A Meerkat's Bolthole

 http://www.kameronhurley.com/dealno-deal-writers-arent-totally-stupid/ …  

 At the end of last year, I made a very difficult, painful decision, and ended my association* with my agency of a decade+.

I'm pleased today to say that I will now be represented by Joe Monti, of the Barry Goldblatt Literary Agency. And yes, both he and Barry are fully aware of what they're getting into, and seem to be looking forward to it. :-D

-------------
commentary

I know that it's popular now for writers to decide to go sans agent, and handle their affairs on their own, or with a lawyer's assist (especially if they've been burned in the past). I'd never say "don't do that" because for many people that is the right decision. But not for me. 

Ironic, perhaps, since my previous career as an editor gave me the skills to go solo (I have no fear of negotiations, contracts or paperwork). But gaining those skills also made me aware of how much time and energy they eat up, especially when things drag out, or details (and people) need to be tracked down and brought back to order.  Over the long haul, that time and energy adds up, and leeches away from the writing.  Having a business partner who handles all that, promptly and professionally and with an eye toward my best interests, so I don't have stress over it?  Makes financial and emotional sense to me. 

Plus, I really appreciate someone acting as a pro-level sounding board for projects, gently poking at the holes and commenting on the elements that could be stronger, while thinking not only of the story but potential markets/editors for that story.  AND that person talks me down off the occasional writerly ledge?

For me, a good agent** is worth 15% of my income. For you, for whatever reasons, it may not.

So when you hear people saying "you need an agent" or "you're better off without an agent," don't think about what THEY say.  Think about what YOU want, and need.



* she's a wonderful person, we just weren't a good fit any more
**a bad agent - by which I mean one that is fraudulent, not giving good advice, or simply isn't listening to you, is NOT worth it.  At any percentage.

-- I was attacked by a nap monster! But awake now and revving up again. Three things to share with you:

-It looks like Blood From Stone got my usual 4 star rating from RT, bless them. Anyone got the actual print review? And fashionista_35 to the rescue, as usual:

"Gilman's sixth -- and hopefully not final! -- Retrievers novel is of a piece with the others -- paced at breakneck speed, compulsively readable and with a believable story. Wren continues to be a compelling protagonist, and her relationship with Sergei is as steady and as sure as her magic." Woot! and emphasis mine, natch.


-"Growls Garden" is surprisingly good to edit with. And now people who thought they knew my musical taste are going "Growls Garden? Clark? Gilman? WTF?" *laugh* My tastes, they are eclectic. Yes. The soundtrack for "Mustang" though is totally Chris Isaak, and the Bonnie books demand smooth jazz, while the Vineart books tend to veer from trance to opera. No, I don't know why, either.

-- And now, the Essential Mockery Moment:

In my spam filter this weekend, an e-mail from one Dr. Michael J. Duckett with the subject header "Make big money writing books."

( Okay, you guys KNOW I HAD to click on that, just for the inevitable amusement factor. )


And yes, this has already been forwarded to Writer Beware, I suspect by a LOT of people.

I really, really like this guy:

(commenting on how many of the confirmed layoffs @HarperCollins had come from editorial) "It seems that the people responsible for 'sales' of our books should be just as accountable as the people who purchase them," he observed. "After all, if you can't find a book in a bookstore to buy, whose fault is that? The author, the publisher, or the sales rep who couldn't get it merchandised and stocked correctly?" - Stephen Viscusi, himself an HC author, of, ironically, Bulletproof Your Job

(via GalleyCat)


Yeah, I know salespeople get laid off too, don't throw things at me. But having been through a few purges in my time, and seen more at a remove, I have to say that the attitude of Corporate during layoffs always seems to be "well, we don't need so many editors, the survivors can just do more work*" but the sales force is like the mafia -- protected.



*I have never, ever, ever met an editor who was not already overloaded with projects. Ever.

Bargain Hunting for Books, and Feeling Sheepish About It

"For readers and collectors, these resellers, as they are called, offer a great service. Lost in the hand-wringing over the state of the book industry is the fact that this is a golden age for those in love with old-fashioned printed volumes: more books are available for less effort and less money than ever before. A book search engine like ViaLibri.net can knit together 20,000 booksellers around the world offering tens of millions of nearly new, used or rare books.

One consequence has been to change the calculations involved in buying a book. Given the price, do I really want to read this? Now it’s become both an economic and a moral issue? How much do I want to pay, and where do I want that money to go? To my local community via a bookstore? To the publisher? To the author?

In theory, I want to support all of these fine folks. In practice, I decide to save a buck."


EtA: just to clarify, y'all do understand that the above is from the article, and not my own words? I didn't bring the world "moral" into it....




Comments?

and more to the publishing industry: this

At Random House, it was clear that saving the imprints was key. Markus Dohle talked about aligning “existing strengths and publishing affinities” and how this imprint or that will be better, stronger, safer. As if that matters. Who really cares if Crown or Knopf or Ballantine or Bantam Dell survives? I’m serious. Who. Cares.

No really, who cares if these groups are retaining editorial independence while combining strengths? Is that really going to change the business dynamic, or is it just focusing on the wrong problem?


Speaking as someone who still has a (thankfully fading) emotional attachement to the imprint she used to run, I understand the insider's view of imprints -- it's your baby, your identity, your chance to say "this is what I think is good." And in a perfect world it would be a useful and understood brand. But that's a lot easier to do in specialized genres (DAW, Baen, Nocturne, etc). For general fiction? Not so much. Not much at all, in fact.


