My Life in a Literary Agency

[locke]

Dammit, that sucks, Kelly, what a mistake they made, eh? They'll be sorry in time.

[locke]

Question for Kelly, why and how is the decision to deckle-edge a book made?

for reading hardbacks I don't mind so much, but on big coffee table books I think it looks bad.

[Young Val]

All aspects of the way a book looks--font, cover, paper, etc--is decided by the production department, often to the chagrin of the author and agent.

All paper that comes through the machine has a deckle-edge. It must then be cut if a clean edge is desired.

Personally, I love deckle-edged paper.

On another, unrelated note: I am tired of being the Publishing It Girl. I KNOW I am amazing, thank you. You know it. I know it. SO GIVE ME A JOB, PLEASE.

[Young Val]

Salinger died.

I know I need to call Harold Ober, but I just can't. I feel sort of wrecked.

[steph]

Salinger died.

I know I need to call Harold Ober, but I just can't. I feel sort of wrecked.

I just saw the headline and came straight here to check on you! *Big Hug*

[Locke_]

Anticipating posthumous masterpieces?

[neo-dragon]

I would like to hear the thoughts of someone in the biz regarding Amazon no longer selling Macmillan titles. Who is this going to hurt more, Amazon or Macmillan?

[Syphon the Sun]

Amazon caved in record time. The books are available for $15, rather than the standard $10.

[neo-dragon]

Oh... well... that settles that.

[Young Val]

I wouldn't so much say Amazon "caved." They made their point. Sure, they could have persisted on principle, but why? They successfully and succinctly terrified an entire industry.

Of course the Amazon monopoly is disturbing to someone on the publishing side of things. But I also have to say that Macmillan's pricing model for e-books is a little ridiculous. And I don't give a crap about how they try to spin it, either. I worked in subrights. Not gonna sweet-talk me.

Overall, this whole thing has been rather interesting for me, because out here in the midwest (where I'm planning to continue to my career) there are no big name publishers. Certainly all of the Big Six are in New York. But we do have a wealth of independent and nonprofit publishers out here. And as I meet with more of them and attend publishing galas and functions out here, I'm learning that it's a very different world than it is in New York.

The bottom line is that the industry is badly damaged, and monopolies (like Amazon; like the Big Six, for that matter) are struggling in all kinds of ways. This latest scandal is just fear-mongering and mud-slinging on all sides. And everyone is banking on the e-book to Save Publishing, which is never, ever going to happen.

[Eaquae Legit]

I've been dithering over whether to post these, but I just like that he even gets memorialised in my favourite webcomic.

Dammit, Jim, life's a game and you've got to play!
Stuff I Scribbled On Bathroom Walls, 1968-1994

[Dr. Mobius]

I'm curious what publishing industry thinks of Apple's new doohickey.

[Craig]

I'm curious what people think of eBooks in general. I personally have no desire to buy a Kindle or an iPad (though with the iPad you can watch movies in widescreen), because nothing beats reading an actual book -- you know, with pages made of paper, with real ink. I don't know, maybe I'm getting old (24, yikes!), but I think of a book, especially older books, like sports fans think of baseball -- or at least the way it's show in "Field of Dreams", where part of the experience of the game are all the little nuances that go with it; the textures, the smells, etc.

What do you guys think? You guys fans of eBooks and such?

Salaam

[Sonikku13]

I don't really care about e-books in general, because if the hard drive crashes, the e-book is gone. But... the e-book allows you to save physical space in your house.

Still want an iPad though, need mobility for papers.

[Yebra]

I don't understand... if I didn't have books, what would go on my bookshelves?

[Rei]

As I mentioned in another thread, I see a good place for ebooks if they start doing things I can't get in print. I have very little interest in reading a book on a screen that I can read on paper, but some years back I managed to track down digital copies of several books I had never seen in print, and to this day have only seen one or two in print. Those would be more enjoyable to read in a slightly more polished format than basic a text document.

[buckshot]

I like e-books ! they save a lot of space , I do love my books but hell! where are you going to store them all ? Lots of e-books I read I know I will only read once, and I can always add another book to the collection later if I fall in love with one.

[Wil]

I have a Sony eReader, and I love it. I've had it for several years now, and I use it all the time. It is great because I can sit or lay in any place and be comfortable with the very light weight reader. It doesn't strain the eyes because it uses the glorious e-ink.

I don't think I could bring myself to pay for ebooks, because if I'm paying $9+ dollars for a book, I expect to get something physical out of it. That said, for as many books as I've downloaded, I've easily paid my eReader off. I have bought books using it, however. ~$20 dollars for the Dreamsongs Volume 1 book of short stories by GRRM, and ~$9 for 'Fire' by Kristin Cashore. Both were very good.

Arr, I'm a pirate.

[locke]

Book Publishing arcana (aka why have books gotten longer?)

[Young Val]

Eh.

[Young Val]

I was going to make this a Bob post, when I figured it it could just as easily go here.

I know the board's perception of me has shifted slightly over the last several months, and I am now known as less of a book fiend and more of a baking fiend, and while there's room for both in my heart books will always be my lifeblood.

I gave up a really stunning career to move to Minnesota with my boyfriend. I mean, my resume is STELLAR and if I had stayed in New York big, big things would be happening for me by now. If I dwell on that too much it can be really disheartening.

