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Questions to Ask Literary Agents
Suggested questions to ask
agents when offered representation
The
following is a list—prepared by the Association of Author’s
Representatives, Inc.—of suggested topics for authors to discuss with
literary agents with whom they are entering into a professional
relationship.
1. Is your agency a sole proprietorship? A partnership? A
corporation?
2. Are you a member of the Association of Authors’
Representatives?
3. How long have you been in business as an agent?
4. How many people does your agency employ?
5. Of the total number of employees, how many are agents, as opposed
to clerical workers?
6. Do you have specialists at your agency who handle movie and
television rights? Foreign rights? Do you have sub-agents or
corresponding agents overseas and in Hollywood?
7. Do you represent other authors in my area of interest?
8. Who in your agency will actually be handling my work? Will the
other staff members be familiar with my work and the status of my
business at your agency? Will you oversee or at least keep me apprized of
the work that your agency is doing on my behalf?
9. Do you issue an agent-author contract? May I review a specimen
copy? And my I review the language of the agency clause that appears in
contracts you negotiate for your clients?
10. What is your approach to providing editorial input and career
guidance for your clients or for me specifically?
11. How do you keep your clients informed of your activities on
their behalf? Do you regularly send them copies of publishers’ rejection
letters? Do you provide them with submission lists and rejection letters
on request? Do you regularly, or upon request, send out updated activity
reports?
12. Do you consult with your clients on any and all offers?
13. Some agencies sign subsidiary contracts on behalf of their
clients to expedite processing. Do you?
14. What are your commissions for: 1) basic sales to U.S.
publishers; 2) sales of movie and television rights; 3) audio and
multimedia rights; 4) British and foreign translation rights?
15. What are your procedures and time-frames for processing and
disbursing client funds? Do you keep different bank accounts separating
author funds from agency revenue?
16. What are your policies about charging clients for expenses
incurred by your agency? Will you list such expenses for me? Do you
advance money for such expenses? Do you consult with your clients before
advancing certain expenditures? Is there a ceiling on such expenses above
which you feel you must consult with your clients?
17. How do you handle legal, accounting, public relations or
similar professional services that fall outside the normal range of a
literary agency’s function?
18. Do you issue 1099 tax forms at the end of each year? Do you
also furnish clients upon request with a detailed account of their
financial activity, such as gross income, commissions and other deductions,
and net income, for the past year?
19. In the event of your death or disability, or the death or
disability of the principal person running the agency, what provisions
exist for continuing operation of my account, for the processing of money
due to me, and for the handling of my books and editorial needs?
20. If we should part company, what is your policy about handling
any unsold subsidiary rights to my work that were reserved to me under
the original publishing contracts?
21. What are your expectations of me as your client?
22. Do you have a list of Do’s and Don’ts for your clients that
will enable me to help you do your job better?
Reprinted by permission of Association of Authors’
Representatives, Inc.
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