How to Query, Part 5: The mid-career edition
Everything you need to know about changing agents mid-career
This is a bonus installment in my How to Query series. For anyone querying for the very first time, I encourage you to focus on the first four parts:
Reminder: I’m approaching this from the context of traditional publishing, with trad standards and norms in mind. That said, a well-established indie author with plenty of books/sales under they belt may find this post helpful.
Today we’re discussing changing agents mid-career—why you might want to find new representation, how the process can differ from the first time around, and the perks of utilizing referrals.
Let’s get started…
Is changing agents the right move?
Anyone who’s been in the querying trenches before knows that it can be a long and trying process. Jumping back into those trenches can be, well, scary. But sometimes it’s a necessary step for your writing and your career.
Some reasons you may want to seek new representation:
The agent’s general style is no longer a good fit for your wants/needs
Poor or untimely communication from the agent
You are branching into a new age/genre/category that your agent does not represent
The agent is retiring or leaving the business
The agent has been unable to sell your book(s)*
A gut feeling
You’ll notice that “agent was unable to sell your books” has an asterisk. Let’s talk about that, because it’s important.
Not all books find homes, and often times this has nothing to do with the agent and is instead a reflection of the state of the market, or perhaps the book, itself. However, if an agent is unable to sell multiple books in a row and/or you’ve spent years trying to sell multiple projects with no real success, this could be a sign that the agent doesn’t have the right connections for your stories and/or that they are struggling to pitch/position your projects well.
This is when it is important to have an honest conversation with your agent about your career and what their plans are when it comes to strategy: How will the next submission round be different? Where should you focus your energy next? etc.
If you’re left feeling like the agent doesn’t have answers (or a strategy), this may be a sign that the agent is no longer the best fit for you, at this moment in your career. Even still, I don’t think this decision should be taken lightly, and I don’t think one failed book on sub is reason to end an otherwise healthy agent relationship.
Have conversations with your agent before you make any rash decisions. Your agent signed you for a reason and they want you to be happy. It is impossible for the agent to do their job well if they don’t know you’re unhappy and/or you don’t give them a chance to adjust to meet your requests.
I know many authors who hate confrontation (I hate it myself!), but what is the worst that could happen when you tell your agent you’re unhappy about something? The agent reacts poorly, gets defensive, and/or yells at you? Well, this is telling in itself and will likely make it very easy for you to know it’s time to pull the plug. Best case? They listen, validate your concerns, and make some changes, essentially eliminating all your issues. This would be a huge win, and you wouldn’t have to head to the query trenches at all. Hence why you need to talk to your agent.
It’s also important to make sure you are being reasonable with your wants. For example, many authors want an agent who communicates in a clear and timely manner. “Responds within an hour regardless of the topic of my email or the day of the week that I send it” is not a reasonable ask. “Responds asap for emergencies and within 72hrs for other emails” is completely reasonable. Another example: writing full time and consistently selling books for $200K+ sounds like a dream… but it’s not realistic. Most authors work second jobs and no agent can guarantee a huge book advance. You can hope for one, but six figure deals are often the product of luck and timing. It’s unreasonable to expect an agent to always secure this sort of advance.1
If you’re unsure if your wishes are reasonable, talk to other authors, preferably authors who are also mid-career. I can’t stress this enough. Text close friends or get feedback from a trusted author discord or slack group.2 You may quickly see that you’re being unrealistic—or you may get confirmation that, yes, what you’re dealing with is not ideal and it may be time to query again.
In summation, if you’re unhappy with your author-agent relationship:
Talk to your agent about what you’d like to see change
Give the agent some time to make adjustments
If you’re still unhappy, use trusted author friends as a sounding board before making any rash decisions.
Ultimately, you may decide you need new representation. If that’s the case, it’s time to prepare for the query road ahead.
Making your list
Much like you did the first time you queried, you’ll need to make a list of agents you want to work with. The difference this time around is you’re not a newbie. You thought you knew what you wanted in an agent early in your career. Now you actually know.
Use these wants/needs as your guiding star while making your querying list.
