By Tom Dean, Founder and Chief Creative Officer at A Drop of Ink, LLC
An agent brokers deals between writers/authors and publishers.
Is it that simple?
No!
I’ve spent much of my career working with books. As a sales rep for a publisher in product development (editorial) and in senior marketing and executive marketing roles, I’ve interacted with agents for several decades and then I decided to become one!
An agent wears multiple hats: coach, writer, negotiator, talent scout, counselor, champion, cheerleader…the list goes on.
Every agent is different, so this is my approach.
In my role as an agent, the first task is to help the author draft a solid proposal. This often takes multiple drafts before it is ready to submit to a potential publisher. I expect the author to do the heavy lifting and submit a robust first draft to me for my review. I’ll poke as many holes in that draft as possible, with my “is this helpful/does it make sense/are we presenting the best information to the acquisitions editor/publisher” hat on. The plan I utilize was developed by me after reviewing thousands of proposals over the years on the publishing side of the business.
Once we have a final proposal, my next step is to determine with the author who the best potential publishers are for the project. Oftentimes the author just trusts my instincts, but I always want to hear from them if they have a particular publisher or two that they’ve always dreamed of working with.
The review process can be painfully slow and take weeks, sometimes months. Every once in a while, a project that is timelier can move quicker – but on average I tell authors to expect this process to take six to eight weeks. Throughout this time, I’m responding to questions and also checking in with the publishers to get status updates.
My goal is to secure a publishing deal for the author – and help the author navigate multiple offers if that is the case. It should never be just about the financial offer: I challenge authors to look at the marketing opportunities, the distribution, what other authors are a part of that publisher’s catalog, etc.
After a contract is secured, I am intentional about playing an active role in the editorial development process and the marketing and promotions process. Again, every agent is different and may or may not be involved in these areas. It’s always a BIG day when the pub date finally arrives, and everyone celebrates another book being released into the world. I love standing back and watching an author embrace all that is involved in the launch and post launch activities.
If you are an author who is beginning to look for an agent, I highly recommend that you be careful with your query letters/emails. Make sure you are the type of author they represent. Google can be your friend here as you search for an agent, ask other published authors for their advice and check out Publishers Weekly for agent listings. One of the best experts in the business is Jane Friedman. check out her advice.
It was English Poet Lord Byron who wrote “a drop of ink may make a million think.” All the best to you as you work on crafting your manuscript that just may make a million think!