A week ago I was on a social media panel, talking about the benefits of networking and giving some tips.
Afterward, one of the attending agents asked a fellow panelist and me if we think people choose agents based on whether or not they’re active on social media. He was also curious whether we thought social media was important for agents to engage in.
I thought these were interesting questions. And my gut reaction, of course, was to say that everyone needs social media and to hop on it right way.
Of course, there are many agents blogging daily, tweeting, and Facebooking. The benefits to writers are tremendous.
But no, I really don’t think anybody chooses agents based on how active they are with social media.
Here are my thoughts about pros and cons of social media for agents.
Pros for agents:
Networking with editors and other industry professionals.
Participating in online dialogue with clients.
Possibly attracting more clients.
Educating writers on querying and writing in general—and maybe getting better-quality queries?
Cons for agents:
The time-sucking factor. And this is a huge consideration because there are only so many hours of the day when you’re not reading queries/synopses, sample chapters; submitting manuscripts to editors; following up with editors; etc.
Do agents need more clients unless they’re just starting out? Or are they already completely swamped?
I’ve got more pros than cons listed here, but then I’m a social media fan. What do you think—how active should agents be online? And how important is it to you as a writer that they are? Can you think of any other pros or cons?
I forgot to mention before that I’m hosting Alan Orloff on the Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen today. He’s got a fantastic recipe for chocolate babka–please join us!
I think what matters most for a writer with an agent is that agent’s ability to get your work into the hands of the right editors and get the work read. And that there is a good connection between the writer and agent.
My agent uses twitter and it is nice to stay connected that way, but I chose her because I felt that she got my writing and knows where to submit it and just does not give up.
I think it’s an advantage to agents in two ways – the big one is that it educates the writers who will submit to them.
The other is more iffy. While bad writers will find them just the same, I think the good writers who are more careful about their submissions will do a better job of targeting the right agents.
Elizabeth – As always, you raise an interesting question. For me, the benefits of social media for agents outweigh the risks. One of the biggest benefits I see is agents who are well-connected to social media and familiar with it also have access to a whole group of potential readers. They have a sense of how to reach those readers, and how to make one’s work appealing to them. That can allow an agent to make a stronger case to editors and publishers.
I like having agents blog and tweet because it’s helped me learn enormous amounts. I agree with your pros/cons – I think it probably benefits us more.
I think agents who blog, etc., are doing a great service for writers. I know they helped me out a lot during my query stage. So, thanks, all you blogging agents!
Having said that, I love my agent, and she is not a big user of social media.
I think social media is important for a WRITER, not necessarily for an agent. I appreciate agents who take the time to inform writers, but I would much rather they were out there working to get their clients the best deal possible, or reading manuscripts to give more people a chance.
Great question from a listener! Thanks for sharing it with us. Sounds like the panel went well…Now for that chocolate babka…
Michele
SouthernCityMysteries
I think it’s another resource for finding an agent, so from that perspective, it’s a good thing. Like all of us, though, one needs to be careful of the time suck factor.
Karen
I’d like to say an agent needs me on their books but I would be living in hope. I blog often and do FB occasionally, always looking for an agent and/or publisher as I am in the process of editing my first book.
CJ xx
I think it would be a big time killer as well unless the agent stuck to just one site.
I’m overwhelmed, so I have no idea how they do it!
I think agents can become “known” to writers by being on the Internet and followers can get to “know” the agent and decide to query (or not). But I don’t think it’s imperative for agents to blog, especially the ones who are already names and aren’t looking for clients.
Helen
Straight From Hel
As a writer, I would like it if my agent was on facebook or twitter, but it wouldn’t be necessary. Even just posting on a blog or website a couple days a week would be great, too. But from what I know about agents and all the reading and phone talking they do, it’s probably hard to be involved in social media. I admire those agents who stay connected and constantly hold a lot of clients!
Some agents have become celebrities on the Internet, and most complain about the massive amount of queries they get so it’s not all gravy for them to blog.
I appreciate their effort to educate writers about the business, though.
I definitely think every agency should have a website or a blog, not only to tell authors what they do and don’t want, but to promote their own authors.
The downside is that some agencies who have minimal websites are so old-fashioned that they may scare away potential clients.
One agency, for example, had a note that they didn’t want dot matrix submissions which is so out-of-date that most people don’t know what it is.
Do you really want an agency so out of touch?
I think it depends a lot on what you’re looking for in an agent and how active you are in social media. I’m very active and hands on so I like my agent to be the same way. There are a lot more open lines of communication and it solidifies the relationship.
For those who are looking for an agent it’s a great way for them to get to know them and make sure they’re a good fit. I think it makes the querying process easier and more accurate. I’m all for it!
For me, all I want an agent to focus on is to find me a mainstream publisher. After that, everything else is secondary as I can pretty much to the same promoting they can do for free.
Stephen Tremp
Well, it seems like agents and editors need an online presence, too. Of course, to me, it seems like they have all the power and don’t need to put themselves out there as much as the struggling writer/artist.
I agree. With all the pros AND cons.
Marvin D Wilson
I think agents who offer helpful advice (Kristin Nelson comes to mind, or even the Query Shark) are doing all writers a service. Twitter–not so much.
As an unagented author, I’m reluctant to participate in agent tweeting–too easy to be misunderstood in 140 characters.
I think agents face the same dilemma that we do in the decisions to use social media, and your time-sucking reference is spot on. We need to spend the bulk of our time taking care of business, which for writers is to write and agents is to sell books. Finding a way to utilize the social media to our benefit is an ongoing search – at least for me.
It wouldn’t be important to me to have an agent who is active on social media sites – in fact, I’d prefer one who wasn’t so he/she would have more time to spend selling my work.
I think there is a definite benefit for agents, but it is a benefit with a price–the agents in the social media are more well known, so I bet they get a lot more queries, which is more work-but they also have more to choose from–their pick of the litter ALL THE TIME.
Thanks so much for weighing in, y’all! I’m about to turn in, so making this short…getting up at 2:45 a.m.!
This is interesting, because one of the agents who came to our Northern Colorado Writers Conference has an almost nonexistent web presence (we did find an interview with him at Guide to Literary Agents). Yet he’s a pretty famous guy, located in California, and connected to the film business. Maybe if an agent is too well known, he’s better off keeping a low profile to protect himself from eager newbies?