the craft. the call.

So much of the agenting process is shrouded in mystery, so in this four-week series, we’ll dive into the process of not only finding an agent, but Finding the Right Agent. It’s true that it's better to not have an agent at all than to have the wrong one. So though I am no expert, I’ll be sharing from my own experience.

Now, the agent has sent an email and they absolutely adore your story. They’re going to want to set up a call with you to get to know you, ask questions they may have about the story, and give some feedback. And yes, rejection is rough, but acceptance, well, doesn’t that come with its own anxiety?

I’ll never forget the day because it was so odd when I received an email from my current agent, Jessica Reino. I was at an event, some type of happy hour, I believe at a speakeasy type place. And with my nervous tick of checking email, I saw one from Jessica saying that she loved the book. (GOOD MORNING, LOVE) I literally couldn’t believe my eyes because I spent all of 2019 being rejected. I had one other full request out at the time but hadn’t heard back from that agent yet. It was a rush of emotion because it felt confusing to me, like what was true? Had I written an awesome book? Everything up until that point said no, until that one yes.

At the end of the day, an agent is a person too. I always remind myself of that in my full-time work when I’m going to chat with some type of music maker of note. Honestly, we all are having the same human experience. So remember that this person thinks you have something of value like you believe they do as well.

So, you’ll get on the call and they’re going to pour over you about your manuscript. That it’s the greatest thing they’ve read in a while and that they may already have some editors in mind. Not all agents are developmental, so they may or may not give you specific revision feedback on things they’d like to change before going on submission.

It’s not a one sided conversation either. So you should be getting to know the agent as well. A few key questions that can help start the conversation off are these:

What did you like most about the book? Where did you feel there were areas for improvement?
What’s your communication style? Email? Text?
What do you feel has been your greatest success to date?
How many rounds do you see for submission? Any preliminary ideas of where the story could work? Am I able to see your list when the time comes? Add to it?
Do you like to give feedback as it comes or hold for the more positive feedback from editors and publishing houses?
Can I speak to some of the other authors you represent?
How are you invested in the long-term career of your authors versus one project?

This is not all an exhaustive list. I mean, think about some of the things that are most important to you in a business partner and add on. Once you have a call, this is where you start to again follow up with any other agents that expressed interest. Hopefully, you have a few other agents that you may be talking to as well. Choice always gives you an upper hand in most business but definitely publishing. And you should take your time evaluating those agents as well.

Anecdotally, one of the things I appreciated in my call with my agent was her enthusiasm for the book. I felt like she matched my energy. And she seemed to really “get” the book, which is so important. She was already having a lot of the same ideas about the space it lived in, who the audience was, and how it might be positioned in the market. A lot can change in your book journey. I actually probably should write a post about that. But starting off on the same foot, I think, is a major key, especially with your agent who is truly your advocate.

Once you’ve gathered all your information about your potential agents, it’ll be time to make a decision! We’ll chat about some things to consider next week to wrap this series on Finding the Right Agent.

Writing/Job Opportunities

Britni Danielle is accepting music pitches for June + July. Note: 1) read http://andscape.com/tag/music/ to see coverage so far, 2) they cover stories through a Black lens, 3) Looking for GOOD/GREAT writers who can file on deadline. Rate: $550+ depending on reporting/story. britni.danielle@espn.com.

SELF is hiring a Senior Health Editor. an experienced writer and editor with a strong background in science-based, yet personable health service journalism to join the SELF team. ($80-$165k).

Roxane Gay Books is accepting applications for their fellowship. The fellow will have exposure to the editorial, marketing, publicity, and rights departments of Grove Atlantic, and will directly support Roxane Gay Books, a new imprint at Grove Atlantic, in building an exciting list of fiction and nonfiction. Please apply with a resume, cover letter, and list of three titles you loved that were published in the past year, to fellowship@groveatlantic.com. ($24k stipend)

The Artist/Scholar in Residence program supports artists or scholars in the creation of new scholarly and/or artists' works that imaginatively study, experiment with, and/or critique the Library’s digital collections, materials, and/or services. For 2023, the Library intends to award two 12-month grants of up to $90,000 each.

The People Lab is hiring a Research Associate.

SF Gate is hiring a Sports Editor. ($80-$85k)

BOMB Magazine is hiring a Managing Editor. ($70k)