Yesterday I wrote a defense of agents who take the time to blog. But what do you think?
Would you want an agent who blogs? Does an agent blogging make you more or less inclined to work with them? If you had a choice between agents, would it matter in your decision?
There is a poll below, and you’ll need to click through to the post if you’re reading in a feed reader or via e-mail.
Joseph L. Selby says
In a growing digital profession, an agent savvy enough to utilize social media demonstrates that (s)he sees the evolving landscape and is capable of navigating this new environment.
Elaine Cunningham says
It depends upon the nature of the blog posts. If the posts are interesting and focus on the industry, then I consider blogging a plus. Some agents, however, post about personal minutia, which is usually a neutral factor. The agents who snark, imo, establish themselves as people to avoid.
Yvette says
If the blog is professional/polished, then absolutely. We talk so much about how authors need a "platform" -why not agents?
Krista V. says
I'm with Elaine and Yvette. In most cases, a blog is a bonus, but if the agent doesn't represent himself or herself professionally, it's probably doing more harm than good.
Samantha says
I think it's an excellent tool for writers to see the personality and style of the agent before contacting them. I'm in the process of compiling a list of agents to query and their web presence makes a big difference in helping me decide who might be a good fit.
Widow_Lady302 says
They can blog, tweet, digg, stumble on, or use smoke signals…it really doesn't bother me one way or another. As long as they aren't spewing Nazi propaganda why would I care what social media they are involved in?
Kate says
I would probably look for a blog before even contacting an agent. Blogs are like free personality samples.
charlotteotter says
My agent doesn't blog, which I, as a longterm blogger (nearly five years) find kind of odd. However, she is an expert in her field and sells manuscripts to publishers to make into books and that's all I care about. I'll blog and write and she can sell.
Tracey Neithercott says
It doesn't really matter to me, though I do like how blogs are a window into an agent's personality.
But I would never not pick an agent just because they blog. What they do in their free time, if legal, doesn't concern me. Besides, blogging agents help writers in SO many ways.
Chris Phillips says
This poll would be more scientificish pre-defense post.
Tchann says
To start with, I'm of the firm belief that if a company doesn't have an internet presence, it obviously doesn't want more attention or clientele.
But besides that, reading an agent's blog isn't just a repository of handy information, it's a window into that agent's preferences and opinion. I can see what they like to read, sometimes even how they read, and it gives me an idea as to whether that agent would like my writing or not.
Remus Shepherd says
I don't believe that the time spent blogging affects an agent's job performance in any way.
However, the status of being a blogger makes the competition for that agent's attention much harder. I expect that a blogging agent gets a lot more queries than an agent without a net presence.
In the end, I voted 'more likely', for the simple reason that if an agent blogs it gives me a chance to know them. If I'm better informed about what an agent likes and how their personality might work with mine, I'm more likely to send queries to them if I think they might be a match for my work.
Kiki says
My dream agent is Jim McCarthy from Dystel and Goderich because I like his blog posts and it gives me a good idea about his attitude and how he works and that makes me feel like he'd be a good choice for me. (If I had a choice to make obviously!) If you are working with an agent who doesn't blog you're kind of going in blind to a certain extent. I wouldn't be unhappy to get a different agent, but all things being equal if I had to choose between a blogging agent and a non blogging agent I'd choose the blogger.
B.E.T. says
I think more agents should blog! At least about the industry and their profession, not necessarily about what their cat Mr. Fluffers has been doing on the lawn. It helps people get a feel for what they like, if they're a pain to work with, if they're a good fit for their book. It's also a great way to get noticed by potential clients (not that they want their slush piles any higher). It really helps from an author's standpoint as well because if they read said blog, then they'll be less likely to query someone in a massive e-mail or with the generic 'Dear Agent'.
Tracy says
Personally, I'm not going to NOT sign with an agent because they don't have a blog. But, the names at the top of my "Dream Agent" list got there because I was able to get a feel for their overall personality through their blogs.
I'm not looking just to get a book out there, I want a career. I don't want an agent who can just sell my book, but someone who's personality can hang with mine through all the other stuff agents & writers have to do together behind the scenes.
Richard Gibson says
A blog is a way to "get to know" the blogger, be he or she an agent or anything else. It is a way for the agent to communicate widely, easily, and publicly, "on the record." It is a great way for us writers to become educated in the ways of the publishing world, well beyond the kinds of things we can find in books and more formal settings – the nitty-gritty nuances that really help! Being idealistic, I would hope that such information would make for better communication, better queries, even better writing. Yes, I'm also cynical and realize that may be a forlorn hope.
Stephanie Faris says
I voted that it wouldn't affect my decision. My agent blogs. I think many agents who are, at heart, writers have blogs. They love to write and this provides an outlet. But before I was agented, I did seem to notice the blogging agents more. How many extra queries do you get, for example, because of your extremely popular blog? Probably an insane amount more than non-blogging agents. Which means you have more to choose from…and you're more likely to discover that next big author from that selection. I can't imagine anyone who wouldn't work with an agent who blogs. I'll have to read through the comments to see others' logic on this one.
