Hi all you #PitchWars mentees gearing up for the showcase! I got a message this morning that reminded me now was the perfect time to alert you to the less fun part of what comes next: problematic agent behavior. 1/?

Now, to be perfectly clear, I’m not doing this to call anyone out or cancel anyone. But these experiences do come from our personal situations this past year. Also, I’ve been a big believer in naming names, but I can’t do that here. Not publicly. #pitchwars 2/?

My DMs are always open, but trad pub doesn’t exactly make what I’m about to do possible in a super transparent way, and for that I’m sorry. I hate when people vague tweet, but it’s necessary sometimes. Either way, enough with the disclaimers, let’s get started! #pitchwars 3/?

Agent Red Flag #1: If an agent asks for a partial, you send it, and then promptly (as in mere minutes later) asks for a full, chances are they did not read your manuscript and have no intentions of doing more than skimming it before signing you. #pitchwars 4/?

Agent Red Flag #2: An agent who signs a bunch of new clients within a month of advancing to agent or junior agent status, is never a good sign. They simply will not have time for you and cannot offer you the type of attention any author requires when going on sub. #pitchwars 5/?

Agent Red Flag #3: Goes with the other two, but it doesn’t matter how fast they claim to work. If they aren’t reading, they’re not a good agent. Full stop. #pitchwars 6/?

Also, there will likely be plenty of proof, upon a quick Google search, if an agent falls into this category. Believe the hype (aka blog posts). It’s rarely incorrect, unfortunately. Writer Beware and QT are also good resources. #pitchwars 7/?

Agent Red Flag #4: An agent who claims to speak for the entire industry is usually very misinformed or misinterpreting what little information they’re being provided. Saying “no one wants this” is a red flag. Speaking for an entire industry isn’t appropriate. Ever. #pitchwars 8/?

On that note, though, saying “no one wants this right now” is fine. Trends and tropes go in and out of style all the time. It’s the blanket statements I was mostly referencing in that last tweet. #pitchwars 9/?

Agent Red Flag #5: If you happen to sign with one of these agents, not realizing until it’s too late, just know that an agent who feeds you confidential information about other clients is manipulating you emotionally. #pitchwars 10/?

It is a tactic often used by narcissistic personalities in an effort to alienate you from others who might help you uncover the truth about them. You should NEVER, under any circumstances, know the $$ amount of a yet-to-be-finalized book deal if it is not yours. #pitchwars 11/?

And finally, Agent Red Flag #6: If an agent offers you anything in their calls, initial or otherwise, and then takes it back (i.e. offering developmental edits and then saying there is no time or you were never ready for sub in the first place), leave immediately. #pitchwars 12/?

We know it’s super hard not to be excited and want to sign when someone shows a glimmer of interest, especially if you’ve been in the trenches for a while, but having an agent like this will hurt you. Not help you. They will ruin your future chances. #pitchwars 13/?

They will burn bridges on your behalf. They will cause you not to be taken seriously by other agents. They will only offer you months of torment and lost writing time due to the mental issues. It’s rough, but trust your instincts. You got this #PitchWars class of 2020! 14/14

Oh, I almost forgot. It is against #PitchWars rules for an agent to privately message and ask you to query them before the showcase has ended. Tell your mentor if this happens! They are likely doing it because they weren’t invited for this very problematic behavior.