I met someone at a Thanksgiving volunteer event who identified themselves as a literary agent. We met for coffee later the next week. This person said they would generously waive the commission and charge an upfront pitching fee instead. They said a few other things that were red flags. I told this person “You’re saying and doing everything people describe slimy literary agents do.” Either they ignored this or the statement went over their head. I laughed and walked out of the café.
This is how I found you. I was searching for a literary agent looking for horror stories not literary agent horror stories. I am thankful for your insight though. I get hit up on facebook and in email by scammer agents. They're so annoying.
Thank you so much for this video Alyssa! Would you be able to share a list of questions one should ask an agent who is offering representation, prior to signing a contract with them?
Is it common that after you sign a contract with a small press publisher, they go silent for a month, longer, no response to questions? I know nothing of the correct etiquette between writer/publisher, or what the timeline typically is. Can you help me understand this?
I had loads of these. Agents, or someone working in a supposed field claiming to be something and hate it when I ask questions and get angry about it and respond with. ''What you want? I have clients who work for me and it's good enough for them, it's good for you, alright? Who are you, the police or something? Stop asking stupid questions. All I am looking for is a yay or nay, nothing else.''
Not answering questions before signing a contract? 🤣 That's like agreeing to a job without an interview or starting a business with a stranger. Huge red flag, ridiculous. 🚩 Great video, thanks Alyssa.
Well I'll have to slightly disagree with your second point about handshake deals. I'm a member of the WGA West, and have had a few reps throughout my career. All of them have been handshake deals. My friends who are also screenplay writers, some quite successful ones, also prefer handshake deals. That way if we want to separate from the rep at some stage, it's an easier process. I currently have a lit agent (primarily for novels) and we have a handshake deal, and our relationship thus far (3 years) has been very good.
be careful - in my general experience - some people in California love doing handshake deals - but nowhere else I've been - so in CA it could be legit - but elsewhere be careful ...
Thank you for this very helpful video. Is it reasonable to ask an agent what projects they are working on, not expecting specifics but a general feel? This also leads to the question of what is a reasonable workload for an agent?
I will only work with an agent named Jerry. That way I can make my agent yell “show me the money Jerry!” on the cellphone before I fully trust him (or her).
Hi Alyssa, In your Agent Horror Stories video, you mentioned about 'agent signing a ton of new clients at once.' How would I know if my agent is doing that?
I love your videos Alyssa, they've been the most helpful guide to my querying journey. I've recently run into an issue and am not completely sure how to resolve it. If I send off my sample pages to an agent and during the time that agent has them I get feedback and revise those pages, should I send the agent the revised pages?
Is there really a future for the agent? The way things are going the answer is that the agent is on the way out. They are part of a traditional system which itself is largely on the way out. Alternative systems are expanding almost by the day. Please do a video on precisely why an author should try to go through this system. Including financial aspects. Less and less reasons for following the agent-publisher system are appearing. Many publishing houses collect authors based on how well the author is doing book sales wise. No agent necessary. And if the financial returns are greater by going the so called self-pub route why go through agents?
Thanks A for that prompt reply. Sorry if I was coming over too negative there. It was good of you to ignore it. Truth is I'm in the middle of this agent thing right now and after casting around the massive writing advice fields out there these days if I don't get anywhere agent wise I'm going to plunge into self pub. And the more I read what people - nearly always women now but I'm naturally pro women so that's never a problem - but A there's so much being churned out now I try to keep up and sample extracts and get dreadfully downhearted and just feel what the -. I'm going to have to fight because my moods are pushing me towards a cliff right now. Good thing I don't drink. Take care and again thanks for meeting my mood with positivity not - but I'll have to let you fill that one in.
@@alancook9102 The (very) basic picture of trad versus indie finances is that in trad you get less royalties but don't have to pay professionals out of pocket to do the editing/artwork/publicity, while in indie you get more royalties but you have to pay the professionals up front and out of pocket.
