Unicorns Only: Why Your Agent and Their Agency Matters

You always dreamed of writing a book. Or, maybe you didn’t dream of writing a book, but the story found you anyway. You poured hours, days, weeks, years, and possibly—probably—tears into your work. You believed in your story so much that you’re ready to send it out into the world, hoping it would land with the perfect champion, the perfect agent.

(Why the Soundtrack to Your Book Could Make All the Difference.)

What does that mean though? What makes someone the perfect agent? When we have big dreams for our work, we have big names that coincide with that, but how do you find that mystical, magical, and ever elusive unicorn? Let’s talk about it.

Researching your potential agent and agency matters because this is who you’re choosing as your representation in the great wide world of publishing. This person will be your partner and proxy! Their actions, both past and present, can and will affect you in all different ways as an author. From sticking with you through feedback, to going to bat for you on cover concepts. Plus, who you choose to associate with is important because, even with all these books in the world, the publishing community is incredibly small.

So, where does one even start to research a potential literary agent? Well, the backs of your favorite books for starters. Who did that author you admire thank in the acknowledgments? Build a list of titles you love, comb through their “thank you list,” and use it to start building your own wishlist of potential champions. You can also check resources like Query Tracker, Manuscript Wishlist, and Publisher’s Marketplace.

Next, look up articles and podcasts the agents you are looking into have participated in. The amount of times someone has told me that they’ve listened to or read the content I’ve put out is astounding. Now, that doesn’t mean an agent has to be online for you to make sure they’re a fit, but if you want to know if you’ll mesh well, how that agent speaks about themselves and the publishing industry can be a great indicator. Read the bios on their websites, ask author friends (if you don’t have any I strongly suggest making author friends), and don’t forget to trust your instincts.

Finally, it’s not just your representative that matters, but also their agency. Something you won’t know, if you’ve never been to the High Line Literary offices, is that we have a sign that says Unicorns Only. No, that is not a plug for our agency, (though it could be), but it ties into why the agency matters. You’ll sometimes hear about authors signing with literary agents with less experience or almost no books under their proverbial belts, and that can be scary for new writers. But if an agent is more junior, that doesn’t have to be a negative. Just make sure that agent has been carefully mentored and is working closely alongside a veteran to usher your project into the world with both the gusto (and time) a newbie agent can bring and the experience of a seasoned pro.

I say this knowing how invaluable my own mentorship has been since I launched my publishing career. Not only was I able to surround myself with colleagues who have a plethora of knowledge in this industry, but they were also more than willing to share that knowledge with me. A competitive, gatekeeping (or even just silo-ed) agency where agents don’t share is, in my opinion, not as strong.

I never felt like I was doing all this alone in my office in Tennessee (and my colleague Victoria actually assured authors of this on offer calls)—I was always able to lean on the wisdom of the collective rather than seeking out all of the information on my own. This is a major advantage, not only for me as a literary agent, but to my clients as I sell their projects. That question of collegiality is one that I urge you to ask your potential agent when the time comes. In the same way that a supportive publisher can make or break your publishing experience, so too can your agent and their agency. You’re joining a team.

Side note about experience: If an agent reaches out to you and bills themselves as senior, but hasn't really sold any books that could be a red flag. How many books have you sold should be one of the first questions on your list. Also, if that agent is asking you for money or seems to make the majority of their living selling advice rather than books, I’d be cautious. This is another reason agency reputation matters—editors pay attention when they see an agency name they’ve worked with many times before (and enjoyed the experience), in a different light. They’re looking for an agency brand they trust for always sending high quality material.

Now that you have your list and are ready to query, get some further clarity on your criteria. For instance, are you looking for someone who is super editorial? Or, you might be partial to someone with lots of connections or experience. Their sales track in your genre might also come into play when you’re considering who you would trust with your work. Whatever the case may be, in a world where new agents and literary agencies are popping up all the time, if you want to find that perfect match, you’ll have to know what your priorities are and be ready to ask a lot of questions.

This article is about the empowerment of choosing an agent, not tips for landing anyone. Even if an agent seems like a clear get, all that glitters isn’t always gold. You might think, I keep seeing this agent everywhere! They have a great sales track. They have star-maker energy. Why wouldn’t I just call myself lucky and sign on the dotted line? Well, just because that agent seems sprinkled with fairy dust and bestsellers, doesn’t mean there isn’t a bevy of less happy clients who’ve been left in the literary dust. Everyone asks about sub rights, contracts, publicity, and advances but what about their tenacity? How do they pivot?

Once you’ve gotten to the point where an agent makes you an offer of representation, you’ll be in the thick of it. Good thing you’ve prepared! You no longer have to stalk social media like a teenage girl, you get to ask questions of not just your potential agent, but their clients as well!

One of my clients had a list of 32 questions she asked her potential agent and made a pro-and-con list before eventually choosing me. You don’t have to be that thorough, but the answers to all of those questions could help you figure out if this agent works hard for all their clients, not just the stars. Will they be the best fit for not just one project, but your future ones as well? These, and other questions about career arcs and communication can help you find that perfect advocate.

No, it’s not easy—big decisions never are. Finding your unicorn might feel daunting, but once you do, you’ll make publishing magic together, and at the end of the day, that’s what it's all about.