I had the same agent for eight years, at one of the bigs. Over time, I became convinced I was getting lost in the shuffle, so I finally asked him straight-up. He admitted I was, and I got the impression that wouldn't be changing any time soon. That's really tough to hear, but it's something I wish he'd told me ages ago.
So we parted ways, which felt like willingly stepping off a plank. I've never had another agent - would I be able to find one? Is my career over? It doesn't take a lot to make a screenwriter doubt himself. But as my wife said, sticking with a rep who doesn't believe in you is time wasted (note: she's with Verve and very happy).
It wasn't until things ended that I realized I had options. I took meetings and found a new agency who made me feel wanted, and I'm invigorated beyond belief. This was all in the space of a week. Now I wish I'd done this long ago, but better late than never.
This post is directed toward people who truly worry they're being taken for granted. I'm not talking about things just being slow (that's Hollywood, for most of us), I'm talking about an honest-to-God "I don't think I'm on my agent's radar at all" situation. I put up with it for years and shouldn't have. Everybody's situation is different, but I would urge any writer who suspects they're being lost in the shuffle to have that hard conversation. It's uncomfortable and might result in an answer that breaks your heart, but at least you'll know. At the very least, it'll give your agent a heads-up that you're not happy and things need to change.
So we parted ways, which felt like willingly stepping off a plank. I've never had another agent - would I be able to find one? Is my career over? It doesn't take a lot to make a screenwriter doubt himself. But as my wife said, sticking with a rep who doesn't believe in you is time wasted (note: she's with Verve and very happy).
It wasn't until things ended that I realized I had options. I took meetings and found a new agency who made me feel wanted, and I'm invigorated beyond belief. This was all in the space of a week. Now I wish I'd done this long ago, but better late than never.
This post is directed toward people who truly worry they're being taken for granted. I'm not talking about things just being slow (that's Hollywood, for most of us), I'm talking about an honest-to-God "I don't think I'm on my agent's radar at all" situation. I put up with it for years and shouldn't have. Everybody's situation is different, but I would urge any writer who suspects they're being lost in the shuffle to have that hard conversation. It's uncomfortable and might result in an answer that breaks your heart, but at least you'll know. At the very least, it'll give your agent a heads-up that you're not happy and things need to change.
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