Well, that’s basically a nightmare phrase, isn’t it? Signing with an agent is supposed to be the thing that hoists you out of query letter hell forever. It’s a safe zone, a guarantee, a lifetime plan!
For some.
For others, it’s a really great thing that happens but isn’t meant to be the start of a lasting relationship. There are about a billion reasons for an agent-author partnership to end, and some of them are far worse than others.
I’m an “other”; my first agent and I split in June, just shy of a year together. I didn’t announce it, because how do you announce it? Instead, I shifted things around on my website and blog (rather than removed, because she’s still the agent on the contract for BEHIND THE SCENES) and deleted her from my Twitter profile and PM page. I told people I speak to in non-public forums, and answered anyone who asked on Twitter. In reality, what more can you do?
At the same time, I was also really lucky, because here’s the thing about my first agent: I still think she’s awesome. I have no regrets. Ask me what I would’ve done differently, and I have no answer for you. Ask me what I think she should’ve done differently with the book she offered on, and I definitely have no answer for you.
Here, though, is where that offer part is so tricky: it’s on one book. You query one book. You get an offer based on one book. And sure, an agent can ask what else you’re working on, but A) a lot of them don’t, and B) what can sound great in premise isn’t necessarily something they’ll love in execution. It’s one reason it’s so important for an agent to love your voice; it’s their best insurance they’ll love the rest of your work. If your first book isn’t necessarily a reflection of your later work (which, due to its highly commercial nature, mine wasn’t), then it may turn out the expectations just weren’t quite on track, and you’re not meant to be after all.
So, let’s say you hit an impasse on a book, or communication style, or pitching plans. Then what?
Dear readers, I’m not gonna lie – it is terrifying. Leaving your agent, even when it’s mutual, even when it’s amicable… it is like setting your security blanket on fire and then rolling around in the ashes. And when I see it continuing to be a great partnership for my former agent-sisters, it feels sort of like watching my ex-boyfriend in a great new relationship and wondering why we couldn’t make it work. No matter how neat, and how much you adore and respect everyone involved, it sucks. And boy, will it screw with your confidence.
Plus, for me, it wasn’t just as a writer – I was fully prepared for a “If you can’t even keep your agent, why the hell should we listen to your pub advice?” from someone who follows my blog. (This did not happen even once. I love you guys.)
If you read The Daily Dahlia, you already know that I have a lot to say about querying. I give a lot of advice, discuss etiquette and best practices… I have four queries posted up top that have all gotten requests.
And yet, when I started querying again, I felt like I knew nothing. Like, I could not figure out how to do a thing. I’d read someone else’s post on querying for the second time and it was basically “I got a new agent in five minutes, after getting a hundred referrals!” and I was all “WHY ISN’T EVERYONE AND HER MOTHER REFERRING ME AND NINJA-ING ME AND WHY DO I FAIL AT LIFE?!”
Then there was everyone else’s raging confidence that everything would be fine. I got a ton of, “Oh, you’ll get a new agent again in five seconds. You’re so networked.” Never mind that the extent of my “network” is Twitter friends, same as everybody else. Never mind that sure, I’ve got agent friends, but people liking you doesn’t mean they like your work, or take your genre. The votes of confidence were sweet, but at times, it felt like I’d have to be an idiot to screw this up, and I was pretty sure I was going to. So I ran to my CPs and trusted friends, and I posted on OneFourKidLit, and I scoured AbsoluteWrite, but ultimately, what it comes down to is this:
If your current agent relationship isn’t right for you, but you know you want an agent, you just have to push yourself to do it eventually. You will come up with a thousand reasons why it’s risky or scary or crazy. But if you can’t get out of your own way and push past them, you’re never going to get what you want.
So, let’s do this! Round 2! Kinda awkward, right? Especially if people know you had an agent before? Or if you have a book deal? I mean, like, what kind of reject are you?
