Pub Rants

STATUS: It was a miserable Monday. Two contracts that should be done, aren’t.

What’s playing on the iPod right now? SMOOTH by Santana and Rob Thomas

Several of my authors have quite a bit of name recognition so it’s no surprise that just recently, they are being asked to blurb quite a few upcoming books. This in, itself, is not a bad thing at all but it certainly got me thinking about some blurb rants.

So, I think I’ll indulge.

A blurb request is great if the author reads the manuscript and loves it. Piece o’cake. Blurb is provided with enthusiasm and delight. However, what should an author do if they don’t like the work?

Tricky situation but a great question. Do you blurb it anyway? What if the author is a “hot” rising star who is getting lots of attention? What if the request came straight from an editor? Can you say NO? Will that burn bridges? What if the request came from an author influential on a loop?

What if… and there can be any number of scenarios.

My advice?

If you don’t like the work, don’t blurb it.

Ah, easier said then done. Big smile here. That’s my general advice but if ultimately you, as an author, think there might be severe repercussions to saying NO (and those really vary), well, hey, it’s a valid, professional decision to weigh carefully and you might decide to blurb it. And yes, I can hear the chatter from the comments section already about how that might be jeopardizing one’s principles, blah, blah, blah. My guess is that you really don’t know what you’ll decide until faced with the question for real.

My other advice? If you’re not sure about a blurb decision, consult with your agent.

STATUS: Sara and I might have set a record for how many full manuscripts we’ve requested within a three-week period. 12 to be exact. But seriously, we’ve seen some great queries, solid sample pages, and are reading lots of fulls. We are looking to take on new clients. But what I want to see is something really new, fresh, and original in terms of the story and supported by top-notch writing.

What’s playing on the iPod right now? JEALOUSY by Natalie Merchant.

I hear that writers are often asked about where they get their good story ideas—like there is a factory somewhere that generates them. I don’t know what works for writers but I do know what works me as an agent because it happened last night while I was reading the latest issue of Newsweek.

I read this quote and couldn’t help but think, dang, that would make a brilliant novel concept. That would be a novel I would LOVE to get my hands on sample pages right now. Why didn’t some enterprising young Latina or African American writer not think of this before?

Today, I’m going to give a free book idea for a novel I would love to see and read.

In Newsweek, Jennifer Bayer of Pereira, Colombia, was quoted saying “Violence is not sexy,” on a movement where girlfriends and wives of gang members refuse to have sex until their significant others cease all violence.

Bingo! What a brilliant novel concept–a modern retelling of the classic Greek play Lysistrada from a contemporary Latina or AA perspective. Aristophanes wrote this production in 411 BC and yet it’s still a timeless theme. Maybe this book already exists and I’m simply unaware of it but if not…

Good story concepts? They are everywhere.

STATUS: Getting some new projects ready to go out on submission. There’s always so much excitement when the process is starting.

What’s playing on the iPod right now? BELIEVE by Cher

I’ve blogged about this before so y’all know that one of my pet peeves is writers having the assumption that if an agent is nice, they can’t be a tiger in negotiations. That only mean and nastily aggressive agents get the good deals.

Well, I was watching the Today show while doing the elliptical runner this morning and darn if there weren’t two powerful women being interviewed about a book they wrote about me.

Okay, so it really isn’t about me but I almost cheered in the workout room because their book is entitled THE POWER OF NICE: HOW TO CONQUER THE BUSINESS WORLD WITH KINDNESS. Something I’ve been doing for years and now there’s a book that validates my modus operandi.

STATUS: Received news today that an editor is leaving and dang it all, my author is going to get orphaned. This is especially heartbreaking because this editor is tops and was a perfect fit for the project.

What’s playing on the iPod right now? IF by Dean Martin

This week I’ve been inundated by queries for the Christian market and I’m at a loss as to explain why since I don’t rep projects for that arena. My agency name must have appeared on a list somewhere recently otherwise that’s just too strange to be coincidental.

Now Avon just announced their new Avon Inspire line so I have to wonder if that has anything to do with it. The queries received were for genres we handle such as women’s fiction, romance, and mainstream but all with a Christian bent. That’s material for the Christian market and folks, I don’t track those sales or keep in touch with any of those editors. I’d definitely be the wrong person for these types of projects.

