What Happens After You Sign With an Agent?
The grass might be greener, but the work isn’t easier.
I talk a lot about querying on this blog, but today I want to switch things up and discuss what to expect after you sign with an agent. What happens once you’ve made it out of the querying trenches? What does life look like on the other side, after the ink has dried on your representation agreement?
Edits
I hate to break it to you: The work doesn’t end once you have representation. If anything, it ramps up. After you sign with an agent, you’ll do even more work on your project, collaborating with your agent to get your book in its best possible shape. That starts with editorial work.
You and your agent have likely discussed your visions for your book when you were offered representation. Now, you get to work together to bring that vision to life. Expect multiple rounds of edits with your agent! I’ve never signed a client without doing at least one round of edits, and often it’s two or three rounds before we go out on submission. This is true for all my clients, regardless of genre.
How quickly you move through the editing stage depends on how long it takes both you and your agent to turn around edits. Some authors have day jobs, children, and other commitments— as do some agents. Some of my clients take six months to turn over edits. Others take two months, and some just a few weeks.
Make sure to discuss timelines with your agent and set clear expectations on both sides. It’s best to set realistic timelines than to rush and put out a project that isn’t quite ready.
Submission
Once edits are finished, your agent will send your work out into the world. You and your agent should have also already agreed on a game plan for the submission strategy: whether you’re going wide or submitting in rounds, and how that will work. You two will have also decided on how often you’ll check in with each other during the submission process and how the agent will handle sharing bad news.
Once your book is submitted, sit back—this part takes time. Editors are swamped, and the submission process can last anywhere from a month to a year. This is a great time to start working on your next book.
Book deal
If an editor is interested in your book, your agent will start setting up calls for you. If you receive an offer—or multiple offers—this is when your agent gets to work on their bread and butter: negotiating your book deal and getting you the best terms.
Finalizing the contract can take ages. This is (unfortunately) normal. I’ve seen contracts take over six months to finalize. Be prepared for the slog. It doesn’t mean your agent isn’t doing their job!
Once you have a book deal secured, you’ll begin to work on edits with your editor at the publishing house and the publishing process will start to pick up. Your agent will be by your side, following up with the publisher and ensuring your interests are represented and that everything that needs to be done is actually getting done, from editorial to cover design to publicity and marketing, and anything in between.
Sometimes, unfortunately, there is no book deal. And this is more common than you think. Not everything book sells, despite an agent’s best efforts. Having an agent doesn’t guarantee that your book will sell. I wish it did, because then my job would be so much easier!!
It’s sad, and heartbreaking— for both you and the agent— but it happens. But if you’re with the right agent, you know this isn’t a cause for concern because your agent still believes in you and wants to see your next project succeed. This is why we say we want to work with writers long-term!
Next book— and strategizing
Some agents like to be involved from the ideation stage, before any words are on the page (I’m one of those agents!). Others prefer to step in once you have a more solid idea for your next project.
Agents are there to help you with your long-term career strategy. That includes many considerations: your option clause, your readership, your author brand, and more. Is switching genres the right move for you? How can you leverage your book for a speaking career? If your first book didn’t sell but your second did, is there room to return to that first book?
Your agent should be your partner in your publishing journey. You might work with different imprints, editors, publicists, etc, but your agent is your constant advocate throughout your career.
Rinse and repeat— hopefully for a long, successful career!
Of course, I’ve simplified a lot of the specifics of what can happen in these steps. But I hope that this post illustrates what you should expect from your agent-author relationship. Signing with an agent is a major milestone, but it’s just the beginning of a new chapter in your writing journey. The process ahead requires patience, collaboration, and persistence. But every step along the way gets you closer to your goal of having a long-term successful publishing career!
