La importancia de estar unidos: el valor de la amistad y la complicidad

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ach year we visit writers conferences across the country to find out what writers want and need to know. invariably they ask about agents—how to find one, how to work with one, and how to know if an agent is doing a good job. We decided to go straight to the source and asked three well-respected agents to answer these and other frequently asked questions about their roles.

EIlEEN FAllON was an agent with Lowenstein Associates for eight years before estab-lishing her own agency, the Fallon Literary Agency, in the summer of 1990. the agency handles mainstream fiction, mysteries, and romances, as well as a range of nonfiction.

JEFF HERmAN founded the Jeff Herman Agency, inc., in 1985. the agency handles gen-eral nonfiction, business reference, commercial self-help, and computer books and is becoming increasingly active in general fiction. Prior to opening his own agency, Her-man worked in a new York public relations firm and as a publicity associate for Schock-en Books. He is the author of Jeff Herman’s Guide to Book Publishers, Editors, & Literary Agents: Who They Are! What They Want! How to Win Them Over!

EVAN mARSHAll is president of the Evan Marshall Agency, which specializes in books of adult fiction and nonfiction, as well as original screenplays. He was previously an agent for Sterling Lord Literistic, inc., and before that held editorial positions with Dodd, Mead, Everest House, and new American Library. He is also a contributor to Writer’s Digest.

How can new authors increase their chances of attracting an agent’s attention?

EIlEEN FAllON: One attracts an agent’s attention through professionalism, pure and simple. Professionalism encompasses everything from putting your name, return ad-dress, and a daytime phone number on correspondence to spelling the agent’s name correctly (and sending mail to the right address) to just about the most important as-pect—researching the market before you write, through haunting local bookstores and using Writer’s Market or Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market and then contacting an agent who definitely handles the kind of material you are writing. For instance, do not send a science fiction novel to someone who does not represent books in that genre.

JEFF HERmAN: remember the agent is probably being flooded with submissions and that the vast majority of them will be rejected for a variety of reasons. At the same time, most agents are seeking the next jewel. to be that jewel, the writer should avoid the most common disqualifiers. Briefly, here are some basic dos and don’ts:

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Establish contact with a query letter describing the project. Don’t send anything that can’t fit into a #10 envelope unless requested to do so. include an SASE to facilitate a response. Make sure the letter provides a good “sales pitch” and is per-sonalized and professionally written.

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get good, personalized stationery. Have your name turned into an impressive logo.

this will make you look sharp and businesslike.

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Don’t call. Most projects, especially fiction, have to be read for proper assessment. Hear-ing about it on the phone is a poor use of the agent’s time and won’t be appreciated.

EVAN mARSHAll: i look first for evidence that the writer knows the market for which he or she is writing, the conventions of the genre. then i look for writing that is tech-nically well crafted and a story that embodies fresh ideas and plot concepts as well as characters that are interesting and somehow unique. if all these are present, and the writer exhibits a professional manner in the way she corresponds with me and presents material, chances are i’ll be interested.

How important are referrals? any suggestions on how to obtain some?

FAllON: if a writer is referred by someone i know, usually another writer or an editor, i will most likely consider that material sooner than i would that of someone who hasn’t been referred personally to me. But it has no bearing on whether or not i take the mate-rial on for representation. i take on projects i can sell and don’t take on those i can’t.

HERmAN: referrals are invaluable as door-openers. Anytime someone calls or writes and states that they’ve been referred by someone i respect, they get serious attention. it doesn’t mean i’ll represent them, but i will notice them. it also means that the person didn’t just get my name from one of the many public directories of agents.

to get referrals, the writer should talk to or gain access to anyone who has been pub-lished and is using an agent. the writer should join local and national writers’ groups to network and gather information about agents and the industry as a whole.

mARSHAll: A referral is helpful but not vital. Many editors refer writers to me, and i do take special notice of these writers because the editors feel their material is of good qual-ity and right for me. My clients also will refer writers to me and i look carefully at their work too, because obviously i respect the literary judgment of the people i represent.

Please explain agent contracts. What should an author look for in a contract and how long should such a contract be binding?

