Some agents start out in editorial or marketing, but they don't have a simple majority in their industry, let alone merit being described as "most of them".
I've never seen an agent at a top agency who didn't have sales. Their young'uns start having clients of their own, and therefore sales of their own, before they get listed as "agent" on the letterhead.
What's your interest? You're being very emphatic about this.
I don't think that you or I have any statistics about the percentage of agents that come across from publishing/marketing/etc as opposed to coming up from file clerk/mailboy in an agency. I only know that I've never to my knowledge met a single one of the latter, and have met about a dozen of the former. If you have some real statistics, please cite them.
Any number of good agents and writers have advised that a good match for unpublished writers is a new agent at a reputable agency, since they have some chance of succeeding, and yet are trying to build their client lists.
You say you've never seen an agent at a top agency who didn't have sales? Well, I don't see their 'letterheads' that often. But right offhand, I've seen such an agent at Ralph M. Vicinanza (the agency for Isaac Asimov, Augusten Burroughs, Connie Willis, and a host of others). I've seen such an agent at John Hawkins Associates (who've handled lightweights such as, oh, James Clavell, Gregory Maguire, and Joyce Carol Oates). I could raise other specifics, but why should I? Of course, you are welcome to say, "Oh, but those aren't
top agencies." Fine. Redefine it however you like. I think most folks would be happy to be represented by an agent at those agencies.
And, of course, no agent is going to survive long as an agent without sales, so those without a record acquire one. But there is a time lag.
What's my interest? Why am I being so emphatic? I'm so glad you made this personal. I'm just a writer. (A good one, if may say so, thogh you can quarrel with that.) Already published in nonfiction, with my novel slated for publication this September. I've had agents, at good New York agencies, and I've been offered representation by several others I had to turn down.
I thought, apparently wrongly, that this was a forum where one could share their insights.
I really appreciate your hint that I have some vested interest here. Man, that's really classy. That's worthy of the Bush Administration.
I read your FAQ. Liked it. I even said what a good idea it was. I thought you missed one minor, important point: A newbie agent at a good agency can be a good bet.
I expected you'd say, Good point, David! That's a special case, but, yes, being a new agent at a solid agency is a kind of credibility of its own! Thanks for contributing!
I didn't expect that you'd dodge the point, or argue that such a thing never occurs. Arguing about what percentage come from publishing as opposed to up from file-clerking is rather beside the point. And I was truly surprised that some other regular would chime in to tell me I wasn't supposed to question an
Absolute Sage. If the rule is that no one should ever question statements or posts made by
Absolute Sages, please put that into the FAQ for this website. (I somehow missed it, though I suppose the handle
Medievalist ought to have given me a clue that I ought to exit bowing, tugging at my forelock.)
For that matter, why are
you being so emphatic about all of this? What's
your interest?