Thursday, October 18, 2007  Client Responsibilities  I received
an interesting question from a potential client yesterday. After
asking some great questions about what she can expect from me as
her agent, the writer then asked what her responsibilities were
in our relationship. I thought this was a responsible and smart
question, and one that gets overlooked.  The most important
thing for me and I think most agents is that my client acts
professionally. This means working hard and meeting deadlines.
It also means being open to editorial guidance, though of course
there will be times you disagree and will need to stick to your
guns. It also means treating people with respect, and I'm not
just talking about your agent. I also mean editors, publicists,
book sellers, reviewers, and even readers.  Professionalism also
means that you need to keep reasonable expectations. Publishing
can move at a glacial pace, and there are also some archaic
customs that should have been tossed aside years ago. Changes
are being mad