Saturday, June 27, 2009

An Agent's Time- how valuable is it?

How does someone really measure time? By the tick of the minute hand on the clock or how quickly the sun rises and sets? Time is tricky to measure especially when it comes to figuring how valuable your time really is. How many minutes do you waste going through your emails, waiting for phone calls to be returned, or searching the net?

As a writer and an agent my time is extremely valuable. When I set up meetings with prospective clients whether in person or on the phone I expect them to be there on time. Sure I'm late for the odd meeting. Traffic can be relentless, solving problems or stepping in for crisis management can make being on time difficult, but when that happens I immediately call the person who is waiting for me to let them know that I am late but I'm on my way. It's a two way street and too often people take advantage of you not realizing that just because you might not be driving into work everyday doesn't mean you don't need a return on your investment.

The process of reading manuscripts, editing, making phone calls, attending meetings, and writing emails is time consuming and thousands of hours can click by without tangible results. It is a life I choose, but I do have rules that need to be respected. If you choose to hire an agent or a freelance writer to work with you, be mindful that they also have a long list of obligations to other people and make it a point to be on time!!

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