So last week we had the fabulous Joshua Graham here, who shared how he worked with a traditional publisher without a literary agent representing him. This week I’m pleased to share a conversation I had with a Facebook friend and fellow author Les Edgerton.

I “met” Les through Vincent Zandri, a noir author, friend, and client. Les and Vincent are like modern Hemmingways. I use that description in that they are two good ole boys who like a good beer, good literature, and a good watering hole. Their writing is often dark but poignant and never apologetic. Take Les’ release The Bitch. I mean the title certainly isn’t apologizing.

So I’m sure you are wondering how did a sassy southern belle that writes sweet romance end up running in the same virtual circles as these guys? Well it wasn’t because we’ve all been in jail. Although two of us have spent some time there. Truly it comes down to the fact we don’t sugar coat it. This industry is too competitive, volatile, and dynamic to where rose colored glasses. When I met Les I knew that I could ask him my questions and I’d get the real, uncensored, truth of his experience. And that’s what I bring you today.

Bri~Les, so a few weeks ago Chip MacGregor was on and we found out he was your agent. Chip isn’t taking unsolicited queries. How did you end up working with him?

Les~

Okay. Well, actually Chip kind of approached me. I’d just fired an agent–no problem with her as a person. I just found out she was too new as an agent to have the right kind of editor contacts. What I mean by that is that she hadn’t yet risen to a position with publishers where she could approach many true decision-makers. She could gain entry into publishing houses, but not at the top level, and that doesn’t do a writer a lot of good. Gets you a step above the slush pile but not much more than that.

I liken the situation to that of a car salesmen, when I’m talking about agents to my students. For instance, have you ever sat in a dealership with a salesman and you make a counteroffer and he says, “Well, I don’t know. I’ve got to run that (offer) by my boss.” Well, I’ve been around the block too many times to deal with a huckster like that. When they say something like that, I just stand up and say, “Well, then why don’t you introduce me to your boss? It’s obvious you don’t have the power to make a decision, so to save my time, I’d like to deal with the guy who can.” Usually, at that point, they begin to stammer and belt out something like, “Uh, well, maybe I can okay your offer,” but it’s too late. I’m done dealing with that guy. And, often they really can’t make a decision without taking it higher up. And, that’s how a lot of agents are.

They don’t have the respect yet of the senior editors who can buy a book without consulting a higher-up. That kind of agent may work for a writer who hasn’t yet written an acclaimed book or one whose books are reviewed in the Poughkeepsie Times-Union, but not the New York Times, but if a writer has the reputation of being a good writer, he’s spinning his wheels with such an agent. They may or may not be able to secure a deal for him, but usually it takes a good long while. Or, if an agent has good entre among most publishers, but perhaps not in the genre you’re writing, he’s not going to be a world-beater for you, either. So, I’ve always looked for an agent who’s a top agent and the guy who can pick up the phone and get Charlie Spicer on the other end and Charlie will say immediately, “Yeah, send over Edgerton’s book and I’ll take a look.” Lots of writers would be surprised who has that kind of respect in the industry… and who doesn’t. Often, the agent they glom onto works for a powerful agency… but they’re not powerful. They’re a junior agent and even though they’re with a great agency, still don’t have the clout the top guys do. They can’t pick up the phone and talk to Charlie. They can pick up the phone and talk to the junior editor–who works for Charlie… and if this guy likes it, he has to take it to Charlie to make the sale. Life’s too short…

And, that was how I ended up with the agent I fired… When I approached her, she was with a top agency, but right after my query was sent out she left the big agency and struck out on her own. Foolishly, I believed she had the same level of editorial contacts her former boss had and, as it turned out… she didn’t. Live and learn…

Anyway, that’s all to leading up to answer your question. I don’t remember now how it came about, but Chip and I were talking or emailing or whatever and I knew who he was and that his agency was a great one, but I was under the impression he only repped Christian writers. Which I ain’t… by a long shot. I asked him who’d he recommend for me and he surprised me by saying, “Why don’t you approach me?” I explained that I was under the impression that he only repped people with fish decals on their cars and he let me know that he had a much wider net than that. I learned that not only was his agency the single top agency in faith-based books, they were also tops in secular books as well. We talked some more and it was clear he wasn’t messing around with lower-tier editors and we hit it off with great chemistry., so we hooked up. I’ve since sent him a number of my writer friends, whom he’s taken on. I think you know Vince Zandri, right? Vince asked me for an intro to him as he was going through the same thing I was–temporarily without an agent–so I recommended him to Chip and he took him on. Few others. I’m very careful who I recommend–it’s my own reputation that’s on the line if I send him a dud! I teach a lot of writers and coach privately a lot of other writers and I only recommend to Chip those who I feel have either the market for their books or superior writing talent–in rare instances, it’s both and that’s super when that happens! But, of the two, I’m more apt to recommend those whose books are brilliant or have the promise to eventually deliver a great book.

