Wise Advice
by Andrea King Collier, Sam Greengard, Florence Isaacs and Minda Zetlin

I have a project that my agent could not sell. I'd like to get a new agent, but I've heard agents hate projects that have made the rounds. I've revamped the book proposal and have renamed it as well. I also have blurbs by respected authors. How much do I need to tell a future agent about the project's history?

Sam Greengard

I would be truthful and explain that you've completely revamped the proposal and that you feel it's now ready for prime time. The problem with a "no ask, no tell" policy, which might be tempting to pursue, is that some publishers have already seen the proposal and if the agent doesn't set things straight and explain the situation, the publishers may summarily dismiss it. What's more, you don't want your agent to feel as though you have deceived him or her in any way. Once your agent loses confidence and trust, it's all over.

A lot of times in life and in work, how we choose to spin things has a lot to do with how people perceive them. If you take a timid approach and lack confidence, your odds of success are greatly diminished. If you act like you belong at the party, you're likely to gain entry. So, be clear that you have amped up the proposal and stand behind it. In addition, if the agent is willing to take you on as a client and knows the history of the project, he or she can also spin things in a positive direction and further increase your odds of success.

Florence Isaacs

It's true that some (perhaps many) agents don't want to be bothered with book proposals that have already been shopped around by someone else. Yet I believe it is essential to tell the whole truth. That's not only ethical, it assures your omission doesn't come back to haunt you. What if your proposal is sent to an editor who saw your original proposal—and the editor tells your agent? The agent is likely to be very unhappy with you (rightfully so). Trust between you has been tarnished. The reality is, you do have a case. First, book editors today seem to play musical chairs as often as magazine editors do. Several editors who rejected your project may have been replaced by new editors who will see it for the first time. In addition, the market may have changed in your favor since your original proposal made the rounds. A news hook or sudden headline events can make yesterday's "ho-hum topic" a hot subject today. Maybe a crowded category has caught fire. At any rate, what have you got to lose? Contact a few agents and see what happens. All you need is one agent to see potential here. Offer to supply a list of editors who have already turned down the project, so the agent can decide whether or not to submit the new version for a second look.

Minda Zetlin

Be completely upfront with the new agent: tell him or her exactly who's reviewed the proposal so far and, if possible, what they said. Try to get this information from your current agent, if you don't already have it.

Pardon my tactlessness, but you're a fool if you do anything else. Here's why:

1. If you say nothing and the agent pitches the book to editors who say they've seen it before, the agent is likely to be peeved at you, and may even warn other agents off you (they talk to each other, just as we writers do). By the way, for that same reason, I also think you should notify your old agent before a new one starts pitching the project.

2. We tend to assume editors buy book ideas they like, but they really buy books they think will sell. It's likely that your new title and blurbs, and new focus (if you have one) makes your book a better sales prospect than it was before, and deserving of a second look. An agent who's informed about the book's history can come prepared to make this argument to editors.

Andrea King Collier

I had a similar situation. I think you have to be honest about the status of the project. Otherwise, it will come back to haunt you. Give your agent enough information to help him or her sell it. That agent needs to know that the project has made the rounds, before he or she decides where to send it. You never want your agent to hear, "I already rejected that project." The first thing is to have an opening conversation: an email or a call that says I am shopping for a new agent for a project that I am excited about and tells them a little about the project. After you get a response of interest, then explain that Agent X had it and wasn't able to sell it, and why. Also explain that you saw the issues and revamped the proposal. The fact that you revamped it and retitled it helps a lot. In my case, I was very clear about my project's history. I also said that I was willing to do whatever work this new agent thought should happen to make the proposal sing. Agents have different tastes and different passions for projects. Also some agents work with writers to refine a proposal for the market. Others don't do that. Agents are business partners of sorts. They invest their time, energies, and contacts in you and your work if they agree to take you on. You would not want your agent to hold back something major about how he or she does business, or would not like the agent to send projects out randomly. So in fairness, full disclosure is the rule of the day. Not only do you want to tell them that the project has a history, if the agent agrees to work with you, you want to share as much info as you have about where the project was sent and what the response was.

Andrea King Collier, Sam Greengard, Florence Isaacs, and Minda Zetlin are long-time ASJA members. Learn more about them in the members' directory at www.asja.org