I have managed to secure representation for my first book, and I'm currently revising my manuscript with input from my agent. She did a really thorough job in the first round of edits, and although she asked for a lot more revisions than either of us expected, she gave me really terrific feedback, which in turn helped me improve the book. Round two feels very different. Although she felt I had done some good work, she seemed really annoyed that a couple of the concerns she raised in the first round persisted in the second. She didn't even mention some of the major changes I made to the book. I also find myself confused by some of her comments and flat-out disagreeing with others. Basically, I think she rushed this time around and is irritated that we're still revising. My question is, how honest can I be about my reactions to her read? I'm happy to make more revisions, but I'm bummed by the change in her tone and many of her comments don't make sense to me. Am I allowed to politely express any of this or is that a big no-no? Many thanks for all your great insights so far!
I don't offer representation unless the manuscript is close enough to fix without major revisions, because sometimes a writer will do a half-hearted fix of the things that bothered me while managing to mess up a lot of the good stuff. I'm not saying that's what is happening here, but this is the perspective of an agent in this situation.
As for the tone, it would be impossible to judge that without knowing a lot more, and I don't want to do that here. It might be that some of the initial romantic stage has passed and you're entering a longer term working relationship. She might have seen her comments as being serious and critical, but if this is a different tone, I can see how you might find that an adjustment.
I would wait a few days, perhaps when you feel a little better, and then write a non-emotional letter that asks for clarifications on the main points.
For example:
* I thought I'd fixed the issue with Emily's motivation in chapter two, but you seem to still find it hard to believe she'd go to the tattoo parlor without talking to Pete first. Does the earlier phone message not work? Can you think of any ideas for setting this up better?
* I'm not sure I agree with your suggestion to eliminate the beggar on the street corner. I think he adds flavor to the scene and is worth the extra space. What if we compromised and I cut his interaction from three pages to one and make every word count? Would this resolve your concerns?
I'm guessing if you follow this pattern you'll prove that you're focused on making the story better, not arguing because you're stubborn, and you'll be back on track with your agent.
As an aside, it's important to understand how an agent's work can pile up. You can go from cruising along fine to suddenly having ten things needing your attention. Quick, direct emails, written as quickly as possible, can come across as curt or rude. I'm not saying agents are never curt or rude, but sometimes they're just overburdened at that moment.
