Agent | Betsy Lerner

It’s So Noisy at the Fair

Posted on June 8, 2009 by betsylerner

Computer, phone and blackberry all malfunctioning this morning. Who’s the caged monkey now? Everything seems to be working again.

Finished the huge editing job I’ve been working on for a book that was dreamed up twelve years ago. I know it’s twelve years because I was pregnant at the time. I remember the dress I was wearing when I met the writer. The child that was stirring within is now a charter member of the Zac Effron fan club and wears black toe nail polish.

Went to my client’s swankified 40th birthday over the weekend. I love it when people ask, how do you know the birthday boy? And I get to say, I’m his agent. Suddenly, I rise or drop in esteem; either way it’s entertaining.

The party was amazing, filled with brilliant, sophisticated people (I know, how did I make the cut?), a rooftop terrace overlooking Manhattan, a harvest moon on the rise. Delicious food, candles everywhere, toasts and goodie bags. It was a perfect party, flooded with love.

Strolling through Washington Square Park on the way back to the hotel, I thought of myself at 18, arriving at NYU hungry for experience, yet just as happy to mostly stand at the sidelines and watch the great human parade.

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I Hate It When People Say Have a Good Weekend

Posted on June 5, 2009 by betsylerner

I’m usually really on top of my reading. In the first place, I commute back and forth from New Haven a few times a week. So with the exception of the New York Times on the way in and the New York Post on the way home, I have three hours a day to paw through manuscripts. In the second place, there’s nothing like a writer/client waiting to hear what you think. You’d rather be caged with a wild monkey. And those who say, “take your time,” they are the biggest head cases all. So I like to take them out of their misery and read their pages as soon as possible.

But now, this weekend, when I have the first little “getaway” planned in a very long time, I’m up to my eyeballs in manuscripts. Fortunately, I want to read everything. Two novels that sound extremely appealing. New pages by one of my favorite novelist clients. And the blue monster. So why am I writing a post, you ask, instead of doing my work? Why are you reading this instead of sending me a brilliant non-fiction proposal?

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Betty

Posted on June 3, 2009 by betsylerner

On most Tuesdays, I stay over in the city and do something I haven’t done since college. No, not that. I pull an all-nighter. I fire up the FM radio, put on every light in the place in case there are any ghosts of unhappy clients past roaming around, and whip myself into an organizational frenzy. Yes, I am the person in the office with the label maker — and you know, I still can’t believe it, NO ONE has ever asked to borrow it. People!

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FAQ-Are Multiple Submissions Kosher?

Posted on May 21, 2009 by betsylerner

N.P. from the great state of Long Island asks if it’s okay to make multiple submissions when you are querying agents.

In a word: yes.

Do you have to tell the agents?

In a word: not really. Some writers will divulge that the project is with others. I see this as a courtesy, not a necessity.

What if two or more of the agents are interested? Happy days are here again. At that point you really must inform all of the agents that you have interest. This will accelerate the process, and if possible you should try to meet the interested parties in order to make an informed decision.

Don’t some agents require exclusivity? Sure.

Do I have to honor that? Sort of, but I wouldn’t wait for 4-8 weeks for someone to get back to me. Agents submit almost all of their projects to publishers on multiple submission for a reason. I think writers should enjoy the same benefits: it’s in the interest of time, and could potentially create a competitive situation.

How many agents should a writer go to at one time: I think the magic number is six. If everyone passes, it’s a useful pool from which to draw information. i.e. if you receive all form letters, go back to the drawing board. Close calls mean some tweaking is called for. Invitations to send the material, or see more material, this is a bullseye. Your query letter did the trick. Now, of course, the material has to hold up.

Did I leave anything out? Please ask or let me know where you stand with multiple submissions or your experience with them.

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Get Off Of My Cloud

Posted on May 14, 2009 by betsylerner

When I became an agent, a lot of agents called me and said, welcome to the side of angels. Angels? Really? I thought I was signing on for the dark side. And most of the time, it is pretty dark if you ask me. (Of course, I could find the dark side of a lollipop.) But not today.

Today I got to tell a writer that we sold her book, which is basically the best moment in an agent’s life. Well, that and opening royalty statements with checks inside. I also signed a new client with a book that involves poetry, my first love. And I pulled a baby out from under a burning car.

No, that blinding light you’re seeing isn’t my halo. It’s my shit eating grin.

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FAQ: How Long Has This Been Going On?

Posted on May 12, 2009 by betsylerner

One of my devoted readers writes:

“I have an agent, but I don’t want to seem like a pest. Can you say something about how long it takes (on average) for publishers to make a decision once they have requested a book proposal? I realize there’s no pat answer–I’m just trying to get a feel for how the process works.”

Dear Devoted:

If your project is submitted by a reputable agent, you should get a response within three to four weeks. There are always exceptions. Books can be pre-empted overnight. They can be bought within days. Sometimes the process can drag on for a month or more, especially if your agent is staggering your submission. Long novels can take more time than non-fiction proposals, though The Historian was snapped up overnight.

Many agree that it’s all about the juice, your agent’s and the project’s. But there are also stories of bestsellers coming from unlikely sources. Dan Brown’s agent is best known for representing Drawing on the Left Side of the Brain (or is it the right?) and books about psychology and women’s issues. She is one of the loveliest agents in the business, but not someone you’d necessarily expect to see a thriller from. I wonder which side of the brain is used for counting dollars.

