8 Comments
User's avatar
Andrew Wille's avatar

This is useful and generous information to share. Versions of this story happen so often (don’t even start me on ghosting agents …), and I often observe a power imbalance that doesn’t favour the writer. So this sort of experience and advice gives writers courage in holding their nerve.

Lorraine Wilson's avatar

Thank you, I hope it proves useful to someone. And I agree about the power imbalance. I don't know what the wider solution is when there's simply more writers than agent capacity, but the process of leaving an agent could definitely be more balanced.

Katie Anderson-Morrison's avatar

Thank you for writing about this! You’re right, it would be great if the industry was more open about how common it is for authors and agents to part ways. It wasn’t something I’d thought much about before it happened to me earlier this year, though afterwards I was reassured by how many authors told me they’d experienced similar.

Lorraine Wilson's avatar

Before my first agent left I was completely unaware it could happen so it knocked me for six! I'm so sorry you've had to navigate this too. Hope you're feeling back on track now?

Katie Anderson-Morrison's avatar

It can definitely really knock you back! Thank you, I am just about back on track now. I haven’t got new rep yet, but I have recently had a bit of writing success, so that’s been a lovely boost.

Lorraine Wilson's avatar

Oh congrats on the good news - that's brilliant!

Cat's avatar

An excellent read, thanks for this