Category Archives: relationships

March 20, 2012   Brenna   author events, book club, book fairs, Brenna, conferences, editor/agent lunches, relationships  
2

Literary Socializing

As a newcomer, I’ve recently become more aware of the paradox of how social the publishing industry is and how solitary the act of reading itself is. I’m told that some of the industry’s seasoned professionals express disappointment that the days of gala book parties or hanging out at George Plimpton’s home are long gone. While I can’t imagine how exhilarating that must have been, I’m delighted that the industry is still so social and full of life.

There are few greater feelings in the world than when you connect with someone over a mutual book.

I’m convinced that bibliophiles living in the city are among the luckiest in the world. Not only is the heart of publishing in NYC, but the amount of events you can attend with fellow nerds grows by the second: launches, book clubs, readings, signings, discussions, mixers, benefits. This weekend, the KGB Bar Fiction Reading Series continues not far from our office.

Aside from the beloved book festivals and book weeks, which are a personal favorite, what are your favorite events to attend—either as a writer or as a reader?

February 15, 2012   Stacey   advice, agents, conferences, cookbooks and food writing, relationships, Stacey  
6

A few words about cookbooks and agents

I participated in a cookbook conference last Friday and sat on a panel with four other agents who also represent practical nonfiction, including cookbooks. The discussion centered around the agent’s role in the current market and how that role has changed with the shift into electronic publishing.

It was a really thoughtful and informative conversation that lasted almost an hour and a half. We had a lengthy talk about the cookbook as object and whether that is something that will continue into the future or go the way of the VHS tape. We all agreed moving away from the book is a long way away, if it ever happens at all, and that there is still a great benefit to holding a book in your hands, cooking from a book rather than a computer screen, and sharing books as gifts with friends and family.

Perhaps the most interesting part of the discussion centered on the agent and author relationship, and the question of how important is it to have an agent in a market where so many writers, bloggers especially, are going it on their own. I strongly believe that (and I think, based on feedback, made a persuasive argument for) authors need agents now more than ever. A savvy agent who understands the nuances of the market’s language and culture is critical as they oversee every aspect of an author’s entire career, focusing on the big picture, as well as the smaller details that can go astray at any point in the process.

What really jumped out at me, though, was the concept of how much book negotiations have changed in the recent past. Each and every negotiation now, even with publishers we’ve dealt with for many years and have boilerplate contracts with the best negotiated terms possible, is fraught with challenges that include new and changing digital royalty rates, author deliverables that previously didn’t exist (one agent mentioned a major publisher had asked that the author deliver along with their manuscript 20 minutes of the author on tape), and which rights will be retained by the author versus the publisher.

This might sound simple, but believe me when I say it is not. The landscape has been described as The Wild West, and we are using our collective years of experience to secure the best deal and contract terms that are possible in a market where publishers are pushing so hard in one direction to keep rights in their control and agents are pushing so hard in the other.

The good news is we are making progress with every deal. Each new contract offers an opportunity to renegotiate contract language we aren’t happy with, or get an author an improved digital royalty, or at least the ability to renegotiate the royalty in the future. We are always striving to protect our clients and maintain a positive working relationship with all the publishers we do business with. I’ll admit it can be precarious, but we have leverage because publishers know the value of our long, successful client list.

All this to say your agent is your friend and will be there to guide you through this sometimes messy and difficult process of being a book author. I’d love to know your thoughts on the agent-author relationship in this new market and also on cookbook as object and its future. Do you think cookbooks are going to go away, or will there always be room on your shelf to display your favorite stain-filled tomes as a badge of cooking honor?

September 29, 2011   Jessica   Jessica, memoir, nonfiction, relationships  
6

All in the Family

In their interview with siblings-in-writing Ben and Jen Percy, Salon points out that similar instances of “brother sister acts” are rare.  When I stopped to consider this I came up only a handful, most of which came from literary families of centuries past: the Wordsworths, Brontes, Alcotts, Rossettis, etc.  I can think of sisters—Margaret Drabble and A.S. Byatt—but their strained relationship might argue that most families can raise only one writer. Do any of you have siblings who write? Is it a bond, a point of contention, competition, or (in this market, especially) commiseration?

