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      Category : Agents

      • December 31, 2020

        Should You Sign with an Inexperienced Book Agent?

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        The Gatecrashers Podcast LogoYour dreams are coming true. You’ve found a book agent who wants to work with you! The only problem? He’s only been agenting for a few months. What do you do? Do you take a chance on a newbie agent? Or do you wait for someone more seasoned?

        In this week’s podcast episode, we discuss the pros and cons of working with a new agent as well as how to determine if the inexperienced agent will fizzle out or become an industry pro.

         

         

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      • November 2, 2020

        To Work or Not To Work With a Particular Agent

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        Thoughts on agents as the publishing industry continues to transform:

        Someone wrote to say, “I’ve been offered a contract on my novel. Since I don’t have an agent, should I seek one at this point? And if the agent accepts, should he or she still receive 15% of the deal, even if they didn’t market my book or secure the deal for me? Would it be better to have the agent simply review the contract for a fee?”

        There’s quite a debate about this issue. I suppose many agents would say, “Sure — call me!” They’d be happy to get 15% for a deal they’ve done no work on. But my advice would be to think long term. Is there an agent you like and trust — someone you want to work with in the long term? If so, call him or her. Talk about the situation. Explain that you’ve already got a deal. The agent may be willing to take less in order to work with you. They may review the contract for a fee. They may have some insight into your situation. But don’t sign with someone just because you think you need an agent and someone is willing to say yes. If, for example, you’ve got a $10,000 advance coming, make sure it’s worth the $1500 to have the agent assist with this contract. Sure, it may be worth it — if you’ve got a complex situation, or a novel that is going to be made into a movie, or a potential bestseller… those probably call for a good agent to get involved.

        That said, it doesn’t really seem fair to me to take the full commission for a book I didn’t sell, though not everyone in the industry agrees with me. You can always talk with a contract-review specialist, who will review your contract for a flat fee (usually somewhere in the $500-to-$1000 range). You can

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      • September 27, 2020

        How to Win Over an Agent

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        The Gatecrashers Podcast LogoYou can do what most people do. You can send queries and attend conferences and pitch agents face-to-face. You can put your projects in front of agents and walk away with a “yes” or “no” answer.

        Or you can get agents to like you, as a person.

        If an agent likes you, then they’re that much more likely to give you more of their time, more of their input. They’re more likely to sign you.

        Listen to the September 21 episode of Gatecrashers Podcast to learn how to win agents over.

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      • September 17, 2020

        Why Agents Don’t Always Respond

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        The Gatecrashers Podcast LogoYou send that query and then patiently wait for a response. And wait. And wait.

        Or maybe you meet an agent at a conference, hit it off, start emailing back and forth. And then they go dark. You just can’t get them to respond, let alone make a decision on your project.

        Why do agents go dark? Why do they ghost potential clients? Isn’t it in their best interest to respond? We tackle all these questions and more on this episode of The Gatecrashers Podcast.

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      • August 13, 2018

        We’re Proud to Announce ‘MacGregor & Luedeke’

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        We have a new logo and a new partnership!

        For the past ten years, we (Chip & Amanda) have worked as colleagues, serving authors and doing our part to make books happen. We are thrilled for this next chapter.

        As announced last week, MacGregor Literary will now be operating as MacGregor & Luedeke. Amanda has been made partner, further solidifying her role with the agency.

        Agenting continues to be our passion. The industry is constantly changing, but we continue to do business we’re proud of, representing authors and projects we believe in.

        To the future!

        Chip MacGregor & Amanda Luedeke

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      • April 30, 2017

        If you could ask any question of a literary agent…

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        I’ve been taking the month of April and asking readers to send in their specific questions of literary agent. So if you could have lunch with an agent, sit down face to face and talk, what would you ask? Here are some of the questions that have come in…

        Recently a publisher stated that he thinks an author ought to plow some of their advance back into marketing — which upset me, since it seems wrong-headed to expect authors to bear the financial burden of book promotion. Why pick on the weakest financial link in the chain? Am I hopelessly naive? Or is that the new normal?

