Why Do Agents Have 30- or 60-Day Cancel Clauses?
I’ve always wondered the answer to this question, and it was answered over the weekend by an agent at the Writer’s Digest Conference: The Business of Getting Published. What I’m…
I've always wondered the answer to this question, and it was answered over the weekend by an agent at the Writer's Digest Conference: The Business of Getting Published. What I'm talking about are cancellation clauses in agent contracts - meaning, if you want to end the relationship, they ask for one last stretch of time before the separation is official (usually 30 or 60 days).
So, my question was: Why? Let's say a writer calls up and says "I hate you. Let's end this thing, jerk. Commence Operation: Agent Splitsville." Why wouldn't an agent immediately respond, "YOU'RE the jerk, jerk-face! And, by the way, your comb-over is HORRIBLE," and sever their relationship right there?
Well, here's why: The agent may have work out to publishers! So simple. They don't want to submit your manuscript to editors and then have you cancel right in the middle of a deal. If the work is out to considering editors, agents want to chance to close the deal and get some moolah out of all the work they've invested thus far.
Chuck Sambuchino is a former editor with the Writer's Digest writing community and author of several books, including How to Survive a Garden Gnome Attack and Create Your Writer Platform.
