Six signs it might be time to leave your literary agent
There are tons of articles out there about how to spot a shady literary agent, but they are almost all for people who are still looking for representation, and they talk about things like never paying someone to read your manuscript etc.
But what if you have an agent, and on the surface, they are a βgoodβ one? A reputable one that looks after lots of successful writers?
What if they were your dream agent and yet somehow, the dream has soured? And you canβt quite put your finger on it, but something doesnβt feel right?
Sadly this isnβt an uncommon situation.
Weβre so so happy when we first sign with an agent that we brush aside any little niggles that tell us perhaps we arenβt a good fit.
Your relationship with your agent is unique. Itβs unlike any other business relationship I have ever had, and often, so much of a successful relationship between author and agent is down to the chemistry you have together.
One manβs meat and all thatβ¦ it can be that one agentβs working style works well for one author, but leaves another author pulling out their hair.
For example, some authors prefer a more blunt, honest working relationship, whereas others prefer to be treated more delicately.
Itβs really important to find the right agent for you.
Iβve been lucky - I signed with my agent nearly 15 years ago, and we have a really good working relationship.
But I know so many authors whoβve signed with agents only to have the relationship turn sour after a while.
They feel trapped and confused, and they donβt know if itβs just them being oversensitive, or if thereβs something wrong with the relationship.
I also think many authors have a long, hard journey to getting an agent in the first place, and so theyβre really nervous about the prospect of making a move.
But your agent is such a vital part of your publishing career, that if things donβt feel right or if the relationship is causing you more harm than good, then itβs definitely a good time to reassess.
You always have options. I know many, many authors who have changed agents midway through their careers.
It happens all the time and itβs really not that big of a deal.
Why a loyal agent is better than a hotshot agent β
An oft-repeated mantra in the publishing world is: no agent is better than a bad agent and I 100% agree with this.
Do not settle for shoddy behaviour!
OK, so letβs run down the top six signs that your agent might not be the right one for youβ¦
1 They make you feel inferior in some way
If your agent makes you cry then they are not for you. If they make you feel like you should be grateful to be represented by them then they are also not for you.
Your agent should be your biggest cheerleader. They should believe in you and your writing and you should really FEEL as though they do.
If they put you down, gaslight, criticise or ignore you then itβs time to put your big pants on and find someone who treats you with the respect you deserve.
2 You feel like theyβre putting the publishersβ needs before yours
I do find the author-agent-publisher relationship inherently a little problematic.
On the face of it, itβs clear: the agent works for the author. And your needs should come first. You shouldnβt be left feeling as though your agent is more interested in appeasing your publisher than serving your career.
However, whether right or wrong, the truth is that agents do have to maintain long-term relationships with all the key editors at publishing houses, in order to sell their clientsβ books.
And you are not their only client.
I donβt have any specific examples to share here, but anecdotally I have heard of stories where authors feel as though their needs are being compromised in order for the agent to keep an editor at a publisher happy, because they have other authors with that editor, or they are hoping to sell another author to that editor in the future.
Itβs an inevitable conflict of interest, and the sad fact is that there are thousands of would-be authors out there but only a handful of very influential commissioning editors.
However, itβs not fair on you and you shouldnβt feel as though your needs are being sacrificed in order to keep an editor sweet for a different author.
3 They donβt respond to your emails in a timely manner - or at all
Agents are busy, I know. Editors are busy too.
Iβd like to also argue that most writers are bloody busy as well because weβre probably doing another job alongside our writing in order to pay our bills, but hey, we donβt SEEM as busy as the others because the secret truth is that our writing is always our priority, so we will reply to emails within minutes (not so much with emails for the dayjob though amirite?!)
Anyway, the short version of this is WE ARE ALL BUSY.
So I do understand that agents can take a while to get back to you, especially on something non-urgent, I would be very pissed off if my agent took weeks to reply to my emails, or didnβt reply at all.
If this is happening to you, and itβs not a one-off thing (I get that sometimes people have a lot of other things going on outside of work) but more a systematic pattern, and youβve raised it with your agent before - then it may be time to move on.
4 They take months to read your manuscripts
Iβm kind of stunned at how common this is, and how many authors are sitting around waiting for their agents to read their books.
Unless youβve landed a book on them with no notice, then I canβt think of a decent reason for them to not put your MS near the top of their priority list.
I always discuss a date to deliver to my agent and I always ask her to make sure it suits her and her workload. We can usually find a time that works for us both.
Iβm a bit Type A though, and I tend to hit all my deadlines so this method has always worked for me.
But if youβve agreed a date to deliver and your agent still hasnβt even opened the MS three months later, then this is not good!
As an existing client, you should be one of your agentβs priorities.
5 They arenβt ambitious for you
Oh this makes me so sad even to write about. But if you feel as though your agent has lost the faith slightly, and isnβt ambitious for you, then it might be worth thinking about moving on.
You want an agent who is fired up on your behalf, who genuinely believes you could be the next biggest thing, and who is determined and energetic enough to go out and fight for you and your career.
If you feel as though your agent is just going through the motions and is happy with you signing deal after deal for the same amount, with no sense of your career being on an upward trajectory then you probably deserve more.
However, I understand that for some authors, this might be fine. Not all authors are desperate to have βbigβ books and all the associated pressure that comes with that.
But if you are keen to keep on progressing in your career, and you donβt feel as though your agent is helping you do that, then itβs time for someone new with some fresh energy.
And the ultimate red flagβ¦
6 They donβt pay you promptly
Iβm not sure I need to elaborate much on this point.
But if your agent is sitting on money thatβs rightfully yours then that is NOT ON.
Do not accept excuses or fob offs. If your agent is repeatedly late paying you money you are owed then itβs time to talk to the Association of Authorsβ Agents or the Society of Authors.
Moving agents is obviously a scary thing. I havenβt done it myself, so I canβt share much insight.
However, I do know lots of authors who have, and they all seem to have survived the process!
More importantly, I donβt know of anyone whoβs changed agents and regretted it, so listen to your gut, and if any of the above resonated with you, then perhaps itβs time to start considering your options π