When I compare agency websites and Publishers Marketplace, I sometimes see a disconnect between the website claims (e.g. where an agent says he or she specializes in let's say, literary fiction, and PM shows no literary fiction sales by that agent).
So what I'm basically wondering is how accurate Publishers Marketplace is for sales information when researching agents.
I've read that not all agents report their sales to PM, or those that do might not report all their sales to PM. Why is that? It would seem that any agent/agency seeking new writers would have in their self-interest to publicize their sales.
And other than PM and finding books sold by that agent (via Google Books, Amazon, etc.) is there any other way to learn whether an agent has a solid sales record?
So what I'm basically wondering is how accurate Publishers Marketplace is for sales information when researching agents.
I've read that not all agents report their sales to PM, or those that do might not report all their sales to PM. Why is that? It would seem that any agent/agency seeking new writers would have in their self-interest to publicize their sales.
And other than PM and finding books sold by that agent (via Google Books, Amazon, etc.) is there any other way to learn whether an agent has a solid sales record?