Y'know, it's a very weird thing, being an insider-trained writer. I'm never quite sure if I'm a Christian or a Lion.

In case you were wondering how the banking and consumer credit crunch played out in 'real life':

GalleyCat has received a copy of a "special alert" sent from a major book distributor specializing in independent publishers to its clients, warning them that Borders, whose financial difficulties are widely recognized, "now tell us that they will not be paying us for two months due to anticipated excessive returns," a situation the company views with understandable concern. This distributor "typically carries receivables of approximately two million dollars with Borders," the memo continues. "A default of that amount would by no means put [us] out of business, but it would be painful, weaken the short-term health of the company, and would mean we would have to defer some of our plans for future growth."....

The memo emphasizes, however, that this distributor does not actually recommend that any of its clients start denying Borders their titles:

"Borders has been paying [us], they are reported to have cash on hand and access to credit in the future, and the last thing anyone wants is to have only one giant chain in the retail book market. Borders may prosper, and even in the worst case, given [our] uniquely flexible policy, the value of your inventory would be preserved."

more at: http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/bookselling/major_distributor_raises_concerns_over_borders_99936.asp?c=rss

Have spoken with C at the Publisher of Late Payments. We have been cordial and understanding of each others' positions (she was Not In Office for several weeks, and is only now catching up, says she). She is aware that nobody's been paid, and is working with accounts payable to get this resolved. C. is also the woman who got me my actual copies of the books, so I know that she does respond to contractual obligations.

She has my phone # and my e-mail, and promised to let me know the results of her conversations today.

Updates as they happen.

HARD MAGIC is off to Madame Editrix. So now I get to not think about it (hah) for a month or so.

Now I get to play in an alternate 15th century full-time. Wheee!



And some 21st century life intruding, because not all of you read the WSJ...

"At a time when scores of companies are freezing pensions for their workers, some are quietly converting their pension plans into resources to finance their executives' retirement benefits and pay.

In recent years, companies from Intel Corp. to CenturyTel Inc. collectively have moved hundreds of millions of dollars of obligations for executive benefits into rank-and-file pension plans. This lets companies capture tax breaks intended for pensions of regular workers and use them to pay for executives' supplemental benefits and compensation....Generally, only the executives are aware this is being done. Benefits consultants have advised companies to keep quiet to avoid an employee backlash."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121761989739205497.html

Uh-huh. If you work for a corp? Might want to poke around in your company's books... (and if you've got a Union? Use it. This is what you're paying those dues for!)

Well, sort of. More business-of-writing than the actual writing. Occasionally I get the urge to talk about things polite folk don't mention. Like, oh, money. But for anyone who is wanting or planning or being a freelancer, money takes up a considerable amount of thought, enjoyable or not. My advice, from observation and experience, is as follows.

LAG's Basic [and Updated] Rules for Going Freelance, specific to novelists:

1. Be under contract for at least two books in the next 18 months, for more than $10,000 a book. Twice that, if you have no other source of income (other freelancing skills, an income-producing partner, rental properties etc).
2. Have no continuing debt beyond your mortgage, and get that sucker as paid-down as possible (trebly true, these days).
3. Have four-six months of rent/utilities set aside at all times, so you don't have to panic about the day after tomorrow.
4. Maintain a year's worth of living expenses in your security/emergency account. And by that I mean money that is earmarked for NOTHING except all your contracts being canceled and your not being able to find another job for six months or more.
5. Be willing and able to cheerfully pick up another job on the side (my personal rule is, if my predicted monies fall below a specific yearly amount, it's time for a part-time job. End of discussion and start looking.)
6. Live reasonably. Note I don't say cheaply, but reasonably. Don't try to keep up with the Joneses -- pick and choose what is important to you, and let the rest go without bitterness -- nobody forced you into this life. For me, living out somewhere else would mean a larger place, and more disposable income. But emotionally and mentally I would suffer. So what's the money worth, then? Likewise, someone who needs sunshine and warmth should not go live somewhere with 8 months of winter, just to save a few thousand dollars a year. And if you NEED the latest tech gadgets, expensive cars, and Big Nights out? You're probably not going to be happy as a freelancer anywhere, unless you land the dream gig for life.

But most of all, really truly and seriously, you should not be a freelancer if you can't a) make and stick to a financial plan and b) be prepared for the plan to go pear-shaped.

Case in point to illustrate, and show why this is on my mind: I'd estimated $15,000 in contract money (as opposed to freelance money, which is tougher to pinpoint) for 2Q earnings. Only $3,000 of that actually ended up in my hands in a timely fashion, due to a series of events that were...frustrating, and totally beyond my ability to influence (aka "shite happens"). $3000, over a three month period.*

That's why, boys and girls and writers of all sizes, when the wise old voices tell you not to quit your day job, you should stare long and hard at the list above (or your own iteration of same) and think long and hard and then think long and hard again. Because unless you've got a) a fiscal safety cushion, b) a tolerance for uncertainty and c) the ability to put off or forgo indulgences...

And no, going into debt on your credit cards is *bzzzzt* not the answer, unless the question is "how to make the situation even worse."

Fortunately, the payments have come through, and 3Q is a kinder, more affluent quarter, so I can now pay back the monies I took out of the safety account. But it was a tight six weeks there that I did NOT enjoy.

Feel free to discuss, or add your own thoughts/experiences to this, in comments. It's about adding to the general knowledge, not hoarding it....


*thankfully, freelance came in to ease the pain a bit. But you can never count on that...