In other news, I just had to shake my head at a voicemail that was left for me last week. A person who had seen me speak this summer was calling to tell me that he had finished his project and needed me to tell him what to do next.

Well, the talk he saw me give answered that exact question.

Lost in translation?

STATUS: Besides the fact that I’m a day ahead of myself? Not much. It’s tomorrow that I’m the guest blogger at Romancing The Blog. Sept. 20. Wednesday. Got it. I only have a calendar on my computer and hanging on the wall to the left of my desk. I guess I’d rather be a day ahead then behind.

What’s playing on the iPod right now? SOMEDAY, SOMEWAY by Marshall Crenshaw

I don’t think that writers realize that good, reputable agents with solid sales track records will often take advantage of writers in a very subtle way. It’s usually the words “in perpetuity” embedded in the agency clause of an agency agreement or a publishing contract. And if you’re smart, you’ll find out ahead of time if such an approach is used by the agent or agency (because it’s a growing practice).

One of the comments last week mentioned that a writer had declined representation because of it and many of his or her friends considered the writer nuts for doing so.

I, however, don’t.

I think the writer was smart. Very smart.

First off, what is it? Well, in all publishing contracts, there will be an agency clause that specifies that the author is appointing this person as his sole or exclusive agent for the property being contracted.

Then the clause will contain such words as, “Author hereby irrevocably appoints in perpetuity the so-and-so agency as her/his sole and exclusive agent (the “Agent”) with respect to the Work and authorizes and directs the Publisher… etc” and then later in the clause states, “For services rendered and to be rendered, the Author hereby does irrevocably, assign and transfer to the Agent in perpetuity, and the Agent is entitled to receive and retain, as its commission..”

It means exactly that. This agent now has the right to receive compensation in perpetuity for this work—even if this work goes out of print and is later resold—by a different agent. Even if this agent drops the author like a bad egg and doesn’t lift another finger to help this project. Even if the author wants to leave this agent and find a new agent because the publishing contract has terminated.

In perpetuity means endless, paid for life, for eternity.

Don’t you think that’s asking for a lot from an author? Isn’t it wise to think twice before signing on to that arrangement when there are so many terrific agents who don’t demand this type of concession from an author?

Read the fine print of an agency agreement first. If it’s not clear there, ask the agent about the agency’s policy. Know beforehand if “in perpetuity” is expected and therefore will be in the publisher contract because goodness knows, you don’t want to have that surprise right before you want to sign on that exciting dotted line.

Weigh the pros and cons of it.

And for the record, my agency clause clearly states, “for the full term of this Agreement…” in all applicable areas.

Not “in perpetuity.”

In my mind, if the contract is still in force, I’m doing my job and should get compensated for it. If not, well then, I either needed to get it back under contract to earn some dough or let the author move on.

STATUS: It’s Monday. Mondays are always crazy and sometimes I’m not sure how that happens. It started off simply enough. I had three tasks to accomplish by evening and now it’s 6 p.m. and I’m only halfway through task 2. Some interesting fires happened today. In fun news, I’m guest blogging on another site tomorrow—a completely original entry so you might want to pop over to Romancing The Blog tomorrow for a peek.

Also, Rachel Vater is doing a query workshop over on her blog so if you are in the query process, you might want to pop over there to check it out.

What’s playing on the iPod right now? YOU’RE THE ONLY WOMAN by David Pack

I was a little crazy this year, and I agreed to judge something like 6 or 7 contests. For the most part, contest judging is a lot of fun and if it’s allowed, I often offer a critique or some feedback with the judging sheet. But 6 or 7 contests is probably about 2 or 3 too many because of the time involved.

I’ll be learning to say “NO” a little more often for next year. Big smile here.

So obviously I recently judged a contest and this time, I really liked the winning entry—liked it enough to ask for the full manuscript once the winner was announced. I’ve actually only done this one or twice in the history of my contest judging so it’s rather a big thing (or perhaps it’s only big in my mind…)

Today the contest winner had to send me an email ‘fessing up. It probably took her a week just to get the wording right (and I thought she did a very nice job with it) but ultimately, she had to tell me that she had submitted chapters to the contest for a manuscript she had not finished.

