Question 2

I'm worried this is a silly question, but: when you get an agent, does that agent stick with you and help you with your next book? Or do you need to find a new agent for every book you publish? Does this change if your first book is YA and your second is Adult? Thank you!

You can find these mentors, Sydney Langford and Ann Zhao, here!

Not a silly question at all! Yes, your agent sticks with you & works with your future books; it should be in your agency contract when you sign with them that you stay with the same agent for your work unless/until you leave. You do NOT need to find a new agent for every book you publish. There are project-to-project contracts, but if an offering agent only wants to sell the book you queried them with they may not be a fit. This is all something to ask about on the call, especially if you want a career agent.

Which brings us to your last question: Some agents only rep select age-ranges & genres. (e.g. if your 1st book is a YA romcom & your 2nd is an Adult horror, your agent might not want to rep it, OR might not have the resources to sell it.) In this case, some authors will find a 2nd agent for another genre/age-range (either at the same agency or a different one), while other authors might leave their 1st agent entirely & find someone who reps both. Always have a convo with your agent before making any big career decisions; in fact, one of your questions on an offer call from an agent should be whether they rep all the genres you plan to write, & what happens if they don’t! 

 - Sydney & Ann