For example, the last time I queried, the following things were high on my list:
Extremely strategic with a goal of relaunching—then growing—my career
This means not just selling the book I query with, but figuring what else we can do to build and retain a fanbase in an increasingly challenging market
Represents kidlit and adult
Strong subrights
Excellent and timely communicator
As you’re building your list (in QueryTracker or via whatever method you prefer), be sure to make a note if you personally know someone with each agent. Why? If possible, you’ll want to use referrals to connect with agents directly, rather than having to submit via the slush.
Utilizing Referrals
In the context of querying, a referral is when a client emails their agent, vouching for another writer and asking if they can send said writer the agent’s way.
Agent Kristin Nelson describes a referral as “[a] holy grail of introductions for a writer. It lets you skip ahead to the front of the line. It’s a get-out-of-query-jail free card. What writer wouldn’t want that?”
Who wouldn’t want that, indeed!
If this sounds almost too good to be true, please remember that a referral is not cheating and it can not guarantee you an offer.3 It simply puts your pitch and pages at the top of the agent’s inbox. Since most agents prioritize referrals, you’ll likely hear back quickly, too. A referral can also be incredibly valuable if an agent is currently closed to unsolicited submissions. Without the referral, it would be impossible to reach out.
To start the referral process, you’ll want to email (or text) your contact who is a client of the agent you intend to query. This message can be short and sweet, with a subject line as simple as “Referral” if you’re using email.
Here’s an example of what that message could look like:
Hi [Author Friend],
I hope you’re well. I’m writing with a somewhat personal question/favor: I'm on the hunt for new representation and thought [Agent] might be a good fit because [reason]. Would you be willing to see if [Agent] is interested in seeing some pages from me, and if so, how I should send them? No hard feelings if this puts you in an uncomfortable position and you'd prefer to not refer. I completely understand either way.
Thanks for your time,
[Your Name]
Once you’ve got your querying list ready and your referral request emails drafted, there’s just one thing left to do: end things with your current agent.
This is never fun, but you can’t move forward until you pull the plug.
Ending an author-agent relationship
Timing
Leaving an agent is always a bit complicated, but the most ideal time to sever ties is when you are a) not on sub and b) all your existing publishing contracts have been fulfilled.
If your agent just took a book on sub, a new agent will likely be hesitant to touch the project, which means you don’t have anything ready for a new agent to try to sell. And if you have an existing publishing contract in the works, this means a new agent will be supporting you for quite some time before making any money of their own. (Remember, it’s the agent who sold the novel who will receive commissions on your advances and/or royalties for that contract, not your new agent.)
Any professional and legitimate agent who really wants to work with you will not be swayed by an outstanding contract. It’s just something to consider as you weigh when to sever ties with your current agent.
It’s also great to be armed with a new manuscript before querying again, even mid-career. However, this sometimes just isn’t possible. Maybe your agent is retiring or leaving agenting. Maybe you’ve been forced to cut off an agent relationship in a hurry for some ethical reason. Either way, circumstances sometimes arise that push you into querying when you only have sample pages or a partial.
Mid-career, this is usually okay. It’s always easier for an agent to react to a full manuscript, but if you have multiple published novels under your belt, agents know you can deliver a completed book. My advice is to just be upfront of what you have written.
The “break-up”
Once you’re ready to actually walk, you’ll need to call or email your agent and tell them that you want to terminate your author-agent agreement. If you call them, you should follow up with a written email, as many agency agreement contracts require the termination to be delivered in writing.
Most terminations are not considered final until thirty (or sometimes sixty) days after written notice. You can ask for this period to be waved so that you can immediately begin seeking new representation. In my experience, both times I asked for this, the agent agreed without issue.4
Even if ending the relationship is the right choice, be prepared for it to hurt like heck. It’s very much like a break-up; you had a working relationship with this person for a good chunk of time. Presumably there have been really great moments in addition to the less than stellar moments that have led you to end things. It may help to remember that in the same way most people don’t stay at one company their whole life, many authors do not stay with the same agent their entire career. It’s normal to switch agents, and most agents have been “broken up with” at least once. If they are professional, they will likely wish you the very best and accept your decision with humility.