FAllON: in such a contract, authors should look for a clear spelling out of terms—what the commissions are on both domestic and foreign sales, what fees or deductions (if

any) there are in addition to the commission, a clause telling you how to end the rela-tionship. Contracts call for a variety of lengths of time that they are in effect. i prefer a book-by-book contract; i don’t think you can represent someone who no longer wants to be represented by you, since this is a very personal relationship.

HERmAN: in my opinion, the contract should be brief and easy to read. Some of the basic points that should be addressed include:

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What will the agent represent? Will it only be the work in question? All future works, too? Anything and everything the writer ever writes, including nonbooks?

My personal belief is it should only apply to the works at hand and not be binding regarding anything else.

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What is the agency commission? (10 to 15 percent is normal.) What expenses will the writer be responsible for? (Photocopying, postage, and long-distance calls are often charged back to the author.)

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How and when will the contract terminate? in my opinion, there should be no time limit here. Either party should be able to terminate the agreement at any time upon written notice. However, the agent should be entitled to remain as agent-of-record regarding any deals that were made or any that may result from efforts that were made prior to the termination. in other words, if i submit your work to ten publishers on Monday and on tuesday you fire me, but on Wednesday we receive an offer from one of those ten, i shall be entitled to be the agent-of-record if you enter into an agreement with that publisher or any of the other nine.

mARSHAll: A representation agreement should state the types of material the agent will handle for the writer (books? short stories? screenplays? plays?); the commissions the agent will receive on sales made domestically as well as overseas for the various types of material he will represent; whether the agreement covers a specified period (i have heard of periods of up to five years) or simply continues in effect until either party terminates by letter; how much time the agent has, after notice of termination, to com-plete deals he has begun; and whether the agent may deduct from the author’s monies expenses such as photocopying, messengers, and overseas postage.

How can an author judge how an agent is doing (apart from sales)? What can authors expect from an agent?

FAllON: Authors should expect to be updated about the status of projects; if they are not happy with how frequently their agent gives them status reports, they should let the agent know right away (any problem should be aired as soon as possible).

HERmAN: the way to judge your agent is to request frequent reports about who the work is being submitted to and what the status of those submissions is. You should request to receive copies of all publisher correspondence in response to your work. Even if no sales are resulting, your agent may be making aggressive and appropriate efforts to sell the work. What you need to know is that she is indeed making ongoing efforts to

get a deal and hasn’t forgotten about you. Don’t be a pest, but you are entitled to call at least twice a month for status reports and strategy discussions.

mARSHAll: Apart from sales, an agent should be submitting a client’s material both ag-gressively and judiciously. Beyond this, an author should expect career guidance, which includes editorial feedback based on the agent’s knowledge of the markets and advice as to which projects the author would be wisest to pursue. Finally, the author should expect reasonable communication regarding the status of active projects and prompt remittance of monies the agent receives on the author’s behalf.

What are some of the things writers ask for that they should not expect from an agent?

FAllON: in my experience two things writers should not expect: 1) publicity advice, and 2) their agent to take on unsalable material (once a relationship has been established).

Frequently, a good, competent nonfiction writer, someone who does practical books, wants to work on something more literary—unfortunately, just because one writes good nonfiction, one doesn’t necessarily have the artistic skill to pull off fiction.

HERmAN: Many agents can and do help authors write and revise their manuscripts. But this is a luxury. the writer should not automatically expect this service. After all, they are the writers. Writers should not assume the agent has a lot of time for unproductive chitchat, especially during business hours. Writers should not assume the agent is re-sponsible if the publisher screws up and makes a mistake in marketing or distribution.

in such cases, the agent is also the victim, as may be the editor.

mARSHAll: A writer should not expect constant (for example, daily) communication with her agent, who, after all, must serve a number of clients. A writer should not expect an agent to lend money, make travel arrangements, or publicize a writer’s book. Perhaps most importantly, a writer should not expect an agent to market material the agent does not feel is marketable or to make demands of publishers the agent believes are unreasonable.

What are some of the basic steps you take to market a writer’s work? What happens from the time a writer signs on to the time a contract is negotiated?

FAllON: i keep abreast of the fields i handle and keep my ears open for opportunities. i keep constantly in touch with editors. i look for two things first when examining man-uscripts: 1) i must feel excited about the writing, and 2) i must feel i am knowledgeable about the market for the material. next, based on my knowledge of the market, i work with the writer to shape the material. i must have the very best material to submit. Edi-tors really are overworked, so i must prepare a good package. Just as with a job interview, put your best foot forward and submit a well-prepared package—both in content and mechanical presentation. that is why i spend a lot of my time helping authors reshape the material before presenting it to an editor.