Oops. That’s like querying for a project that only partially exists. It’s all well and good until the agent asks for the full. We have excitement, momentum, we want to read it right now and alas, we must curb our enthusiasm until the manuscript is complete.

A little tip: You never want to put the brakes on an agent’s excitement.

But don’t worry. I’m not going to punish this writer for her lapse or anything. Maybe she had every intention of finishing it and life got in the way. That certainly happens! When the manuscript is ready, she can send it. But there is danger in that. Perhaps the market shifts between now and then and what I was looking for today has changed by the time I see the manuscript. So much is dependent on timing as I’m often tell you blog readers.

So a word of caution to contest submitters. Have the full ready because the request just might happen and you don’t want to be SOL but able to send it ASAP instead.

STATUS: Remember how much I said I value technology and all that? Well, I finally set up the RSS feed. Shuddup. I know I started blogging in January and many of you emailed me to ask that I get it set up. I love technology but I always have to set aside at least an hour to figure it out. See the little icon thingy on the right but it should work.

What’s playing on the iPod right now? MRS. ROBINSON by Simon & Garfunkel

First off, I have to say that I’m not talking about scamming agents with these last few entries. If someone wants you to pay a fee, be it a reading, editing, critique, signing, or what have you, you should have lost that loving feeling even before you began making out a check. And that goes for that whole Sobel Contest scam highlighted by Miss Snark and Galleycat and bunch of other bloggers.

I’m talking about agents with verifiable sales, are legitimate, but aren’t meeting author expectations.

It’s those reasons I want to chat about.

So, here’s the list so far.

#1 Complaint: poor communication
No updates on submission lists
Not returning calls or emails either at all or not in a prompt fashion

#2 Complaint: Not shopping projects
Agents sitting on them for too long a period of time/no feedback
Forgetting them when they are out on submission
Forgetting them altogether and is surprised when the author calls for an update
Sending only to 5 or 6 editors and then giving up

#3 Complaint: Original agent leaving and author being passed to another agent
The new agent doesn’t feel the love

#4 Complaint: Inept submitting of projects
Agents getting the info about the author and project incorrect.
This wasn’t in the comments but I participated in a chat loop this week and an author was pretty steamed that the agent had done a mass submission with hers just one of several client projects sent to an editor.
Not reading the project even before sending

#5 Complaint: Lack of career planning
Agents who basically submit projects but don’t do anything else.

#6 Inability to sell manuscript
All the other complaints are pretty darn valid. This one gives me pause because hey, there have been projects I haven’t been able to sell. No agent can sell everything he or she takes on. Now I have to say my sell-through is pretty darn high but it’s still not 100%.

On the other hand, sometimes I can understand why an author would want to make a change. Maybe a new agent can create what the other agent can’t. I have my blindspots. Maybe a new agent can see what I can’t or maybe the material has become too familiar and a fresh set of eyes is needed.

#7 Complaint: Personality conflict
Agent too cold or distant
Working styles too different

These reasons seem pretty valid to me. My suggestion? When an agent offers representation, ask for the contact info of current clients. Then contact those folks and get the scoop. How does the agent work? What is the communication style? Have there been any hiccups? Any agent drawbacks? Etc.

I’m always happy to forward on the email and phone numbers of current clients (with their permission) who are happy to talk with a potential new client about me.

That’s your best bet for getting the inside info on an agent. Even with this, I’ve heard of agents who were right for one author but so not right for another. It happens.

Happy weekend folks.

STATUS: Some absolutely fabulous news today. I’D TELL YOU I LOVE YOU BUT THEN I’D HAVE TO KILL YOU by Ally Carter has just gone into its third huge printing. I’ll leave it up to Ally if she wants to reveal how many copies are now in print but it’s an impressive number! And today, I also sold the German rights to ONCE UPON STILETTOS. Go Shanna. Do you know she is a bestseller in the Netherlands as well with ENCHANTED, INC.? This book went back to print there last month. They love her in Dutch! Some of her fans even ordered the English version of STILETTOS because they just couldn’t wait for the translation. That’s love.