Once you’ve taken care of this uncomfortable but necessary step, you can finally start reaching out to new agents.
Querying again
If you don’t have any referrals to pursue, start sending your queries the regular way. If you do have potential referrals, send those drafted referral emails to your contacts. Your contact will hopefully reply with good news and the agent’s contact info, in which case you can then email those agents directly.
A few suggestions that differ from first-time querying:
If possible, put your name/credentials in the subject line. If you have a referral, call that out first. Examples:
Referral via [Name]: [TITLE] by Edgar Award-nominated author Erin Bowman
Query: [TITLE] by critically acclaimed author [Name Here]
Be clear about what you’re seeking representation for. Examples:
While this is a new category for me, I hope to continue writing [category you’re publishing in]
I am seeking representation for the full scope of my career: middle grade, young adult, and adult
Consider opening the query by introducing yourself (bio, published titles) and why you are reaching out (“I’ve recently parted ways with my agent and am seeking new representation”)
Don’t be afraid to brag. I know this is hard for a lot of us, but if you have a substantial award or best-seller status, now is the time to mention it!
If you have other book ideas in the works, consider mentioning them at the end of your email. Category/genre and a one sentence pitch is plenty — just enough to show the agent what might be next for you.
E.g.: While the above is what I hope to focus on next, I’m also working on a [category/genre] about [one sentence pitch]. I’m happy to discuss it in more detail, should you have questions.
Don’t worry about your email length this time around. Your main pitch should aim for the standard query length of 250-300 words, but if you go over this because of your intro/bio and other relevant info, do not worry.
After your queries are sent, sit back and wait for the responses to roll in. From here, the rest of the process is a lot like it was the first time around. You can stay organized with things like QueryTracker, and if/when you communicate with agents, be polite and professional, and always thank the agent for their time.
If you’re lucky enough to have a call with any of the agents, make a list of questions ahead of time. Be transparent and upfront about what you are looking for in this new relationship, but avoid bad mouthing the previous agent in the process; be honest while also remaining professional.5 When the agent responds to your questions and/or shares information about their style, strategy, or agency, make sure you really listen. And don’t be afraid to ask follow-up questions via email later, if necessary, or even request a second call. You were willing to brave this entire querying mess again in the hopes of landing a better agent match, so make sure ask the questions that will allow you to make an informed decision and snag that good match.
Hopefully, in a few weeks (or months), you will have a new agent and will be feeling optimistic about the future of your career.
And… that concludes the How-to-Query series! (Unless I decide to expand upon it in the future, as I did with this installment.)
If you have any outstanding questions on about querying mid-career, please drop those in the comments and I will answer them as best I can.
Until next time,
If you’re a HUGE author (like, Stephen King level big), maybe this doesn’t apply. But for the vast majority of us, who are not household names, expecting huge advances for every single book deal is wildly unrealistic.
You can ask folks on public forums like Reddit, too, but remember that you can’t always verify who is giving you advice in these spaces.
During my most recent round of querying, I had eight referrals, and half of those did NOT offer rep. Again, a referral does not guarantee anything other than an agent’s eyeballs looking over your pages. The agent still has to love the story enough—and the prospect of working with you—to actually offer.
This is also a good time to review your agreement thoroughly so you know what the agent retains versus what can move to your new agent. For example, most agreements allow the agent to conclude any outstanding business over a 30-90 day period. This means that if they’re in the process of selling foreign rights, they can finish this up and be the agent of record for the sale. After the period lapses, your new agent can then take over subrights for your backlist. Some agencies retain subrights for longer periods though, so again, check carefully and ask your agent for any clarification necessary when you end that relationship.
On this same note, don’t bad mouth the previous agent publicly either. Talking sh*t almost never comes across well.
Thanks for this, Erin!
I’m in a different position because my debut novel comes out next month, but I don’t have an agent. (In Australia you can often get a publishing contract without an agent). I’ve been thinking more and more about querying my next book because I would like an agent.