Firstly, thanks so much for the video! Also, I've read so many of your videos, and so many times I see people hate on "purple prose" and see it as detracting from a novel. However, I've been reading the bronte sisters and jane austen and other victorian novels have grown accustomed to and have a taste for lovely descriptive, ornamental writing, especially as my 1st novel is set in 1872 Ura (A continent directly copied from Europe) and have many villains n the novels from victorian era like the Vampiress Carmilla and Dorian Gray and Faust and Desdemona. Do you think there's a market for that type of writing> (I'm self-publishing) as that has now become my writing style, and I enjoy it very much. Is this a bad thing? Is there a market for flowery and richly descriptive writing! Really love my metaphors and witty dialogues.
@@erinl4512 Directly after I posted this, I realised this. Desdemona from Othello and faust from Goethe. Yeah... I messed up... But they're still villains though
You sound like a jaded ex-girlfriend, js. Put yourself in the agent's shoes, can you imagine how it would feel to represent an author that's so high maintenance? I was exhausted, just listening to this.
I met someone at a Thanksgiving volunteer event who identified themselves as a literary agent. We met for coffee later the next week. This person said they would generously waive the commission and charge an upfront pitching fee instead. They said a few other things that were red flags. I told this person “You’re saying and doing everything people describe slimy literary agents do.” Either they ignored this or the statement went over their head. I laughed and walked out of the café.
Im so happy I found this channel
You have saved future me from my ignorance
This is how I found you. I was searching for a literary agent looking for horror stories not literary agent horror stories. I am thankful for your insight though. I get hit up on facebook and in email by scammer agents. They're so annoying.
I love your honesty and transparency when it comes to the industry. Very helpful for debut authors, beginners, or new agents in the field.
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you so much for this video Alyssa! Would you be able to share a list of questions one should ask an agent who is offering representation, prior to signing a contract with them?
Agree!! Would be great
So far I have just done the self-publishing route but I'm always interested in learning about the industry, thanks for the video.
It's always good to keep track of both self and traditional publishing news! Thanks for the kind comment!
Is it common that after you sign a contract with a small press publisher, they go silent for a month, longer, no response to questions? I know nothing of the correct etiquette between writer/publisher, or what the timeline typically is. Can you help me understand this?
I had loads of these. Agents, or someone working in a supposed field claiming to be something and hate it when I ask questions and get angry about it and respond with. ''What you want? I have clients who work for me and it's good enough for them, it's good for you, alright? Who are you, the police or something? Stop asking stupid questions. All I am looking for is a yay or nay, nothing else.''
Wow
Thanks for the advice! Hope to be submitting my manuscript sometime next year. Wish me luck 🙂
Not answering questions before signing a contract? 🤣 That's like agreeing to a job without an interview or starting a business with a stranger. Huge red flag, ridiculous. 🚩 Great video, thanks Alyssa.
Should I save this for a Q&A video? What questions would you ask a potential agent? How many clients is too many (ballpark) for an agent to have?
Does it ever happen where a reputable agent signs on an author but can't land an editor? Ifso, what happens to the agent/ author relationship?
I appreciate the heads-up on the subtle clues that bad Lit Agents might send to telegraph the problems I want to avoid.
Well I'll have to slightly disagree with your second point about handshake deals. I'm a member of the WGA West, and have had a few reps throughout my career. All of them have been handshake deals. My friends who are also screenplay writers, some quite successful ones, also prefer handshake deals. That way if we want to separate from the rep at some stage, it's an easier process. I currently have a lit agent (primarily for novels) and we have a handshake deal, and our relationship thus far (3 years) has been very good.
be careful - in my general experience - some people in California love doing handshake deals - but nowhere else I've been - so in CA it could be legit - but elsewhere be careful ...
Thanks, Alyssa. You remain to be a star :)
Thank you for this very helpful video. Is it reasonable to ask an agent what projects they are working on, not expecting specifics but a general feel? This also leads to the question of what is a reasonable workload for an agent?
