literary primitive has nonresponsive book agent

[franksolich]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=216x6258

Oh my.

One wishes Gloria Swanson, "Tangerine LaBamba" on Skins's island, were still in this time and place to enlighten.

yellerpup  (1000+ posts)        Thu Jul-08-10 09:37 AM
Original message
 
What can I do when my agent doesn't respond?

I signed with her 9-1/2 years ago when I began writing novels. I had three plays published at that time and my writing was strong enough to attract (2) Oscar winning actors. When I submitted my first book, the agent set me up with a star-maker editor in May, 2001. I met the editor over the $200 lunch, during which time I pitched my next project. At the end of lunch it was agreed that I would submit the first 50 pages of the second novel and have it to her by Labor Day and at that time we would make a two-book deal. Quote: "I will have a contract to you by August, September at the latest." I met my deadline, but then there was the WTC attack, anthrax scares, the Bush administration lies and nine months later I was told that "No one wants to hear about the dark side of the American family any more. But, if you have anything onAfghanistan...."

I finished the second book in 2003. It was sent to the same editor in 2004 and she held onto it for a year before losing interest. During this time I literally begged my agent to send it to others as giving the 'star-maker' an exclusive had never worked in my favor. I begged for help because I had a serious health problem that nearly caused me to starve to death before I was operated on in 2007.

Last August, I finished my third novel and it happens to be the one that means the most to me. I considered trying to find a different agent but since the agent I already have is world famous, I knew I would be fu#%ed if I fired her. So, now almost a year later and I've had only two conversations with her. The first conversation was when she told me that she liked the book and in the second all she would tell me is, "we've gotten a couple of noes," and that publishers "are using every excuse in the book not to buy." She has not responded to my emails (3 since last August) requesting an update on my novel's status (and thanking her for the work that she has done on my behalf).

Two weeks ago, I left a message on her answering machine asking her where she's sent it, whether or not she is still sending it out, who said no, and whether she has received any comments that would be helpful to me in rewriting. I might as well be invisible. I suspect she doesn't want to update me because she isn't sending it out, but I don't know that for a fact. Getting a top tier agent is very hard; getting rid of one who isn't performing is scary.

Any suggestions?

Uh.....referring to the boldened sentence, above.

It doesn't make any difference what a piece of writing "means" to the writer.

franksolich has written a lot.  The stuff franksolich wrote that franksolich really liked, no one else liked.  And then the stuff franksolich wrote that franksolich thought was unremarkable, everyone else liked.

A writer is the worst possible judge of his writing.

SheilaT  (1000+ posts)      Fri Jul-09-10 06:54 PM
Response to Original message
 
1. If she's not communicating with you, and doing little or nothing to get your work published, you really, really ought to find another agent. Okay, so she's world famous, but surely there are more than three or four agents in the entire world.

Heck, submit your work to another agent under a different name. Being so scared of the agent that you won't stand up for yourself is hardly in your best interest.

yellerpup  (1000+ posts)        Sat Jul-10-10 09:00 AM
Response to Reply #1

2. Thanks, ShielaT.

I do feel that I have been too passive for too long. I don't know what she's doing to get me published and I am fed up with being ignored. True, there are lots of agents in the world but I'm not sure I want to go to the back of that line again. I put 'the call' in after I posted here and although I'd rather eat dirt than have a confrontation, I know that the relationship is not working and will have to be dissolved. I've never thought of submitting under a pseudonym, though. You are obviously correct that I need to consider my own best interest first and not be such a weakling about it all. I appreciate the advice.

SheilaT  (1000+ posts)      Sat Jul-10-10 09:50 PM
Response to Reply #2
 
3. You're welcome.

I've had some very, very minor (emphasis on the minor) experience with publishing, although never with any agents. And in every aspect of everything I see people terrified to speak up for themselves, which only gives power over to others.

yellerpup  (1000+ posts)        Sun Jul-11-10 10:54 AM
Response to Reply #3
 
4. She is not my first agent and this is not my first experience being disappointed with representation. The last time I spoke up for myself and dissolved a relationship with an agent who had produced nothing for me (after six years) I was slapped down so hard that I couldn't get another agent for a decade, and when I did it was because I had changed disciplines and was writing novels instead of plays. By the way, it was only after landing multiple play productions, placing as a finalist in many national playwriting contests, and being published as a playwright that I was able to attract an agent. For novels, it takes a major agent to get you into the 'bigs' because major publishers do not look at unrepresented manuscripts. I think this is part of the problem. I am positive that there is a publisher out there who would love to have my book, but I'm thinking that the agent has set up an all or nothing scenario where a deal that would be acceptable to me is not nearly fat enough for her.

By the way, franksolich has appointed himself writer's agent for the California piggy primitive and her poems.

The usual 15% commission; franksolich should be drowning in big bucks soon.

[Carl]

It sounds by the OPs posts that she has been "writing" for a couple of decades.
Keep trying but understand that the lack of interest may be with your abilities DUmmy.

[DumbAss Tanker]

The way agency relationships work in the publishing world, which is more or less accurately portrayed in the quotes, it's amazing the sector works at all.  It's a damned miracle that anything original ever makes it through, really, since the publishers don't want to see any unrepresented work, but very few agents are willing to look at anything from an author that hasn't sold something major to a large publisher, which sets up a perfect Catch-22.

On top of that, neither agents nor publishers want to see an isolated magnum opus, they both want to be assured of high production (Which sounds like it may be part of this DUmmie's problem) so they can cash in on success in a continuing stream of product, so bringing them The Great American Novel is fruitless unless the author can promise to deliver another equal novel every six months to a year for six books or so, otherwise they won't touch it.

Though it does explain why so much of what actually gets printed is trendy copycat garbage by a few very highly prolific emos.  

[PatriotGame]

I drew that turtle I found on the inside of a matchbook cover.
Sent it in to the publisher.
Heard nothing...ever!

Continued on with the third grade and thus my life.