By Irene Hannon,
author of Driftwood Bay
When I launched my
fiction-writing career many years ago, I thought having an agent would be
advantageous—not to mention prestigious. It was a sentiment shared by most
authors I knew.
But my early career ended up
being focused on category romance, and as I quickly learned, an agent in that
situation is little more than an unnecessary expense. Category romance
contracts are boilerplate and largely nonnegotiable (aside from a couple of items
like author copies). So, an agent won’t be able to get you anything you can’t
ask for yourself—yet they’ll still take their full fifteen percent.
When I decided to branch into
longer, trade-length books, I knew I’d need to switch publishers. By then, it
had become more difficult to connect with non-category publishers without an
agent.
So, I got one—and he did sell my
first suspense series.
However, having spent more than
two decades in an executive level position at a Fortune 500 company, I was familiar
with the give and take of negotiation. I had also educated myself through the
years on publishing contracts. So other than making that initial connection, my
agent did very little for me.
When it came time to pitch a
second series, I sent him a one-page proposal, with a one-paragraph synopsis of
each of the books. He passed it on to my publisher—and they bought it
immediately. Virtually no work was required on his part…yet he collected his
fifteen percent (and continues to collect it to this day, since the series is
still selling).
At this point, I decided the
agent model wasn’t working for me. I was comfortable reviewing contracts and
asking for what I wanted, and I anticipated a long run with my publisher. What
value was my agent adding?
Just as I was about to sever our
relationship, my publisher contacted him and asked for another contract.
Absolutely zero work was required on his part. But since he was still the agent
of record, he got his percentage.
Needless to say, we’ve since
parted ways. I now negotiate my own contracts, though I do have a literary
attorney in New York who I use on occasion. But that’s a pay-as-you-go
arrangement, which works far better for me.
While I realize an agent may make
sense for some authors who intend to take advantage of the smorgasbord of
services they offer—publisher contacts, industry information, contract
negotiation, contract analysis, manuscript review, hand holding. However, all I
ever used my agent for was negotiating contracts. So, I was paying for a smorgasbord
I didn’t need.
For those still waiting for their
first contract, a literary agent may help you get your work in front of an
editor. But remember that many editors attend writing conferences, and you may
be able to make a personal connection yourself. It’s an option that could be
worth exploring.
Whether you decide to get an
agent or not, I’ll share one piece of advice. Educate yourself on the industry
and on contracts—and review every contract word for word. Because no one will
ever care as much about your career as you do.
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