Agent, and Dec 15 deadline
Even though I have 4 separate referrals now to publishers, my intuition is to go with an agent.
I've had a couple of referrals to a top, top agent, who doesn't take unsolicited proposals. I was planning just to call when the proposal was ready, but....
This morning during mediation I had the idea to get in touch now, spark some interest, fertilize the soil....
So I called the agent, and we had a 30 minute chat. Apparently she doesn't normally answer the phone, but her assistant was out today. She loved the premise of the book, gave me some advice, and said she'd love to see the proposal.
I'm very excited, and want to do nothing but focus on the proposal for the next two weeks. In the next 2 days I will finish my critical tasks, and get into full motion!
David
Labels: best-selling book
3 Comments:
Great plan to get an agent! All the choices for which rights to keep, payment structure and lots of other details are what agents are VERY good at, and publishers know that. Good luck!
As one who has worked both with and without an agent, I highly urge you to go with a great agent, David.
An agent can negotiate a much better deal for you, can shop the proposal to several publishers at once and get them bidding against one another, knows what contract clauses to watch out for, and only makes good money if she gets a good advance and good contract terms for YOU.
One proviso: Realize that most agents/agencies will expect you to sign a multi-book contract with them. You may want to negotiate that clause a bit.
1. You want to make sure you have great rapport with the agent because they will be representing your interests for years to come. You can't use another agent or agency under the standard contract terms.
2. If you have great rapport with a great agent at a big agency and sign the contract with the agency and then, as happens so frequently in publishing, the agent moves to another agency, you don't get to move with your agent. You stay with the *agency* which will appoint a new agent for you -- with whom you may or may not find great rapport; who may or may not be enthusiastic about you and your kinds of proposals. Better, if you can swing it, to tie yourself to an agent who has a great track record of getting big advances on projects similar to yours, and who thinks you and your proposal are really really hot, rather than tying yourself to an agency that the hot agent who loves you is currently representing.
Tricky to do first time out. But you can do it.
Let me correct something I said:
When you sign the typical multi-book contract with an agent or agency, you essentially are agreeing that they will represent you on future projects. And you are agreeing that they will get paid a percentage of whatever you earn (or are advanced) on future projects.
Earlier I wrote that under that arrangement you cannot use another agent or agency to represent you on a future project.
Not quite true.
You can, but under terms of the first contract, you are still obligated to pay your first agent/agency the percentage cited in the contract with them (typically about 15%).
So if you went with another agent, you basically would be paying out 30% to the two agents (unless you could get them to negotiate a split fee, which occasionally happens under some complex conditions).
Hope that helps,
ken winston caine
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