What’s playing on the iPod right now? NON DIMENTICAR by Natalie Cole

Transitions go in waves—I’m telling you. Lately, every other Pub Lunch has a tidbit about an editor who has left one house to move to a new publisher.

And the agent dance wave is going on as well. In the last two weeks, I’ve received at least three emails from authors looking to leave their agent and are seeking new representation.

So, I have to talk about the reverse. Sometimes authors lose that loving feeling about their agents.

Last month I was perusing a chat forum and I was appalled to read about an author who blamed her agent for not getting enough money in the initial advance (even though, by her own admission, it was the only offer for the book) and she was convinced that that was why the publisher didn’t get behind the book for marketing/publicity (and that the agent didn’t do enough to force the publisher to spend the marketing dollars).

She fired the agent.

Oi, that makes my blood run cold. She blamed the agent for the advance not being big enough on the only offer made and for not forcing the Publisher to spend money. I don’t know any agents who can FORCE the publisher to spend the marketing dollars. What? Should I show up at their offices with a shotgun in hand?

And maybe there is more to the story but in my mind, there are lots of good reasons to fire an agent and the above ain’t one of them.

So, what are good reasons to lose that loving feeling for your agent and move on? You tell me and we’ll list ‘em (and maybe talk about some of them) tomorrow.

STATUS: Sara and I are still chuckling over a query received this morning that was a real gem. It opened with “do I have the balls to take on a real writer.” Uh, well, if you looked at my website you would see that I am a woman. I guess the answer would be no. It got even better. This person reminded me that I should be thankful that I was queried for such a terrific project. Good because I needed the reminder. The writer also used three obscenities in the query—including the “F” word. Honestly folks, I couldn’t make this stuff up.

What’s playing on the iPod right now? NO REPLY AT ALL by Genesis

So, has your agent lost that loving feeling?

Well, if the first round submission didn’t go, then yes, I can tell you truthfully that the agent has probably lost a little of the love for the project. It’s just natural. That doesn’t mean the project is dead or that you should start biting your nails. Lots of projects don’t sell during the first round but do sell in the second (and even in the third). It’s just part of the process. Don’t sweat it.

However, it’s bad when the agent has really lost that loving feeling and isn’t willing to go the distance to try and sell a tough project.

How do you know if that’s the case?

Well first, you can look at the submission numbers. How many editors saw it? For a lot of projects—like literary or women’s fiction, you’ve got about 25 to 30 NYC imprints to exhaust before the bottom of the barrel is reached.

For genre fiction (like romance, mystery, SF&F), the number of imprints with editors who handle it is smaller—like under 15.

Sometimes an agent will go the smaller or university press route but that’s a lot of time for very little money. It really depends on the project. A literary work has a lot of options at the independent but exclusive smaller venues. An agent might be willing to go the submission distance for the prestige rather than the money or because the agent really loves the book and darn it all, it’s going to be placed.

According to a lot of writers I’ve talked to, the next big clue of lost love is when an agent becomes less accessible about communication. There’s more time between email responses. Requests for submission updates are ignored or followed up weeks later. I’m sure the list goes on.

Frustrating I know. What can a writer do?

That’s a tough question because that’s not how I operate but I would suggest that writers become pro-active. Schedule a phone meeting with the agent to discuss the status, the rejections, any strategy, future possibilities, and a definitive time frame for the submission.

One of my authors went out and did her own research, bless her soul, and really found some niche places that I wouldn’t have dug up. We ended up not needing them (as we sold it to a major publisher) but I loved that she stepped up to become a partner in the process rather than a passive participant.

Some agents hate that though so know your agent’s style.

If an agent loses the love halfway through and only has submitted it to a couple of places (or half the possibilities based on your own Publishers Marketplace research), then that’s an even tougher place to be.

If I were the writer, I would find out if the agent has any plans for a further submission. If not, you can take the project back but here’s the rub. Most agents would prefer to take on an unshopped project.

