Querying new agents at established agencies

[Sarah Ahiers (Falen)]

i'm with you. I mean, of COURSE if we have a choice i'm sure almost all of us would choose the rockstar agent who's been at it for 15 years over the newb who just started. But the chances are, most of us won't have the choice so i'm not going to write off the newb without at least giving them the chance to have a conversation.
I mean, if a newb offers to represent me, i can always say no. But if i don't query them, i don't even have the chance of opening the communication between us, if that makes sense.
I look at querying as the stepping stone, not the final decision

[B]

Jennifer Laughran's blog sorta touched on this recently. Querying is about projecting to that final decision. What am I gaining by querying someone I wouldn't beyond a shadow of a doubt want to represent me? Yes, some more than others, but I'm not trying to rack up requests for ego's sake; I'm trying to get an agent. I don't want to waste their time or mine.

This isn't really a response to anyone here because no one is positing that, but it's 2am and I apparently ramble. 

[GennAlbin]

I say query, and then cross this bridge if they offer.  You can answer a lot of these questions just by talking with the agent and hearing her plans for the book.  Do they want revisions?  What are they?  Who will they see this going out to and why?  How do they approach editors?  Will they be collaborating w/others at the agency?  If newbie says, this is ready to go with a spellcheck and I'm sending it to 25 agents next week, I'd be worried (and flattered but still worried).  The biggest issue is that if it doesn't sell and you've gone through a wide submission, that ms is toast.  No agent will touch it, so you'll have to query with a new project. 

[bodwen]

The danger is that many people query novice agents to test out their queries, before working their way to the more experienced agents. 

Then if they get an offer, they are stuck worrying if they should accept representation with the inexperienced agent, or decline representation and burn the only bridge they'll ever have. 

I say query agents with no sales only after you've gone through everyone else.

[Sarah Ahiers (Falen)]

My query list is a mix, so out of the ten queries i have out, some are newer agents some are veterans. I'm with Jenn - It's all a moot point until i garner an offer.

[Amaryllis]

Valid points all around, I just hope I can find a dang bridge to cross! 

[B]

The danger is that many people query novice agents to test out their queries, before working their way to the more experienced agents. 

Then if they get an offer, they are stuck worrying if they should accept representation with the inexperienced agent, or decline representation and burn the only bridge they'll ever have. 

I say query agents with no sales only after you've gone through everyone else.

This is the point Jennifer Laughran was making, I think. If you're going to query a mix, actually mix it up. Don't test drive and then get stuck. And because it's a business, I don't think anything's a moot point. There should be a strategy, which I think all of us bothering with forums like this probably have.

[Sigrid]

More important, I think, to this topic is whether a new agent at an established agency gets help/guidance/encouragement/hand-holding/general support from the other, well-known agents when presenting a manuscript to an editor. Any experience here? Queries to established agents often get passed onto the new agent. This has happened a couple of times to me, and a recent one may end up soon being an offer of rep. Would appreciate any insight.

[QuietWriter]

Sigrid, I know of one junior agent at a solid agency who handles the writer and the project, but she bounces it off her senior agent before she does anything with it. So, yes, the hand-holding you mentioned can definitely happen, and it does help the junior agent and writer to have the clout of the senior agent's support.

[Sarah Ahiers (Falen)]

More important, I think, to this topic is whether a new agent at an established agency gets help/guidance/encouragement/hand-holding/general support from the other, well-known agents when presenting a manuscript to an editor. Any experience here? Queries to established agents often get passed onto the new agent. This has happened a couple of times to me, and a recent one may end up soon being an offer of rep. Would appreciate any insight.

It all depends on the agent and the agency. If i get an offer from a newbie agent, that's one of the first questions i'd ask her. But, if i don't query, i never get a chance to even ask her that question.
You just have to open that line of communication, and most importantly, follow your gut. Only you know what's good for you.