How to Choose the Best Agent For You

Recently I've had a few writers seek me out for consultation because they were dealing with the fortunate mishap of having more than one agent interested in their work. That may sound fantastic if you haven't been able to get anything other than single sheet rejections in your mailbox, but these writers found themselves feeling like the dog chasing cars who finally caught one! What to do now?

Below are a few points to consider, but note this: each one involves an evaluation of yourself and the agent. Ideally you'll be asking yourself, "What do I want here?" and then "What does the agent offer?" You'll see what I mean as we go on.

The Art of Communication

This first point is all about how the back-and-forth communications between you and your agent will happen. Will you mostly talk via email? Or telephone? How easy will it be to get your agent on the phone? Now, what do you want your communications with your agent to be like? A couple of the writers I spoke with weren't happy with the agents who didn't return their phone calls or answer their emails in a timely fashion. In fact, they got downright antsy about it and thought the agent had changed his or her mind about their project. Of course this wasn't the case, but that didn't stop the thought from driving the writers crazy anyway!

Still, it's important to consider: are you the type of writer who requires a lot of attention? That's not a bad thing, but it means you may want to think twice about choosing an agent with a large client base who is busy and can't return calls or emails on the same day. A smaller firm with more personal attention would be the more appropriate choice.

Bigtime Connections

On the flipside, the agent who is too busy to return phone calls might be busy because he's escorting one of his writers to an appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey Show"! An agent who has celebrity clients may have a foot in the door for certain publicity opportunities and immediate recognition from the editors at the publishing houses. The editors know, for instance, to pay attention to a manuscript coming from Agent X because he regularly sends them great stuff! If you want that kind of star power behind your book and you're secure enough to be in a huge fold where you're not top dog, then go for this agent.

But don't write off a smaller agent because his or her connections are with small or mid-size publishing companies. Your book may require the kind of attention (budgetary and otherwise) that you can get from smaller firms. This type of agent may be more helpful in the building of your platform, where with a bigger agent you might be expected to have your audience already in place.

Any Editing in the Deal?

Some agents are interested in helping you develop the content of your book. Some agencies even employ in-house editors. Why? Because they know a book has a better chance of selling if it's in top form before they take it to the publishing houses. Do you feel you'll need this type of assistance for your book? Does the agent you're considering offer this type of service? If not, remember you may want to invest in hiring an editor on your own.

Consider the Long Run

I recently assisted a writer in researching an agent and my contacts at a publishing house told us that he was a hit-and-run kind of guy--he threw lots of projects at you, trying to see what would stick. If he couldn't sell it, he'd drop the project and move on. Again, that's not necessarily a bad thing--many agents operate this way. But the writer in question here was looking for an agent who would not only represent his book, but also help him develop his writing career--someone who could help him evaluate opportunities and brainstorm future projects. If the writer was only interested in selling his current book, this agent could have been the right choice. But for the long run, he knew this agent wasn't the guy!

Now: Make the Choice

Once you've done your evaluating, make your choice and tell the agents as soon as possible. For the person you didn't pick, make the communication clear and friendly. You don't want to burn any bridges in this business. These days people switch sides frequently so today's agent could be tomorrow's publisher. Just something to keep in mind!