Topic: Problems with agent

[anonymous]

My agent is respected, well-known and has some great clients. We’ve worked together for several years, and he/she has sold multiple books of mine. The reading time on client manuscripts is pretty long. The last one I turned in took seven weeks to read. I checked in multiple times, and was always told I was “next” and agent was “almost done.” Those emails would come three days after I checked in, and it was clear the agent hadn’t even started to look at the material.
I finally received edit notes and the agent made it seem as though the book needed a lot of work and that he/she hoped I thought the long wait was worth the extensive notes. After reading them, they are more tweaks than anything. They also came a month after they were promised.
So, I requested a phone call. Agent was very distracted and it was awkward, so much so that I said my name multiple times since he/she didn’t seem to remember we had scheduled a call. Agent had a hard time providing comps for the book (promised to email a few, never heard back), and confused me more than anything when I asked a few clarifying questions about the edit notes.
All of this has left a bad taste in my mouth, even though we’ve had a great relationship in the past and he/she has always worked hard to place my books. I know this book will eventually get in front of editors, but I’m also dreading the potential 5-7 week wait for my agent to even read the revisions I turn in.
So, my question to you guys, would you stay with a very slow, frustrating agent if you knew he/she would eventually get your material in front of editors or would you walk away?

[Joni]

Okay, I know there is a wide, wide range of agent responsiveness, but... I don't think 7 weeks is that hideous in a relationship you're otherwise pretty happy with. (Um, I once waited 3 months. And yes, that was too long and sent a message of its own, but...)

It could be that your agent is just in a tough stretch personally, either because of other life things or just the current crush of work. The phone call *does* sound kinda weird, but that could even be related to a (hopefully temporary) health issue.

Maybe I'm just getting soft on agents lately because I'm between them, ha, but I would not call this agent "very slow" compared to personal experience or other stories I've heard. Just "kinda slow," maybe. Is this unusual in your "several years" together? Could it be a passing thing? Could you resolve it by simply emailing or calling to say, "Our relationship seems to have deteriorated lately and I'm a little concerned; is it something we should talk about or can you reassure me that it's a temporary hiccup on an otherwise strong working partnership?" ?

[Bill]

If you've had a good relationship up to this point, hang in there.

[mrh]

I don't think 7 weeks is that hideous in a relationship you're otherwise pretty happy with.

This. But that phone call did sound a little weird...

[xiaotien]

i do think everyone goes through bad periods
and have bad days. i know i do. so i do think that
perhaps be a bit forgiving on behavior. (wait time for
turnaround isn't horrible, tbh. i've heard worse. i've heard
better.) but if this disconnect and spaciness continues, and
bothers you, it might be time for a chat with agent?

good luck!

[HDWestlund]

I don't have an agent at the moment, but I am querying right now. I was also querying about 2 years ago, before I decided to re-write the book that I am now sending out into the world again. Response times are much, much slower than they were even two years ago. (And when I signed with my former agent six years ago, it only took a couple weeks, start to finish.) It's hard to send something so personal as a book out there, get an enthusiastic request, and then wait months to hear back. It's probably even harder to wait that long when you've already signed with an agent, and your agent is supposed to be as excited about your new work as you are. But I think the business is just really slow right now. Maybe because more and more people are writing for children, maybe because agents have bigger and bigger lists... I think there may also be many more types of rights to manage, with the advent of e-books, and a lot of backlist to consider what to do with, now that the market is changing.

That said, I don't think it would be a bad thing to check in with how your agent is feeling about your project, turnaround times, and whether or not there's anything exceptional about their current workload queue. Consider saying something like, "You work very hard for me and it's obvious that you have a lot on your plate, but I am feeling anxious about how long responses are taking compared to how they were a few years ago. Could you give me a realistic idea for how long this process takes now, with all these changes in the publishing business?" Your concerns matter. Don't swallow them, but do find a way to address them without alienating your agent. If you continue to be ignored or pushed to the bottom of the list after the conversation, then it might be time to decide if you want to live with the relationship in the state that it's in.

[MysteryRobin]

I guess 7 weeks doesn't sound all that long to me, either. Especially with a years long good relationship. Maybe some agents here can weigh in on what normal turn around time is on a manuscript, but to read and come up with notes, that seems reasonable and not on the long end to me - just given what I've heard. The phone call sounds weird - but maybe he/she was on the defensive and nervous?

[Danyelle]

I don't have an agent, but the phone call/ email issue does sound odd. 7 weeks isn't a long time in commercial publishing, but if I were in your shoes there are two things that would concern me with what you've said above.

1)

Those emails would come three days after I checked in, and it was clear the agent hadn’t even started to look at the material.

If I'm reading this wrong, I apologize, but my impression from this is that your agent isn't being honest with you. (Being less than forthright about where they are in regard to reading your manuscript.) That, above anything else, would bother me. An author/agent relationship is a business relationship that is built on a lot of trust, and trust (for me) requires honesty.

2)

Agent was very distracted and it was awkward, so much so that I said my name multiple times since he/she didn’t seem to remember we had scheduled a call.

If I were in your shoes, I would be wondering if my agent was as disorganized with subs/editor contacts/etc. as he/she was with me--the person he/she is working with/for.

As the others noted, it's always possible that your agent is having personal hardships or whatnot. I would (if I were in your shoes) talk to your agent again and lay out your concerns. There could be a number of things going on, and probably the best way to find out what's going on is to ask. 

[Verla Kay]

"What everyone else already said."

[Stephanie J. Blake]

5-7 weeks is not a long time, but if an agent wants to make a sale, then, why should it take longer to get through a manuscript? Especially if you've revised and turned it around quickly on your end.

Anon, PM if you'd like. I went through this exact situation for the past year and ended up parting ways over it.

[Kell]

I agree with all that seven weeks isn't that bad, but that the emails and weird phone call are more concerning. You've had success in the past, but it's possible something has changed for the agent. Too many clients so that he's overwhlemed? Personal problems that will disappear and be forgiven? Personal problems that will further deteriorate and take your career with them?

I'd be looking for more reassurance/information. You have a good past relationship and it may make sense to work past this. Or it's likely you could get new representation if things don't get better.

[Lori]

Everyone has given fantastic advice. I agree that 7 weeks isn't terrible. The waiting sucks, I know, but--as with most things--being forthright about your concerns with turnaround and response might clear things up. If you plainly lay out your concerns, and your agent talks around them or doesn't seem to take them seriously, THEN maybe it's time to consider whether you want to continue the relationship.

[TracyH]

This is from Alexander Chee's 21 Lies Writers Tell Themselves:

"21. My agent is ignoring me!
 
If your agent really is ignoring you, here’s how to tell: Is the email you sent urgent or non-urgent? That is, will you lose an opportunity if you don’t hear back, are other people also waiting to act based on the agent’s response? Did you make that plain or not? Did you actually write the email because you are insecure? Is this something you should have actually called about instead? Do you have a history of calling or writing because you are insecure instead of calling or writing because of professional things that need to happen?

Answer these questions truthfully and then you’ll know.
*It might still all go wrong but at least you’re honest."

The reason this post came to mind was because of this: "The last one I turned in took seven weeks to read. I checked in multiple times, and was always told I was “next” and agent was “almost done.” Those emails would come three days after I checked in, and it was clear the agent hadn’t even started to look at the material."

Multiple times over a seven week period is a bit much, and I was curious how you might know she hadn't read the material if she doesn't have a history of lying to you. It would be a shame to give up a really good working relationship. Maybe consider how/if you can help your own situation before jumping ship.