Agents are arguably the most powerful individuals in the publishing industry. For writers, choosing the right agent for can mean the difference between not getting published at all and getting a seven-figure advance that is the talk of the literary world.John F. Baker, the editorial director of Publishers Weekly, introduces aspiring authors to the world of agents: how they operate, who they choose to represent, what areas they specialize in, what they think of publishing today, what writers can do to get themselves noticed, and much much more. From the famous to the infamous, A Writer's Guide to the Top Literary Agents gives readers the inside story of some of the most respected and influential names in the business today, from Georges Borchardt and Sandra Dijkstra to John Brockman and Molly Friedrich. It helps writers learn the role of agents, understand their importance in book publishing, and identify the characteristics of a good agent/author relationship. No other book gives the in-depth look at agents that this book does.
In these days of high-stakes publishing mergers and acquisitions, it is the literary agents, not the editors, who seem to be having all the fun. It used to be editors who discovered and nurtured new writers, edited their books, and helped map out their careers; now, as editors have less and less control over their lists and ever-increasing bottom-line pressures, these pleasures fall to the agent. For Literary Agents: A Writer's Introduction, Publishers Weekly editorial director John F. Baker has compiled 44 profiles of agents, many of whom moved to agenting from publishing and editing specifically because they craved closer contact with authors. While editors have to answer to both writers and publishers, says agent Dominick Abel, "I wanted to be answerable to authors alone." Unlike agents, adds Loretta Barrett, "editors these days are often powerless on their [authors'] behalf."
"The fundamental sea-change in publishing in recent years," says Michael Larsen (Literary Agents: What They Do and How They Do It), "is that it has gone from being an editorially driven business to a market-driven one." This means that the types of books being published have changed, as have the types of chances publishers are willing to take. "I once believed all books worth publishing would find a home," says Joy Harris, who represents Whitney Otto and Mark Singer. "I no longer think that's true." Publishing houses, says Barney Karpfinger (Jonathan Kellerman, Michael Winerip), "are far less willing than they used to be to take leaps of faith."
There is hope, though, mostly in the form, according to Carol Mann (Robert Jastrow, Paul Auster), "of small press publishing and the fact that university presses are broadening their coverage." And most agents, unlike most editors, are still willing to wade through the slush pile, though very few, admittedly, add to their lists many writers who don't come with some form of recommendation or invitation. Literary Agents provides a nice sense of the agent's life, as well as a rare glimpse into the minds of a good number of individual agents. The profiles are a bit formulaic--most start with a brief physical description of their subjects, moving on through a discussion of background history and client lists to end with a (usually pessimistic) comment on the state of publishing--but there is much to be gleaned here, nonetheless. --Jane Steinberg
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Meet Literary Agents:
Find out what literary agents are looking for. Get to know a little bit about specific literary agents.
Solid Agent Background and Insight for Any Writer:
Almost anyone can hang out a shingle with the title "literary agent." How can the writer tell the legitimate agents from the vultures who prey on new writers? Often publishers are overwhelmed with submissions and with the ever-changing market and movement of editors from one house to another, agents play an increasing role in the marketplace. As Baker writes, "Agents, unlike authors or even editors and publishers, are seldom interviewed, and much of the material in this book is therefore unique. It is... more info
Once Over, If Not Lightly...:
I seized upon John Baker's book LITERARY AGENTS in what I thought was quarter to midnight in my writing life.
H.Y., the agent I had signed with from a Washington D.C. based literary agency with what I had been told was a solid reputation, had failed to sell my first novel, LIKE DISTANT CITIES BURNING-- and had, in fact, lied to me and to a television audience on Book TV about his experience in selling fiction.
He had, as it turned out, none. And with the disgrace of that disclosure looming, H.... more info
DISAPPOINTING:
Not all books about literary agents are equal. This book is one of them and was a very disappointing resource. Up front you are told that "in depth" interviews are featured with the people who make it happen. I failed to find any in depth interviews but instead brief surveys of how each agent got started, their client list, their complaints and concerns regarding the publishing industry and the editors. All the above is great for nice chitter chatter but for those who have written a work and are looking for... more info
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