15 Agents Looking for Romantasy, Romcoms, and Contemporary Romance
Where to Query This Week (12.04.24) | Plus what to ask an agent before signing
Welcome to Sub Club’s Where to Query This Week!
Okay, so you finally have an agent who is interested in your manuscript. So interested, in fact, that they ask to schedule The Call.
We all dream about this moment, especially if your querying journey has been a long one. And as much as we all want to sit there and listen to the agent tell us about how wonderful our book is—I mean, c’mon, praise is necessary at this stage, lol—there are often overlooked topics to discuss in this moment. The kinds of topics that could prove essential to a potential agent-writer relationship.
This week, I’m thrilled to welcome literary agent
to the column. Below, she shares what questions to ask during The Call and how to reflect on your own needs to ensure the relationship works for you. See her tips below!» » If you want to ask a question in our Query Hotline, fill out the form here with any questions you might have about querying—whether that’s around agents, indie presses, book contests, formatting, genres, or if you just need someone to tell you you’re doing just fine. (Submit your question here) « «
The Call: What to Ask an Agent Before Signing
There are many posts about what to ask an agent during The Call (when an agent is interested in representing you and you discuss the book, the edits, the submission plan, and your working style). But there’s one question in particular that’s helps avoid confusion and any potential miscommunication later down the line. I expect to be asked this question but often prompt myself in The Call: “How do you communicate with your authors?”
On the one hand, you’re asking explicitly about preference. Do they text, call, email, or some combination? More broadly, you’re asking about the actual style of communication, how frequently you’ll hear from your agent, and what you can expect around response time. From speaking with writers who have left their agents or who are unhappy in their relationship, communication is usually the biggest reason for their dissatisfaction. Oftentimes the author wants or expects one type of communication and is receiving another. While neither side is necessarily doing anything wrong, these mismatched expectations can cause larger problems.
To avoid this, ask the agent on The Call how they communicate with their authors, how frequently you can expect to hear from them, and how quickly they respond to edits and simple questions. This isn’t overstepping or being nosy: you are asking about how they work professionally with their clients while you’re deciding whether you’d like to be one of those clients! The agent should be able to answer these questions easily.
While you’re preparing for The Call, think about how you, as the author, would like to communicate with your agent. Knowing yourself, and what you want out of the experience of working with an agent—both personally and professionally—is incredibly helpful.
Do you want an agent who texts you?
Do you want an agent who is going to send professional emails only?
Do you want someone you can gab on the phone with? Or someone you don’t know well on a personal level but who is very serious and clear-eyed in their editorial notes and professional demeanor?
Think about this particularly as it relates to reassurance, autonomy, and collaboration.
Reassurance: Some writers want to be reassured and reaffirmed in their decisions and how the process is going. Others prefer honesty, hearing the hard truths without sugarcoating. Do you want someone who will say, “It’s going to be OK” and strategize with you? Or someone who will say, “This sucks” and vent with you before strategizing with you?
Autonomy and Collaboration: Many writers work on a full draft in their own bubble and then with their trusted first readers before sending their work to their agent. Others prefer a more collaborative editorial process, sending their work in bits and pieces for feedback as they go. Which do you prefer? In terms of communication, it’s worth seeing how often your potential agent is in touch with writers as they’re working away, and stating up front which style suits you best.
When discussing their plans for submitting your book, you can also ask how they communicate with their clients during the submission process—i.e., when and to which publishers.
At the end of the day, there isn’t a wrong way to communicate; there are just some communication styles that work for you and some that don’t. If you’re lucky enough to get to decide between a few agents (!), this should be a factor in your decision. On the other hand, if you only speak with one agent and their communication style feels like a real mismatch, it’s better to keep looking than sign with someone you’re not completely comfortable with.
Danielle Bukowski is a literary agent at Sterling Lord Literistic, representing award-winning, best-selling, critically acclaimed authors. She began her career in foreign rights and now represents novelists and select non-fiction writers. Her clients include Edgar Gomez, Bryan Washington, Nancy Johnson, Olivia Wolfgang-Smith, Tembe Denton-Hurst, Elizabeth Hand, Naomi Kritzer, and Nicholas Russell.
For more help with your query letters, check out an upcoming workshop with Write or Die! Starting on January 11, 2025, Query Letter Bootcamp with Haley Swanson will cover the nitty-gritty of how to best query an agent. You’ll take a close look at a few different types of query letters—nonfiction proposal, memoir, novel, and short story collection—before breaking them down into digestible (and replicable) sections. Leave this workshop confident to start querying agents in the new year!
Psst. Our Black Friday sale ends Dec. 8! Use code GIFT20 for 20% off this workshop.
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15 Agents Looking for Romcoms, Romantasy, and Contemporary Romance
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