DO YOU REALLY NEED AN AGENT?
Once again, I’m almost deliberately shooting myself in the foot with this question, but given that cookery and lifestyle are areas of the book market where authors are increasingly approached directly by publishers (or in some cases encouraged to approach publishers directly themselves), it’s a question that’s frequently asked and often tricky to find an answer to without the help of insider friends and experts.
Now obviously I can’t claim not to be biased, but as always it’s my intention to give you the full 360° view so that at the very least you can make an informed decision not only about whether you need an agent, but also which type of agent might suit you best. Because if you’re going to give 15% (the standard agency commission) of your earnings to this person, they’d really better be worth it.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF AGENTS/AGENCIES
Just as different publishers publish different types of book more or less successfully, so it goes with (literary) agents. Why the brackets? Because when talking about cookery and lifestyle categories, it’s important to note that the types of representation on offer are constantly evolving, and no longer remain solely the domain of literary agencies.
Traditional literary agencies (large and small) often represent writers across a broad spectrum. One agent might have fiction, children’s and lifestyle authors on their list, while another might choose to focus more on a particular area. Often an agent’s list will reflect their magpie nature (you’ll find that most people who work with books simply love them in all their forms), but sometimes it’s also a matter of spreading risk – that old saying about not putting all your eggs in one basket. The flipside of this, however, is that the more categories an agent works in, the more effort they have to put into keeping up with the state of those different markets. A more focused agent might therefore be more exposed to risk, but feel it’s worth it in order to be completely immersed in a specific book category.
Then there’s the question of whether to consider a large or small agency, which is something I address on the ‘Representation’ page of my website. In short, there are benefits to both, but you need to work out what your personal priorities as an author are. Is it important to you to sit on a client list studded with bestsellers and prize-winners, or to know that your agency has a media department? Or would you prefer to know that you’ll get the very personal level of commitment that a smaller agency can offer, with a single agent dedicated to building all aspects of your career as an author?
And then of course there’s the matter of non-traditional representation. As we all know, the concept of ‘talent’ has changed beyond recognition over the last 10+ years, with conventional channels often being pushed aside as a result of the direct appeal of social media, which can sometimes be much more lucrative than old-school book and TV deals. Consequently, the traditional divisions between types of representation (book, TV, advertising, etc) have become blurred, as agencies seek to harness commercial potential and clients seek out a one-stop shop for all approaches and contact.
A number of the more established talent agencies now have literary arms, and have great success in placing clients with publishers. Many don’t, however, and it’s important to understand that getting a book published successfully is about so much more than selling a client on the basis of follower numbers – this is where real expertise is required, in order to focus a pitch and give it direction. As a literary agent who specialises in non-fiction and particularly food and drink, for example, having a working knowledge of the market and trends is vital. Not only this, but close relationships and regular meetings with all of London’s major and independent publishers mean that a good agent knows exactly who is publishing which kinds of books, where the gaps are, what they’re looking for and which publisher is best positioned to publish a certain type of book.
I’m not here to tell you which type of agent to choose, however. What I’d rather do is show you what you might expect of an agent and therefore what to look for.
HOW AN AGENT CAN HELP YOU
When you first start approaching agents (or indeed they start approaching you), it might be on the basis of your existing following and platform, a brilliant idea, or a perfectly pitched proposal. Some agents might then feel able to pick up your work and run with it, but more likely they will want to work with you on developing and honing your offering (see previous article), and it’s important to feel that you’re both on the same page. Using their knowledge and expertise, a good agent will then work closely and collaboratively with clients to build a proposal, shaping it for its target market in order to maximise commercial appeal – as well as ensuring that it contains all the ingredients required for an irresistible proposal. Ideally, you then have a proposal that appeals to numerous publishers.
A huge part of the agent’s role as a dealmaker is to secure the highest advance possible, by way of competitive auction. But going beyond that it’s about asking the right questions in each particular scenario – in asking for a best offer from a publisher, it’s not always just about money but also other commitments. For example, it’s important to speak with publishers about what their plans for publicising and marketing a book might be; indeed, for some authors, commitment in this area might rank more highly than the initial advance payment. And when it comes to making a decision, that rests with the client, but a knowledgeable agent’s advice can be invaluable in guiding them through their options, depending on what their priorities are, be they cash, speed of publication, international reach, creative control, etc.
Equally, while the advance is almost always the headline, it’s important to look past that and examine the detail. A good agent will work hard to secure the best terms in all aspects of the deal, which means negotiating the best royalty rates possible (which requires an understanding of retailer discounts and publishers’ different economic models), as well as sub-rights percentages, buy-back deals, escalators and retaining certain rights for exploitation rather than granting them to a publisher. Without an in-depth knowledge of publishing contracts, it’s very hard to secure a good deal – as evidenced by clients of mine who previously signed contracts without representation and saw both their advances and the terms within significantly improved after signing with the agency.
What also really important and often overlooked (sometimes by agents as well as authors) is that a good literary agent looks to build a long-term working relationship with their client that goes beyond looking for a new book deal every couple of years. Beyond securing the initial deal, your agent needs to help you consider your strategy as an author, and how you might build your career – whether that be assisting with your platform and media, or helping you think about potential future books. In addition to this, they might variously act as advisor and advocate, providing essential support to an author throughout the writing, publication and promotion of their work. An author’s relationship with their editor is very important, and a key part of the agent’s role is to protect that, by being an intermediary who smooths the way between the two. And a crucial element of this is understanding how the publishing process works and using that knowledge to intervene effectively where necessary, but also to reassure the client wherever there is uncertainty or anxiety.
IN CONCLUSION
As with many aspects of the publishing industry, agenting is opening up and moving away from its often male, pale and stale past. Consequently, as an author, you should be able to expect a working relationship that relies on approachability combined with a doggedness and determination to make every element of the journey the best it can be – whether that be polishing your proposal, finalising the deal on the table, or the publication process itself.
The whole point of an agent is that they should help you earn more and put you in a stronger position than you could manage yourself as an author. If they’re not able to do this, and thereby justify their commission, you need to question whether you’re talking to the right agent for you.