Janet Kobobel Grant
Sometimes at the end of a workday, I review my accomplishments and realize I did nothing to make money. Oh, I was plenty busy, but no funds will come my way as a result of the work.
Here are 4 ways an agent helps you–but makes no money.
1. When you ask me to facilitate a return of your rights from a publisher. This request occurs when a title has pretty much completed its life-cycle at that publishing house, and the author has decided to self-publish it. I’m happy to perform this service, but the ultimate outcome is that I’m removing it from the list of titles that earned royalties (assuming the advance was earned back).
Publishers are increasingly reluctant 
to return these rights because trickles of cash are coming into its coffers from digital sales. Those trickles apparently add up to sufficient money for publishers to put up a fuss over reversion of rights requests.
So my tasks to obtain those rights usually include:
–pulling out the contract and reading what criteria I was able to negotiate that results in the publisher having no choice but to return the rights when they’re requested.
–emailing the rights and permissions manager my request, with an inclusion of the pertinent paragraph from the contract.
–several back-and-forth emails to discuss why the publisher doesn’t think the rights should be returned but why I think they should.
–receiving the document, which often needs to be signed by both the publisher and the author, that reverts the rights.
–reviewing the document and sending it on to the author.
–helping the author to buy any remaining print stock of the book at the lowest price possible.
–negotiating the potential use of the cover art and how much my client pays for it.
2. When I talk you off the proverbial cliff.
Clients think cliff jumping makes perfect sense for a variety of reasons. In recent weeks toes have been draped over the edge because:
–a deadline was missed, and the title has to be moved to a later season (which is a financial loss for the publisher before the book even releases and a ding in the author’s relationship with the publishing house)
–a marketing-weary client emailed the publisher proclaiming that his writing career was over because he just couldn’t jump through all those social media hoops any more.
–a frustrated debut novelist saw that publishers weren’t leaping at the chance to publish her labor of love.
–an editor wanted to make an offer for a client’s manuscript, but the number of titles the publishing house is producing each year is so diminished that the editor can’t find a slot for the book in the foreseeable future. My client tried to take the news in stride, but that’s seriously discouraging stuff.
3. When I travel with you to your publishing house.
Sometimes ideas or issues need to be discussed in person–brainstorming a client’s next series after completion of a successful one; discussing and negotiating what a title’s marketing plan will be; introducing a significant client to his or her new publishing team. When compelling reasons to visit a publishing house arise, an agent hops on a plane and heads out. It’s our job.
4. When I review your royalty statements.
I’m especially aware of how onerous this task is because I’ve just spent the last couple of weeks in deep review mode. At the end of each quarter of the year, royalty statements come tumbling into the office in heaps. Our agency does so much work with certain publishers that we receive not big envelopes of statements but big boxes.
Royalty accounting is complex, with lots of room for error. Part of an agent’s job is to ruminate over the statements and then contact the accounting department to ask for clarifications and to point out probable errors. Sometimes more money is owed the client, which means the agent receives additional commission payment. But, trust me, the additional amount does not result in sufficient funds to pay for even a tiny bit of the time expended.
Often, during the completion of these tasks, the bond between my client and me is strengthened. And authors are grateful for agents who have a “stand by me” mentality. But unless you’re an agent, it’s unlikely you realize how much of our time and energy is spent on unprofitable tasks.
What do you think is the most important task an agent undertakes for clients?
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There goes my fantasy that writing is the door out of the workday maze of legal language, spreadsheet reconciliation, endless meetings and stressful relationships. But you do it with such grace, Janet.
I remember when I was an editor at various publishing houses, the task I liked least was proofreading. Every job has its pluses and minuses, but I enjoy all of my interactions with my clients, including the cliff dwellers conversations. Those are challenging, but I’m grateful I can help bring a bit of sanity to the vagaries of publishing.
Thank you, Janet. I would say one of the most important tasks an agent undertakes for a client would be placing their trust in the client … trusting their client to do what they say they will do.
Shelli, I hadn’t thought about this before. Interesting but true, isn’t it?
Actually, Shelli, if the client can’t keep his or her word, the relationship is unlikely to last long. Trust is the rock-bed of the author-agent connection.
Amen! 🙂
Interesting post, Janet. I hadn’t thought about some of these points.
I have two questions for you, triggered by your #1 reason. Are a lot of authors asking for their rights back to their books so they can self-publish? And two, is it a worthwhile thing for an author to do in most cases?
What’s the most important task an agent does for a client? It seems like there are many important things. This is a tough question to answer because of the unique working relationship agents and clients share. From a financial standpoint, I think it’s representing books to publishers in a way that encourages publishers to buy them. From a relational standpoint, I’d say giving your clients good wisdom as they make decisions about their career.
I may be off-base since I don’t have an agent yet, though. 🙂 Feel free to correct me. 🙂
Jeane, I can only speak for my clients in terms of their wanting rights back so they can self-publish. I spend several hours each week on this sort of work, whereas, in the past, maybe once a quarter I was requesting rights reversions. So the pace has definitely stepped.
Is it worth it? Yes for those clients who have a pretty big backlist of published titles, if the clients have developed strong ways to connect with their fan-base, and if the titles can be grouped as a series. Otherwise, it’s tough to make offering the books worthwhile.