THE KIND OF “REJECT” THAT HAPPENS ALLLL THE TIME.
Guys, for real, this is a thing that happens. Hi, I’m Dahlia! Now you know someone it happened to. Also? I had three friends going through the same thing at the same time and all three have great new agents. The point is, this happens, you’re not a freak, and agents do not take one look at your query and go, “Ew, why would I want her now?”
So, now that that’s out of the way, how do you actually do this thing?
First things first, make sure you understand your agency contract’s termination clause before you and your agent actually part. (And yes, you should understand it before you ever sign it.) Termination clauses vary by agency, and can be anything from “Either party can terminate whenever” to much stricter options that will keep you from subbing for months. The wrong move can mean breach of contract or even that you’re obligated for 15% to both your old agent and your new one.
In some cases, what you can do is ask for a waiver of the termination period. If your agent doesn’t want to sub your manuscript anyway, (s)he may be willing to just give it up and free you completely. If this is your situation, and you’re parting on good terms, it may be worth asking. (Can you tell I did this? I did this.)
As for actually writing a query letter? Well, it’s… a whole lot like you did it the first time. A query letter is a query letter. The only differences are that you might add something like this:
“After an amicable split with my previous agent, I am currently seeking new representation.” If you mention the split, you should also mention whether or not the manuscript you’re querying has previously been submitted. Mine had not, which was admittedly a good place to be in. If yours has been submitted, make sure you have a list of every single editor it’s gone to. (If it’s been submitted to a lot of places – say, more than 5-10 – it may not be the best ms to query with, and you might have better luck if you queried with something else and saved it to use as your option.)
For me, one thing that came up a few times was the fact that I had a three-book deal. Now, obviously that’s a pretty specific situation, but the point is a general one: Be prepared to answer any and all questions about how your previous representation affects this one. Terminating your agency contract isn’t terminating your publishing contract. The agent on that contract is still entitled to his or her 15% of every book (s)he signed for you.
Again, for me, this was an easy situation – the three books in my contract have already been decided, so there was no obligation to submit the manuscript I was querying for it, which means there was total freedom for new agents to sub it anywhere they liked. This isn’t always the situation. If you’re in a multi-book contract in which not all the books have been determined, or you have an option clause, this is something you need to be aware of. If the manuscript you’re querying isn’t freely available for multiple submission, agents need to know.
Now, in case you haven’t noticed the common theme here, I’ll state it plainly: I was in a great situation to do this. I had a wonderful first agent who made it as easy as possible and wanted me to find an agent who was truly the right fit. I had a manuscript (two, actually) that had never been submitted to editors. I had a multi-book contract that had no claim on any manuscript I was pitching. This was very neat. Not all splits are. Unfortunately, I can only speak to what I know.
If your split isn’t quite as neat, remember the following two things:
1) Never badmouth your former agent. There is literally not a single good thing in the world this can do for you. If your split wasn’t amicable, just don’t say it was amicable. “I recently parted ways with my agent and am seeking new representation” is just fine. But if you trash your agent, you’re only going to hurt yourself.
2) If you’ve been subbed, the list of where you’ve been subbed is key. If you don’t have this, and your agent won’t provide it, query another manuscript. I know this sucks. Withholding that list is one of the worst things an agent can do. I’m so sorry I don’t have a better answer for this. It just is.
Finally, let’s talk specifics, and what you really “need” when you’re querying the second time:
Connections? Nope. Among the agents I queried are several I consider myself friendly with. Some requested, some did not. I will concede that not one rejected with a true form rejection, but at least one rejected at the query level. Because she’s an agent, and it’s her job to reject manuscripts she doesn’t connect with. If you’re going to take that personally, either don’t query your agent-friends, or don’t befriend agents. And the one I ultimately signed with? Never spoke to her before in my life before sending that query.
