Nuts & Bolts: Maurice Broaddus on Finding an Agent
By Tom Joyce
Do authors need agents anymore? If so, how do they go about finding one, and what should they expect? Author Maurice Broaddus addresses those questions in this month’s edition of Nuts & Bolts.
Q: Why does a writer need an agent?
A: People don’t have to go through gatekeepers (agents, editors, publishers) to make it to the marketplace. That said, it’s about building your team. My agent is my business partner. Someone with expertise of the marketplace as well as contracts. Someone who can be my designated bad guy for certain situations, to preserve my relationship with my editors (if I don’t like the edits) or publishers (if I don’t like their terms) or even friends (if I don’t want to do their podcast).
My agent helps me manage my workload, choose the next project. She is someone whose job is often to save me from myself, since I’m too prone to saying things like “I’d do that for a ham sandwich,” accepting poor terms in contracts, easy/bad deals, or situations simply because an opportunity presented itself. I was recently presented with the opportunity to write for a major franchise. One that my geek heart leapt at. But my agent advised me to turn it down. It would eat up my time (the timetable was ridiculous) and my capacity (the workload was ridiculous). And it would absolutely keep me from taking advantage of any (better) opportunity that might come along. So I did. Two weeks later, an ever better opportunity popped up.
Contracts have been getting slicker in their language, publishers more brazen in their rights grabs, and technology is constantly changing, bringing new concerns (like name/image/likeness). I even run my short story contracts by her. On more than one occasion, I almost signed away movie/tv rights to a novel through a short story contract. Luckily, my agent caught it.
Q: How do you go about finding one?
A: Ninety percent of the time, I’d follow the standard advice of researching agents via Publishers Lunch or other agent databases; creating a list of them that match the book you’ve written; putting together a pitch letter, and blasting it out to a dozen of them at a time. And wait to see who bites.
That never worked for me. I’m more of a “meet them face to face” type. Attending cons where I know agents will be in attendance and getting to know them. Sort of an in-person vibe check. For me, it’s more than “who can get me the biggest check.” It’s about does their philosophy of moving through the world and values match mine.
Q: Are there any particular considerations for horror authors?
A: You need someone who knows the horror markets, more importantly, has relationships with those editors. Someone who can manage a career without locking you into preconceptions. Someone who has a variety of relationships so that they can find opportunities from tie-ins to comic books.
Q: What qualities should you look for in an agent?
A: Someone who’s a tough negotiator and who will fight for you. Someone who believes in you and your project. Someone smart, funny, flexible, and who can think outside the box.
You should understand their workstyles and communication habits. The best thing to do is reach out to one of their clients and pick their brains (I constantly have folks ask me about my agent).
And know what you need. I, personally, need someone who will do some handholding (I know my anxious self), who can be a sounding board for career planning and project management.
Q: Are there any red flags you should avoid?
A: Study their social media. There have been agents I ruled out because of how they conducted themselves online.
Research what deals they’ve done. While money is not my top priority, I need to know that they’ve closed big deals, since that’s still a part of sustaining my career.
Q: What advice do you have about getting an agent interested in your work?
A: I’ve noticed that the pitch is important. My first novel I pitched as “Excalibur meets The Wire.” My middle grade as “Encyclopedia Brown meets The Wire.” My sf novel as “The Expanse meets Black Panther.” In succession, it helped paint a concise picture for my agent, then the acquisition editor, and then the marketing department (since in almost every case, the pitch became a part of the marketing copy).
But no matter how much they like you, how snappy your pitch is, it still comes down to the words.
Q: Do you have any projects you’d like HWA members to know about?
A: My story “The Norwood Trouble” came out in Jordan Peele’s anthology, Out There Screaming. My story “Everyone’s Hero” is in the Captain America: the Shield of Sam Wilson anthology. My story “The (Lost) Tribe of Ishmael” is in the Map of Lost Places anthology. And I have an upcoming story, “Abigail’s Gethsemane” (co-written with Wayne Brady) in the upcoming The End of the World As We Know It: New Tales of Stephen King’s The Stand. The final part of my Astra Black trilogy, A City Dreaming, will be coming out soon!
Q: Where can people follow you online?
A: All my socials are at @mauricebroaddus. When in doubt, head to MauriceBroaddus.com.
Maurice Broaddus
An award-winning Afrofuturist and librarian, Maurice Broaddus has had over a hundred short stories published in such places as Lightspeed Magazine, Black Panther: Tales from Wakanda, Out There Screaming, The End of the World As We Know It: New Tales of Stephen King’s The Stand, Asimov’s, Weird Tales, Magazine of F&SF, and Uncanny Magazine. With over a dozen novels in print, his latest include Sweep of Stars, Breath of Oblivion, Black Panther: T’Challa Declassified, Unfadeable, Pimp My Airship, & The Usual Suspects. Learn more at MauriceBroaddus.com
Tom Joyce writes a monthly series called Nuts & Bolts for the Horror Writers Association’s blog, featuring interviews about the craft and business of writing. Please contact Tom at TomJHWA@gmail.com if you have suggestions for future interviews.