The reason why is obvious. The agent is taking on a project where some of the submission glow has already worn off. Talk about starting in a tougher place as an agent. There isn’t even the initial optimism going into a brand-new submission. The agent has to re-ignite that loving feeling just to get started.

Have I done it? Yes. But I have had mixed results on then finally being able to sell the project. It’s not my favorite thing to do so yes, I’m hesitant but if I feel that initial love, I’ll take a chance.

And a final word, some projects don’t sell—despite heroic efforts on the part of the agent.

The key is knowing whether the effort was heroic (or, at the least, tenacious). Ultimately, a writer might have to accept that the project couldn’t sell and move on.

STATUS: I have a lot of reading to tackle and unfortunately haven’t been able to devote any time to it during the day. Nothing huge going on but a lot of time-consuming and boring “this is what agents do behind the scenes” details to help clients. In fun news, Sara launched our brand spanking new MySpace page if you want to check it out and friend us. It’s just one more way we are trying to get the word out about our YA (and crossover) writers. It’s probably a trend that is like, so over, you know? We’ll see what happens.

What’s playing on the iPod right now? A LITTLE RESPECT by Erasure

The mark of a good agent is an agent who doesn’t give up after the initial submission glow has faded.

Yep, it happens. Agents take on projects because we love them and think they can sell. Invariably, a manuscript will go out on submission and completely flummox us by not selling. By the way, this happens to all agents (except maybe if your name is Binky but let’s not go there).

Does the glow fade some after the initial submission excitement has subsided? Well, you know I’m honest, of course it does. It’s the worst feeling in the world to think, “Gee, did I miss on this one? Why isn’t my taste matching up with everyone else? Have I lost my mojo?”

In reality, sometimes the market timing just isn’t right (and let me tell you timing is everything) and a good project doesn’t sell right away or just doesn’t sell period.

A good agent rolls up her sleeves (or his cuffs) and gets grubby looking for the non obvious choices, the out of the box possibilities, and tries to get that project sold. Despite our best efforts, sometimes it doesn’t happen.

So here’s the reality of the situation from the Agent Kristin perspective (and remember, I don’t speak for all agents):

1. First round submission comes back all NOs. Yes, the glow is definitely off the submission but I don’t just drop the project. I know I’ll move to my second round choice of editors and push forward. This usually happens in pretty quick time—unless an obvious revision per the editors’ comments is needed. (For me, I give editors about 5 weeks to read any submission and get back to me. When the project is hot, it never takes that long before I hear back from an editor. If not hot, most editors will get back to me within that time frame. After the 5-week deadline has passed, then I start my gentle nudging). So, first two submits within a 3-month or so window

2. Second round fails. Oh boy, the glow is really off the project. And yes, it does get regulated to back burner. And I have to be honest; it’s not a first priority for me. Current published clients as well as new submissions take precedence. Perhaps the author needs to revise (first time or some more) and we can go back to some editors that showed some interest. Time to dig deep for the out-of-the-box editor ideas. I don’t give up though.

3. Third round. Most likely a mix of new editors and editors seeing a revised version. Depending on the project (and the genre), we might have exhausted all possibilities as this third round goes out. If it doesn’t sell in this round, it probably won’t. Not to mention, I need to make a living. I really have to start concentrating on what will sell to keep the agency profitable.

4. If it doesn’t sell and I’ve dug deep, I’ll put the nix on the project and urge the author to get started on the next project. I never really give up though. If an opportunity arises out of nowhere or if the market changes, I’ll take it back out. It hasn’t happened to me yet (but then again my agency is only 4 years old so not enough time has elapsed for some trend cycles) but it has happened for Agent friends of mine to sell a project 2 or 3 years after the original submission. It happens. Not often but it can happen.

In the history of my agency, I’ve had the pleasure of selling two great projects that took me over a year to sell.

I feel the greatest triumph for those two. Would I prefer they had sold in 2 seconds? Heck yes but I was pretty darn proud when they sold.

Tomorrow I’ll talk more about how writers can know and understand if their agent has lost that loving feeling or if the agent really has exhausted all possibilities. And also, tips for how writers can handle the “lost submission glow” scenario.