Agents of the Literary Kind, Part 1: What is an Agent?

What is an Agent?

When I worked as a reference librarian, a question like this deserved at least three questions from me to make sure I understood what the person in front of me needed to know.  I might respond with:

"Is that an agent like a 007 spy or a travel guide or an IRS worker?"  OR
"There are a lot of different agents. Tell me a little more about what you're thinking."

Response: "I'm writing a book, and I want to know if I need an agent."

Me (in Librarian mode, already switching mental gears to Literary Agent) : "And is the book non-fiction or fiction?"

Response: "Fiction."

Me (my patron seems a bit shy, so one more question will do it.): "Is it genre fiction, like mystery or romance, or something more general?

Response: "See, it's a Western, but there's an alien invasion..."

And finally the flood gates open, and I've got a solid idea of what resources will best help. As we're walking to the correct shelf in the library or while I'm doing a search in the online resources, the writer continues to share the story enthusiastically, sharing information along the way.

What is a Literary Agent?

• A gatekeeper who matches authors and books to editors at publishing houses. This means building strong professional relationships and networking with people throughout the publishing industry.
• A specialist in an area of book publishing - non-fiction, children's books, genre fiction (like mystery, fantasy, romance, etc.), literary prose, memoirs. Name it, and there are agents who specialize in that type of book. 
• A solid editor and critique giver to help the writer produce a manuscript with the best chance of selling in the marketplace. 
• An author's business partner who is paid on commission to sell the author's work. The author and agent are literal partners - the author provides a product to sell and the agent sells it.
• A cheerleader, a soother, a pusher or a hands-off kind of person. Whatever the author needs to produce quality writing on a regular basis, keeping both agent and author in the money.
• A career and strategy guide. Together, the agent and author create a business and writing plan so the author can create the best writing life for success and the agent can promote and sell the work on a schedule that fits the author's rhythm and style.
• A savvy contract negotiator, dealing with all the pesky details of a publishing contract, who knows about copyrights and licensing rights, senses when and how to push for that 3-book deal, and always balances the author's long- and short-term goals. 

I'm in awe. I certainly wouldn't want the job, but I know that I do need an agent. 

Why? See Part 2 of this series on Agents of the Literary Kind.

Have a great day!