        I saw that interview, and I’m of two minds. First, I agree that every author needs to throw himself or herself into their own book. Let’s face it, NOBODY has more at stake in a book than the author. Nobody knows the story better. Nobody has spent more time on it. Nobody is counting on the the success more than the author. So I understand a publisher trying to encourage an author to go “all in” on marketing. But second, I think it’s crazy for a publisher, who is hopeful for the book to do well but not completely tied to its success (because the publisher has other books to sell), to say, “The author ought to take his advance check and use that money to pay an outside publicist.” Um, maybe there are times where that’s exactly what needs to happen. But it comes across as out of touch and unrealistic, since most authors are trying to live on advances. I mean, I could just as easily say to a publisher, “If you want to be more successful, you need to reinvest your paycheck into training your people.” So no, this is not the new normal. I do think publishers are expecting more out of authors when it comes to marketing these

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      • April 23, 2017

        If you could sit down and have a cup of coffee with an agent…

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        Okay, so I’ve been asking people to send in questions — What is it you’ve always wanted to talk with a literary agent about? If you could sit down over coffee and just have a conversation, what would you ask? Here are some questions that came in…

        Do you recommend self-publishing with your authors?

        Absolutely. I think authors today have to think about doing a variety of projects through a number of venues. That could mean they are working with traditional publishers, non-traditional publishers, niche publishers, and self-publishing some projects. I’m a big supporter of what I consider the “hybrid” author.

        What are the challenges of agenting in today’s publishing climate?

        Well, agenting (like writing) has never been easy. You have to understand the market, have relationships with the editors, know what each house is looking for, keep current on things like trends and publishing contracts. Most importantly, in today’s market agents are called upon to be part of the marketing effort — something that we didn’t used to do much of. But in terms of the recent challenges, I would say advances are down, and slots are limited, making a debut for an author harder than ever. There are more books available, so it’s tougher to help an author get noticed. And there’s also been a bit of an anti-agent movement going on among the indie-publishing crowd, which I think is fueled by people who really do not understand the publishing business. I have faced that a bit over the past couple of years, and it’s been interesting — people who really don’t know the industry, but are absolutely certain they know that an agent is unnecessary. I’d be lying if I said that wasn’t a challenge we’re all facing today.

        I’ve heard you mention a couple times that you have some reservations about Amazon — can you explain to me in simple terms what the problem is?

        Sure.

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      • April 15, 2017

        Ask the Agent: What have you always wanted to ask?

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        I’m spending the month answering questions authors say they would ask if they could sit down and have a conversation with me. I’ll be doing this the entire month of April, and I’m trying to get to all the questions that get sent in.

        Can I query an agent if I’ve posted one or more chapters of my book online?

        It depends on the agent, but with MacGregor Literary (and with many other agencies) YES we would look at a book that has been posted online. That’s one of the things that has changed over the past couple of years.

        When an agent receives a standard commission, does it all stay with the agent or is it split with the agency?

        If the agent works for a medium-sized agency, then yes, that commission is going to be split. Part of it will be paid to the agent, and part will remain with the agency. If the agent works for a large agency where he or she is paid a salary, the commission goes to the agency, but a bonus will probably be paid at the end of the year, depending on the size of the deal. Of course, at a small agency, the agent is probably keeping the bulk of the commission.

        How might I find the most appropriate agents to query? The usual advice seems to be to read agent blogs and websites, read the Guide to Literary Agents, and comb the acknowledgements in books by comparable writers. I’ve done a good deal of that. The problem: By vocation I’m an academic. I write non-fiction for a non-academic readership. Most people in my line of work write for other scholars and don’t have agents, and I haven’t been finding people like me on agency lists of authors — though my search has not been exhaustive. Like most of my colleagues, I sold my first book without an agent. Now

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