What Are My Chances?

Questions such as “What percentage of writers who query get an offer to rep from you?” or “What percentage of your clients sell?” seem a bit pointless, even though they’re often asked by many new and/or frustrated writers.

If Agent Super answers ten percent, does that mean all projects that come across her desk get exactly a ten-percent chance equally? If you answered “yes”, you must shift your way of thinking.

If a writer sends a fantastically written and superbly commercial project, the chances are…agents will clamor for that project.

If a writer sends a crappily written and dreadfully dull project, the chances are…a big fat zero.

I think most people’s energy’s better spent worrying about things that they can control: how to create better characters and/or to write better pitches and so on.