Agent’s Advice: Accepting an Offer of Representation

So you’ve read our blogs and written and edited your book brilliantly, finished a great synopsis, and attached the perfect cover letter. Great news – an agent offers you representation! Now what? Here’s some advice on what to do and what to ask next.

Do I want to accept the offer of representation right away?

Sometimes the first (or only!) person who offers representation is the best fit for you. Maybe you only sent to one or two agents and one of those has come back, or maybe you sent to ten agents but your dream agent was number nine and they’ve offered rep. So you might decide in that case you want to sign with them and to withdraw from the others who have the manuscript. However, it can definitely be worthwhile letting other agents who are reading the full manuscript know that you have an offer of representation, and ask them to get back to you within a week. They might come back with quick ‘nos’, or you might end up with multiple offers of representation. I have been the first offer on some books I have signed, but in some cases I was the last offer – the author let me know they had an offer, gave me a deadline, I read it, and I decided I also wanted to throw my hat into the ring. I’d also add, that if you do only get one offer of representation, that’s fine! I think we always read about huge beauty contests but there are many authors on my list (some of them Sunday Times bestsellers, with big book deals all over the world), where I was the only person to offer for their novel.

What should I do before I accept? 

I always advise a phonecall or a Zoom call with the offering agent. That way you get a sense of what they are like, how they work, and if you would get on with each other. I think it’s crucial that you feel that this is someone you would work well with. You go through ups, and downs, with agents: they’re there when you get a terrible review, but also when you (hopefully) hit the bestseller list, so it’s really a good idea that you sign with someone you like! It’s equally important that you feel that you would trust them and their advice. That meeting will also give you a chance to ask some key questions.

Questions to ask your potential agent: 

Are you an editorial agent? What editorial work would you do to my novel?

If you want someone who’s hands on with editing, it’s essential to establish that this agent works that way. It’s also key that you agree with the work they are suggesting. So if an agent says ‘I think the middle section is too baggy, I’d expand the ending, and I’m not sure her motivation makes sense here’ you should be thinking to yourself ‘yes, agree, those are areas I was unsure of!’ Whereas if the agent lists some changes that you fundamentally disagree with, they won’t be the right fit. You also might find that some agents say it needs no work – but if in your gut you think it could do with some more editorial insight, they might not be the right fit for you either. 

How would you position my novel and where would you submit it?  

If you see your book as a literary novel and the agent thinks it’s a commercial thriller, that’s another sign that you might not be the right fit! But hopefully they’ll name a few authors that you also see yourself as sitting alongside. It’s also useful to get an idea of the kind of houses/editors where they would submit the work. I wouldn’t expect them to come up with a full submission list off the top of their head but I’ll normally offer broad brushstrokes like: X at Simon & Schuster is really looking for a big thriller, Y at HarperCollins bought Z novel from me and published it well so she could be a great fit, and I’d submit to the big houses like PRH and Hachette as well as some of the indies like Oneworld and Canongate (or whatever it might be!). This is also a great way to get a sense that you are in good hands: that the agent you are talking to has the connections and industry knowledge to send your book to the right people!

How do you handle translation rights, US rights, and film/TV rights? 

Each agency is different – some have foreign rights/US/film rights handled in-house, some use co-agents, and others use a specialist rights agency to sell their books. I’d expect the agent to tell you how that would be handled, when they would submit the book in those markets, and I’d also expect them to be able to share some of their track record, too. Foreign rights and US rights deals can be a big boon to an author. THE MINIATURIST by Jessie Burton is my personal record with 39 territories, but GIRL A by Abigail Dean has racked up 26 so far and recent deal THE DOWNFALL by Laure Van Rensburg has secured 11 territories in its first month since it went on submission. Not all books sell all over the world, or have film/TV deals, but definitely make sure that the agency has an answer on these subsidiary rights and can show you how they plan to try and leverage those rights.

What’s your working style?

 If you’re someone who wants to be kept fully in the loop throughout the process, it’s important that that is how your agent works too. Equally, if you want to just go away and write your books and be bothered twice a year when you get a royalty cheque, you want to know that your agent is fine with that too. I’m someone who’s as communicative as an author needs me to be: some want to see EVERY pass on their novel, warts and all, whereas others just want a weekly update. I’m also someone who’s pretty present the whole way through the process from chasing edits, to feeding back on the book jacket. But that’s not true of all agents, and it’s important to figure out what you want. There’s no ‘right’ way to build the relationship, but you should certainly make sure that you’re on the same page!  

Have you sold books in this area before? 

When I was just starting out, and only had a handful of clients, I didn’t necessarily always have a foolproof answer to this – but because I worked at a big full-service agency, even if I individually hadn’t sold a YA novel yet, or this was my first thriller, I could point to the other YA/thriller authors on the agency list, and show that I had agent mentors who would help me with my submission list. Now I have been an agent for ten years, I can normally point to several examples, to show that I know that genre very well. There are pros and cons to newer agents/more established agents, but it’s important to make sure that the newer agent would have colleagues to call upon for their expertise to navigate the process from building a submission list, to selling translation rights, to closing a deal, and negotiating the best royalties. You want an agent who has good contacts and relationships across the industry, and can secure you a good deal – and help you build a long-lasting career.

My next novel idea is Y, what do you think? 

Some agents only represent children’s fiction, or adult fiction, so if your next idea is a totally different genre it is worth figuring out early on how you would navigate that.

What is your commission rate?

This is pretty standard in the UK – 15% home and 20% overseas/film. If anyone asks for more than that I’d be a bit dubious, and if anyone ever asks for money from you, I’d run for the hills!

It’s really exciting getting the offer of representation, and I’m sure any canny author would only be submitting to agents who look like they will do a great job handling their books. But it’s certainly worth making sure you’re a good personality fit, and that you feel like your career will be in safe hands!