An Author’s Impression of Literary Agents
Been doing my research (for hours and hours and...)
“Experts” out there who may or may not want to sincerely help you get your book published advise that you do your research, whether for a literary agent or a publisher. This article deals with the former. At some future date, I may do one about the latter, time permitting.
Note: I have removed names to protect the not-so-innocent and myself.
Literary agents are essentially gatekeepers. Many large publishers won’t accept anything except through them. These people, therefore, sit in a power position over any writer aspiring to get her/his work seen by those publishers. Sadly, the field is rife with people who won’t like your work, no matter how good it is. They already have set in their minds what they want to see. You have to sift through all that to find the ones to query. QueryTracker and #MSWL are some places to start your search, in case you’re the masochistic type.
A recent article also shows that the world of publishing is in some ways a special and very closed club, as the literary agent shows here:
…the London Book Fair is a place where editors and agents and publishers come together to discuss and sell books – it’s not really for authors, though authors can come to attend talks.
Fortunately, there are still publishers who don’t hide behind these gatekeepers. They want to hear about your marvelous book firsthand, not secondhand. Imagine spending all your time and effort on something, having to explain it to an agent, and then the agent explaining it to editors and publishers. Yeah, that’s gonna work—NOT! (Did you ever play that party game called “Telephone”? If so, then you’ll understand my concern with this process.)
In addition, you, the author, have to figure out who would want to read your book (the market) and what authors are writing similar things (comparisons) as if you have time to read other people’s books (at least I sure don’t). And try to explain this to a complete (I won’t say perfect) stranger.
Types of Agents (as far as I can see)
After scrolling through agent sites and wish lists until my eyes crossed so firmly that I needed a crowbar to uncross them, patterns emerged. From these, I developed these types of agents (my personal impressions):
The avid reader
A very common type and thus listed first. They usually say things like “I love books about” or “I want to see books about.”
Example:
… above all, she is a bookworm.
Oh, and this agent “… holds a BA in Writing, Literature, and Publishing, and an MA in Writing and Publishing. She has worn various hats in publishing including intern, freelance editor, literary assistant, social media coordinator, bookseller, and ghostwriter…”
That leads me to the next type.
The writer-turned-literary-agent
Here’s one that made me say “no frigging way” almost immediately (again, name removed):
[Agent name]’s introduction to publishing began around the dinner table with her can-do-anything hippie parents who encouraged her to write the bestselling book [book title], which gave voice to the experience of teenage girls and was published when she was just eighteen-years-old. This early success inspired [agent name]’s lifelong passion for connecting the dots between a blue sky idea and a best seller [sic]. … She is compelled by narratives that connect with readers and contribute to cultural conversations.
Frankly, I think this agent should focus on writing instead.
Another example (emphasis mine):
At different phases of her publishing career, [agent name] has been an author, editor, and publisher, giving her experience in all sides of the business.
The editor-turned-literary-agent
Here’s an example:
[Agent name] decided to vault over the desk to the agent side in 2016 after a highly successful career as a trade editor.
Another example:
[Agent name] began her publishing career in the editorial department of [company name] where her childhood addiction to commercial fiction was nourished and expanded. After nearly five years on the editorial side of the table, she joined [agency name] intending to gain a different perspective and has called it home ever since. She has a strong affinity for all female voices and primarily represents writers of general fiction, women’s fiction, and suspense, many of them from their debut novels.
The agent is no longer accepting unsolicited queries (meaning someone has to recommend you to her or you have to hound her at some writer’s conference). Ah, the cherry on the sundae.
And the article referenced at the beginning of this post is an interview with another editor-turned-agent.
And finally, this type…
The SJW Literary Agent
A lot of people think us writers have a duty to mankind, that what we write should serve as a sword to social justice warriors. Here’s one (and the agent is also part of the second type above:
[Agent name] has long been a voice for diversity. She’s written extensively on topics of racial reconciliation and unity and has been a facilitator of groups around these topics in her church. In all her focused genres, she welcomes books with BIPOC or disabled main characters and diverse friendships. She believes books change people in all the best ways and that every child should see themselves in the pages.
