Client | Betsy Lerner

Everybody Knows This is Nowhere

Posted on June 16, 2009 by betsylerner

I’m having one of those days when I really want to be Michelle Williams.

Instead, meeting with a BDP, another prospective client, a client whose publisher has turned down his option book, a party at Crown for their new publisher. You know, a see and be seen. Of course, I’m having a bad hair day, which is pretty much every day. There’s really nothing like a publishing party to make you wish for a swift and painless end. I thought about wearing a suit but decided to go with the jeans and black shirt black jacket look. Right?

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Audition

Posted on June 9, 2009 by betsylerner

Sometimes a writer is in the fortunate position of being courted by agents. I had lunch with one such fellow today. People, I wore a dress.

It’s always interesting to find out why the writer is looking for a new agent. And to see if you can provide what he needs, if there’s a creative fit, a temperamental fit, if you’re the right person for the job.

At the end of our lunch, he told me he was seeing other agents. I knew this, of course, but after hours of schmoozing it still comes as something of a buzz kill. Well, it’s not like I’m only the agent in town for fuck’s sake.

In fact, I’m ususally pretty zen about these things.

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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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Just Published

Posted on June 6, 2009 by betsylerner

Rich.Dreaming “Dreaming in Hindi is a funny, deeply humane journey of words that invites the reader to awaken to new sounds and sensibilities in India. Katherine Russell Rich reflects our own history and culture back at us through the lens of a storied culture. What a gorgeous, intelligent book! –Jayne Anne Phillips, author of Lark and Termite

Kessler_GoatSong “Beautifully written in Brad Kessler’s poetic, reverent voice, “Goat Song” shows us that when we take care of the land, animals, and each other to feed ourselves, we’re participating in an ancient rite that imbues our lives with meaning and nourishes our bodies and our souls.” — Alice Waters, author of The Art of Simple Food

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Land of a Thousand Dances

Posted on June 4, 2009 by betsylerner

When suddenly Johnny gets the feeling he’s being surrounded by
horses, horses, horses, horses
johnny

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Pencils Down

Posted on June 2, 2009 by betsylerner

Going to spend the day working with a writer on her copyedited manuscript. I just want to say for the record that I love the copyediting stage more than any other — it’s the fine tuning and the points of grammar, syntax, tense and word choice that really turn me on. It’s what I miss most about no longer being an editor. The best copy editor I ever worked with is Peg Anderson formerly of Houghton Mifflin. No one could work a blue pencil like Peg.

Then meeting a writer for a discussion of her novel.

Then paying the bills. Party!

Then catching up on everything else I didn’t do today.

Then going to a movie. I will see anything just to escape myself. I mean it. Any suggestions?

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At a Theater Near You

Posted on May 13, 2009 by betsylerner

JUST PUBLISHED:

letters of wcw0001

Three hundred letters from William Carlos Williams to his younger brother with whom he confides his desire to become a great artist. Edited by Andrew Krivak, poet, scholar, novelist and author of A Long Retreat.

ON THE RADIO:

Unbelievable_jacket

Stacy Horn on the Faith Middleton Showhttp://tinyurl.com/StacyFaith

FIVE WEEKS ON THE NYT BESTSELLER LIST: Columbine-1

http://vodpod.com/watch/1546705-maddow-columbine-facts-vs-myths

“ For any reader who wants to understand the complicated nature of evil, this book is a masterpiece.” — Seattle Times

Also this week:

I tried to wear my hair up with a clip. No one said anything so I’m assuming it was a disaster.

We threw a little party for our superb assistant Yishai on the occasion of his wedding next week.

We are booked solid for meetings with foreign publishers and film types who are coming to New York for the Book Expo

Someone who will go unnamed at the William Morris Agency is not returning my call. Unexfuckingceptable.

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Karen Blixen Coffee Garden Restaurant & Cottages

Posted on May 6, 2009 by betsylerner

gods-and-soldiers-cover

Tuesday, May 12, 6 pm reading with Patrice Nganang and others
HUE-MAN
2319 Frederick Douglass Blvd
Between 124th and 125th Streets
New York, NY 10027
http://www.hueman-bookstore.com

Tuesday, July 7, 7:30 pm reading
POWELL’S
1005 W. Burnside
Portland, OR
http://www.powells.com

If you have a chance, treat yourself to a night of superb African writing and celebrate the publication of Rob Spillman’s just published anthology, Gods and Soldiers. And check this out, too.

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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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Beauty Contest

Posted on April 7, 2009 by betsylerner

I’m taking a famous writer to lunch today. I was a huge fan of her work in college. I’m actually sort of a wreck. I mean I know I’ll be fine because I’ve been doing this for, um, twenty-five years. And so far it’s worked out. Still, it’s actually kind of nice to know that there’s a butterfly or two inside me.

After a pretty quiet spell, it looks as if there are some very interesting new clients on the horizon. I’m not sure if they’ll all come with me. Writers make the rounds of agents these days, and I encourage them to. It’s like getting a second opinion from a doctor or lawyer. You’re trusting this person with your career. It should be an informed decision. When a writer (stupidly) goes with another agent, I’m always really zen about it. Bitter, but zen.

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