I think you’re right that the most important tasks are effective presentation of titles to publishers and helping authors to make solid, long-range plans.
Thanks for answering my questions, Janet. What you’re saying makes sense. 🙂
Thank you for this. I am in the process of finding an agent. I have to edit 3 chapters of my book first. I was accepted by a NY publisher but they are not a good fit at this time. I appreciate all that you shared. I will be indebted to the agent that God blesses me with. Thank you for the insight. I will be praying for you.
Cherrilynn, I wish you the best in your quest for an agent. May the way before you be smooth!
Thank you very much.
Janet, thanks for letting us peek behind the curtain to see some of the things agents do for us that–like some of what our parents did for us–often go unnoticed and unthanked. I’m familiar with numbers 2 and 4, and appreciate the efforts of my agent in that area. I wasn’t aware of number 1 and have never been in a position to make number 3 a viable option.
Thanks to you and to my own great agent (also with Books & Such) for all you do.
May #3 be in the future for you and your agent.
Thank you for providing a great insight into some of what an agent does.
The Author/Agent relationship is a unique business partnership and, I’m sure, filled with peaks and valleys supporting each other.
As mentioned above in a previous comment, I’m positive that the greatest help to an agent is working with clients who assist them by following through with duties on their side.
Great article, thank you for sharing it.
You’re welcome, Randy.
As a client that has yet to make you any money, I truly appreciate all you’ve done for me without earning a cent. (yet!) Reading manuscripts, editing, suggesting changes that make my book better, the encouraging emails, phone calls, pitching my MS to editors, and I’m sure there’s more I’m not even aware of. Thank you 🙂
Angela, I’m happy to do this pre-pub work for you. It’s part of what an agent agrees to when we offer representation–which is why we’re very careful about how many new clients we take at one time. Getting a client off to a good start is very consuming for both the writer and the agent.
This is so fascinating, Janet. Thank you for giving us an inside look into all that you do, and thank you for your hard work. This helps us writers to know what we are looking for in our search for a representative. Now I know a little bit more about what a good agent does.
Kristen, thanks for pointing out that not every agent performs each of these tasks. Only the really good agents will stand by his or her authors in this way.
Indifferent agents…yea, it’s not going to happen.
Praying! I appreciate all you ladies do, but it hadn’t really occurred to me that prayer would be such an important part of representation. So thankful it is!
It’s part of the joy of our relationships with our clients to pray for one another.
I don’t have much to say today, Janet (surprisingly). I just wanted to thank you (and all agents like you) for all you do. Many blessings! 🙂
🙂
My agent prays for me. That’s how she’s getting me through my prepublished days. I know she won’t stop after I’m published too. I couldn’t buy that.
Darby, some things are too dear to be acquired through money.
Thank you, Janet! As a writer not yet represented, this is such an eye opening post. I have so much to learn about the industry. I am increasingly aware, the more I learn, that my future agent is indispensable! Wonderful information. Thanks, again.
I so agree with you, Teresa. 🙂
Great post! For me the most important task an agent provides is looking through the lens of the writer’s career and creative vision at the same time. Personally, it’s also very important to me that my agent is editorial.
Bonni, you make an important point: Not every agent is hands-on in working with you on your proposal and manuscript. Some agents take your proposal, add their contact info, and send it off without even reading it. (Note: This would be an agent to avoid. Agents should have a strong sense of whether the project is being presented in the most salable way possible.)
Thanks to all of you agents who are helping writers, publishers, and readers. Just think of all the lives that have been touched by reading books that never would have been available to them without your work. Although you’ll probably never know it, you’re helping to make the world a better place.
Thanks, Janet, for the reminder about the bigger picture. Sometimes, when I’m “in the weeds,” it’s easy to forget.
Yet more reasons why you agents are so servant-hearted and such a blessing. We appreciate you!!
Four more reasons to REALLY appreciate a good agent.
I think the most valuable is just the agent being a buffer between the publisher and the author. As an un-agented, yet published author, I’ve experienced first hand how difficult it can be for an inexperienced author to navigate the perilous waters of publisher relations, royalty statements etc by themselves.
Thanks for the informative post.
Good point, Amber. It can feel pretty lonely trying to figure out all the publishing nuances by yourself, with only publishing personnel to discuss details with.
Thank you, Janet, for the glimpse into the agent world. It reminded me of a position I had in Risk Management…a lot of work was done behind the scenes not only to prevent adverse outcomes but also to facilitate optimal outcomes.
One of the most important tasks you undertake for “non-clients” like me is taking the time to write posts for the Books & Such blog. I agree with Teresa T, “so much to learn.”
Kathy, I love the way you describe you Risk Management work: “a lot of work was done behind the scenes not only to prevent adverse outcomes but also to facilitate optimal outcomes.” Yea, that says it all.
Just have to say thank you.
Julie
Julie, you know I adore working with you.
Can’t tell you how much I respect you.
5. When you fight… I mean… negotiate… for a better cover.
6. When you proofread and radically improve proposals.
7. When you invest countless hours of conversation trying to put together a collaboration that doesn’t happen.
8. When you lead, craft, design, and create the most innovative and forward thinking literary management firm in the biz.
You are appreciated.
Bill