Agent Appreciation (and alliteration)
A fellow Tenner approached some of us debut YA authors a few days back about Agent Appreciation Day, and because, by gum, I appreciate my agent to an insane degree, I want to take a minute and point out some of the more awesome stuff she does for me.
(My agent is Rachel Vater of Folio Literary Management, in case you all thought I made her up...)
This isn't one of those posts on why you need an agent (you do) or what agents should do for you, like negotiate contracts and get you higher advances. This is just me taking a moment to be glad my agent is who she is and does what she does.
Because...
-My agent talks me off the ledge. When I am being deeply neurotic and silly, she will be calm and rational, and offer a solution.
-My agent makes my books better. She gives me editorial notes and suggestions and lets me bounce ideas for new projects off her.
-My agent knows the market. She can tell me which projects are marketable and which I might want to hold off on or do "for the love" with unerring accuracy, ensuring neither of us waste our time.
-My agent is a badass. She's never not negotiated a more favorable contract and a higher advance for me on any book deal. She's willing to go to bat for her authors, chase down checks, and be ruthless with contract clauses.
-My agent gets me. She gets my sense of humor and what I try to do with my writing, and she gets where I'm coming from as a creative person.
Plus, she's a lot of fun to go for drinks with.
Originally published at Caitlin Kittredge.
(My agent is Rachel Vater of Folio Literary Management, in case you all thought I made her up...)
This isn't one of those posts on why you need an agent (you do) or what agents should do for you, like negotiate contracts and get you higher advances. This is just me taking a moment to be glad my agent is who she is and does what she does.
Because...
-My agent talks me off the ledge. When I am being deeply neurotic and silly, she will be calm and rational, and offer a solution.
-My agent makes my books better. She gives me editorial notes and suggestions and lets me bounce ideas for new projects off her.
-My agent knows the market. She can tell me which projects are marketable and which I might want to hold off on or do "for the love" with unerring accuracy, ensuring neither of us waste our time.
-My agent is a badass. She's never not negotiated a more favorable contract and a higher advance for me on any book deal. She's willing to go to bat for her authors, chase down checks, and be ruthless with contract clauses.
-My agent gets me. She gets my sense of humor and what I try to do with my writing, and she gets where I'm coming from as a creative person.
Plus, she's a lot of fun to go for drinks with.
Originally published at Caitlin Kittredge.