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Aspiring Writers Info: Transitioning into the New Era: Agents
I have been privately wrestling with the question of how to ask my agent how he's doing with negotiating rights on e-books, end of contract, etc. It's been fifteen years since he's done a contract for me. I was even thinking about asking the intrepid Kris Rusch about doing a post on "reconnecting with your agent" for those of us who have been trapped in Life, Interrupted for a few years.
Of course Kris has already touched on that subject here. This is part of her series on surviving the transition into the new publishing era. This isn't her most recent post, but what I needed to know is here, and I found her thoughts and specifics calming, because they confirmed my suspicions and gave me some simple game plans for the future.
I am also immediately going to buy a copy of her revised book The Freelancer's Survival Guide and her book Surviving the Transition. I will not be disappointed in these books -- I've merely held off because I'm supposed to be writing fiction, not sucked into reading the business info.
Once I taught mini-seminars on what to look for in contracts. Now, I'd rather get back into fiction and let Kris educate me with all she's learned in her years of running her own business.
Think this is all confusing and scary as Hell?
Correct.
Of course Kris has already touched on that subject here. This is part of her series on surviving the transition into the new publishing era. This isn't her most recent post, but what I needed to know is here, and I found her thoughts and specifics calming, because they confirmed my suspicions and gave me some simple game plans for the future.
I am also immediately going to buy a copy of her revised book The Freelancer's Survival Guide and her book Surviving the Transition. I will not be disappointed in these books -- I've merely held off because I'm supposed to be writing fiction, not sucked into reading the business info.
Once I taught mini-seminars on what to look for in contracts. Now, I'd rather get back into fiction and let Kris educate me with all she's learned in her years of running her own business.
Think this is all confusing and scary as Hell?
Correct.
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Dragonfly Wellness has classroom space & you have a metric tonne of knowledge on the new publishing world, which more or less *everyone* wants to know about, so many people want to strike it rich with their own little novel or how-to book, so there's potential audience. And qhat questions you can't already answer, you can write down & add to the next class's knowledge base.
Think: short evening & weekend courses so that people who aren't able to commit to the author lifestyle can still add to their know-how.
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As scary as it is, this new publishing landscape is full of opportunity for the smart author. The hard part for many is breaking the imprinting on agent-publisher-print deal and realizing that there are many and for most of us far better options elsewhere. I see what amounts to Stockholm syndrome among authors who steadfastly refuse to admit or accept that it's not 1992 any more. Their favorite line, which makes me gnash my teeth, is, "But it's alllllways been 'bad' out there! It's just the same as it ever was! Nothing has changed! Nothing at all!"
And if they're lucky enough to still have decent contracts, that's true...until it stops being true. And then they'll be all shocked and scared and horrified and betrayed, and if they haven't been smart, they'll also be rather thoroughly screwed, having sold away rights they should have kept.
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I've been with this agent since 1997. Our agreement dates from that time and predates the predatory rights grabs Kris talks about it. If someone wanted to sign on with him (if he would take them; his lists are, technically, full), then one would want to know if his agreement has changed. I don't do referrals anyway; got some bad burns in my younger days, when I was still learning to distinguish between friends and "friends."
He has not entered the e-publishing business. He and his contracts assistant just dealt with some very predatory e-pub terms from a major publisher that wants to grabby-grab-grab, and got a new and more advantageous deal for his clients (including me) who have contracts with that publisher. He has encouraged me to go indie (for which he gets zero commission) with projects he is fond of but can't sell in this market.
It pays to be watchful and not to sign anything before reading it very very carefully first, ever, and of course he's working for himself first and foremost (and if it comes down to him versus me, he'll take himself--but so would I if the situation were reversed), but with those caveats, I am satisfied that he's one of the good ones--for me. Others' mileage may vary.
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Sometimes there are drawbacks to being a caffeine-based life form.
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Right now the question is, do I give my agent a chance to land a contract, or do I just bypass him and try Internet? If Hollywood comes knocking, I'd want him on my side -- if he's on my side. Maybe for foreign rights. Otherwise...confused, here!
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If I ever finish the novel I'm writing with a friend, it will go to the agent first. Then we'll see.
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My hopeful side has a Conga Rat support team!