tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post9141391798224960577..comments2024-03-27T08:18:53.376-07:00Comments on JustJoshin Publishing, Inc.: Do You Need an Agent?Josh Lanyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11944091956589831656noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-5709694621720318162018-06-04T06:31:39.006-07:002018-06-04T06:31:39.006-07:00Touche. Outstanding arguments. Keep up the great w...Touche. Outstanding arguments. Keep up the great work.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-37290351145963951532013-03-18T09:26:16.811-07:002013-03-18T09:26:16.811-07:00Thank you, Penelope.
I think a good agent, an age...Thank you, Penelope.<br /><br />I think a good agent, an agent of integrity and experience, will be honest with an author who isn't ready for prime time. <br /><br />Of course, there are more and more agencies that operate as author mills (a product of our digital age) wherein the agent signs a slew of mediocre authors and gets them the exact same ebook deals they could have gotten on their own. :-) The agency survives, maybe even thrives, on their percentage from a quantity of low grade deals. The mediocre authors feel validated by the fact they have "an agent."<br /><br />Is that a win-win? Maybe so. I'm all for people making a living, and I don't think it's doing any one -- or publishing in general -- any harm. <br /><br />Editing. Ah yes.<br /><br />Judging by the reviews I've been reading over the last nine months in Publisher's Weekly...this is more and more an issue. Not simply copyediting, but content editing. <br /><br />Still...the publishers that cut corners are pretty much the usual suspects. Josh Lanyonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11944091956589831656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-58628841246899727352013-03-18T09:11:18.067-07:002013-03-18T09:11:18.067-07:00Very interesting column, Mr. Lanyon.
Finding th...Very interesting column, Mr. Lanyon. <br /><br />Finding the agent who believes in your work, hopefully, reads and enjoys it, plus has the right contacts is crucial. Funny thing, though, I've seen a few people who truly do lack writing skills whine and moan because they can't find and agent who "appreciates" them. <br /><br />Frankly, I would hope that any agent worth his/her salt, would be honest with the writer and tell him/her to go home, re-write, re-write, re-write, and come back later. Though sometimes agents (and editors) just do not see the value of a work because they see only the bottom line. A great example is my friend James Lee Burke who holds the record for publisher turn downs. Lay Down My Sword & Shield was rejected by 113 publishers before he convinces LSU Press to publish. It was nominated for a Pulitzer. <br /><br />As an ol' retired librarian (+ English major), I find I am becoming less and less encouraged by what's out there these days.<br /><br />I've done some editing (non-fiction, which I know is a whole different ball game), but I despair of the lack of editing by some of the major mainstream book houses. <br /><br />I love mystery and suspense, which led me to your work. I also read "all over the place," and I have come to believe that too many publishers are using spell check as their primary editing resource. <br /><br />In addition, it seems many budding writers have little understanding of language or meaning of words. For example, why do so many not know the difference between the words "floor" and "ground?" So often, in describing a fight scene, the writer will say "He was knocked to the ground" when the fight is occurring inside a building. No, "He was knocked to the FLOOR." <br /><br />Silly? Neurotic on my part? I suppose so, but it just seems to me that if an author or publisher is paying an editor, he/she should call those types of errors to the author's attention.<br /><br />Forgive the rant, but I would love for you to address the editing business in a future column, if you haven't already. I've not read all of your columns, but I'm working on it.<br /><br />Keep rockin',<br /><br />Penelopepenelopehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06110221650328923561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-25435464532639992222013-03-17T10:27:29.399-07:002013-03-17T10:27:29.399-07:00This is why authors really, seriously, need to giv...This is why authors really, seriously, need to give some thought to what they want -- where they see themselves in five, ten, twenty years. <br /><br />I am astounded at the number of authors who "just start writing" and then are forever fretting and fuming about the way their career does or doesn't turn out! :-D<br /><br />An agent can be a great help to a writing career -- provided the writer is interested in -- or needs -- the deals a particular agent can make on their behalf. <br /><br />The first step before *ever* contacting an agent is having a clear idea of what you want from that agent. Josh Lanyonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11944091956589831656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1411894864312049426.post-40156144206996223922013-03-17T10:16:59.400-07:002013-03-17T10:16:59.400-07:00So basically, you have to educate yourself about t...So basically, you have to educate yourself about the agent's CV as much as she has to educate herself about you. What good would it do me to get an agent who has contacts at (totally randomly picking these) Penguin, St. Martin's and IDK who else, unless I know beforehand that these publishers are likely to be interested in M/M at any point in the near future?<br /><br />Or, I guess the agent herself would know you were the right fit for her/her publishers? This is all intriguing, because I've never given it serious consideration. Right now, I can't even keep up with the career I've managed to carve out for myself. LOLAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08284781754153035867noreply@blogger.com