Rick Daley says
I have an agent who blogs occasionally, but her blog doesn't influence my opinion of her abilities as an agent.
I heard of her through another blogging agent (whose name rhymes with Mathan Cransford) so I'm in favor of blogging agents in general.
Sean says
What better way to figure out if an agent is right or not for you than by reading their blog. Plus, each blog is like a free class. I don't know how aspiring authors did it pre-Internet days! Unless I feel I would be a really good fit for them, I will skip sending an agent my query if they only accept snail-mail submissions. In this day and age, I'm searching for agents with a strong online presence.
Mira says
I would be very nervous placing my career in the hands of someone I don't know at all.
I've heard of several nightmare negative agent experiences and careers stalled or books lost because of them.
Trust is so basic to the relationship between writer and agent.
Blogs help me develop that trust. I don't want to say I'd never consider sending my work to an non-blogging agent – if I met someone at a conference, or read multiple articles or such – but I will say that I won't send my work to a total stranger.
Also, if I need to use social media to promote my book, it would be nice to have an agent who understood social media.
And I certainly wouldn't mind being represented by someone with a visible blog and a strong internet following.
So, it's not a deal breaker, but it's a strong positive factor if an agent blogs.
Ganz-1 says
I'm with Widow_Lady302 on this. I don't really mind that much if an agent doesn't have a blog as long as the agent does his/her job.
Emy Shin says
Personally, I'd be more likely to query a blogging agent, if purely because I am more aware of his/her name. However, if I had two offers, one from a non-blogging and one from a blogging agent, I don't think blogging would affect my decision either way.
Rachel @ MWF Seeking BFF says
I'm not going to specifically work with an agent BECAUSE she blogs–a good agent is a good agent-but man do I wish mine did. I'm constantly wondering what she's thinking or how she works, and I'd love the peek into her process!
B. A. Binns says
My agent does not blog, I don't mind. If she had, I would have read it before signing, but I don't think that would have made any difference. I like reading blogs by agents and hope it gives me some real information into what they think and what is happening in the publishing industry. The blog, or not, doesn't effect my opinion about anyone's professionalism.
Jenny says
I think that blogging is a great way to stay in touch with your agent and to understand their thought process. At least for being 'on the same page,' as it were, blogging is a wonderful tool.
Conversely, I wonder if agents prefer that their clients blog? On one hand it's a marketing tool and can help build an audience. On the other hand, blogging can show just how crazy a person is. 😉
Michael W Lucas says
I would work with any professional, selling agent who would take me as a client.
I suspect that blogging agents receive more queries, however, which increases competition for their time and attention.
Melissa Alexander says
When I read someone's blog, I begin to feel like I have a rapport with that person. I *like* the person — even though I've never so much as heard their voice, much less held a conversation.
The blog also gives me a sense that the person is an expert, and who doesn't want an expert agent? This must be a Somebody, because this person is a voice for the industry!
The potential negatives of blogging — that the person is neglecting job or clients — doesn't even occur to me. I can do some social networking and still be an ace at my job; I don't see why agents can't do that!
Josin L. McQuein says
I query agents who blog and I query agents who don't. The blogs help get things done right for those of us who had no clue how to any thing but speak English, but if an agent didn't maintain a blog, it wouldn't be a negative to me.
Nathan Bransford says
I should also say that I have an agent who doesn't blog and it didn't affect my decision either way. And she's amazing.
Sommer Leigh says
As a long, long, long time blogger and someone who believes the internet is an important and evolving world, I'd be troubled if the agency as a whole wasn't online somewhere, in some capacity. I think I've been learning and using the internet for so long now that it feels incredibly isolationist and xenophobic to keep out of the digital limelight when so much of your business can happen there. I would want to work with someone who supports and "gets" how important being a part of the digital world is to me.
That being said, I'd love it if my agent blogged, but I'd be ok if they didn't. I would hope he or she will be a part of the digital landscape in some way though. Having an agent who is media savvy would be very important to me.
But blogging is a peculiar thing. You have to want to do it, not just because it is good exposure. I can sense someone who doesn't want to be blogging a mile away and there is no bigger turn off. So it's not a deal breaker, but I would be very, very uncomfortable if I knew more about social media than my agent.
TiffanyD says
I don't enjoy keeping up a blog, so I wouldn't require my agent to enjoy it. However, I do find it mandatory that the agent has an internet presence (even just bio, etc, on some professional websites) and will accept email, etc. I mean, I'm just a teacher and I have an internet presence.
Plus, I am really turned off by poorly kept/written/formatted agency websites.
The Red Angel says
I definitely wouldn't be less likely to work with an agent who blogs, as agents who don't blog can be just as capable and wonderful as ones who do.
On the other hand, I do think blogging is a great tool for communication, social networking, and the sharing of opinions. If the blog is a professional tool, then it would only increase my chances of signing on with that agent. It's a major positive factor for me.
