Articles > WHEN IT’S TIME TO SAY GOOD-BYE

If there are fifty ways to leave your lover, there are probably just as many ways for an agent and an author to part company. No one likes to burn bridges, so while there may be fifty ways to leave your agent, there are only a few that keep those bridges standing.

First, use some common sense. If you have signed something, read it carefully and work within the confines of that. Second, think about what kind of reaction you are likely to receive. If you haven’t written anything in years, if your books haven’t been selling, or if you never hear from your agent, you probably can depart quietly, and your notification is merely a formality. Write a simple letter or e-mail and send it by some preferred method so you can ensure it arrives. Technically, that is all you need to do. However, it is polite to add a few more lines as to why the split is happening.

It’s a different matter if your career is very current, and your agent has basically done a good job. In this case, while the simple letter is technically correct, it is often not enough--not if you intend to leave that proverbial bridge intact--especially if your agent has built your career, strongly believed in you, and you have been with him or her for years. If you have a good relationship but have concerns to the point where you want to leave, a conversation is in order. And you owe it to yourself to have this dialogue. There are two sides to every story, and it may be an eye-opener to hear the other side. You might even change your mind entirely. But even if you don’t, the confirmation of this will settle your mind and you will know you are doing the right thing. Moreover, it is pretty shabby to dump someone with a brief letter and then never talk to them, when you know that person cares about you and will be upset by your departure. You are probably going to run into that agent at some conference, and he or she will still be handling your backlist and possibly your money. You need to keep the lines of communication open.

Bear in mind that while the introduction of the topic of this conversation may be difficult, if the agent is smart, the rest of the conversation will not be difficult at all. They want to maintain a good relationship with you, and they know they can’t do that by making you uncomfortable or creating a scene. Agents have to be good on their feet, so use this occasion as an opportunity to see how your agent reacts to your news and how he or she handles it. You may learn things about this person you never knew before, because you were never before in a position to call upon this particular set of strengths and skills. For example, if you think your agent hasn’t been aggressive enough, this is a great chance to find out what brand of aggressive persuasive you may now get to see. It may be that your agent has been very aggressive with publishers, but not with you, because you have never been the target.

It is also possible that a very good agent has simply lost the vision for you and become stale. He or she may be stuck in a rut and can’t come up with any new ideas or solutions and doesn’t agree with what you want to do. For example, you may want to try another genre and the agent thinks you should stay where you are. This may be an honest difference of opinion and should be discussed, but if it’s important enough to you and you realize that you and your agent are in very different places, a natural parting of the ways may occur. Sometimes you need a fresh face and a new perspective.

Of course, if you don’t have a good relationship with your agent and are genuinely unhappy, you have every right to leave without jumping through hoops. A conversation may still take place, but if you have stated your concerns simply and directly, you have no more obligations and no more reason to stay involved.

If you really can’t bring yourself to engage in a conversation, then at least write a letter that is frank and detailed. Avoid meaningless phrases like “I want to make a fresh start”. Be prepared for an equally frank response.

Sometimes authors want to leave simply because they are bored, or tired. Be careful with this one. It’s easy to be dazzled and to think the grass is greener when you look elsewhere. And then you make the move, and you find that it may be different, but it isn’t really better. You read about a big deal, or your friends tell you about their agent’s latest exploits, and you think maybe your own agent is getting a little dull. Maybe he or she doesn’t have the clout or the energy or the vision that will propel you to the next level.

You may be right. Be prepared with a lot of questions and concerns, and if the answers are not satisfactory, don’t be afraid to say so. Sometimes your fears and doubts are exactly on target. There are some agents who don’t know as much as they should, who don’t fight hard enough for you, and who don’t follow through. If you have determined beyond reasonable doubt that your agent is one of those, you are quite right in ending the relationship. If you have communicated this, and the agent understands where you are coming from and has had a chance to respond, then the parting may be bittersweet, but it won’t be unprofessional and you will have nothing to regret.

Or you could be wrong. It’s possible that your current agent has the vision and clout you feel you’ve been missing, but hasn’t communicated it lately. Your current agent knows far more about you (or should) than anyone else, and is therefore better equipped to use all that information in a positive way. Detailed sales figures and sales patterns, velocity, specific feedback from the publisher, and any other useful tidbits add up to unique knowledge, and knowledge is powerful. If you leave all that behind, your new agent may not be able to acquire that knowledge and may never understand your backlist and your growth as well as you do. It’s also possible that you are doing a grass is greener routine with another agent who isn’t really as marvelous as you thought . It’s easy to be dazzled from afar, especially when you are at a crossroads or are feeling doubtful about your career.

But the fact is that most authors have more than one agent throughout their careers. Quite often the first agent is less than wonderful, and as the career starts to take off, the author realizes that she needs someone who is simply better at the job. There are exceptions, of course. Nora Roberts has had one agent from the beginning, and the two of them grew together and have enhanced each other immeasurably. There is dignity and grace in that kind of long-term mutual commitment. Nora’s loyalty and dedication to the long haul have contributed to her great success. There are also very successful authors who have changed agents several times. This tends to raise eyebrows, but while these authors are no less successful because of this behavior, I don’t believe that they are more successful because of it.

While it’s true that some agents have more clout, it is not true that clout comes from blustery behavior or big talk. It comes from smarts, knowledge, commitment, and passion. It also comes from nerve, which, as I said, is not something you may have had a chance to see up close. Agents with a lot of experience can have more clout, but not if you’re not important enough to them. If they have no real vision for you and merely want to cash in on your success, you are jumping onto a pretty cynical bandwagon. Brand new agents can have clout if they know their stuff, have a strong belief in you, and refuse to take no. It is also true that some agents are classier than others. That’s probably a matter of personal taste, but some agents who make big deals are not particularly respected. There is one notable case in which the publisher refused to deal with a prominent agent in a seven-figure deal because the agent’s behavior was so obnoxious.

So if you think you’re moving “up”, consider all the angles. Look backwards as well as forwards and feel good about your decision. Your agent is one of the most important players in your professional life. It’s a relationship you want to get right. There should be no sense of having settled for second best, of being ignored or taken for granted, or of struggling to get your agent’s full attention. You are entitled to the very best.