There is a lot of advice out there for authors who are just getting started in their careers. How do you self-edit a manuscript? Where do you find a literary agent? What goes into a query letter? But growing your career doesn’t stop there. Agents move on, publishing deals come to an end, and authors decide to change directions. There are many phases you may go through in your career that transcend the introductory process. Thankfully, there are seasoned veterans like Bethany Turner here to guide us through these level-ups.
She swung by She Writes to share her journey of finding a new agent after already having an established career in publishing.
Bethany Turner has been writing since the second grade, when she won her first writing award for explaining why, if she could have lunch with any person throughout history, she would choose John Stamos. She stands by this decision. Bethany now writes pop culture–infused rom-coms for a new generation of readers who crave fiction that tackles the thorny issues of life with humor and insight. She lives in Southwest Colorado with her husband, whom she met in the nineties in a chat room called Disco Inferno. As sketchy as it sounds, it worked out pretty well in this case, and they are the proud parents of two grown sons. Connect with Bethany at seebethanywrite.com or across social media @seebethanywrite, where she clings to the eternal dream that John Stamos will someday send her a friend request.
Truth be told, I fear the title of this article may be somewhat misleading. Perhaps it would be more fitting to go with, “Things I Learned While Stumbling Along Aimlessly.” If your situation is anything like mine, you’ve probably felt some of the same frustration I have. There are millions (I haven’t counted, but it sure feels like millions) of articles out there with guidance for newer writers seeking their first agent. It takes no effort whatsoever to find articles about how important it is to build a platform before seeking an agent (or how platform doesn’t matter at all). People are quick to tell us how every query letter needs to follow the same pattern (or how the most important thing is to let our individuality shine through, patterns be darned).
The advice is plentiful. I never said it was consistent.
Some advice is consistent, however—maybe even absolute. If you’re a fiction writer and you hope to snag a literary agent, you must have a completed manuscript, and that manuscript needs to have been rewritten, refined, edited, and proofread to within an inch of its life before you ever consider sending out query letters. If an agent asks you to send the complete manuscript, you need to be ready to grab the brass ring without delay.
Okay, sure. That’s obvious. But, um . . . sorry. That won’t work for me. And if you’re interested enough in this topic to still be reading, I’m guessing maybe it won’t work for you, either.
Finding a New Agent as an Established Author
I had an agent in the past, but when she left the business, I decided to go it alone for a while.
I negotiated my own contracts for my three most recent books, as well as for some subsidiary rights on an older title.
When I began my search for a new agent a little more than a year ago, I had one novel preparing to release and one about to go into edits, both with a major publisher, and I’d spent nearly a decade only writing books under contract.
I did not have the margin to write an “extra” book for the purpose of trying to woo an agent. Besides, if I didn’t find an agent pretty much immediately, I would be pitching another book to my publisher on my own.
That meant I’d either need to write two books simultaneously (which I realize is an ability many of you possess, but if I were to attempt it I think there’s a very good chance my brain would literally melt) or pitch the agent-wooing manuscript to my publisher, at which point it would no longer be an “extra” book for wooing purposes.
And again, I combed through tons of advice on the internet and found shockingly little that applied to my situation. That makes no sense! I know I’m not alone here.
Allow me to bring clarity to the situation, friend.
1. You Don’t Necessarily Need a New Manuscript When You’re Established
As an established author, you do not necessarily have to pitch a completed manuscript to a potential agent.
You need to have a good idea that will get the agent excited, of course, but more than anything, you’re going to want an agent who is excited about you. Every agent is different, of course, and I can’t guarantee your dream agent will accept a one-page pitch and a backlist as representative of your work as mine did, but you need to know that there’s a good chance your track record will go a long way toward getting them excited about the future.
2. Ask a Friend for Advice… You Might Get More Than That
Going back to the idea of sensing I’m not alone, it is within that principle that I offer you my next lesson learned.
It’s okay to ask your friends for help.
In my case, I was not seeking a referral from my author friend. In fact, the idea that this author friend of mine would recommend me to her agent didn’t even occur to me. I simply reached out to her for advice and to see if she knew of any reputable agents she thought I should consider querying because I respect her and value her opinion.
This friend knows and appreciates my writing, so I felt confident that any suggestions she might give would be tailored specifically to me.
In this case, I was not seeking a referral. I didn’t even know who her agent was at that point.
However, I realize not everyone may be as clueless as I. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, but do it with intention. Whose career do you admire? Who has achieved the dreams you’re still chasing?
3. Find the Agent That Fits Your Career
Speaking of chasing dreams… my third lesson learned (and, actually, I feel confident enough about this one to call it advice) is this: Make sure you understand yourself well enough to understand what you want in an agent.
It’s different when we’re just starting out. There’s a good chance that the original dreams consisted of seeing our book in print or seeing it on the shelves of a bookstore or library. Great! We achieved those dreams! What’s next?
By the time we’ve published a few books, maybe won some awards, and signed books until our hands are cramped, we should be able to fine-tune the dreams.
Where do you hope to go next?
Do you want someone who will push you to be better?
Do you want a partner, or do you need someone to keep an eye on the legal stuff?
Are film adaptations the goal?
Pursue the agent who will help you pursue your dreams.
4. You are the Brand
And finally, I encourage you to remember that you are now the brand.
Yes, it’s still about a good story and good writing, and any agent is going to want that to be present. But now you’ve got a readership. You’ve got fans. You’ve figured out some of the marketing methods that work for you and determined which social media channels make you want to gouge your eyes out.
Sure, there’s always room for growth, and yes, we all need to be willing to try new things from time to time, but there’s no need to go backwards.
Examine your lessons learned and consider them when choosing an agent to query.
In this industry, many of us tend to believe we don’t belong at the table. We feel like imposters, just playing author. But you are an author. You have a well-established career that proves you belong at the table. So, take that next step with confidence and remember that you may very well be your dream agent’s dream client.
Wes and Addie Had Their Chance by Bethany Turner
After her career as a CIA analyst and her marriage implodes, Addie Atwater-Elwyn reluctantly returns to her small Colorado town and prepares for a mundane, disappointing life. She leans on her old friends for support, but there’s one friend she would rather not see again: Wesley Hobbes, who left her at the altar when they were eighteen and has since become a popular senator and presidential candidate. But when Addie catches wind of his secret aversion to politics, her curiosity transforms into something else, even though it’s too late for anything to happen between them…or is it?
Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Leave A Comment