Asking the Right Questions
Monday, March 7, 2011 Question of the day: I got an agent offer! I'm speaking with her (and hopefully a few others) this week. Do you have any good questions to ask if more than one agent makes me an offer?
First of all, CONGRATS! So exciting! You're smart to think about what you'd like to ask the agent rather than just immediately accept. As I've posted here time and time again, your relationship with your agent is possibly the most critical aspect of your career, and it's wise to take your time and do it right the first time.
That said, I think you need to reflect on what matters to YOU when chatting with her. This will vary from author to author (for example, I was very, very important to me that I have an open line of communicaton with my agent - other authors may not value that as much...), but here are some questions that if I were in your position, I would likely ask:
-Where do you see this book in the marketplace?
-Paperback vs. Hardcover?
-Do you have specific editors in mind? (You can then research what they've edited.)
-How do you work with authors - do you share your submission list? Let me know where I stand? Send me rejections?
-Are you open to my imput?
-How do you like to communicate with authors?
-Where do you see my career going? Whose career would you cite as an example of my ideal path?
I think those are good places to start - at least they were for me because these were the issues that mattered to me. I'm guessing that blog readers have plenty of other good questions too though. Anyone want to weigh in on what you would ask or what you asked in these circumstances?
Agents
Reader Comments (5)
YAY! A very exciting time! Enjoy it, try not to stress out, and be honest with everyone. But most of all: congrats!
I found it very helpful to ask "What book out there do you feel is most like mine" and "How much work do you think the book needs before we go out on submission, and what kind?" That really helped me figure out whose vision for the book lined up with mine -- which is a big, big deal. You don't want to find out six months down the road that the agent wants you to be writing a 200K-word literary doorstop when you see your book as a zippy 95K-word mystery. Now is the time to talk about this stuff, not after you're signed. (I also asked about their author agreements and whether they operated on a signed contract or a handshake. The answer didn't influence my decision but it was good to know some of the process.)
I can't remember if I asked to talk to some of the agents" clients or if one gave me the idea by volunteering the contacts, but I talked to several clients (including Allison, who was fab) and that was a big help too.
If you write in more than one genre, I'd ask how the agent goes about that. Also, what is the time frame for going on submission. Best of luck!
Great questions! Thanks for the post.
What is the rationale for an agent who doesn't share his/her submissions list? Doesn't the writer have the right to know who is looking at the manuscript?
Great post, as always, Allison. And I think these are great questions to consider when talking to an agent. I would also ask whether the agent is an editorial agent or not. Is s/he going give editorial suggestions on your mss? This is something I wish I had asked the first time. My current agent who is so fabulous and a great fit. I think it's important to remember that it's a relationship and you want to work with someone who "gets" you and your writing.