Okay, a non-exhaustive list of things to notice/watch out for in agents. Some of these are major red flags, some are just things to watch for.

- sales

No matter how well-meaning an agent is, sales matter. This is your career, and you have a right to protect it. If the agency* has very few sales, it could mean they are not well-connected to major publishers.

*agency, not agent

If they only have small press sales, ask yourself if that's what YOU want. If an agent wants to sub your book to small presses, that's a conversation you have to have (they shouldn't do it without asking you/knowing that you'd be okay debuting with a small press)

Another: trying to prevent you from having enough time to decide between agents.
Typically, after an agent makes an offer, you have 2 weeks to decide. Some do less (about one week), some do more (up to 3 weeks), but 2 weeks is typical.

An agent who threatens to withdraw the offer if you don't sign the day they offer is an agent who does not have your best interest at heart.

More in a bit.

A major red flag: agents who don't want you to talk to their current clients, or are angry that you reached out without telling them.

Many agents will put you in touch with some clients directly, though a few will not/have a policy that they don't.

If they don't put you in touch with clients directly, search on twitter and see if there is anyone willing to talk (obviously these clients don't owe you their time, so you might still get a no. please be respectful & accepting of no, and start with friends/friends of friends)

But if an agent is angry that you reached out to current clients? Run. Run run run.

If there's something they don't want you to know about how they treat their clients, you probably don't want to be their client either.

Cannot emphasize this enough: if they don't want you to know something about their practices or are offended that you're asking, get out.

Also: trust your gut. If a call feels off, it probably is. You don't owe that agent any more of your time, and you don't owe them a yes. There is a deeply unfair imbalance of power between querying agents and writers, yes.

But hang onto the power that you have, and that's the power to walk away if something doesn't feel right.

Another thing many agents do (even at the reputable agencies, even the good agents): drop you if your first book doesn't sell.

This isn't something you may know before signing, but if you're with an agent who has become non-responsive after your first book didn't sell...

Don't hesitate to leave sooner rather than later.

Many agents will "soft ghost"--you send the full, they say, great I'll read it [timeline]. 6 months will pass. You'll nudge, they'll say "yes, I'll read it next." Months pass.

They may be a good agent, you may feel loyal, you may be scared to query again. The best thing at this point is to be direct - ask for a call, ask if they're still interested in representing you. Be polite & direct, and don't be afraid to respectfully part ways if you have to.

Posted this earlier re: Emmy of TRF, but something that should make you cautious is a brand new agent who has signed several new clients.

Obviously, every agent is different & have processes that work for them, but it's very fair to ask how an agent who is brand new will have time to network with editors & build connections AND have time to read, edit, and sub client work.

Another note: you owe no agent your writing or your time. If you get a like during a twitter pitch contest, a request from an agent showcase, or even a DM or mention from an agent on twitter who likes what you posted about your book: you. owe. them. nothing.

Do your research where you can: writerbeware, publisher's marketplace if it's acessible, the agency website (look for authors you recognize/authors with deals at presses you'd like to be pub'd by), any networks you're connected to.

If they have a public facing social media account for their agenting life, check their feed - do they subtweet writers? If they do, are you willing to query them anyway (you might be! some people who tweet constantly still sell books)? how do they treat people in their mentions?

Another red flag: an agent who gets angry at you for asking clarifying questions about the sub process. Usually you'll talk before you sub about the process (or you should). Some agents share the sub list with names, some just share a list of imprints. Either is fine.

But if you're asking if there are sub updates (passes/going to second reads/going to acquisitions, etc.), you should receive those updates. If you have an offer from a publisher and you want to know details about what's happening/what's going to happen, your agent should answer.

If they don't, and they respond angrily, that's a BAD sign.

This isn't a red flag so much as a...yellow flag? Warning sign? But if your agent has mostly small presses/presses you can approach without an agent on the sub list and you didn't talk about that before.

If you did talk about it, and they told you they think that a small, reputable press would be a good fit for your book & you're in agreement, not a problem. Plenty of folks are happy with the small pub side of things.

But that's a CONVERSATION. Because plenty of people sign with an agent with the understanding that they'll be trying to sell their books to major publishers, who can't be approached without an agent.

You have a right to decide what kind of career you want to pursue, and if that's not the small press route, that's fine. (if it is, that's okay too - but that should be talked about) Your agent should have this conversation long before sub, and if it's a surprise...

...I would be worried about what kind of communication they'll really be providing you with, and what kind of communication they think they *should* be providing.

One final red flag: be wary of agents who use identity-based arguments to evade criticism (ie: don't criticize this person's process because they are neurodivergent, this person can't be behaving in a misogynistic way because they're gay, this person can't be racist because...

...because they're from a different marginalized community). This kind of argument is popular from white queer ppl who use their marginalization as a shield against criticism. I'll just leave this here: https://twitter.com/EsmeSymesSmith/status/1353483194922913792?s=20

Even if they're popular on twitter, and if they say the right things publicly, if they're shitty to you in private, trust your gut and get out of there.

Anyway this is an outrageously long thread, but the tldr here is:
-their own sales or a reputable agency with sales
-communication
-responsiveness
If you don't have all of those, don't be afraid to walk.