More on choosing an agentother genre authors. Check the reference section of your local
bookstore.
Still, even in-depth agency profiles can leave you feeling lost.
What happens if your top choices turn you down? What if (happy
day!) several agencies want you? On what basis will you choose? Is
it possible to know—really know—what you are getting into?
In order to distinguish one agency from another, you must first
give yourself permission to gather information. It is true that
agents, especially the top ones, are busy folks. They guard their
time. Breaking through that barrier can be tough.
Oddly enough, some authors actually enjoy being seduced by the
aura of power and secrecy that surrounds agents. These authors do
not want to know how agents do their work. They are romantics.
They would rather believe in magic.
Still, as an author you are a consumer. And the service you will
be buying is quite expensive. You have a right to information, but if
you want it you may have to look beyond source books. One good
way to start is to join a writers' organization. Its officers and mem-
bers may be helpful. So may its national and regional newsletters.
Agents' names, clients, and recent sales often turn up in their
pages. So do interviews with agents.
To develop a more refined feel for agents' styles and effective-
ness, talk to their clients. Here, both writers' organizations and writ-
ers' conferences can be helpful. Head for the bar. That's where writ-
ers most often hang out, and where you will hear the most candid
talk about agents. (Be discerning, though. Frank talk is one thing;
gossip is another.)
Going on-line is another option. Network around. Your goal is to
learn not merely who handles whom or which agents are looking for
what. You need a sense of agents as people. It is often said that the
author/agent relationship is like a marriage. How true! It not only
involves trust and respect, but also involves getting to know your
partner painfully well.
Recognize that you will probably work with your agent for a long
time. You owe it to yourself to choose one you like and enjoy, one
who lets you feel free. Freedom is the foundation of creative
growth.