Agent, or “Schmagent”?
You’ve made an agent list, and you’re ready to query.
But how do you know that the agents you’re querying are any good? Even more important, how do you make sure they’re not the dreaded “schmagent” that you hear so much about?
A “schmagent” is a fake agent, one who’s going to take advantage of your and your work, and who won’t actually get you a good book deal (if any deal at all). Look out for these warning signs:
1) They’re a solo agent without any sales
Everyone starts somewhere. Every agent once had no sales, even the best of them, because that’s how people start out! But most reputable new agents have a few distinguishing characteristics - they’re at a reputable agency that can help them learn the ropes, they’re not overloading themselves with new clients, and they’ve had prior publishing industry experience (an internship, a role as an editor, an agency assistant, etc.) that helps them as they’re starting out.
If an “agent” is new to the game, isn’t at an agency, has no sales, and is taking on tons of new “clients,” beware - they likely don’t have the support they need to get their career off to a solid start.
2) They charge a reading fee
No reputable agent will ever charge you a “reading fee” - money in exchange for reading your query. This is predatory and professionally unacceptable. Never say yes to this.
3) They reach out to you
No reputable agent (in the fiction world) will ever cold email you or otherwise reach out to solicit your query. This (almost always) the hallmark of a scam. There have been a rash of agent impersonations lately - Victoria Strauss has chronicled these incidents on her twitter and also her must-read website Writer Beware. If someone reaches out to you for your query out of the blue (as in, you don’t have a mega-popular Wattpad or Ao3 story or self-published book and they’re reaching out about that), especially if they’re asking for money, be extremely careful.
4) They offer editing services and will accept projects they edit as queries
This is a sneaky back door to the “reading fee” - agents who offer editing services and then tell you to submit your edited work as a query to them.
Note: there are many fantastic, reputable agents who also serve as freelance editors. (Shoutout to my agent, who is one such amazing freelance editor!) But they should always make it clear to you that if you engage them for editing services on a project, they will not be able to consider that project for representation. This is the mark of an ethical industry professional.
5) They pressure you into signing quickly
No one should pressure you into signing a contract right away. If an agent makes you an offer, the industry standard is that they give you two weeks to let other agents know that you received an offer, and then give those agents time to read and decide if they want to make an offer themselves. This is crucial so that you get to entertain multiple offers! If an agent tells you they won’t give you this time (if you want it!), or pressures you to sign a contract right away, this is a huge red flag.
6) If in doubt, reach out
If you have doubts about a particular agent once you’ve received an offer from them, you have the right to ask to speak to their current clients as a reference—ideally ones who have sold a book with that agent. Good, reputable agents should be willing to offer this, because their clients will rave about them! If an agent is reluctant to connect you with references (or outright refuses) without a solid explanation as to why, this is a big red flag.