Myth: A Bad Agent is Better than No Agent

To understand the difference between a good agent and a bad agent, you need to know what agents do. Your agent will help plan your career, guide you in developing projects, present and sell those projects, negotiate a fair contract, shepherd that book through the whole process– weighing in on covers, back-cover copy, marketing and eventually reversion of rights. Your agent will help troubleshoot book content, put out fires and ride herd on your rights and your royalties. And that’s only for starters.

So what makes a good agent? She needs to be well-connected so she can make the introductions and keep on top of changes in the industry. She needs to be someone who can smooth troubled waters and keep everything humming along. A good agent must be organized, paying attention to detail. You want someone who is always scanning the horizon to get a bead on what’s new, what’s next. Your agent should be well-liked by editors and publishers.

Most of the agents in the industry are very good at what they do, but. . .

I cringe a little when I talk about “bad” agents because all of us fall short sometimes, but the difference between a good agent and a bad agent is the level of integrity, skill, communication and knowledge of the industry.

Integrity

An agent only makes money when the client makes money. This is one of the easiest ways to spot a bad agent. An agent should not refer a client to a publicist, editorial service or self-publisher in which he has any financial interest or receives any kind of referral fee. You also want your agent to be a truth teller, to be part of a financially secure agency and to have an excellent reputation in the industry.

Skills

A good agent is a skilled negotiator, has a well-developed eye for writing, and has that hard-to-define sense of what is appropriate. An agent sometimes needs to be tough and persistent, but he also needs an equal dose of subtlety, tact, diplomacy and discretion. This is where a bad agent can ruin your career. Publishers avoid certain agents. Unwitting writers connected to such an agent may be held at arm’s length by publishers only because of that agent’s reputation or past dealings.

Communication

A good agent communicates well with clients, editors and colleagues. Communication is ever more complex these days. Communicating well may require a combination of video conferences, travel, email, a web presence, and social media posts. It’s easy to imagine how a silent agent can damage a career.

Knowledge of the Industry

A good agent knows editors and publishing houses. He knows who’s looking for what and understands how to match the perfect project to the perfect editor. He makes sure he presents the editor with all the information he needs to make a decision. A bad agent blankets the industry with proposals, sending everything to everyone. Editors know which agents handpick projects for them and which use the shotgun approach.

So how do you tell the good agent from the bad? Aside from the obvious–agents asking for money upfront or appearing overly hungry for clients– one of the best ways is to talk to fellow writers about their agents. If you work with an editor already, ask that editor for names of agents who might be a good match. They won’t be able to name names of bad agents, but they won’t recommend them either.

I’ve only danced around the edges here. There are stories that could be told, but we’ll leave those to the imagination.

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