TRANSCRIPT

Hi... if you do get an offer of representation from an agent, congratulations! That is an amazing accomplishment. You should be so proud of yourself. And you should definitely take a moment to pat yourself on the back. It is just super special.

But… before you sign with an agent, you do want to make sure that the match works for you. In the previous video about finding literary agents, I talked about the warning signs to look out for with agents. You’ll also want to vet them when you get an offer of representation. During your first call with them, consider the following seven points:

First, just how’s the vibe between the two of you? I think most writers tend to be introverts, so any kind of “get-to-know-you” conversation may be awkward. Still, the conversation should flow easily enough and you should get some sort of sense that you could work with this person for years and decades to come.

Two, is this person an “editorial” agent? Some agents do very little in terms of providing feedback on your manuscripts. Others a lot. And either approach works. The question is, which approach works best for you? I’m extremely happy to be working with an agent that provides thorough feedback on my work. However, having a non-editorial agent show interest in your work says a lot about the caliber of your writing. After all, they wouldn’t make an offer of representation if they didn’t feel strongly that they could sell your work as is.

Three, you want to make sure that you are comfortable with the agent’s communication style? Some agents may want to communicate on a regular basis. Others just when there’s something to specific to talk about. And you also want to know how they want to communicate. Is it via calls, is it texts or emails? Whatever your agent’s particular communication style, you need to make sure that it works for you.

Four, does the agent’s vision for your career align with yours? Go back to your why… Why do you want to become a published picture book author? Does the agent understand and appreciate your why – and will they support it?

Five, does the agent work alone or as part of an agency? Again, there’s no right answer here. I personally like the idea of an agent working with an agency because they have access to other agents. For example, if they have a question about a contract or about which editors to approach with a particular manuscript, they can talk with other agents within their agency. If the agent you’re vetting is solo, you just want to be certain to review their background and track record. I would definitely steer clear of solo agents with zero clients and if they don’t list their clients on their site and if they don’t have a list of current sales.

Six, how big is their client roster? Since agents only make money when they sell manuscripts, it makes sense that they have a lot of clients. But, if you want personal attention, you need to decide how many clients is too many? Conversely, your agent may have only a few clients. Ask why? Are they just starting out? Have they just moved into repping children’s book authors? Or is there something else going on?

And seven, can you speak with their other clients? At the end of your introductory call, ask for the names and contact info for several of the agent’s clients. Speaking with other authors is a great way to get an inside glimpse of what working with this agent will be like. If the agent won’t share the names or of any of their clients info with you, I would definitely consider this a red flag.

Getting an offer of representation from an agent will be one of the most exciting and fulfilling moments of your writing career. By taking a few precautions upfront, you can better determine if this match will work for you.

Do you have any other questions to ask when vetting a potential agents? I would love to hear about them in the comments.

And thank you so much for watching. If you got any value out of this video, please like it, subscribe to my channel and share the video with other aspiring picture book authors.