask when you don't understand something. You're not stupid. Royalty statements and contracts aren't pleasure reading, and my job is to make sure you understand them.

7. Never, ever, ever be dismissive of the support staff.  I've fired clients for that. I have no trouble doing it again if the need arises.  Support staff here are called godsends and there's a reason for that.   IF you have a problem with the people who work for or with me, you will tell ME. 

8. Don't worry about calling or emailing me.  I'd rather hear from you than not if you've got something on your mind.  

9. Never EVER send an email to your editor, or anyone at your publisher that is less than polite. EVER. My job is to run interference for you.  If you've got a problem with your editor or publisher, we'll figure out how to deal with it together.  Or I'll tell you you're all wet. Or you'll fire me.  



Most of this is second nature to the civilized among us. If you're thinking about this, you're going to be ok. It's the people who make assumptions that will go astray.