mwa annapolis chapter october meeting discussion
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MWA Annapolis Chapter October Meeting Discussion. Agents and ePublishing … How do Literary Agents fit into the brave new world of ePublishing ? More importantly: Do You Need One?. What is an agent?. 1. 3. 2. Author. Publisher. AGENT. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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MWA Annapolis Chapter October Meeting Discussion
Agents and ePublishing… How do Literary Agents fit into the brave new world of ePublishing? More importantly:
Do You Need One?
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What is an agent?
The agent is a middleman between authors and publishers.
1Author
2AGENT
3Publisher
Submission quantity LOWSubmission quality HIGH
Being one of a few ups visibilitySlushpile
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What does the agent do?• Edit and polish• Identify viable markets• Choose potential publishers• Approach and sell• Negotiate• Sell additional rights (foreign rights/film rights/audio)• Champion an author’s work in the marketplace
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Do all authors need one?
Maybe Not.
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What is your goal?
If your goal is to submit your book for consideration to one of the BIG SIX FIVE publishing houses, then yes…you need an agent.
• Simon and Schuster• HarperCollins• Macmillan• Penguin Random House
• Hachette
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But even if that is your goal…
You still might not need an agent.
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Some examples to consider:
• Amanda Hocking signed a four-book deal with St. Martin’s Press (Macmillan) valued at over $2M.
• Hugh Howey signed a six-figure print only deal with Simon and Schuster.
• E.L. James signed a six-figure deal with Random House.• Colleen Hoover signed a deal with Simon and Schuster
that allows her to continue self-publishing.
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HOW DO AGENTED AUTHORS FEEL ABOUT SELF-PUBLISHING?
Is a “hybrid” career feasible?
• Laurelin Paige• Shalee MacArthur• Suzanne Van Rooyen
• PK Hrezo
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Do you need an agent to: Publish a book and hold it in your hand?Sell your book to a publisher and let them do the cover design,
marketing and promotion?Make money on your book?Get inquiries about foreign and film rights?
Remember your goals… They determine YOUR path.
No.
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HOW DO AGENTS FEEL ABOUT SELF-PUBLISHING?
It depends on the agent…
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Argo Navis – “agent-curated self-publishing”- Distribution- 30%- Other services? – cover design, editing, formatting…at a premium
Agents – and clients – are still figuring out where agents fit.
One approach – taking the “self” out of self-publishing…
And that’s BEFORE the agent’s 15%...
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Agent-assisted self-publishing: agents upload files in their own name, take their 15%, manage the account. In many cases, authors still pay for editing, cover design, etc. And if the author leaves the agent, they need to upload again, assigning a new ASIN to the book.
Agents – and clients – are still figuring out where agents fit.
A variation on the theme…
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What do agents have to say?
• Jayne Dystel of Dystel & Goderich Literary Management on her biggest challenge acquiring new authors: “That we can help them do better than they’re doing themselves – and that is a huge challenge because many of these self-published authors are doing phenomenally well.”
• Agent Clare Alexander on a panel at Bookseller’s FutureBook 2012 Conference stated that it was wrong for agents to take a cut of self-published work (and other agents on the panel agreed).
• Neil Blair on what role agents will play in the future: “…hard to find a word that doesn’t have manager in it…I think the author is going to want help, and to be hand-held…to provide advice and services in lots of different areas…”
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If you DO need an agent, how do you get one?
• Go to www.agentquery.com. • Attend conferences that offer pitch slams.• Study the market – see what agents are repping what authors/deals.• Learn to write a proper query (check out http://queryshark.blogspot.com
)
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THANKS! QUESTIONS?
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