This is part 9/11 in our series about How to Land a Literary Agent:
- Your Fishing Guide: What I Know About These Waters
- The Prey: What Exactly Is An Agent?
- The Why: Who Actually Needs an Agent?
- Dawn or Dusk: When to Start Fishing
- The Fish Finder: Locating Agents
- The Bait: Writing a Pitch
- Casting Your Line: Query Letters
- The Nibble: When an Agent Expresses Interest
- The Bite: Getting an Offer
- The Play: Interviewing Agents
- The Keeper: Final Decisions and Next Steps
Last time we talked about getting a nibble from an agent. But now let's imagine you’re sitting at your computer, staring at the email that just arrived in your inbox, and the words blur before coming back into focus: “…offer of representation...”
Is it true? Could it possibly be? Have you finally struck pay dirt?!
To be honest, probably not. More likely, you’ve had a stroke, or you’re in the midst of an erotic dream. But if the words are still there once you’ve controlled for those other options, it sounds like you have an offer from an agent.
(Note that there might be some intervening communication since you sent your manuscript. For example, the agent might have made other requests for information. But in this hypothetical situation, you now find yourself in front of a bonafide offer of representation.)
First and foremost: Good for you! My God, it’s no mean feat to hook the interest of an agent these days, and you’ve done it.
Relish that feeling. Raise a glass, or light up a doobie, or treat yourself to a chocolate chip cookie. Indulge in your congratulatory vice of choice.
Once you’ve caught your breath and metabolized your pleasure bomb, it’s time to get back to work.
The temptation is to hammer out an immediate reply along the lines of, “Omigod, yes, thank you, thank you, thank you!” But remember what we said before: this is a business dealing. If an agent is interested in you, it’s because she thinks she can, in one way or another, make money from your work. That’s great, because you’d like to make money, too. But you need to make sure your interests are aligned, and that you understand your options.
The very first thing to do is not to respond to the offer. That's right: resist the urge to write back instantly. Instead, immediately write any other agent who is currently considering your manuscript—or even your query letter. The gist of your message should be this:
I wanted to let you know that I have received an offer of representation from another agent. I haven’t made any decisions yet, and I’m still interested in working with you, so this is just a heads up. I’d still love to hear from you if you find my work of interest.
The reason for writing this note is because it turns out—surprisingly—that agents are human beings. And human beings are motivated by what’s called the mediation of desire. Think about how auctions work: when the bidding begins, the room may be entirely quiet. Finally one or two people make an offer, and everyone else starts thinking, Hey, that piece of junk must actually be worth something! Then the bids start flying. In short, you become more desirable simply because someone else wants you. Letting one agent know that another agent wants you is a sure-fire way to grab their attention.
This has happened to me both times I’ve gone through the agent search: When I’ve alerted the other fish in the pond that I have a bite, more fish start biting. I’ve had as many as four competing offers at a time.
Next up, do a bit of research on the person who made the offer. You probably did this at the time of the agent search, but it never hurts to look again. Are they part of an agency? Study their website. Are they an independent? Look at what other authors they represent. And study the letter carefully. Any agent worth her salt works on commission: they make money if you make money. But if someone asks for fees up front, that’s akin to a scam. Your answer is no.
But let’s assume that all is fair and square. You want to maximize your chances of hearing from other agents (the ones you alerted about this offer), but you also need to learn more about the agent making an offer. You can square this circle by asking for a meeting (probably by phone or Zoom) to talk to the agent. This allows you to perform due diligence while waiting to hear from other contenders. (Try to schedule the meeting out at least a couple of days; you're a busy person, and you need time to think.)
The main goal of having a conversation with the agent is to make sure that he or she is a good fit for you. Of course, almost any agent is better than no agent, but that doesn’t mean they’re all created equal. And if your alert to other agents succeeds in bringing in another offer, you’ll need to make an actual choice, which means it’s good to know more about the individuals.
This is where you need to understand one radical change in our fishing metaphor. On the one hand, you have a fish on the line, and you really want to reel it in. But on the other hand, it's you who are the fish on the line—and the agent is trying to land you. It has become a reciprocal-fishing situation. You are each playing each other. Remember in the movie Jaws when Roy Scheider and Richard Dreyfus realize that they're being stalked by the shark they thought they were hunting? That's kind of what's going on here—though with a lot less bloodshed.
Your job now is to see what you think of the person trying to land you as a client. For that you need to tug a bit on the line and see how they respond.
To see just how that works, read on!
Next Up: The Play: Interviewing Agents