Apropos of siblings, New Yorker writer Adam Gopnik and his sister Alison, a psychology professor, have produced a joint review of recently published THE SIBLING EFFECT by Jeffrey Kluger   In hindsight, the piece seemed more about the clever Gopnik clan than the Kluger book, but I suppose that further makes the point that some topics–sibling relationships among them–are ever-green, and for this reader (the youngest of five children) endlessly fascinating. Kluger’s argument, that siblings make us who we are, is not especially earth-shattering, but is a fine example of the way in which an artful blend of personal narrative and research-driven reportage can render the familiar new again.

June 23, 2011   DG&B   authors, feedback, Jessica, relationships, writing  
14

First Readers

 

Yesterday I was doing some research on an author whose scholarly works I find interesting, and my online search landed me on the acknowledgments page of her book, where she thanked her husband, whom she described as her first and most careful reader.

I’m not a writer per se, but this line of work calls for a good deal of writing–pitch letters, edit memos, correspondence that attempts to strike that fine balance between “authoritative and rude” (see Jim’s very funny post)–and if I can prevail upon him, my husband is my go-to reader, and vice versa. This is not always the case. In fact, I know plenty of writers who believe that romantic partners, married or otherwise, ought not be part of the process. That talking shop, evaluating drafts, and giving candid feedback is best done by a person with whom there exists some emotional distance. 

How about you? Who is your first reader? If you have a significant other or a family member who reads your work in progress, is her role as a booster or a critique partner? There’s no shame in the former. Frankly, I think all writers could use at least one of each.

June 16, 2011   DG&B   Jessica, literary, relationships, writing  
2

Mentors and Monsters

In the spirit of Miriam’s post on literary influences, there’s a piece about literary mentors in The Millions, http://www.themillions.com/2011/06/lighting-the-way-on-mentoring-and-being-mentored.html and I‘m curious to learn more about your experience, either with (or as) a mentor. So often we think of writing as a solitary pursuit, but such literary relationships do exist.  My sense is that outside of MFA programs, they can be hard to establish and perhaps hard to navigate. A few years ago Free Press published Mentors, Muses and Monsters: 30 Writers on the People Who Changed Their Lives. You can read Joyce Carol Oates essay, “In the Absence of Mentors, Monsters” in the (always superb) Narrative Magazine. http://www.narrativemagazine.com/issues/fall-2009/absence-mentorsmonsters

March 21, 2011   Jane   etiquette, Jane, opinion, relationships  
16

Pet peeves, etc.

Every few months, I try to digest the things various clients have done that I wish they hadn’t.  I know many of our readers who, of course, are writers themselves and are seeking agents and editors, are interested in learning the etiquette of our business, so I thought I would throw out several things that tend to make us agents weepy or ragey:

When you make an appointment with your agent or your editor you should show up; more than once in recent weeks people who have confirmed appointments with us have not shown up and not called to say they weren’t coming (sometimes it was because the writer overslept or simply forgot).

Asking your agent to do all kinds of extra work for you and then saying you are going to use your lawyer to negotiate that particular movie or magazine contract.

Delivering a manuscript you haven’t previously checked carefully and thoroughly.

Being late with the delivery of your manuscript (sometimes way late) and assuming that your Publisher will grant you endless extensions.

Sending rude notes to your editor rather than first speaking to me so that I can run interference.

Finding everything that your editor throws out in terms of title, cover and copy wrong and not saying one positive thing.  (It isn’t smart to alienate your editor and your publisher especially before your book is published.)

Insisting that I submit your proposal to teeny tiny publishers and then being disappointed when the advance is almost non-existent.

Having unrealistic expectations in terms of the deal you are looking for and not sharing those expectations with me at the outset (so that I can clarify what is and isn’t possible).

Listening to the opinions of all of your friends and colleagues (many of whom are at odds about strategy and everything else).

Lying to me. If there is one thing I have zero tolerance for it is not telling the truth (unless you really, really don’t like my new shoes; I don’t need to know that).  This only happens once in any business relationship I have.

Needless to say, I don’t believe everything I have to say as an agent is correct but the bottom line is that I am here to provide advice and support and become frustrated when I am not used productively.

