Now I've heard everything! A discussion on AgentQuest brought up writers who have gone after publishers themselves and landed interest enough to be offered a contract. They then contacted agents asking for representation to negotiate that contract. The ones contacted claimed no interest because their work had already been done. ????????
During my selling career in travel this would have been considered a freebie. Sure there is work involved but not the tough slogging sales pitching while competing with hundreds of others for the same prize.
Ya got any comment here?
I've turned down several people who've arrived with a contract in hand. I didn't like them, or I didn't like the project. Selling the book is what everyone focuses on when they talk about the importance of an agent, but if you're in sales, you know it's also important to "service the account". For agents that means making sure the author gets paid correctly, making sure the sub rights are being offered/sold/paid, making sure the book gets nominated for awards and prizes. And it means talking to the author. If I don't like someone you'd have to arrive with a contract worth so much money I could hire someone to talk to you. And I really don't want to be involved with a book I don't like because as soon as that book is listed as one of 'mine' I'm going to get a ton of queries for books like it.
If you're a good agent (and I am) there's no such thing as "just negotiating a contract". If that's all you want, you're MUCH better off with a contract review specialist not an agent.