There comes a point in almost every author’s career when they say, “Well. That’s done. Now what?”
Your book baby is ready for the world and wow, are you ready to push them out the door. You’ve always dreamt of traditional publishing. Maybe the Big Five. Seeing your name on book spines staring back from a major bookstore. Dare we aim for best seller lists? Indeed, we do!
All well and good. But how? You know these lauded heights require a great deal of work and you’re willing to put it in. If only you had a direction to face.
You could query. We’ll get into that journey in another article. The topic demands its own space.
For our purposes today, the most direct answer is…agents!
The Publisher’s Association (publishers.org) defines an agent as:
“…someone who helps writers get their stories made into books. Their job is to read as many stories as possible and find the best ones and then find a publisher who is willing to pay the writer to turn the story into a book which is then sold in bookshops or online.”
That sounds like exactly what we’re looking for! How do you make friends with one of these magical creatures?
Hold up. Let’s dig in a little more.
“Stories made into books” is a pretty broad statement. Agents help you navigate every step of that process. Yes, they find interested publishers and editors who will pay for your creation. They also negotiate contracts—this is crucial. A straightforward contract can give you a migraine. Great is the number of authors hornswoggled by a bad faith contract. Having someone in your corner who understands not just the legal jargon, but also the current atmosphere, can save you time, effort, and very likely money. They’ll get you the best deal they can, using industry knowledge you’re likely lacking. (As well you should be! You’re supposed to be writing. What are you doing here? What aren’t you writing?)
Agents protect you. They protect your rights…things you may not even know about…and make sure you are paid properly and on time. If you run into problems, they’re your first line of defense and information. They’ll fight for you and run interference as needed.
Like any other service you might hire to help you get your book out, agents get paid. Unlike other services, their fee doesn’t come out of your pocket. Agents are paid by commission. That means, the better deal they get for you, the more they get paid. Current standard is 15%.
Sounds good, right? Someone on your side, fighting for you and that book baby. Someone you don’t have to pay up front. Where do we sign up?
If only the life of an author were so easy. Alas.
You have to find an agent. Find several. Find many-many. Social media is a good start. X (Twitter) is a goldmine of agents.
Once you have a list of possibilities, start pitching. Agents tend to have several clients and their To Be Read pile is enough to make anyone whimper. They read. All the time. They dig through hundreds of submissions, searching for the book that catches their eye, the book that fits a certain mold, the book that screams “I am a best seller!”
Does your book scream?
It’s your job to submit a pitch and a sample that grabs an agent. Throwing spaghetti at the wall isn’t going to work here. You have to search and then research. Find people. Look at their manuscript wish list (MSWL). Look at the books they’ve sold, and where. How did those books do? You’ll want to make sure you are a good match for their needs. Take your time and respect theirs.
Court many agents at once. This isn’t subbing a story. It’s expected that you’ll be reaching out to several at the same time. Expect rejections. It’s all part of the process and you want someone picky. You want an agent who loves your book!
Once you find someone, the next chapter of work begins. They may want edits. They will likely want to discuss parts of your book. They may have advice or requests. While you should absolutely protect your creation, be open to suggestions. They know what the market and genre call for. Being too stubborn could lose you an opportunity. At the same time, being too accommodating could change too much of your vision.
What should you watch out for? Agents who don’t respond. Ever. People are busy, but if your agent doesn’t answer your messages, they may be putting you on a back burner. You decide your threshold.
If they belittle, gaslight, or in any way make you feel inferior, move on. An agent should be your cheerleader. Respect goes both ways.
They take months to read your manuscript or don’t seem to be promoting your work. You shouldn’t have a book languishing for seasons, waiting for your agent to step up. Yes, they’re busy. Everyone is busy. If they’ve signed you, they need to work you.
I know a lot of this sounds discouraging. It’s not meant to. But you should step onto this path with eyes wide open. Fantasize about those big advance checks and grand launches and then buckle down and dig in. You’ve worked so hard to get here – honor that by going the rest of the way with just as much care and energy.
An agent-author relationship is a gorgeous thing. Go get yours!
Kimberly Rei
Kimberly Rei, in addition to writing creepy tales, is an editor with Black Hare Press and takes joy in offering the wobbly wisdom of her experience. She does her best work in the places that can't exist...the in-between places where imagination defies reality. With a penchant for dark corners and hooks that leave readers looking over their shoulder, she is always on the lookout for new ideas, new projects, and new ways to make words dance. Her debut novelette, Chrysalis, is available on Amazon. Kimberly lives in gorgeous Florida where the Gulf hides monsters and the sun is a special kind of horror.
Dean Shawker
Dean Shawker hails from Bracknell, UK, and now lives in Melbourne, Australia.
Dean is co-founder and editor of Black Hare Press.
Having found that his BSc in Bioengineering and BA in Digital Media were as useful in real life as calculus and geometric proofs, Dean now works in commercial non-fiction during the day and moonlights as a minion of the hell hare, Captain Woundwort, in the dark hours.
He writes speculative fiction and dark poetry under the pseudonym Avery Hunter, and edits under the name D. Kershaw.
You’ll usually find him hanging out with the rest of the BHP family in the BHP Facebook group, or here as a servant to the Stygian Lepus.
