I've just finished the second round of editing of my first novel and I'm really happy with the way it's turned out. I am pretty sure I will attempt to find an agent that will work hard to get it published but am a little worried about signing a contract with one that won't do everything they can to push my work. Is there a particular agency that is known for working hard to push the clients manuscript and have excellent contacts? What should I expect their rate (cut) to be for their effort? Thanks, Chris
I think around 10-15% is a standard rate cut, but I could be wrong on this. Try using writers' magazines, connections w/ published authors (try English/writing profs at a local college, most of them have been published and have plenty more connections) etc as places to start.
15% is normal for most cases. I know that some agencies have different commission rates for international sales. For finding an agent, try agentquery.com.
I'd rather have 85% of the revenuer from 200,000 books sold than 90% of the revenue from 150,000 books. I'd worry far more about how effective a publishing contract the agent can get you than what his or her cut is. Don't sweat the small stuff.
go to the society for authors webpage they have about 6 pdfs to download with all details of what is respectable and what isnt just google It
RE: don't sweat it As demonstrated by my dedicating just 12 words of my post to the question of their cut, I am more "sweating" about finding a good agent who will work hard to sell my book if I can persuade them it's worth their effort. Is there any data or opinion out there which tell us the percentage of authors who sign with agents but are unable to secure a publisher afterwards? You know. How do you find a 'good' agent? And which ones should I avoid? Thanks, Chris
Hi Gottagocit, I'm pretty sure there is no such data because I doubt anyone keeps the tally. Agents won't have a score card of how many authors they failed to sell (at least not one that they'd share I expect), but they will have a score card of their successes. I.e. who they represent that's been published. That would have to be the best you could hope for. In any case getting an agent is not easy, they like publishers, usually have many more people who want their services then they can handle. My advice would be to go through the process of submitting to agents, and if you get a nibble, then google them and also use the writers guide etc. As for the cut, its normally 15% as I understand it, and often 20 or 25% for international authors. But the percentage really is unimportant. A good agent should be able to help you sell your books, and that's the only way they make money. If they start charging you fees, then worry - they could be a scammer. Also check that they belong to the agents guild (can't remember its proper name). Cheers, Greg.
Yes listen to psychotic. Asking if there's a particular agency that is known for working hard and selling manuscripts is a futile question in the face of how difficult it is to secure a legitimate established agent in the first place. The truth is there are hundreds of agents that have successfully sold books and have been in the business for years. You should query all of them that cater for your genre. If you're lucky and some of them request your manuscript for consideration, then start googling the agencies and comparing success rates and clients. At this point( after you complete your book that is) your goal is simple. Use a site like agent query to get a list of legitimate agents and start querying. Cast a wide net. Don't worry about which agent sold more books than the others.
You are most likely correct in that the data isn't out there in one place. I guess I was hoping for some personal experiences but will likley do as you are suggesting. I've already sent out queries to a couple and plan to get busy sending out more. Hopefully I'll get a 'bite' from one or more of them. Since reading your estimate on what to expect as far as their 'cut', I've seen a couple places indicating that 15% seems to be typical. Thanks
ditto that! i have several good agent listing sites i'll be glad to pass on if you drop me a line... good luck with your queries... love and hugs, maia