I wonder what your pet peeves are?  I am sure you have them and would be interested to hear.

February 23, 2011   Miriam   advice, agents, Miriam, relationships  
3

“Hello,” he lied

Don Carpenter, novelist and screenwriter, famously quoted a movie agent thusly: “’Hello,’ he lied.”   Agents, whether they ply their trade in Tinseltown or Gotham, have a rarely deserved reputation for being, well, unscrupulous and underhanded.  In fact, most of us are honest, hard-working professionals whose job description on any given day includes being a tough negotiator, an unlicensed therapist, a financial advisor, an editor, a producer, a critic and a fan.   There are entrenched codes of ethics in our business (check out the AAR’s site, if you don’t believe me) and most of us who care about our reputations would never consciously breach the trust placed in us by our clients.  As Jane has been drilling into my skull for about 150 years now, our reputation is all we have.

Clearly, we are all capable of making mistakes, whether intentional or un-, but the one thing authors need to be assured of is that their agents are looking out for their best interest…always.  Authors should manage their relationships with their agent the way they would their most important personal and business dealings:

  • Be respectful but firm about your needs and goals.
  • Make sure you read all contracts and ask questions when you don’t understand something.
  • Get satisfactory answers to your questions (backed up with paperwork when appropriate).
  • Check out that agent’s reputation before signing on—call others of his/her clients if necessary.
  • Be involved in the publishing process from the get-go.  Don’t just wait for a phone call.  Be proactive.
  • Communicate with your agent (without being a pest) and demand good communication back.
  • If things aren’t working out, sever your ties—again, respectfully but firmly.  Make sure you have a written release of your property to the extent allowed by your agreement.

I’m sure I’m preaching to the choir here, but I know that sometimes, in the elation that follows that initial phone call from an agent telling you s/he is interested in representing you, all caution goes flying out the window.  This is when you should do your Snoopy dance quietly, take a deep breath, and start checking that agent out.

February 08, 2011   Stephanie   about us, advice, agents, relationships, Stephanie  
4

20 Questions

I’ve talked about the query process in the past, but today I wanted to take it a step further, to the point at which an agent feels ready to reach out and offer representation—something that typically happens over the phone.  This potentially nerve-wracking phone call is a huge step; lest we forget: when an author signs with an agent, he or she should be the person the author feels most comfortable with, both personally and professionally. So this week I wanted to address how to approach this phone call, and in particular the kinds of things one should consider asking when speaking with an agent.

For the most part, it really is personal.  What are you really looking for in an agent? What is your vision for your work? And so on.  But there are also certain questions that I think are important when talking to an agent.

–          How does the submission process work?

–          Do you want to represent just this book or my other work(s)?

–          What are your commission rates?

–          Do you have an agent/client agreement I could review?

At the end of the day, it will really come down to what is most important to the individual person and how personalities mesh, but when an author gets the chance to discuss representation with an agent, preparation is key.

Can you think of other questions you would ask a potential agent?

August 31, 2010   DG&B   fun, our clients, relationships, Stephanie  
9

You don’t have to read our blog to be my friend

by Steph

I always find it interesting to hear about the personal interactions of the other agents here with authors. In many cases, they have real, lasting bonds of friendship that have developed with time. It’s gratifying, and quite frankly it makes perfect sense. Without good authors, we wouldn’t have material to work with. And without that, what would be the reason to show up to work every day? Seems logical, no?

My point is, I think that one of the most important parts of what we do is building relationships with authors. I’ve always believed this to be true. That’s why I loved reading this piece by Melanie Benjamin at the Huffington Post. In it, she considers the sometimes delicate and glossed-over intricacies of building a friendship with an author, and more specifically the humorous pitfalls that come with the obligations of being a friend to an author. Ultimately, Melanie boils it all down to this one mantra: You don’t have to read my book to be my friend. I’m content to put aside all the serious stuff that’s crossed our computer screens recently, especially when given the chance to read something that reminds me that these days it needs to be less about squabbling over numbers and more about building good relationships. I’m not entirely sure when I turned into Mr. Rogers. It concerns me a little. But just go with me on this one.

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