More on choosing an agentsituation that few agency agreements cover is this one: your agent
submits a project to a publisher, but while it is still under consider-
ation you and your agent split. Now an offer appears, but who nego-
tiates the deal and collects the commission, your old agent or your
new agent? That's a tricky one, huh?
Generally, ad hoc arrangements are made in these cases. Perhaps
the new agent approves the deal, but does not get a commission. Or
perhaps the new agent does the deal and splits the commission
with the old agent. Whatever the arrangement, be sure you feel
comfortable with the way the deal will be handled.
WORKING WITH YOUR AGENT
Phew! You made it! Now you and your agent are off and running.
What now? How much feedback can you expect? How often should
you call?
If you have chosen well, you are probably paired with an agent
whose experience, temperament, and business style are well suited
to your needs. But even author/agent relationships have a honey-
moon; after that comes the bumpy breaking-in period.
The important thing here is to identify accurately what you need
and communicate it clearly to your agent. That is not always easy. It
can be tough to separate, say, a need for reporting on submissions
from feelings of anxiety if a novel is not selling. Here you must know
yourself and your agent. Be patient.
One thing that helps, I find, is a career plan. You know that old
job-interview ploy, "Where do you want to be in five years?" That is
a good question for you and your agent to ask. What are your career
goals? How will you get there? What specific steps are needed?
A career plan is especially important if you intend to or already
write more than one type of novel. It is not unusual for mystery
authors, in particular, to write more than one series. Is that best
done under a pseudonym? Should you stick with your first publish-
er for both series, or put the new eggs in another basket? Work this
stuff out with your agent.
I also find that a career plan gives both my clients and me a way
to measure progress. In fact, recently I have begun making up
advance marketing plans for individual projects. Together with new