Bottom line, why are you afraid of appearing like a pest to your agent? He or she is working on your behalf. He or she should walk you through the process and answer these questions. And keep you apprised of rejections as they come in, possibly set up meetings for you with interested parties, and generally keep you informed of the submission process.

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The Rules of Engagement

Posted on May 12, 2009 by betsylerner

J. sent a query letter to ten agents. One invited her to send the proposal. Now it’s been six weeks and she hasn’t heard a word. Should she write to the agent? What is the right amount of time?

A few things to consider:

If you don’t have any leverage, you don’t have any leverage.
It’s very easy to get yourself branded as a pest or a pain in the ass. Every publisher I ever worked for would quickly chalk up an author as a nuisance if he asked for too much or too loudly. Unless, or should I say until, you’re a bestselling author you want to be working your charm over your indignation.
People have a lot on their reading plates. Unless you have something with obvious commercial appeal or prestige written all over it, your submission will likely languish on the bottom of the pile.
That said, send a polite note 3-4 weeks after you’ve sent the proposal. It was requested after all.

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FAQ: Hard Copy or Email?

Posted on May 8, 2009 by betsylerner

L.K. asks: is it better to send your query to an agent in hard copy or in an email.

Up until a year or two ago, I would have said hard copy. But something has tipped and the letter with the sadly folded SASE seems a little antiquated. I think most agents will agree: send email queries.

The real question is who reads the letters and/or the emails. The agent herself or an assistant or an intern? Unless you were referred by an established writer or client of the agent, the chances are an assistant or intern will screen your letter. I actually read all my mail for two reasons:

1) At sleepaway camp we had a job wheel and every day you were assigned a task such as clothesline or toilet or sweep. But the best job was being the camper designated, after lunch, to get the mail and snacks. I can not tell you how much I loved getting the mail, handing the letters out to my bunkmates, and savoring the letters I received. Somehow, every day when I open my mail at work, I always remember that feeling. Totally queer, I know.

2) I don’t trust anyone to know what I like.

How do you get your material read or an invitation to send more? BTW, attach the first chapter or fifty pages. Just do it. If the agent is interested in your letter, it will save a step to have the pages attached. Next, do everything you can to make your query appealing before you send it. How? Well, depending on what it is:

get some of the work published before you submit it to an agent. This is extremely helpful, especially if it’s in a well known or highly regarded outlet such as Slate or a national magazine.
develop a popular blog like Julie & Julia or Dooce
give lectures, speaking engagements, workshops, build a following
any media attention will be a huge help
win a prize (enter writing contents)

It used to be that the book kicked off all these things, but in today’s very tough climate, publishers want authors who already come with a platform. If you build your platform and present yourself credibly and professionally in your query letter along with having a great idea (and a great title that in and of itself is a hook), you will probably get responses.

People sometimes like to speculate about whether there are masterpieces out there not getting published because of the system. I’m not one of them.

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Obit

Posted on May 7, 2009 by betsylerner

Woody Allen, Paul Newman, Meryl Streep, Jackie Gleason, Mike Nichols, Nora Ephron, Arthur Penn, and Lily Tomlin were among Sam Cohn’s clients.

He was an original founder of ICM, his previous company launched All in the Family and The Sting. He brokered a ten movie deal for Woody Allen without studio interference. At one point, 10 movies and 9 Broadway or off-Broadway shows opened with Sam Cohn clients as writers, directors, or stars. “It wasn’t just a money thing for him,” said E.L. Doctorow, “it was about the quality of the project and its potential.”

According to the NTY obit, “He conformed to none of the agent stereotypes: not the oily, luv-ya-baby baloney meister; not the meek and solicitous Danny Rose-like sycophant; not the sleekly groomed, power-hungry packager.” And I wonder why, after ten years of agenting, I still cringe when people ask me what I do.

Sam Cohn went against type: he hated LA, he was a shabby dresser, he was known to chew paper. “Exceedingly selective about whose phone calls he would take and even more so about whose he would return.” No doubt there’s a certain amount of power in not returning calls. Of course, it’s also rude.

I once had a meeting set up with Sam Cohn when I was a baby editor at Ballantine when I was pursuing a hot young comic he represented. My publisher pulled the plug on the project, never telling me why, and I was left not only hanging out to dry, but missing my chance to meet the uber agent. It was devastating for me at the time, though I admit I was scared shitless to meet him. Agh.

And of course, the quote that kills me in the final line of the obit is Nora Ephron’s: “When he got behind you, it was like an army of thousands.”

I think when I get behind my clients it’s more often like a handful of Jewish mothers (not to be underestimated).

My respects.

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Love Is a Ring

Posted on May 1, 2009 by betsylerner

I have ants in my pants today. I keep jumping from my reading chair to my desk chair. Then back. Sometimes I find myself checking my Blackberry while staring at my computer.

This is known as agentitis and it’s the result of sending out a project and waiting to hear back. I always tell myself it’s worse for the writers and that makes me feel better.

Fortunately, a few things happened that took the edge off: a call from a BDP (big deal producer) about a client’s book, signed up a new client (yes!) , made some calls I’ve been avoiding (satisfying!), and had a cheese bagel.

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