Referrals? Nope. I had three friends really, really kindly offer referrals to their agents. Because I didn’t think any of their agents were the right fit, I didn’t use any of them. I asked one friend to use her name, and she allowed it, but her agent turned out to be closed to queries. And that’s the glorious history of me and referrals.
Pub credits? Obviously, now that I have a book deal, I can’t speak to whether or not this matters, but as far as I know, every single agent I queried is happily open to taking on debuts. Honestly, the whole multi-book contract thing seemed to hinder more than help, if we’re playing with sides of that line.
The point of all this is, you did it once, and you can do it again. You’re not damaged goods. You are experienced, you are proven, and you’re probably pretty damn good at what you do. So step out of your own way, dive back in, and give yourself the second chance you deserve.
***
On a personal note, I want to give massive thanks to everyone who was utterly awesome to me during this time when even I found me utterly unbearable. If you guys knew how much crap and freaking out some of my friends have had to listen to in the past few weeks, you’d be amazed that any of us even function. If you’re not sure who you are, check your IMs, DMs, e-mails, and texts from the past few weeks. If more than 50 of them are from me, I probably mean you ❤
So, that’s the story of why you saw me in pitch contests, why I haven’t been blogging, and why you might’ve noticed changes in my bios in various places. I split with my agent, and now I have a new one, and her name is Lana, and yelling it in Archer’s voice is really fun, and all is well. And if you’re reading this because you read all my posts, thank you, you’re awesome. 😉 If you’re reading this because it applies to you, please remember you’re not alone, and plenty of these stories have happy endings – there’s no reason in the world to think yours won’t too!
And, of course, if you want to know how some agents feel about it, you can always check this out 😉
The Daily Dahlia 
Pingback: Mid-Career Querying and Other Stuff We Don’t Talk About | The Daily Dahlia
Pingback: A Publishing FAQ Master Post | The Daily Dahlia
Pingback: It’s Not Just You | The Daily Dahlia
Thanks so much for this post! You give excellent advice and hit the nail on the head in describing how this feels. Thank you for sharing!
Pingback: Ten Blunt Messages on the Eve of 2014 | The Daily Dahlia
Dahlia, I just wanted to say thank you for ALL your posts regarding the querying, agenting, publishing process. You definitely put it out there honestly and cover every topic – particularly this one which isn’t much discussed.
It’s clear that this is more common than is realised and that there’d be a variety of reasons for this!
What’s evident from the above I think is that one should ‘break up’ with one’s agent before finding a replacement, and handle it in a business like manner.
It’s interesting, working in business in my day job I know that however much you research before there will be things you don’t/can’t foresee – if people match up in reality to the early conversations, if their expectations about the product (i.e. your writing) match yours over time and indeed just whether your personalities mesh I guess?
I have questions but you’ve been so thorough I’ll compute it all in. One last point: you should totally offer a ‘5 bucks to answer your publishing query’ service as you are the font of all knowledge! Do you have people tweeting you to ask your advice?! 🙂
Pingback: Top Picks Thursday 08-08-2013 | The Author Chronicles
Hey Dahlia,
Really appreciate that post. I think information like this should be discussed in the open more so others have insight on the whole agent process. Your post clued me in on the reality of these things. I didn’t know this was something that happened quite a bit, parting ways with an agent (for any number of reasons). I’m happy about your book!
Best,
Jaz 🙂
Thanks, Jaz! I absolutely feel the same way. I wrote this post in large part because it was so hard for me not to have one like it out there when I was querying. Hopefully it’ll help people who go through it in the future, because it’s definitely more common than people think!
Great post, Dahlia. Client-agent divorce rates are high. A number of my friends have gone through the same process, to end up with a great agent on try number 2 or 3. This is why I didn’t announce it when I signed with an agent. I just slipped it into my profiles on my blog, Twitter, FB. Two years ago, I would have been doing a big giveaway like everyone else. Most writers I know have the same attitude when they sign with an agent. We all know we could be divorcing our agents in a years time.
