Literary Management (AGENTS, YUCK), anyone got an idea?

[jmcb420]

Hey all,

Over the last year of my life, the shit has really hit the fan for me. After a good reality check the week before last, I packed my computer and my cats into my car and drove.

I ended up just outside of Phillidelphia, PA. In a shitty little motel overlooking the freeway. I shut off my cell phone, turned on my computer and began to write.

Long story short, I actually wrote a fucking book sitting inside that shitty little room, and its pretty good, or so I have been told by the two people whom I have let read it.

I would like to get it published, or at least look into getting it published. I have already send an introductory letter to a number of literary agents I found online. And I have been contacted by one of the companys already.

I know nothing about this process, so i'm just going through the motions and doing what I can for the time being. My questions to you are:

1. anyone here ever have something they wrote published?

2. Does anyone here happen to know any literary agents, just by chance?

I know GFY isn't the place for this, but it never hurts to ask. Thanks for your time everyone.

[kane]

I have an agent and development deal with a publisher so I might be able to give you some advice.

1. Research the niche/genre of your book. If it is fiction and you feel it could have a large/wide audience they you will need an agent for sure. If it is non-fiction or something that is geared towards a specific audience then you might be able to approach publishers with out an agent.

2. Real agents don't charge reading fees. If an agent wants to charge you a fee to read your book go somewhere else. Real agents are looking for clients, those that want to charge reading fees are looking to make some money. On that note many agents will suggest you get an editor to help you rewrite the book and make it better. That alone is not a bad thing, but be wary. Some agents have deals with editing companies and they send everyone who submits to them to those companies. If they recommend someone try to find out something about them. You don't want to pay a bunch of money to an editor only to have them not really help you improve the book. Editing should make the book better, not just different.

3. While I haven't used it myself, I know some people who have used a book called Guide to Literary Agents. Here is the Amazon link for the newest edition.
http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Literary...9330418&sr=8-1

It lists a bunch of agents and it also has some great advice about how to go about contacting them.

4. Be prepared for rejection. Most agents will reject you. It doesn't mean you suck, it just means they don't think they can sell your book. They are looking for writers who offer something they feel they can sell. If they read you book and don't think they can sell it, they will reject you. Many of them will give you some advice. Listen to them and take it in.

5. Be prepared for rewrites. If not the agent, most likely the publisher will want at least one rewrite. They will always think it can be better. So if you haven't already, start considering ways to make the book better and get to work on the rewrite. The person that helped me get my agent gave me about 10 pages of notes on things she didn't like about the book and felt I could make better. In the end, of course, she was right and her notes helped me a lot. Criticism might sting, but it is how you grow and get better.

6. Know your market. Everyone is looking for the next something. What mean is agents want to know that you know who the audience for your book is. So make sure you know the niche/genre you are working and know where within that niche/genre you fit. Don't tell them, "It is a wholly original book unlike anything out there today." They don't want that, because that is hard to sell. Instead tell them, "It is a thriller that gives a nod to the classics by Elmore Leonard and James Ellroy, but sinks its teeth into a different vein." Now an agent might say, "Oh, okay I see where this book is and where it could fit in the world." Obviously you would use comparisons for your niche/genre.

7. Be realistic. Agents don't want to hear that you intend to debut on the NY Times best sellers list. They want to know that you have other ideas and plan to one day make a career of this, but that you are a realist and understand it will take a lot of work.

8. Ask other writers. You might contact other writers in your niche and just ask if they have any advice on how to get an agent. Some of them will blow you off, but others will actually respond to you and offer you some advice. Take anything anyone gives you and learn from it. It is a long road, but eventually if the book is good and you have some talent you will find someone good to represent it.

Anyway, I hope that helps some.

[smutnut]

I have/had an agent but it's for screenwriting. I have a couple produced movies that went straight to video, but the agent played little part in anything getting done.

I don't know if publishing is different than motion picture production, but I doubt it. The agents basically are there when you don't really need them.

I have no dispute with what the previous poster just told you though. Just to add something, he actually gave good thourough advice

P.S. in Hollywood agents get you into studios that are WGA registered if they are. I don't know what they do in the publishing world except maybe give you some clout.

[kane]

Originally Posted by smutnut

I have/had an agent but it's for screenwriting. I have a couple produced movies that went straight to video, but the agent played little part in anything getting done.

I don't know if publishing is different than motion picture production, but I doubt it. The agents basically are there when you don't really need them.

I have no dispute with what the previous poster just told you though. Just to add something, he actually gave good thourough advice

P.S. in Hollywood agents get you into studios that are WGA registered if they are. I don't know what they do in the publishing world except maybe give you some clout.

Yeah I got my agent through a movie studio VP, but they are not a screenwriting agent. I had a couple of scripts optioned and a short film made, but decided I didn't like the movie industry and wanted to write a book. With screenwriting, like you say, they basically get you in the door and you do all the work from there. With books it is a little different. Once you have a finished book they find you a publisher. You may end up working with that publisher to do rewrites, but they do much of the work to get the book sold. Once the book comes out though it is pretty much out of the agents hands and in the hands of you and the publisher to get out there and promote it.

An agent doesn't guarantee success by any means, you have to work your ass off to get anywhere.

BTW congrats on the movies. That is more than 99.9% of people will ever achieve in the writing world.

[smutnut]

Originally Posted by kane

Yeah I got my agent through a movie studio VP, but they are not a screenwriting agent. I had a couple of scripts optioned and a short film made, but decided I didn't like the movie industry and wanted to write a book. With screenwriting, like you say, they basically get you in the door and you do all the work from there. With books it is a little different. Once you have a finished book they find you a publisher. You may end up working with that publisher to do rewrites, but they do much of the work to get the book sold. Once the book comes out though it is pretty much out of the agents hands and in the hands of you and the publisher to get out there and promote it.

An agent doesn't guarantee success by any means, you have to work your ass off to get anywhere.

BTW congrats on the movies. That is more than 99.9% of people will ever achieve in the writing world.

I guess I was thinking it's less of a gimmick in prose than screenwriting. You can't fake a novel and I'm not saying you can fake a screenplay, but it definitely involves more people than just you.

Most people can't tell you a good screenplay if it produced and distributed the movie on it's own when you opened it and read fade in even if they personally liked it.

It's hard to disregard a well written novel or even a well written short story. Not that that gaurantees anything, but it's better to be sure of the talent is all I'm saying

Oh, thanks too!

[kane]

Originally Posted by smutnut

I guess I was thinking it's less of a gimmick in prose than screenwriting. You can't fake a novel and I'm not saying you can fake a screenplay, but it definitely involves more people than just you.

Most people can't tell you a good screenplay if it produced and distributed the movie on it's own when you opened it and read fade in even if they personally liked it.

It's hard to disregard a well written novel or even a well written short story. Not that that gaurantees anything, but it's better to be sure of the talent is all I'm saying

Oh, thanks too!

That is true. I have read scripts from movies I really liked and they were very different from the movie. There are so many people involved in the project from the time the script actually makes it to a finished movie that it may turn out nothing like the script and could be better or worse. I think a lot of scripts get sold just on the idea of the movie and not the quality of the script iteself. I you walk in a with a mediocre script, but it is a very good idea they may well buy it then have half a dozen people rewrite it.

With a book, like you say, there is no faking it. You write it and it is either good enough to hold the readers attention or not. You don't have the luxury of having a director, cast, crew, music, special effects and all kinds of other people to help lift you up if it doesn't work.

[jmcb420]

Kane, thanks for the info there, that was a great post and I appreciate your time.