Another one:
After graduating with a B.A. in English from the University of Connecticut, where she developed a love for books that inspire empathy and foster a deeper understanding of the world in which we live, [agent name] became determined to carve a career in the publishing industry.
The above gives you a taste of what you’re up against if you decide you need to be represented by an agent.
But wait, there’s more.
The Literary Agent Wish List Hurdle
They all have ’em—that list of what they want to see in your books (above and beyond the genre specifications).
Read this one through carefully and see if you can make any sense out of it, especially with regards to whether your lovingly crafted manuscript is a fit:
The selective client list we are cultivating has one unifying theme: to represent authors and books that entertain, elevate, inform, or make some type of positive difference to the individual reader or our larger society. Works that make you want to press the pause button on everything else--ditch the screens, the duties, the worries--to sit down and read for hours. Books that can ignite or shift a conversation and that might unite us rather than divide us further. And, most importantly, books that can connect deeply and widely with masses of readers.
We specialize in commercial non-fiction, both narrative and prescriptive, and in contemporary fiction. We represent top-tier authors in health and well-being, psychology/self-help, politics and current affairs, as well as memoir and personal finance. We are always on the hunt for brilliant writing and deeply moving journalistic narratives that share insights into unseen aspects of our culture, subcultures, and the function or workings of our world. We love big ideas and groundbreaking big think books. We love historical and contemporary fiction penned with propulsive storylines, sharp and textured writing, and peopled with vivid characters. Lastly, we are steadfastly looking for a reliable narrator who isn’t a psychopath, a multi-generational family saga that surprises, and, well, something that is just pure magic…reminding us that a creative hand can take us places we didn’t even know we wanted to go.
Another example:
What she is seeking: Across all generes [sic], I am looking for what all readers want in a good story: characters that leap off the page, conflict and tension that grips me in the story, and string prose that can compete with similar titles in that space. Bring me stories with a marketable hook and fresh perspectives, especially those that elevate underrepresented voices.
Yet another example:
Whether literary, upmarket, or commercial, she leans toward grounded novels with a distinct sense of place. She loves a page-turning mystery or domestic suspense with sharp wit and unexpected twists and turns. She also loves well-researched historicals [sic] as well as bookclub [sic] fiction that has a fresh perspective. She has a soft spot for distinctive, strong, contemporary characters set in small towns. [Agent name] always looks for an unexpected story arc, a suitable pace, and a compelling protagonist.
She is interested in narrative nonfiction that is immersed in a culture, lifestyle, discipline, or industry.
Bottom Line
There are hundreds more like these and worse.
Whatever happened to us just writing something good and getting it published?
Best wishes on your writing (and reading).
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I recently sent a manuscript to over 60 agents. Got some polite rejections, but most have a boilerplate "if you don't hear from us in X months, assume the worst."
I too lamented the sameness of the biographies. I was also struck by how few agents are men. I am not fussed about gender and happy to submit to women, but it was very skewed in favour of females. Certainly less than 20 percent male.
I was also struck by how many young people were agents. There is something galling about someone a few years out of college being the initial judge of all your hard work. Especially when they claim to be a serious appreciator of the classics.
Then there are the requirements for the cover letter. Some were reasonable; basic info about the book, and minimal info about yourself. But some wanted to know what market segment it was aimed at, what recent hits it was similar to, as well as biographical info about the submitter. It was too much for an initial submission.
And finally, my pet hate. We particularly want to hear from underrepresented groups, which then list all the usual suspects. I have always been of the view writing is one of the few areas where few people even know who the producer of the work is and already by default provides a platform for anyone to participate fairly anonymously.
Anyway, thanks for posting this. The system is broken in my view. It has went the same way as the record industry. The publishers want others to do the hard work. They just want the hits.
Made me roll me eyes all over again, lol.