How I Got my Second Agent

(after my first one left me)

After five years of working together and one successful book, my first agent left the industry. The timing was annoying because I had a new project ready to go, but

I wasn’t worried at first

because I figured someone else from their agency would pick me up. I was wrong. Within two weeks, I had been dismissed, along with (according to Twitter) much of the agency’s roster.

Although it was tempting to wallow,

I knew it couldn’t possibly be personal because I had never met these people. They didn’t even give me a chance to pitch. Which was annoying, but also reassuring because there was no way I could blame myself.

I started submitting immediately

to people I vaguely knew, people I had heard speak and aspirational agents that I hoped would be excited about this project.

Most people ignored me

completely and did not even bother to send a rejection. But one of my top tier choices wrote back saying it’s not for her, she’s passing it to a colleague. And then the colleague said the writing doesn’t resonate with him, he’s passing it to a colleague.

And that colleague, my friends

was mildly interested in a lukewarm bath sort of way. After a little back and forth, the water drained from the bath (meaning communication fizzled).

Finally, I paid a guy

to look at all my stuff and tell me what wasn’t working. His BEST ADVICE which I’m giving to you here for free (like the woman who shared that cookie recipe after she paid a fortune for it) was to go back to people who showed an interest but never closed the deal.

I thought that would be humiliating

like, they’ve already rejected me, why am I going back for more. “No,” he said. “It means they were interested but too busy or preoccupied. If they didn’t give you an outright no, go back to them.”

If I pay for advice

I’m going to take it. I went back to a few people, including the bathwater aspirational agent and for some reason, now he was super excited. He told me I’m the first person he has taken out of the slush pile in twenty years.

And then he signed me.

The whole thing took a little over a year but felt much longer. Having the first agent did nothing to help me find the second agent. They don’t know each other, they live in different countries, they have different manuscript wish lists. And Bathwater was not particularly interested in my history prior to arriving in his mailbox. His focus was on the new project and whether or not he could sell it.

Here’s where I think persistence came in:

I didn’t waste time wringing my hands and feeling sorry for myself. After a couple of afternoons of UGH that sucks, I started submitting again. I didn’t waste time being insulted by comments like “your writing doesn’t resonate.” Remember - the person who wrote that is the same person who passed me on to the colleague who ultimately became my agent.

Also, I didn’t overthink it, colour code it or make a spreadsheet. I just sent my proposal off to a few people every week, consistently.

When it wasn’t working, I went to an expert for advice and I TOOK the advice they offered (that part is key, so many of us consult an expert and then conclude that we know better).

Of course

I was lucky. Luck plays a huge part in these deals. Timing, fit, interest, so much has to align for an agent-author relationship to get off the ground. Twice. And also, of course, agents aren’t for everyone. There are plenty of Indie presses and University presses that prefer unrepresented authors. This is a personal choice, my personal choice, and I hope it inspires you to keep submitting. Or take a bath, whatever works.

Photo by Isaac Quesada on Unsplash