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Adding to the larger agent conversation, some advice I sent my Pitch Wars mentee today regarding agent research. This isn't about "schmagents" or bad actors, but more broadly about considering who you want to rep your career. 1/
New agents at established agencies w/ colleagues who can provide mentorship = great! Proceed with caution when it's a new agent at an agency w/o established colleagues. Who's steering that ship? Providing mentoring? Providing credibility in the industry? 2/
Does the agency as a whole have at least several sales to Big 5 & other major publishers? (It's OK if the specific agent doesn't, if they're newer, as long as agency colleagues do!) If most sales are to small/indie presses that accept unagented submissions, that's a red flag. 3/
How do you know how much experience agents at a given agency have anyway? You can get a sense of this from reading their bios and looking up PM sales. And google! Google is your friend. 4/
Be wary of agencies where the agents tend to represent each other as authors. (Nothing wrong if the agent is also a writer! But agencies where the agents mostly seem to be authors themselves and are all repping each other give me pause.) 5/
If you get an offer, the agent will typically offer to put you in touch w/ a couple current clients. Take them up on that, but also seek out clients the agent didn't specifically recommend. They're only going to put you in touch w/ clients they know will have A+ things to say. 6/
You want to talk to other clients as well to get a fuller picture. If possible, seek out clients who were formerly represented by the offering agent too. 7/
Writers leave agents all the time for all different reasons, and it can be very informative to learn what wasn't working for former clients. Maybe it's a big red flag and you'll be happy you asked. Or was it a mis-match in communication styles that wouldn't bother you? Etc? 8/
W/ #PitchWars offer season soon upon us & as other writers question things as this larger agent discussion spools out, I am opening my DMs to questions from any writer considering an agent offer or w/ questions about their current agent relationship. I'll do my best to help. 9/9