Good Agents? - Writers Forum

Malone · 04-16-2008, 09:59 PM

I know most people here aren't professionals, but for the minority that are, can anyone recommend a good, trustworthy agent to query? I'm not looking for references or any kind of boost by mentioning your name to an agent, just a little help narrowing down the field.
I write fiction novels, by the way, so I'm looking for an agent in that field.

Thanks in advance.

SevenWritez · 04-16-2008, 11:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Malone

I know most people here aren't professionals, but for the minority that are, can anyone recommend a good, trustworthy agent to query? I'm not looking for references or any kind of boost by mentioning your name to an agent, just a little help narrowing down the field.
I write fiction novels, by the way, so I'm looking for an agent in that field.

Thanks in advance.

Isn't Mike C. an agent? I seem to recall him mentioning something about it in another thread. That or I'm just an idiot.

lin · 04-17-2008, 01:09 AM

Mike is an editor. That's bad, but not as bad as being an agent.

This question is like asking if somebody can recommend a woman that would be good for you to marry. It's just too individual a thing. Depends on what you write, what they can sell, what they like and feel comfortable repping, a hundred things.

Try looking up the agents of writers who are in your same genre or "league". Sometimes they mention agents in the acknowledgement pages of books, frequently you can find out through google.
Then search our data and website of the agents you identify and query them. Make sure you query right. You could run a lousy querry into a big publisher and nobody would remember six months later, but agencies are small shops and they tend to recall people better and aren't going to be enthusiastic about reading a new letter from somebody who screwed up his last approach.

Malone · 04-17-2008, 01:18 AM

Quote:

Try looking up the agents of writers who are in your same genre or "league". Sometimes they mention agents in the acknowledgement pages of books, frequently you can find out through google.

Yeah, I've done that, but it still leaves tons and tons of agents. You make good points, though, and I guess it doesn't cost anything to query via email.

Oh, and CAN you recommend a good woman?

phurst · 04-17-2008, 02:35 AM

If you can afford it, Writer's Conferences are a good place to meet agents and to get to know a little about them. There are also a number of good places on the web to search and Writers Market is a reference tool that list by genre. You have to look at their record and query. It's when you get an offer, you should then find out who they have sold and then get a recommendation from them.

Malone · 04-17-2008, 02:49 AM

Yeah, finding agents isn't the problem. I was just hoping for good feedback on specific agents. I know most the people here, so I would take their feedback more seriously than anonymous listings that are all over the internet.

phurst · 04-17-2008, 03:57 AM

If your writing is good enough that you can be selective about agents before you send stuff out then you have the world by the balls. Me, I'll wait till I find an agent or publisher willing to take my stuff, then I'll vet them. Also look at Warnings and Cautions for Writers--Writer Beware's Thumbs Down Agency List

Malone · 04-17-2008, 04:14 AM

Haha. Touche. I guess this is sort of a dumb thread.

Thanks for the list.

BOURBON · 04-17-2008, 05:05 AM

Malone,
I've sacked two agents so far. One because she was so fucking earnest and couldn't get it into her head that i wanted to whore myself to make money as well as write the good stuff and the other because he became involved with some shoddy practice I wanted to distance myself from. The former was and still is considered to be a very reputable agent, just a bit up her own ass for my tastes. The latter was a person without scruples. Who knew? I think the best thing you can do is aim high, be prepared to fail before you succeed and...most importantly remember that a writer employs their agent to represent them -if its not working for you move on. Too many writers bleed with gratitude when they can put agent on their resume and drop 'my agent' into conversations.
Thems my opinions
Good luck with it.
BB

dejudicibus · 04-17-2008, 07:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Malone

Yeah, finding agents isn't the problem.

It is, if you are not an English-language writer and you wish to find a publisher who is interested to translate and distribute your published books in USA, UK, Canada, or Australia.