Why I Don't Have a Dream Agent

Admit it you have one, or did at one time. Yup, that's what I thought. As humans we all have our dreams, dream homes, dream jobs, and so on. It's good to dream. But what if your dream isn't in the cards? Yeah sure we can never predict if we may win the lottery and wind up actually living in our dream home. But, when it comes to "dream agents" writers tend to have this idea that it will happen. But we cannot predict what our dream agent will really think of our manuscript. Especially with as subjective as publishing really is. What one agents doesn't like, another may love. I even had my dream agent picked out at one time, yet I now question the point of even having one.

Why?

For starters just because an agent is well known, well liked, and has a great resume doesn't necessarily mean that agent is perfect for me. There could be any number of reasons why we wouldn't mesh, some not having anything to do with a manuscript. Personalities could clash, visions about my future in writing could differ, and the list could go on and on.

Then there's the issue with setting myself up for a huge disappointment. What happens if I send my query to my dream agent and get a rejection? That's a huge blow to one's ego, and ultimately creativity. I don't want that to happen. I don't want to place all of my dreams on one specific agent, only to see things come crashing down.

I have adopted a stance in life these days, what's meant to be will be. If I get a rejection from an agent then that wasn't the agent for me. I've also adopted an it-will-happen-motto. I will get an agent eventually, but I don't want to push which agent that will be.

There are plenty of great agents out there. Not every great book I have read has the same agent. In fact there are few authors I really like who have the same agent, at all. Yes, I researched my favorite books to see who the author's agent was. This is partly how I created my agent query list.

And there are plenty of newer agents at well established agencies just beginning to put their list of great authors together. All agents have to start out at the bottom and work their way up to the top. I've added several of these agents to my query list.

I will not allow myself to have a dream agent. Not before I have an agent. Because my true dream agent will be the agent I sign with, the one who sells my books, and the one I turn to every step of my publishing career.

What is your stance on dream agents?