Literary Agent Secrets - What They Never Tell You

Posted on February 24, 2008

Your book proposal needs a literary agent who is dedicated to the task of selling it for a high advance to a good publisher. But how can you tell if a literary agent is good for you? Some agents are with big agencies. Some are very well along in their careers. Others are younger and just starting out. Still others are in the middle point of their career. Some agents are very busy. Others are relatively idle. Some are busy but have a lot of energy and enthusiasm for their work, they love it, and they’re constantly on the lookout for new talent. Other agents are jaded and not interested in new clients.

So how can you, the new writer, find an agent who has the right amount of enthusiasm for your book proposal and career? There are three secrets you need to know, secrets that I learned over the course of twenty years in the publishing business.

SECRET # 1 - LITERARY AGENTS WHO ARE YOUNG

Young literary agents are inexperienced, but they often have a lot of enthusiasm for their work. They are new to the game and it’s all exciting to them. The thing to keep in mind is that these agents may be your best bet because they will be on the lookout for new clients and they will put in a lot of time and work on getting you published.

Younger agents also tend to have more energy than their older counterparts. This is also a good thing because it takes energy to make calls, find editors, and go to publisher’s lunches. Well, maybe the lunches don’t take that much energy. How much energy do you need to eat a plate of coconut chicken and linguini? But still, younger agents will be energetic and on the move, so strongly consider them.

SECRET # 2 - LITERARY AGENTS IN MID-CAREER

Some of the most powerful agents are in mid-career. They can get big advances and they have lots of contacts. But they’re slowing down a bit compared to their younger counterparts. Their greatest strength is that they’re at the highpoint of their career, they have tons of contacts, and they know how to sell books. Their biggest disadvantage is that they tend to shy away from new talent. They are very busy and won’t have lots of time for you as a new writer. If you can get one of these agents, fine, but don’t expect a lot of hand holding during the process of getting your book out there. And they may lose interest quickly if they don’t sell your book right away.

SECRET # 3 - SENIOR LITERARY AGENTS

Senior literary agents are over 50 years old, have been in the business for more than twenty or thirty years, and have accomplished a lot. They are highly regarded, well respected, and, inevitably, slowing down. They are more set in their ways. They are the most reluctant to take on new clients, as a rule. With some exceptions, they are overly burdened with past responsibilities. Lots of them just collect the royalties for the estates of dead authors. Whoop-de-do. I don’t recommend chasing these senior literary agents. If one of them comes knocking on your door, fine. But they’re usually so busy it’s not worth your while to try to sign up with them.

Bottom line, you must know that agents go through three stages in their careers. For a new writer, your best bet is a new, younger, energetic agent. In my next article, I’ll tell you how to know if an agent meets these criteria.

Copyright © 2007 William Cane

William Cane is the author of The Art of Kissing, translated into 19 languages. He taught English at Boston College for fourteen years and today is a widely sought-after speaker at colleges and universities nationwide. His Web site contains more insider writing advice for those wishing to get published: http://www.hiwrite.com/

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