Several years ago when I was playing Scrabble with some friends, I saw a perfect opportunity to use all of my tiles on a word that was commonly used in my profession. Not only would I earn the 50 “bingo” bonus points for playing all my letters but I would collect even more because my word fell on “Double Word Score”. I laid down all my tiles and uttered a triumphant cry.
Then an opponent spoke.
“There is no such word as ‘agenting.’ ”
“I beg your pardon, I agent every day of the week.”
“‘Agent’ is not a verb.”
To the dictionary we went, and I was astounded to discover my adversary was correct. “Agent” was defined strictly as a noun. I was an agent for books but according to the dictionary, I did not agent them.
Thankfully, in time the lexicographers recognized the word as a verb but I never forgave them for nullifying one of the ten top Scrabble moves of all time.
Now that the word has been canonized I thought it might be a good idea to tell you about my profession and share some observations about agenting that I don’t believe are widely understood by writers or, for that matter, by many civilians (as we sometimes call non-publishing people). My claim to expertise is drawn from decades in the commission of agentry (a noun flagged by my spell-check but confirmed by Merriam-Webster).
Full disclosure: some posts will be refreshed and updated reprints of previously published articles which in my opinion are as relevant today as they were when originally written. I will flag those pieces and you can judge for yourself whether writers, agents and publishers have changed as thoroughly as you may have thought.
The Right Stuff
What does it take to be a literary agent? Are agents born or made? Are there qualities of character and temperament that make some people good or even great agents? What traits should authors look for in agents that instill confidence or doubt?
If you’ve ever thought of becoming a literary agent you need to drill into your psyche and ask whether you are temperamentally suited to be one. Given humans’ natural tendency to think well of themselves, you might benefit from asking someone who knows you well to give you a candid and objective opinion of your temperament, ambitions, and skill set. Your interlocutor may well inform you that you are not really cut out to be an agent.
In this and future columns we’ll identify characteristics that constitute the makeup of a literary agent. I can’t say they are unique but I do think they are more complex and their tasks more varied than you may think. We will explore agently virtues, vices and values. I will also reveal some secrets of the trade that might surprise you. And I’ll have some tips and advice that might navigate you through the turbulent waters of the publishing industry.(By the way, “agently” is not in the dictionary.) From time to time I will add a bonus blog recounting some “war stories” in the service of bringing combatants to the negotiating table.
There is no standardized agent temperament. I know agents on the spectrum from ultra-violet – laconic, cautious and restrained – to infra-red (also known as Type A) – fast-paced, combative, impatient, perfectionist overachievers. I would describe myself somewhere in the middle: risk-averse and prudent, but aggressive and even relentless when I have to be. I love being in the middle of buyer and seller and bringing them together harmoniously (and collecting a commission for my troubles). My antennae are constantly quivering to pick up the vibes and vectors of power and energy. Who has more clout? How can I exploit the strengths and weaknesses of the parties? And I mean authors as well as publishers, for no small measure of my wheedling, cajoling and persuading is directed at my clients as well as at publishers.
How does one become an agent? At the outset of my career, in that rapidly receding era called the twentieth century, I quipped, “All you need to become an agent is a manuscript and a quarter for a phone call.” You didn’t need an office, just enough change to call an editor from a pay phone on the street to pitch a book. Though pay phones have gone the way of fax machines, it is still true that anyone can set up shop as a literary agent. In a forthcoming post we’ll discuss whether agents are licensed.
Of course, at the bare minimum you need talented authors, good manuscripts and some familiarity with the marketplace. Be warned, however: if you start from scratch the learning curve is long and steep, and familiarizing yourself with the markets and editors takes a long time. You can accelerate the process by joining an established literary agency and serving in an assistant role for several years until you are experienced enough to handle authors and make deals on your own. A lot of agents start out as book editors and eventually jump to the other side. (Which is the dark side and which the light, you will have to decide. I have been on both.)
Welcome again to INSIDE AGENTING. Look for new posts every two weeks.
Richard
********************
Richard Curtis’s books on publishing are available at Open Road https://openroadmedia.com/