All great tips! Thanks!
Glad it was helpful!
So is it fair to say that you should treat your literary agent simliar to anyone you sign an employment contract with?
I will only work with an agent named Jerry. That way I can make my agent yell “show me the money Jerry!” on the cellphone before I fully trust him (or her).
Hi Alyssa, In your Agent Horror Stories video, you mentioned about 'agent signing a ton of new clients at once.' How would I know if my agent is doing that?
I love your videos Alyssa, they've been the most helpful guide to my querying journey. I've recently run into an issue and am not completely sure how to resolve it. If I send off my sample pages to an agent and during the time that agent has them I get feedback and revise those pages, should I send the agent the revised pages?
Which is why I prefer to go without (not the only reasons...). Julia Donaldson said she went without from the get go
Is there really a future for the agent? The way things are going the answer is that the agent is on the way out. They are part of a traditional system which itself is largely on the way out. Alternative systems are expanding almost by the day. Please do a video on precisely why an author should try to go through this system. Including financial aspects. Less and less reasons for following the agent-publisher system are appearing. Many publishing houses collect authors based on how well the author is doing book sales wise. No agent necessary.
And if the financial returns are greater by going the so called self-pub route why go through agents?
One good reason is the agency's foreign rights department.
I have a video on the pros and cons of each method of publishing here!: ruclips.net/video/SCKY2UYvQ5c/видео.html
Thanks A for that prompt reply. Sorry if I was coming over too negative there. It was good of you to ignore it. Truth is I'm in the middle of this agent thing right now and after casting around the massive writing advice fields out there these days if I don't get anywhere agent wise I'm going to plunge into self pub. And the more I read what people - nearly always women now but I'm naturally pro women so that's never a problem - but A there's so much being churned out now I try to keep up and sample extracts and get dreadfully downhearted and just feel what the -.
I'm going to have to fight because my moods are pushing me towards a cliff right now. Good thing I don't drink. Take care and again thanks for meeting my mood with positivity not - but I'll have to let you fill that one in.
@@alancook9102 The (very) basic picture of trad versus indie finances is that in trad you get less royalties but don't have to pay professionals out of pocket to do the editing/artwork/publicity, while in indie you get more royalties but you have to pay the professionals up front and out of pocket.
Thank you for this. I hope I don't come across any of them I have queried.
Firstly, thanks so much for the video!
Also, I've read so many of your videos, and so many times I see people hate on "purple prose" and see it as detracting from a novel. However, I've been reading the bronte sisters and jane austen and other victorian novels have grown accustomed to and have a taste for lovely descriptive, ornamental writing, especially as my 1st novel is set in 1872 Ura (A continent directly copied from Europe) and have many villains n the novels from victorian era like the Vampiress Carmilla and Dorian Gray and Faust and Desdemona. Do you think there's a market for that type of writing> (I'm self-publishing) as that has now become my writing style, and I enjoy it very much. Is this a bad thing? Is there a market for flowery and richly descriptive writing! Really love my metaphors and witty dialogues.
Faust and Desdemona are hundreds of years earlier than the Victorian period.....
@@erinl4512 Directly after I posted this, I realised this. Desdemona from Othello and faust from Goethe. Yeah... I messed up... But they're still villains though
Hi Alyssa, What do you think of contract-free relationships with literary agents?
Run. Don't walk. If they serious they will sign a contract and long term. If they don't offer it move on to another agent.
If you like it then you better put a contract on it.
@@chartolliver999 Beyonce-approved message!🙂
@@blt2421 thanks!
I'm not even halfway through the video yet and number 1 sounds suuuuuuuper sketch.🤨
You have very beautiful hair
You sound like a jaded ex-girlfriend, js. Put yourself in the agent's shoes, can you imagine how it would feel to represent an author that's so high maintenance? I was exhausted, just listening to this.