The rest of that sentence is the usual, “So now I have it made in the shade! Yah-freakin’-hoo!”
It’s wonderful to sign with a very big agent because the assumption is that they’ll get you the mega-deal, and you’ll be asking your own beagle to peel you a grape and mix up batches of margaritas. But before you start shopping for private islands, keep in mind that not all clients are on equal footing. Some authors are signed because the work rocks and is brilliantly written. Agents see the work as needing minimal tweaking before they send it out for query.
There’s the other layer of client that is signed because, even though the writing needs work, the plot is over-the-top fabo. This is a tough position for the author because no one knows if they have the writing chops to do proper rewrites. I’ve had several agent friends tell me stories of this very scenario; huge plot, but challenged in the writing department. They work with the author for months; years even, in hopes that the writing will live up to the plot. Sometimes it works, other times it doesn’t.
I’ve seen lots of incredible plots that were, frankly, too big for the author because they didn’t have the writing chops to pull it off, and this is a variable agents always have in the back of their mind. I value agents who recognize a great plot and try their best to mentor their clients. It’s an invaluable education few get. But I always cringe a little bit when I see an author constantly singing from their personal mountain tops that they’ve signed with Hoo-Ha Agent.
Be excited by getting signed, for sure. But don’t belabor the point and beat it into the ground because you have a long way to go. The time to crow is when the works sells.
There is also the other side of the big hoo-ha agent. I’ve had a number of authors tell me they felt their agent spent more time on their big money authors. Well yes, this is logical because agents are in this business to make money, so they’re gonna attend to their cash cows. If it’s the difference between selling Tom Clancy and Mary Margarita, the agent is going with Tom. That doesn’t mean the agent won’t eventually get to Mary, but it may take a long time. Or . . . maybe never. Seen it happen. So what happens is the Marys end up leaving big hoo-ha agent in search of someone who will give them more face time.
The point of this post? Keep your head on straight. I’ve seen many an author get a swelled head over signing with hoo-ha agents, and I’ve seen authors whose egos got a good shellacking. I’m happy you were signed by the agent of your dreams, but it’s only the beginning, so keep your head about you. And good luck!
If you get no other book, and you want the inside scoop on what floats our boats, 
July 10, 2009 at 1:00 pm
Who wouldn’t want a fancy agent? However, on Neil Gaiman’s blog Teresa Nielsen Haydenover said, “If you’ve got an offer, you can get an agent. If you don’t have an offer, you don’t want the kind of agent you’re likely to get.”
That is what inspired me to approach publishers directly, but lately I feel like an ill-thought-out speed bump that’s hardly big enough to slow publishers down and command their attention.
What is writer to do?
July 10, 2009 at 2:39 pm
You’re right, Lissa; who wouldn’t want a fancy agent? I’m not in complete agreement with TNH’s statement because I’ve known many debut authors who signed with wonderful agents and got great deals. Plus the fact, I’m more likely to read the agent’s query than I am the author’s. I’m also more likely to read an “iffy” manuscript from an agent with whom I’ve worked than had the author contacted me directly.
On the other hand, if the story sounds great, has a good plot with rich characters, and is marketable, that’ll catch my attention every time.
lately I feel like an ill-thought-out speed bump that’s hardly big enough to slow publishers down and command their attention.
Good lord, that’s a brilliant statement. If you write like that, I’m surprised you haven’t gotten some face time. Of course, it all depends upon whom you are querying. Right now, the large houses are looking for the big moneymakers. Midlist authors have been mightily squeezed.
That’s why it’s so important to understand the full picture of what we’re looking for. It’s not just the writing, but the author platform, bio, blah, blah, blah. My Tackle Box book goes into great detail about these speed bump issues.