~TRA
https://xtheredangelx.blogspot.com
tamarapaulin says
There's a huge difference between blogging once a week or month versus blogging daily and responding to comments all day long.
I don't think I'd be keen to sign with someone who blogs full-time. Wait. No. Scratch that. Beggars can't be choosers!
Gryvon says
I'm more interested in agents who blog, or at least agents who blog well, because a) it gives better insight into the agent so I've got a heads up of what I'd be getting into if I magically landed said agent and b) if their blog has a good following, then there's a likelihood that they'll use that following to promote my book, so it's like you're getting a mini-market to go with the agent.
Kristi Helvig says
I love reading agent blogs, and blogs give you a great sense of the agent's style. However, there are some amazing agents who don't blog, and they're definitely on my query list too.
Kevin says
Personally, I think it's natural to view literary agents as being a bit above and beyond the level of the writer. To read an agent's blog is to understand the agent more as a person, and less of an aloof demigod, and it also helps the writer, I think, become more able to put him/herself in the agent's shoes.
So I like it.
Anonymous says
Wouldn't affect me one way or the other.
And, we're forgetting one thing with all this agent blogging business.
Blogging is supposed to be fun. That's why personal blogs were invented. Some bloggers are better than others, of course, and I think that a lot of negative comments about successful bloggers, in general, are born out of jealousy by people who don't get what blogging is all about.
Matthew Rush says
I stand by my comment from yesterday. I would much rather work with someone I could get to know, at least a little, beforehand. How else are you supposed to learn anything about what kind of person an agent is?
Lindsey Lane says
Agents who blog and blog well is a plus but not a necessity. If they blog, it's nice because we can check out their thinking and see if our personalities might mesh. But, really, that they blog or not is not a deal breaker for me. That they have relationships with editors and get our books sold is a teensy bit more important than having a blog.
Matthew Rush says
That being said, if I query you, and you give me revision notes that make it clear that you get my vision for my story, and after some research you are fully legitimate, I'm certainly not going to not work with someone just because they don't blog.
Josephine Cameron says
The only reason a blog would turn me off from an agent would be if the content/style/personality proved that the agent wasn't a good fit for me.
Carla says
HI Nathan, I am all for agents doing as much as they can so I voted number 1.. Carla
Robena Grant says
My answer: it depends. ; )
If I'm looking for an agent I want a professional relationship because this person won't be my best friend, or even someone I socialize with on a regular basis. While, I imagine, personality would matter in how effectively we communicated, and understood each other, that communication for me would always be on a businesslike level. (Kind of like how I view my accountant who I see once a year, and my lawyer who I might see once in five years.)
I don't care what an agent eats for lunch, how many kids they have, or dogs, where they vacation, or how they get along with their spouse. I might care about those things over time. But initially…nope, and I'd hope that the agent felt the same way about me and my life.
On the other hand I do like agent blogs that give updates on what is happening in the publishing world, tips on writing, querying, etc. and give brief insights into the agent's personality.
gordonzola.net says
I have an agent who would never blog and I love her. If I ever had to find a different agent, having a blog would be way down the list of things I would care about, just above "Right or left-handed?"
This is such a non-issue.
marilynn says
I like the idea of an agent being attuned to the new world, but some of them are tweeting so often I wonder how they get any work done.
Jason Black says
The answer I was looking for wasn't in the poll: I would be encouraged by the fact that an agent blogs–this shows that they are staying in touch with modern realities–but that alone would not be a deciding factor. Rather, I would then carefully read the agent's blog to see if they're blogging _well_. If they get what blogging is for, how it can best function in service of their business (and by extension, me as their client).
Anonymous says
I chose the first, but, let's face it, if an agent wants me and they don't blog, it wouldn't turn me off.
The thing about an agent blogging, is that they can be (like you, Nathan) a resource to writers that helps us. For that, we feel connected and appreciative and we grow as writers,even if he/she doesn't rep us.
On the other side, there are some agents whose online presence has definitely steered many writers away, such as The Smug Ones who put us down.
(There was one I admired so much, but who continued to ridicule writers and I lost respect. That particular agent recently quit blogging.)
Some of the sharks blogging in the water have very big teeth and I hate bleeding, so I stay away from them.
Vee Worthy says
I was surprised to find some writers had negative feelings about an agent who blogged. I had never considered it an issue.
Anonymous says
This thread has opened my insight as to why blogging might be a good idea for a *positive* agent (who is comfortable blogging). It seems a strong platform might alert publishers to this agent too.
But one of the things a #negative# blogging agent is going to do is not just lose potential queries (laughing all the way because they don't "want dumb writers! Bwahahhaha…") but they will lose audience draw at writing conferences too.
Mystery Robin says
Totally depends on the blog – I love getting to know an agent via blog/twitter/what have you. But, sometimes I read the blog and think "Oh my, we wouldn't get along" and that's good information to have. 😉
**note, I'm not typically basing that on "professionalism" but more on just the personality coming through.