COFFEE CHAT: Authors & Agents - Finding the Right Fit

February’s Coffee Chat is such a pleasure for me! I’ve been joined by three of the industry’s leading agents to discuss the details of finding the right fit between author and agent.

Rachelle Gardner, my own rock star agent and ACFW’s 2011 Agent of the Year, recently moved from the well-known WordServe Literary Group to the prestigious Books & Such agency. In the early days of her career, Rachelle spent five years at Fox Broadcasting Company where she served as special programming coordinator, working on more than sixty network television specials including the Emmy Awards and Billboard Music Awards. She has been an agent in the CBA market since 2007, and is currently accepting submissions for both fiction and non-fiction.

Steve Laube was one of my very first agents, long before I was actually ready for one. He opened the doors to The Steve Laube Agency in 2004, and he’s known as an authority on the publishing industry with extensive experience in many facets of the business. Details about submissions can be found on his Web site, but he does not accept proposals via email.

Mary Sue Seymour was nominated as ACFW’s Agent of the Year, and she has been agenting for 19 years. She is listed as a top deal-maker for inspirational fiction on Publisher’s Marketplace, and she is currently accepting submissions for 1800s American historical inspirational romance, inspirational Amish romance, secular romance and non-fiction. For more information, visit her Web site.


SANDIE: Thank you so much for joining the conversation here at my blog. It’s an honor to welcome the three of you, whom I believe to be the industry’s most illustrious agents. Tell me, when each of you considers signing an author, what factors do you consider beyond the actual submission? For instance, do you check out their Web presence, read their blogs, etc.?

RACHELLE: I consider everything I can. Often when I'm considering a potential client, I've already met them in person, and I may have been aware of their work for quite awhile. I read blogs, Twitter streams and Facebook pages because I want to get a feel for who they are and whether they'll be a good fit for me and for our agency. Beyond that, I'll evaluate their long-term potential as an author. I want to make sure they've got more than one book in them. Sometimes I'll suggest revisions to the project and see how they do because I need to make sure my authors are going to handle the editorial process well. Of course, it's not all about them -- it's also about me. I'm asking myself, do I have time for this new client right now? Will I be able to serve them well, considering everything else on my plate?

MARY SUE: It’s different for me. I don't check these things out. For fiction, it's the writing that’s important. For non-fiction, it's the credentials; but it would be assumed that non-fiction authors would have a Web site and blog to promote themselves.

STEVE: I always check out a writer’s Web presence. I also Google their name to see if anything else shows up besides what they state in their proposal. I once did this and discovered the writer was a proponent of the legalization of drugs.

SANDIE: How important do you think it is for you to establish a personal connection of some kind with an author before signing them on?

MARY SUE: None at all. In fact, I just signed an excellent manuscript straight out of my slush pile. I do love to meet authors at writing conferences, though. I attend on average about one a month.

RACHELLE: I think it's pretty important; for me, anyway, but not necessarily for all agents. I'm a relational person, and I've found it's more difficult to be a good agent in cases where I don't have a strong connection with the author. I also need a strong belief in the author's work. It's what gives me the stamina to push through against all odds, if necessary.

STEVE: Well, I suppose it depends on your definition of “personal connection.” I have a few clients I have yet to meet in person, but we have a great relationship that we developed via the phone and email. I would never sign someone without talking to them first.

SANDIE: Do you tend to focus on individual projects, or do you extend your guidance out to full career planning?

STEVE: I prefer to work with an author over the long haul. This means multiple projects over many years. Strategy and career planning discussions are critical.

MARY SUE: Career planning for an unpublished author is to get that first book published. After that, I typically advise the author to remain with that publisher for a few books to gain experience.

RACHELLE: I do both. Sometimes we just have to concentrate on "first things first," i.e., selling that initial project. Then we can think about career planning. However, many times it's crucial that we think about the entire career right up front, especially when an author has books in several genres that they're interested in selling. We have to ask, "Which genre are you MOST interested in writing for over the next few years?" Whatever the answer, that's the genre we should try to sell first.

SANDIE: What about authors who have already begun to establish themselves?

MARY SUE: If an author is published when I sign them, it's all about the author's happiness with the publisher of their choice and where they feel God wants them to be. I listen at length to them and I try to find out what would make them the happiest. That's the way I proceed.

RACHELLE: Career planning becomes even more important when an author has a few books contracted and is starting to gain traction. We need to manage their presence in the marketplace, trying to have books releasing regularly, but not too close together. We need to build a brand and try to make sure each book builds the audience, rather than trying to create a whole new audience each time. We have to watch their writing and deadline schedules, making sure they're able to deliver all of the books they're contracting. The career planning aspect is crucial for a successful long-term run as a published author.

SANDIE: I’m laughing because that was an ongoing issue between us when Rachelle and I first started working together. She spent a lot of time pulling on my reins and counseling me about how to run the race on a long-term basis. It was a little painful at the time, but now I'm really relieved that she got through to me … And speaking of the relationship between author and agent, what sort of guidelines do each of you set with your authors so that they won’t develop unrealistic expectations about what you can do for them?

STEVE: Each author is unique and has different experiences, different economic pressures, and different goals. Thus, any sort of generic guideline would be counter-productive. Instead, I try to keep the individual in mind when working with them to help them keep their expectations realistic when it comes to the market and to revenue.

MARY SUE: When I receive an offer on a book, I contact the author and it's her/his decision whether to accept. I make a recommendation, but the choice belongs to them. I also email them or mail them copies of rejections so they have some closure. Sometimes rejections give authors tips for improvement and can be very helpful.

RACHELLE: I don't set guidelines but I encourage them to read my blog, which is designed to help writers maintain realistic expectations. I try to remind them every now and then that they have one agent while I have dozens of clients, so I occasionally need to ask for their patience.

SANDIE: How and when, if ever, do you reach the point where you realize it’s just not working with a particular author, and it might be time to part company?

STEVE: It has happened. Usually after at least a year of attempting to place that author with a publisher. And in other cases, it is a mutual agreement that the author feels it is best that they move on.

MARY SUE: For my romance authors, that rarely happens. I sign talented authors, and typically the author stays with me for 10 years or so.

SANDIE: On a very personal note, I’ve been represented by some of the most wonderful agents in the business, but Rachelle and I just seemed to find that right fit a couple of years ago. I think it’s so important for a writer to bear in mind that this is their career, and the relationship with their agent should be considered a partnership. If nothing else, I think my blog readers now have a clear picture from this interview that every agent operates differently, and the aspects of finding the right fit can be as diverse as the agents and authors themselves. I can’t thank you all enough for sharing your insight on the subject, and I hope you’ll come back and visit us again very soon.