Congrats on the three book deal! At least you got the kids in the divorce. 🙂
Thanks, Stina! It’s definitely true that this happens a lot, but it’s hard not to celebrate at least a little each time something works out. Especially the first wedding! And thank you! Congrats to you too!
I’m really proud to know you and happy for you! You’re such a professional, Dahl, and I know everyone benefits for having known you or read your posts. Congratulations and thanks for sharing your experiences!
<333 Thanks so much, Vivi!
Thank you for your candor. I’m a OneFour KidLIt debut, too, and I’m between agents. Ironically, I have about 17 books published and none have been generated or closed by an agent, though I’ve had 2. Publishing is a strange biz.
Ha! A very strange biz, but you certainly seem to know how to handle yourself!
I know of one person, a writer, who went through a similar experience. It was nerve-racking for her. She felt bad, she thought highly of her agent but nothing was happening with her ms and she realized it probably wasn’t going to. So, she took the plunge and handled it with grace. As did the agent.
I don’t yet have an agent. When and if, I certainly hope we are a great fit but it’s good to be knowledgeable and I appreciate your candor, for sure. Congrats, btw. And thank you.
Oh, and I did want to know what the other half thought about agent/client splits so I clicked on that other post. Agents are people, too–who woulda thunk it? 🙂
I’m so glad it went smoothly for your friend, and I do hope it’s a great fit when you do get an agent! And yes, remembering that agents are people too goes a surprisingly long way in this business 😉
Wow! I never knew that this could happen. Good for you with sticking to your guns and moving forward. I wondered why you were so quiet. I am glad you had great support and now have a lovely new agent. Congrats because you deserve it with the hard work you do!
Ha, was I quiet? Who knew? Thank you!
Thanks for the eye opener. I’d always assumed when an agent loved one manuscript, they’d love and rep all your manuscripts. But many people write in different styles and even different genres. Getting an agent is not the end of the story.
Yep, I thought that too 🙂 I don’t think anyone signs on with an agent with non-career-length expectations, but it’s exactly as you said – styles and genres vary, and your agent just may not be on board with all of them. That doesn’t always mean the end of the relationship – some will let you query one elsewhere, or self-pub it, or sub it to small presses yourself – but at some point you have to decide about the fit going forward. Getting an agent isn’t the end, and getting a book deal isn’t the end either; I’m still not sure what is!
This was really interesting! I hope I never have to go through it with my agents, but oddly enough I feel sort of like I understand where you’re coming from because the agent I signed with for my fiction does not represent the type of nonfiction I write and I had to jump into querying after I’d already succeeded at it. I remember feeling like “Wait a second, do I actually even know what I’m doing? At ALL? Was it a fluke that I even got signed?” Of course, having gotten signed again helps my confidence with that, but I’m pretty certain that if I had to do it again . . . I’d find that familiar old insecurity sitting around waiting for me.
I’ll definitely keep this post in mind for anyone I know who runs into this situation! It’s very reassuring and readable. 🙂
My thoughts exactly – like, great, now I’ve proven I can get signed twice! And if ever I find myself in this situation again, I just *know* that will matter… not at all. But for me, it’s always a comfort to know of others who’ve succeeded at the same thing, because it’s somehow harder to think of it as a fluke for them, for whatever reason!
Finding an agent, negotiating contracts, and even splitting from an agent is a business deal above any other. It reminds me so much of my recent non-writing-career job search. The “oh, you’re so great, you’ll find something in an instant” stuff made me want to poke someone’s eyeballs out. People want to help, but that doesn’t help when you don’t have a paycheck. Sending me a job link or concrete leads is what I need, not a cheerleader. (My husband gets to play that role. :D)
I never thought of the exit clause in an agent contract, but I already had an issue with them in my last two (non-writing) jobs. Unfortunately for me, I’d already signed the second contract before I realized the issue with the first. (Happy story: In my current job, I don’t have one beyond two weeks notice. No non-compete, woo hoo!) Exit clauses are so important. Things can get nasty if you don’t negotiate them up front. Hopefully soon, I will find my own interested agent and get to think about all those things!