I’ve had both good and bad agents–actually, when I recommended Vince to Chip, I was just returning a favor Vince had done for me years ago, when he recommended me to his agent, Jimmy Vines. Jimmy was probably the hottest agent in the business in those days–whenever I see that movie with Tom Cruise where he says, “Show me the money,” I suspect they modeled the character after Jimmy. But, that’s another story that doesn’t have a Hollywood ending…

I’ve been with some of the “big names” in the industry, including agencies like Don Maass, Peter Rubie and guys like that. Don was (and is) a great guy and a super agent, but it wasn’t a good fit for me at the time. A couple of years ago, just before Chip and I partnered up, I was the co-guest speaker/presenter with him at a 10-day writer’s conference in Kentucky and Don talked to me over some drinks and asked me why I didn’t approach him as he knew I was looking for a new agent. I looked at him and laughed and said, “Don, your business plan for me would be to create a ‘brand’ for me, right?”Meaning, he’d want me to write strictly in one genre and preferably establish a brandable series character like Lee Child’s Jack Reacher. “Well, yes,” he said, grinning. “That’s how the money’s made.” I agreed with him but said I  had too many different things I like to write and don’t want to become a brand-type of writer. I confessed I knew that was the “smart” way to go and a smart marketing ploy, but I just wasn’t willing to do it. There are more important things than money. Writing isn’t just my job, it’s my avocation and I don’t want to ever get all caught up in just making money. I want to write what I want to write. Don totally agreed with me and we’ve remained friends and I hope we both respect the other. He’s a wonderful guy and one of the top agents in the world, but I just don’t ever want to be a “brand.” And, I talked to Chip about that, and I imagine that as a smart guy and agent he’d rather I attempt to establish a brand, but Chip also understands the writer’s mind and heart and he’s fine with me being a fart in a skillet. I love the guy!

Just before I hooked up with Chip, I got a phone call from uber-agent Janet Reid, who told me her best friend (another agent with different agency) and who had been my agent when I was with the Maass Agency, kept talking to Janet about a book of mine she hadn’t yet developed the chops to sell for me at the time and had always felt bad as she thought it was a great book and she’d let me down but thought it was right up Janet’s alley, so Janet asked if I’d send it to her. Turned out she did like it–a lot–and asked me if I’d meet with her at the upcoming Bouchercon. I did and we had a great meeting and all, but in the end she wanted me to make some changes to it that I disagreed with and shortly after that, I was still considering continuing our discussion and maybe iron it out, when I started talking to Chip, and it just felt right to go with him. And, I’m totally ecstatic that I did. A harder-working, more tireless, more talented agent doesn’t exist! He’s simply the real deal.

Oh, yeah–the book Janet liked was THE BITCH which just came out. And, I did change it and oddly enough, kind of along the lines of what she wanted…

Guess this is probably a longer response than you expected, right, Bri! My bad… As the famous writer said a long time ago (forget who it was) when he replied to a fan, “I’m sorry this letter is so long, but I didn’t have time to write short.”

As I said in my response before your response was perfect. Forthright and an experience I could certainly learn from. Thank you so much Les for allowing me to share this one Belle Consulting. If I know Les to be the gentleman he is he’ll hover around and answer any questions he can if anyone wants to share them in the comments.

And I can most definitely assure you he loves sassafras.

If you’d like to find out more about Les his blog is here. And I’ve included his book info on The Bitch which is available to Amazon.

The Bitch explores the dark choices that Jake, as a two-time offender faces to save both his life and his soul—life imprisonment if caught for the third time under the federal ha-bitch-ual criminal law—known to outlaws as “The Bitch.” Choices that may cost him everything and everyone he loves. What are the limits of loyalty? What is the spiritual process by which a savvy hair designer deteriorates into a mass murderer? A work in the cold existentialist tradition of Sartre and Camus, and the transgressive fiction of Celine, The Bitch struggles for answers and, on finding them, a way out.

Ya’ll be good.

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