Whether on online forums or whispered tales from fellow authors, we’ve all heard the literary agent horror stories. The agent suddenly stops responding, dropping their client like a hot potato. Even worse, some authors find themselves tied to lackluster deals, watching their dreams crumble as their book struggles to sell. The good news is that this literary nightmare is avoidable.
Neely Tubati Alexander's journey shows how powerful finding the right literary agent can be. She began as an unpublished author whose first manuscript received “scathing developmental edits.” Even so, through perseverance and dedication, she wrote and polished a second novel that got the interest of multiple literary agents. The agent she eventually chose to sign with guided Neely through a quick and seamless publication of her debut novel.
In this post, we'll highlight the three qualities that made Neely's literary agent a good one, as well as give you the tools you need to assess and select your own.
Look for Editorial Feedback
Neely's Love Buzz manuscript had already gone through extensive revisions, but her journey to success was far from over. Her literary agent gave her much-needed editorial feedback that helped her refine her manuscript before submitting it to publishing houses.
She explains how this helped her land her publishing deal. “Editors more and more at publishing houses are playing larger roles. They really are your liaison through the entire production process too; and so more and more they are looking for manuscripts to come in really polished and really well done, where there's minimal editing to do. Which sounds counterintuitive because they're having to not only fall in love with themselves, but they're essentially pitching it and selling it internally to their sales and marketing team—their publisher."
Neely's agent knew how important it was to make a strong first impression on editors at the publishing houses they would eventually pitch. Neely says,
She was the first person to give me editorial feedback.
So, how can you determine if your literary agent will make sure your manuscript is in tip-top shape before pitching it to publishers? Start by searching for and contacting authors who are represented by potential agents. Ask about their experience getting editorial feedback from their agent. Also, take the time to research potential agents thoroughly. Many agents mention in their agency bios whether they offer editorial support. If this information isn't available, look for blog posts by authors represented by the agent. You can also look for interviews where the agent discusses their approach to agenting—especially editorial work.
Look for Submission Strategy
Once Neely had done the revisions her agent recommended, they were ready for the next step. Her agent crafted a personalized list of editors from various publishing houses who were a great match for Neely's book. This strategy ensured that Neely's manuscript reached the right editors.
Neely says, "So my agent made a list of who she thought the editors were that would be a good fit for it. … We did have the opportunity to have editor calls ahead of time. So we get a chance to get on a Zoom call. They'll tell you what they really loved about it. They'll give you a preview of what some of their editorial notes might look like. So you can get a sense for, ‘Do we creatively align on our vision for this book?’ So that's a really insightful conversation to be able to have ahead of time." Without her agent's strategic process, Neely's book could have been sent to unsuitable editors, jeopardizing her chances of getting a book deal.
How can you know if an agent has the industry knowledge and relationships needed to guide your work to the right editors? Start by taking a look at the agency's website. Particularly, look at the featured book titles—are they recent releases? Which publishing houses published them? Are the book covers current and in line with genre conventions? You can also check if the agent is a member of the AALA (Association of American Literary Agents). While not all good agents are AALA members, this affiliation can be a great sign of professionalism.
Look for Negotiation Skills
As Neely neared the homestretch of her publishing journey, her agent went to bat for her when it came time to negotiate a publishing deal. Neely didn’t receive just one offer—her book went to auction. Neely says,
It's kind of like a real estate deal. ‘Give me your best and final offer by this date.’ And then my agent and I went over what we had and made a final decision from there.
Skilled negotiation is one of the biggest skills you should look for in an agent. Getting an agent who can go to bat for you means you mean potentially better advances, better contract terms, and higher chances of getting a second, third, or even fourth book deal. Neely’s agent knew how to exactly how to negotiate for Neely's book and used this to put Neely in the best possible negotiating situation.
So how can you assess an agent's negotiation skills before you start working with them? Take some time to research the agents' background and experience in negotiating contracts. One good way to do this is to use tools like Publisher’s Marketplace, a database with information on agents, editors, publishing houses, and more. With a paid subscription, you can view a literary agent’s latest deals along with clues on how large of a deal they secured.
Conclusion
At the end of the process, Neely got a book deal with a major publisher. But her story doesn’t end there. Neely's agent helped her secure a new contract for her second book, In a Not So Perfect World.
As you make your list of agents to query, or even as you decide between different agents who might have offered you representation, be sure to do your research. Look for the qualities that Neely's agent had: editorial feedback, submission strategy, and negotiation skills. Taking the time to do this now can not only save you a lot of heartache down the road; it can be the deciding factor between starting off on a lackluster author journey or the road to publishing success.
And during those moments of discouragement, just remember, as Neely says,
It's about skill, and skill is something that you build, and it's through time spent. So if you look at it that way and take some of the emotion out of it, it really is about keeping on.
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