You’ve Received an Offer from an Agent. Now What?

Receiving an offer of representation from an agent is so exciting…especially after all your hard work. Celebrate! Then take some time to come up with important questions to ask before saying yes. Because not having an agent is better than having the wrong one for you and your career.

First Steps

Hopefully, you researched the agent before submitting, but there are times when you’ve received a critique, won a contest or an agent passed you on to another interested agent where you may not know enough about the agent. When they offer, thank them and let them know you’ll need two weeks to respond.

If you have queries or full manuscripts out with other agents, now is the time to contact them. If you’ve communicated via e-mail, reply in the thread but change the subject to OFFER OF REPRESENTATION. If you communicate through QueryManager, there’s a button to press to notify them of an offer. Give them two weeks to respond (even better if you can give them a deadline at least a day or two before you need to make your final decision, so you won’t feel too rushed).

Deciding Between Agents

I’m a huge fan of keeping a pro/con list for each offering agent. You can add to the list by:

• Researching them online, in places like Querytracker.net and Publishers Marketplace (if they’re a new agent at an established agency, you can research the agency itself and make sure they have a mentor and the support they’ll need).
• Asking them questions.
• Chatting with their clients (hint: one of the most helpful questions to ask a client is what are one or two things you’d like to change about working with your agent).
• Reading our Agent Spotlights.

Potential Questions to Ask the Agent

There are so many great questions you can ask! Have a list ready…but before you dive into it, realize that some may be answered while you chat. THE CALL can be such a wonderful blur, it’s good to take notes.

Here are some questions to consider asking:

• How many editors do you submit to each round?
• How often do you believe I’ll go out on submission rounds?
• If I receive an editor request from a critique/conference/contest, would you send it to them?
• How do you let me know where my manuscript is submitted and responses you receive?
• Do you have publishers in mind for my novel? (They may not want to say the editor’s names at this point, but it’s nice to see if you have similar taste in houses.)
• What’s your preferred method of communication with clients…and how long does it usually take you to respond?
• Are there times when your communication might be less frequent?
• At what stage would you like to know about future novels (share the idea before plunging in, after the first draft is finished, or after I’ve revised as much as possible)?
• How many projects can I send you throughout the year?
• Are you an editorial agent…and if so, how long does it typically take you to send feedback?
• Do you plan to have me revise before submitting…and if so, ask for details to make sure you have the same vision for your book.
• Have you cut clients, and if so…why?
• How many editors do you submit to before giving up on a book?
• If you aren’t able to agent for a period of time, what happens? (I don’t like asking this question, but it’s important to know. The agency that represents me pairs each agent with another one who can jump in and help clients, if needed. I hope it never will be necessary, but it’s good to know I’m covered.)

Final Tips

This can be an exciting, confusing, and stressful time…especially if you receive multiple offers. It often helps to chat about the agent/s with trusted critique partners and writing friends. After examining the pros and cons, listen to your gut. Does this feel right? Is the agent someone you can work with as a partner, without being afraid to ask questions or worrying they’ll drop you?

If you have additional questions, you can e-mail the agent or ask for another chat.

After all this, I hope you’ll sign with the most amazing agent for you and your career. And then…CELEBRATE!

Do you have any agent tips to add?

Mindy Alyse Weiss

Mindy Alyse Weiss writes humorous middle grade novels with heart and quirky picture books. She’s constantly inspired by her two daughters, an adorable Beagle/Pointer mix who was rescued from the Everglades and a rescue cat who loves to knock things off her desk.

Repped by Joyce Sweeney at The Seymour Agency.