THE CAREER NOVELIST
An agent is more than his or her reputation. Your research
should start, not end, with his or her client list. Get all the facts.
Weigh all the factors that make a difference to a writer's career over
the long haul. Most important of all, give yourself a choice. After all,
there is a lot riding on your decision.
THE BIG ISSUES
In approaching agents in the real world, which issues are critical?
What kinds of questions should you ask? How do you know if a
given agent is a good match? How can you give yourself a true
choice?
The big issues, the ones most authors feel are of top importance,
are the following:
Specialists vs. Generalists. It is a rare author indeed whose ambitions
are limited to one type of book. Most genre novelists have a main-
stream novel percolating inside. Others want to write screenplays.
Still others want lots of sub-rights action.
Those are healthy signs. Authors with many goals and needs are
actively engaged in their careers, not just passively waiting.
However, finding an agent whose areas of expertise exactly match
one's interests and needs may be difficult. Should one, then, seek
out a generalist—an agent with experience in all areas?
For the truly versatile author, a generalist can make sense. Here,
though, you must be honest with yourself: do you regularly write and
sell in a variety of markets? If so, a well-rounded agent with wide con-
tacts will be useful to you. And if not?
Most novelists sell primarily one type of book—science fiction,
say—and only sometimes make excursions into other areas. If this
is you, you may be better off finding an agent who has a strong track
record in your primary field. That is obvious, you would think, but
you would be surprised. When genre authors call me up, many open
the conversation asking, "Do you also handle mainstream?" I do.
That reassures them—but not necessarily me.
Do not get me wrong: I like authors who stretch themselves cre-
atively, but the first and fundamental job is to look after one's
bread-and-butter business. A mystery novelist whose first stated
goal is to get out of the mystery field makes me wonder. What does