Agents

Too many writers have a great nonfiction book idea but don't know how to pitch the book to an agent. A special one-day-only sale at mediabistro.com can help you write that pitch and meet an agent.

Today (October 30) only, you can get 30 percent off all multi-week courses when you sign up using promo code SAVE30 while submitting payment. You can use that discount to get book pitching ideas straight from an agent. The Nonfiction Book Proposal class is held in New York, starting November 5. This course is taught by Mollie Glick (pictured) from Foundry Literary + Media.

If your work or life schedule won't permit classroom visits, mediabistro.com will also offer a Nonfiction Book Proposal online, starting November 18. Here's more about Glick's course: There is a basic formula for nonfiction book proposals and when broken down into parts, this formula can be easy to learn. By workshop's end, you'll be armed with a fully realized proposal that you can take to agents and start selling your book."

The East/West Literary Agency hired former Ingram Book Company lead book buyer Mary Grey James as a partner literary agent yesterday.

James (pictured, via) has spent more than 30 years in publishing, managing children's and adult titles at Ingram, working as national accounts manager at Harcourt, and serving as vice president/president elect of the Women's National Book Association. She will represent adults and children's books, with a special focus on southern writers.

Here's more from James, quoted in the release: "Joining East/West Literary Agency is a culmination of my years in the publishing world, bringing together my love of books, my desire to see talented authors and illustrators succeed, and my pleasure in working with gifted people devoted to books."

Break ups are messy, whether you're dealing with marriage break ups or business relationships. Such is the case with an agent-writer relationship. Somehow something went awry, the writer and agent were not on the same page, the writer had unrealistic expectations or perhaps the agent simply wanted to grab the writer before anyone else did and then sat on the writer to squash the competition from their existing client (rare, but it does happen).

In either case, how would a writer separate from an agent in a way that would be amicable and not burn any bridges. The agent you may despise now, for whatever reason, may become a friend and helpful colleague in the near future.

We asked two literary agents about the best way to handle such an issue.

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We last examined why it is that agents don't return phone calls. But
another question remains: What can authors do to make themselves more
pleasing to agents?

We spoke with agent Paul Cirone with the Friedrich Agency who
explained there is no excuse for an agent not to return a client's
call. "If your agent isn't calling you back, it's not the client
that has to change. I think the agent has the issue. If a writer who is signed on with an agent isn't getting their calls returned, they need to examine that relationship."

He went on to disclose, "Every client I work with I've signed on for a reason. Namely, I believe in their work. If the agent you are working with is not working with you, that's something to look at."

But what can a writer do if they feel they are being neglected? In our next report we will discuss key tips on how to turn such a situation around in your favor.

Recently, an author on Absolute Water Cooler commented, "The lack of
calls from my agent has gotten me really frustrated. It is making lose faith in the entire system of publishing my book!"

That is one of the most heard complaints from writers. But, should
writers be satisfied and just grateful that they even have an agent?
Or, do they have a legitimate cause for concern?

We talked with former agent turned manager (who will go unnamed) who told us point blank, "We don't call you back if you aren't producing, if you aren't making us enough money. We have many clients and if you simply aren't producing, you aren't going to be a priority. It's the business."

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The universe is filled with questions. And each sub-universe carries
their set of questions. In the world of published (or more accurately agented writers), there seems to be one question that plagues their minds. That question is, "Why doesn't my agent return my phone calls?" To them it is akin to "What is the
purpose of life?"

Writers wait. Waiting builds frustration. Soon, enough waiting means
more frustration and it begins to build and heat up into a slow
simmer. After months and months of playing telephone tag, this simmer
explodes into a pot of hot boiling water, splashing everywhere as the
author becomes infuriated and joins other bitter writers in spreading
their discontent and frustration. Don't believe me? Check out Absolute Water Cooler, an online forum group dedicated to dissecting agents.

Why are some agents notorious for not returning calls? Are they really that busy? Or is there another, perhaps more profound reason that writers just don't know about? We posed this question to a number of literary agents and came up with some interesting responses. Stay tuned to find out.

As the publishing industry undergoes economic changes and lay-offs, a growing number of former editors from major publishing houses have taken their love for guiding and developing writing talent to another level; they have become literary agents.

Because successful literary agents must possess an understanding of the publishing world while they maintain relationships within the industry, former editors can easily transition into the world of agents. At first glance, this seems like a well-suited trade off, especially for authors. Authors are represented by professionals who understand what editors are truly looking and, more importantly, who know how to navigate through the red tape of an acquisition team and get the green-light on a project. Editors who have a love for developing talent are able to take a more hands on approach on projects rather than running manuscripts through an assembly line with little time to make an otherwise good project great.

However, while some literary agents are shrugging off this trend, others see these new agents as competition for an already crowded marketplace. What do you think? Is it a good idea for editors to transition into literary agents or is it causing more problems for the already struggling publishing industry?

This week's installment of the mediabistro.com "Pitching an Agent" series touches back with The Lisa Ekus Group, which prides itself on nearly a decade of "working with a wide variety of new and established authors to bring some of the best new culinary books into the marketplace." Clients include "BBQ Queens" Karen Adler and Judith Fertig, "Real Foods" diva Sherri Brooks Vinton, and beermeister Bob Skilnick. Ekus (right) and her staff also offer PR and media training services, and will also do consultations for aspiring culinary experts. Half of her client list consists of new writers, but be warned: She accepts maybe 10 percent of the unsolicited proposals she receives.

This article is one of several mediabistro.com features exclusively available to AvantGuild subscribers. If you're not a member yet, you can register for $55 a year, and start reading those articles, receive discounts on mediabistro.com seminars and workshops, and get all sorts of other swell bonuses.

Nearly four months ago, publishing industry veteran Rob Weisbach launched his own management agency, promising "an overall strategic plan for self-promotion, long-term financial stability and a sustained creative life in the arts" for clients in addition to literary representation. Today, Rob Weisbach Creative Management announced three new hires to help fulfill that mission statement.

David Groff (top), a former senior editor at Crown, will scout fiction and nonfiction writers, along with continuing the editorial consulting practice he's long been conducting on his own. Erin-Cox (center) will, in addition to her agenting work, develop publicity and promotion services; she was a publicist at Scribner and then the Book Publishing Director for The New Yorker. And Jake Bauman brings expertise on the film and television industries to the table—he's worked for production companies based at major studios like Dreamworks and Sony.

"“I’ve always admired the work of Erin, David, and Jake," Weisbach says in a press release announcing the group hire. "Each brings to the company distinct expertise—in promotion, editorial, and dramatic development. At the same time, they share several qualities invaluable to the business: a seasoned eye for identifying and positioning talent; a skill for nurturing artists and their work; and a
palpable entrepreneurial drive."

(all photos from Facebook)

In this week's installment of mediabistro.com's "Pitching an Agent" series, Roberta Brown reveals how she created the Brown Literary Agency in the mid-1990s because her friends were having trouble landing literary representation and she was convinced their books could sell. She proved herself right, and now she's got 42 clients who've all gotten successful book deals, many of them working various fields of the romance market. Before you start sending Brown your manuscript, though, be advised that she takes on maybe one out of a thousand submissions.

This article is one of several mediabistro.com features exclusively available to AvantGuild subscribers. If you're not a member yet, you can register for $55 a year, and start reading those articles, receive discounts on mediabistro.com seminars and workshops, and get all sorts of other swell bonuses.