How do I work with my agent after signing?
- The agent relationship is a long-term professional partnership.
- Clear, reasonable communication keeps it healthy.
- Agents handle submissions, deals, and career strategy.
- You stay informed and engaged without micromanaging.
- Aligning expectations early prevents friction later.
Work with your agent after signing as a professional partnership: communicate clearly and at reasonable intervals, trust their expertise on submissions and deals while staying informed, and align early on expectations — how often you will hear updates, their editorial involvement, and your career direction. Be responsive and professional, raise concerns directly rather than letting them fester, and respect that submission takes time. A strong agent relationship is collaborative, not a service transaction.
Chapter i·Why it matters
A good agent relationship can span a whole career, but it can also sour through mismatched expectations, poor communication, or micromanaging. Knowing how to be a good client — clear, responsive, trusting yet engaged — strengthens the partnership and the results it produces. Understanding what agents do (and the patience submission requires) keeps you from anxiety or friction. The relationship is a two-way professional collaboration, and tending it well pays off across every book.
Chapter ii·What to include
- Clear, reasonable communication.
- Trust in the agent's expertise.
- Staying informed without micromanaging.
- Early alignment on expectations.
- Direct handling of concerns.
- Patience with the submission timeline.
Chapter iii·Example
After signing, an author and her agent agree on monthly update check-ins and how editorial revisions will work. When submission stretches on, she trusts the process but asks for a status update professionally rather than anxiously emailing weekly. The clear expectations and respectful communication build a partnership that carries across several books.
WriteLoom keeps your submission status and correspondence organized, so working with your agent stays clear and professional.
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