agent dilemna

[b] What would YOU do with an agent who tried to get your book to the mainstream publishers ...told you those publishers werent interested becuase you were a small fry and needed to get some recognition first....recognition you are getting...but this same agent hasnt contacted you in five months....doesnt know youve got the book self published and into some major bookstores and currently working with a major newspaper to have some national advertising done..
and is probably just waiting in the wings for you to write and say...hey ive got a contract...would you like to help me sort the details...
in such a case...would you still keep your agent even if it were you who did all the hard work?
would you really still need an agent in this case...and if so...would you go with the one who hadnt shown the least bit interest?
wouldnt you feel abit angry and resentful?
id really love some honest feedback here..

Hi Candy.

I'm currently looking for an agent for my new novel. But I won't take just anyone. They have to be recognised and have a solid background.

It sounds to me that your agents is sitting back and letting you do all the hard work.
I think there is lack of communication between the two of you. You need to talk to the agent, define the lines to what you expect. Tell him how much recognition you have as an author.

I think already having the book self-published may give you problems. Agents and publisher alike, want new material. You could pitch the published book, later, once you have another title published mainstream.


I have two book self-published, although I would love to get my novel re-published through a mainstream publisher, I'm currently submitting a new novel to agents and publishers.

Once I get an agent, I expect a lot of hard work, but still, it's the agents job to find a publisher for your title. If not, you need to rethink.... Maybe the book isn't original, maybe it's because it's already published.

If you have any more books under the table, I think it's time to dust them off.

That's as honest as I can be, Candy.

I wish you the best.

If that were me Candy I'd think I did not really have an agent in the one you have. Karina is right that it is the agent's job to find the publisher, although no matter what route we choose, we all have to become master marketers in order to promote our stuff, so good for you for moving ahead.

Good luck with it.

No agent, at least to my knowledge, wants to wait around while you develop a following. Every one that I've talked to or listened to is interested, or not, in the manuscript you present to them and has one question and one question only: can they sell it?

So it depends on what's on the page, not in who you are--unless you're a known celebrity.

I'd advise you to start sending those pesky queries.

Exactly.

And this. Self-publishing a book is not the way to an agent's heart.