So true, and I think it’s especially hard when business and friendship combine. It really is extra hard to part ways with an agent you genuinely like as a person, because it can really blur that line. And I also think it’s really hard when you’re excited about starting up a new partnership, or job, to have to focus on the negative, and think about the end before you even begin, but it really is important!
Thanks for sharing your story! That’s very intense and I’m glad you found another agent.
Thank you!
You are such a class act! Thank you for sharing this with us. It’s something any author would have a hard time with. The fact that you have helped so many people with your blogging and you included this aspect of your writing experience, only speaks more to your authenticity. Best of luck and congratulations on your new agent!
Thanks so much, Kim! I did hope that at least people would see I put my money where my mouth is with my advice 😉
Yet another great and informative post. Thanks (as always) for telling it like it is. Breakups aren’t easy, even between agent and client. I’m glad you found a better fit. And I still can’t wait to read your books…. as I told you, I’ve already got BEHIND THE SCENES on my Goodreads TBR list. I wish you all the best!
Thanks for always reading, AND for adding BEHIND THE SCENES!!
Such a fantastic, informative post! I think it’s great that you share your experiences with other writers. And congrats on the new agent! But…
We’re not sisters anymore? *cries*
Oh, wait…I forgot you were going to marry my brother-in-law and change your name to Dahlia Bliss. Never mind. We’re good. 😉
Haaaaa see?? We’ll totally always be sisters!!
Congratulations on your new agent! And thank you, as always, for sharing your knowledge.
Thanks, Susan!
Thank you for this wonderful post! I feel like you were telling my story — it mirrors yours almost perfectly. It is a scary time and you may have all the connections in the world, but the agents have to LOVE your work not just you. I’m so happy you found your new home!
We do have a crazy number of things in common with our stories! So happy both of us found happy new homes!
Such a great, honest post as usual. This is why your writing, blog posts included, is one of the few things I don’t hate 😉
Best. Comment. Ever.
Thank you so much for sharing, Dahlia. I’m glad you were able to get back out there and find the agent who is right for you. For all of us at every stage in the writing game, it’s so important to understand that the life of a writer is not an easy one. But it’s the passion and dedication to what we love and the support of others in the writing community (like you, who help keep us buoyed) that keep us going. Congratulations on the new agent, and thank you for continually sharing your journey with us so we can learn along with you.
Thanks so much, AJ! It’s definitely not easy, and I shudder at how many people think you’re in the clear after you sign with an agent, or get a book deal…. So, so not the case!
This was horribly like reading my own story.
Congrats on the new agent, and thanks for writing these posts. I remember feeling like such a failure after agent #1 and I parted ways, and doing the query mill again was scary and depressing.
Interestingly, very few of the writers I know are still with their first agent.
Gah, I’m sorry for the PTSD! I think the “failure” feeling is universal, and it lingers far longer than it should. I don’t wish this upon anyone, but it *is* nice when the end result works out. It’s truly amazing to realize how common it is to switch, especially because so many writers I know haven’t even really been with agents long enough to move, but it’s really true – after a while, you start to realize just how few are with their originals!
This is one of those things that happens a lot but few people are brave enough to talk about it publicly. Thank you for being brave. Wishing you nothing but the best because you deserve nothing less. ❤
Thanks so much, Lydia ❤ Wishing us *both* the best 😉
Thanks so much for sharing your journey, Dahlia. This is definitely a subject that no agented writer wants to think about, much less face, but so great of you to share your path and help writers realize there are always other ways. Congrats again on your three book deal. I can’t wait to find them in the stores!
Thanks so much, Debbie! Definitely not a part anyone wants to think about, but having desperately needed a post about it when I was going through it, I knew I had to jump in and write it as soon as I had enough good news to feel good about it!