HERmAN: in general, the steps are: 1) Make the proposal or manuscript as perfect as pos-sible. Develop a sales concept and strategy. 2) Discuss the project with several appropriate

editors, and submit it to those who showed significant interest. 3) Make follow-up calls to further massage their interest. 4) if and when an offer is received, call all the others who are still considering it and see if they would like to make an offer. if yes, set a deadline and create a bidding situation, whereby the project will be sold to the highest bidder.

mARSHAll: Once a writer and i have agreed to work together, i go right into the market with his material. Often this means calling or meeting with editors who i believe would like this material. Submission methods vary widely, from the single submission to the auction-with-rounds, and i try to market a book in the most effective way possible for that book. During the marketing process, i try to keep my client informed about where the project has been and how the editors have responded. When an editor (or editors) makes an offer, it is of course my job to negotiate as effectively as possible on behalf of the client, explaining terms and policies as necessary and always offering my advice.

Once a book is sold, it is up to me not only to monitor its progress up to and through publication, but also to pursue subsidiary rights such as television and film rights, se-rial rights, and rights overseas. Later, when royalty statements arrive, i must scrutinize them for accuracy and be ready to explain them to the author.

When should an author and agent part company?

FAllON: When one or the other feels that they are no longer the best partnership in terms of furthering the writer’s career.

HERmAN: the author should leave if he believes the agent is no longer providing reason-able or honest service.

mARSHAll: When an agent has lost enthusiasm for a writer’s work, when a writer has lost faith in an agent’s ability to handle her work, or when any sort of tension has crept into the relationship—these are times when it is probably best for the agent and the author to part.

explain your role as business manager. How does an agent keep track of royalties, etc.?

FAllON: this sort of business duty is handled the same way as in any other business, through a workable system set up by the firm.

HERmAN: Essentially, the agent is the conduit for the author’s due income from the publisher. this money should be turned around within ten business days. in most cases, there’s nothing extraordinary about this role. Sometimes an agent can spot errors and be effective in having them promptly corrected.

mARSHAll: As a writer’s business manager, i handle all the details of the publishing process so that the writer can attend to what she does best—write. it is my job to see that a client’s book is published well and to intercede when it is not. Perhaps, most im-portantly, having an agent allows the writer to keep her relationship with the publisher

“pure,” preventing the awkwardness that can arise when a writer represents herself.

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re you tired of making money from your writing? Do you enjoy waiting months for an editor’s reply? Do you thrive on exceedingly long odds? Do you prefer to pub-lish in magazines that most people haven’t heard of?

i’m only half-joking when i say you should be able to answer “yes” to each of these questions if you want to see your short stories in literary magazines. Consider the cold, hard facts: the majority of literary magazines pay in contributor’s copies or subscrip-tions rather than cash, and those that do pay cash sometimes offer as little as five dollars per story. it’s not unusual to wait six months for a reply on a submission. At many maga-zines, more than 99 percent of all manuscripts are rejected. And if you do manage to get published in a top quarterly—say Epoch or The Southern Review—don’t expect your family or coworkers to be impressed. Expect them to say, “that’s nice. Could you pass the salt?”

Of course, none of this discourages thousands of short story writers from submit-ting their work to literary magazines each year. these so-called “little magazines” per-form an important, if unsung, role in the world of letters. in addition to providing a home for cutting-edge fiction that mainstream magazines won’t publish, literary maga-zines are a proving ground for new writers. Your mother or boss may not read them but agents and book editors do, and many of today’s serious writers—the authors who’ve won Pulitzer Prizes and national Book Awards—got their start in modest quarterlies.

But the real, practical reason that writers submit short stories to literary magazines is because they have few options. these days, only a handful of major magazines still publish literary fiction regularly. the sad truth is that there is little demand for short stories—especially literary short stories—outside the realm of little magazines.

In document LA ACCIÓN COLECTIVA JUVENIL: ESCENARIO DE FORMACIÓN PARA EL EJERCICIO DE LA CIUDADANÍA (página 157-161)