How to Break Up With Your Literary Agent
By Mary Kole
Mary Kole is a former literary agent, freelance editor, writing teacher, author of Writing Irresistible Kidlit, and IP developer for major publishers, with over a decade in the publishing industry.
If you have literary representation, you probably don’t even want to think about how to break up with your literary agent. Why would you? You’ve reached the brass ring of getting an agent and you don’t want to be in the submission trenches again. But is a bad agent better than no agent? If you have a feeling that it’s time to make a change in representation, your intuition might be leading you in the right direction. If you want to know how to break up with your literary agent, read on.
Normalize Wondering How to Break Up With Your Literary Agent
There are writers out in the world who get to the point of wanting to end their connection with a literary agent, but nobody talks about it. If you’re in this boat, know that break-ups between agents and writers happen more often than some may think. Most writers want to form a long-term relationship with their agents. They fantasize about never having to look around again, but change happens, on both the writer side and the agent side. Writers choose to move on for many reasons, from not agreeing with their editorial agent’s writing notes to feeling unsatisfied with the agent’s handling of submissions. If you’re curious about how to break up with your literary agent, there’s probably a very valid reason—and it’s at least worth exploring, even if you don’t end up ending the relationship.
Sometimes, I speak with authors who are in an unhappy relationship with their literary agent and they are considering finding someone else. These whispered inquiries have found me at conferences as well as in queries. When things don't feel right, you need to either try to fix the situation or search for a new agent. I understand why some new writers can be intimidated by their agent, but it's important to remember that agents are people too and sometimes people—and personalities—just don't mesh. It's essential to make sure that there is a common understanding between you and your agent about your vision, and that the agent is open and responsive to questions. These are two main disconnects that might push you to wonder how to break up with your literary agent.
Considerations If You Want to Know How to Break Up With Your Literary Agent
Agents are just people after all, striving to make the best decisions for their clients and choosing clients that are a good fit, but at the end of the day they can make mistakes. I know I made some when I worked as a literary agent. Sometimes these mistakes are nothing more than a misunderstanding that can be resolved by talking it out.
But sometimes the error points out a disconnect. You realize that you maybe got the wrong literary agent and it's time to move on. What you might not realize is that this is actually a blessing, and will probably turn out for the better in the long run. (Besides, if you’re wondering how to break up with your literary agent, you already know there's trouble, even if you don’t want to admit it to yourself just yet.)
Don’t be afraid to ask your agent questions, express your concerns about their feedback or communication style (or whatever the issue is), or follow up when you don't get a response from them about an email, manuscript, or submission in a timely manner.
Agents have their own careers and many writers on their client lists. That means they are looking out for a lot of people, and sometimes, some clients get lost in the shuffle. You might feel that this is happening to you. Yours is the only career you need to worry about, after all. An old saying goes: "Nobody will ever care about your business more than you do". I believe that is true. But your goal is to find an agent who is a good advocate for your career, even as they juggle the needs of others. If that’s not the case, this article on how to break up with your literary agent might be relevant.
How to Break Up With Your Literary Agent
If you believe your current representative isn’t doing a proper job of helping your career, then it’s time to consider replacing your literary agent. Don't stay with an ineffective agent when there are so many other viable options. (New agents seem to hit the scene every week … whether or not they’re good remains to be seen.) You could see whether a new representative might be more sensitive to your work if you feel ignored or misunderstood.
Remember, agents are the ones with all the authority and influence, but they can’t make it happen without writers. It should be a mutually respectful relationship, which also means that you have a responsibility in how to break up with your literary agent. If you’re thinking of making this move, read carefully: it’s bad form to search for another agent while you’re still involved with your current one.
To do so is like looking for a new romantic interest while still attached. There’s a lot of anxiety about potentially losing your livelihood if you leave your literary agent, but if you move forward with how to break up with your literary agent, don’t query others or seek connections until you’ve communicated your decision. You should only start seeking a new literary agent after your relationship with your current one has been terminated.
Querying or courting other agents before officially ending things looks bad on you (agents will always wonder if you are going behind their backs if this is how a new relationship starts) and it can damage the reputation of the agent you approach (they may get labeled as a "poacher"). Your reputation in the publishing industry is valuable, so if it happens to get tarnished, you will have a harder time trying to make a living as a writer.
The Final Word on How to Break Up With Your Literary Agent
Before calling it quits with your literary agent, try talking it out first. Share your feelings without fear of being viewed as “high maintenance.” If you’re not feeling heard, be candid about what you need in order to feel supported.
Your agent might be unaware of the issues you’re facing and could step up their game to make things better. However, if they have also been feeling a disconnect, they may admit to the poor fit or make steps to repair things. If, for example, responsiveness is the main issue, your agent can either own up to their past behavior and strive for improvement … or the situation might remain the same. (Of course, there could be extenuating circumstances on the agent’s part, like illness or child-rearing, but at the end of the day, those are not your problems and you shouldn’t wait indefinitely.)
In my line of work, I frequently find myself answering questions about how to break up with your literary agent. My advice is: don’t send a query or terminate the relationship without first making sure that your interactions with your agent have been ethical and professional. But if things aren’t getting better, then you should make the move to go.
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