The US publishing industry is pretty much divided into New York City and Everywhere Else. Almost all the publishers outside of NY (with a very, very few notable exceptions--many of which DO actually have an NY branch, to be fair) are small, independent presses or academic publishers. Well, I have no interest in publishing textbooks, so that leaves me with small presses.

I actually love small presses. I think they have a lot of freedoms that corporate publishers don't. There's a lot more community outreach and an ability to pursue projects for love, not money.

There are three extremely reputable independent publishers in Minnesota (which has a thriving book community!) that I adore, and one in particular had a position open several months ago that was tailor-made for me.

I had been fortunate enough to meet with the CEO of the company last fall, because the first thing I did when I got here was pick up the phone and set up meetings with everyone worth knowing in publishing out here. Networking is everything in this business. I had lunch with this CEO and we got along wonderfully well, our tastes and reasons for being in the industry were similar, our opinions about the business and our ideas of the direction in which we wanted the industry to go were very in synch. He introduced me to many other people in the industry and I had spoken to him several times since. I figured I was a shoe-in.

I didn't get the job.

I didn't even get an interview for the job.

A fresh-out-of-college, interned-for-20-minutes-at-her-university's-press, probably-doesn't-know-a-damn-thing-about-the-company's-back-list-which-I-have-been-enthralled-with-for-the-last-five-years local girl got the job instead.

What I got was a very personalized rejection letter. To sum up? I am a part of the corporate machine. I am an outsider, and tainted by the very stellar experience I worked my ass off for years (FOR FREE) to get. Big publishing is the enemy, and I am a product of that. I am impressive, and smart, and lovely, and anyone in their right mind would kill to have me, but I cannot be trusted to make the switch.

This has happened to me several times since then. Everyone I meet LOVES ME. We do lunch and we chat and they email me and they check my glowing references and then they go and hire some freaking local kid with NO experience because he isn't tainted by the Evil Greed Monster that is New York.

And don't get me wrong--I have done my homework. I totally get it. It is a war and I am coming from the wrong side.

But independent presses are what I've always wanted to do. I never wanted to chase the money! Do you know how many projects I was IN LOVE WITH that had to be dumped because no one thought they could compete with freaking TWILIGHT? I REPPED THE AUDIO FOR TWILIGHT. I KNOW WHAT IT IS LIKE TO HAVE MY SOUL SUCKED OUT.


And more and more it is becoming clear to me that if I want to get back in the game here I am going to have to prove it. Which means shelving my pride and begging to be hired as an intern. Go back to making photocopies 25 hours a week for free. For months. Until I can prove that I'm one of them. The path has been made pretty clear to me at this point.

And if I can figure out a way to stay afloat financially (which seems impossible at this moment) I'll do it. I will swallow my damned pride no matter how bitter it is. And I will climb this freaking ladder all over again.

Publishing is such a bitch of a mistress.

[Caspian]

That is a crap position to be in.

In the long run it will make you that much better at your job? [/silverlining]

[Rei]

Ouch... I'm so sorry you have to do that. But at the same time, I admire that you WILL do that, because that is some amazing determination. I do hope it works and that they recognise your value to them sooner than later.

[jotabe]

I don't really understand it... so they don't want a competent and experienced worker because she worked for the competition?
I mean, what's with that, you have to be loyal to one side as if that was some kind of war? Just seems too silly for words Sad that you are in such a pinch.

[Young Val]

I don't really understand it... so they don't want a competent and experienced worker because she worked for the competition?
I mean, what's with that, you have to be loyal to one side as if that was some kind of war? Just seems too silly for words Sad that you are in such a pinch.

To be fair I do understand the hesitancy to an extent.

The objectives and the business practices are VERY different. But the day to day work and the skillset needed are the same.

Plus, um, I'm the best.

[Mich]

Wow, Kelly. That's horrible. I'll join the Greek chorus and agree that while it's stupid, I'm sure you'll pull through, because, well, you're the best!

You don't even need good luck. Hang in there.

[Syphon the Sun]

I like to imagine you preparing for an interview listening to this.

[Eaquae Legit]

Kick. Fight. Bite.

Kelly, I have SO much admiration for someone like you who is willing to do whatever it takes for her dreams. The sacrifices suck, and people who don't understand tell you you're a fool, but you take the hit and claw your way back up. You're amazing at this, and you'll make them see it.

[Young Val]

P.S. Your support has always been, and continues to be, overwhelming. I'm touched. Thanks, guys.

[powerfulcheese04]

Good luck, Kelly! I know you can do it... even if it sucks a lot.

[LilBee91]

That sucks, but you are definitely an amazing person to be willing to go through it. You can do it, and you'll be awesome! They'll see you're the best soon enough.

[jotabe]

d^_^b

[Young Val]

Ijustaccidentallytookonaclient.

[starlooker]

How big of an oops is that?

[Young Val]

Um, in the sense that I am emotionally and mentally unprepared to open my own business? It's a rather large oops.

I'm more than qualified, though. Regardless, it's just starting off as a handful of permissions, which I could do in my sleep, and the arrangement is relatively informal.

Still.

OOPS.