Authors' Thread (New! Improved! Now With 10% More Questions!)

Re: Authors' Thread

Mr. Bastard is exactly right -- the publisher will send the check to the agent, who will then pass on a slightly reduced check to you. He's right about everything else, too.

That reading story is gold, by the way.

Also, I changed a line in my original post about David Black's client list (Albom and Larson and so on.) I re-read it and it sounded like bragging. Not what I meant -- just a little background on who he is, is what I meant.

Anyway, it's now a little shout out to slappy.

 

Re: Authors' Thread

About the pit bull thing....absolutely right. You need to preserve your relationship with your editor and the rest of the publishing house, so when your check is still not here, and your galleys went out with humiliating typos, and the publicist tells you it's no big deal to drive from Houston to New Orleans for an interview, the map makes it look really close....you call your agent.

It's a partnership, and if it doesn't feel that way to you, you have the wrong agent.

 

Re: Authors' Thread

swenk is starting to sound like a pretty good agent to me.

 

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Sure, where were you seven years ago??

 

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Getting fucked in the ass in Toronto.

 

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Well, we don't handle that at our agency.

 

Re: Authors' Thread



One more thing: What Jones wrote about the six-week window is one of the harshest and sickest realities of the business. The book is barely out, and it's over. And everywhere you go, people are still asking, "Hey, when's the book coming out?" And you try to sound chipper and hopeful when you say, "Just came out, doing pretty well!"

Publishers react...they don't act. If your book is showing action and buzz and headlines and some chaos, they'll get behind it and push a little harder. Rarely does it happen the other way around.

And when you get that letter asking if you want some books for $2 before they get sold for mattress stuffing, write the biggest check you can, and buy as many as you can fit in your house/garage/attic. When they're gone, they're really gone.

 

Re: Authors' Thread

Hey Jones,

Besides honesty and integrity, what held you back from spending a week to write a book to fulfill your first contract?

 

Re: Authors' Thread

Honesty and integrity nothing, Lyric. I floated that idea. I was actually going to write a bunch of haikus about how much I hated everybody involved, roll it around a good shit, and stick it in an envelope. Second book, presto.

Had it really gone bad, I might have done that. As it stands, Anansi did relinquish their world rights. It cost me a bit, but ultimately, it was a good agreement. It was my fault for signing the deal in the first place. And Anansi has done right with this book. So it's all worked out.

Believe me, though, there were times I thought a hammer and grenades were going to be the only way out.

And swenk -- that's true about the old books, unless you want them disappeared. It's the 991 copies that are out there I'm worried about.

 

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I'll send you the one I bought for $2 on eBay. That's 990.

(Great thread, as always kids.)

 

Re: Authors' Thread

I could see an entire script being written around the above exchange - it's gold, Jerry! Gold!

 

Re: Authors' Thread

This thread has taken an alarming turn.