tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post4459382560076940939..comments2024-03-22T12:11:58.453-06:00Comments on Michael Offutt: Interesting Agent NewsMichael Offutt, Phantom Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10557969104886174930noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-55892154182588931842011-07-11T15:04:00.158-06:002011-07-11T15:04:00.158-06:00How interesting! She's not the first agent to ...How interesting! She's not the first agent to go this route. I read something about this on nathan bransford's blog a bit ago...Lydia Kanghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00484415427764822386noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-77058573787321002292011-07-08T08:47:14.880-06:002011-07-08T08:47:14.880-06:00A lot of agents seem to be going this route. I'...A lot of agents seem to be going this route. I'm not convinced it's a good thing for writers. If they are going to go the self-pub route, why not keep all the profits for themselves?Alyson Burdettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16916059117572619004noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-58778030386262200982011-07-07T19:35:20.289-06:002011-07-07T19:35:20.289-06:00I think this says even more about the culture as a...I think this says even more about the culture as a whole than it does about publishing. We're doomed.Danettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15043881305977386629noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-65765430657509757052011-07-07T18:49:49.149-06:002011-07-07T18:49:49.149-06:00Ugh. sorry my comment above is so full of typos. G...Ugh. sorry my comment above is so full of typos. Geesh-I must be tired. Whoopsie.CherylAnne Hamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02324135447961686703noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-88861442974789105462011-07-07T18:48:22.840-06:002011-07-07T18:48:22.840-06:00I'm not surprised about the agent thing, but g...I'm not surprised about the agent thing, but got had a giggle at "when pigs fly" <br /><br />I agree with phil. It is absolutely depressing than so many people buy these types of books. Why do folks support this sort of thing? *sigh* They get these deals because there is an audience for it. Such a shame.CherylAnne Hamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02324135447961686703noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-91042431739064649812011-07-07T14:35:51.185-06:002011-07-07T14:35:51.185-06:00This agent seems very shady, pitching his new busi...This agent seems very shady, pitching his new business in a rejection letter. Maybe he thinks he can make more $$ helping clients self-publish, and so he doesn't even bother trying to get them traditionally published anymore. <br /><br />The tide is turning with self-publishing, though. If this author writes genre fare, that could be a more lucrative route.<br /><br />And the only thing more depressing than Casey Anthony getting a multimillion-dollar book deal is that millions of people will buy it.Philip Siegelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14148279503538324679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-72706535204828756372011-07-07T13:58:40.783-06:002011-07-07T13:58:40.783-06:00You know... I was really upset about Miss Belle Vi...You know... I was really upset about Miss Belle Vita, but then I realized that the wheel is probably turning so slowly because it's huge. <br /><br />When she's at the bottom, I'll almost pity her. Almost. <br /><br />As for the agent, I'm suspecting that more people will follow. Which is why I'm glad that I won't need to query right now, because I get to keep an eye on developments without having my story affected. <br /><br />:-)Misha Gerrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06364173848456424521noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-20430479014157301962011-07-07T11:26:18.448-06:002011-07-07T11:26:18.448-06:00Bummer!
I love the flying pig name though. That&...Bummer!<br /><br />I love the flying pig name though. That's great stuff.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-50540157962440438402011-07-07T11:07:48.745-06:002011-07-07T11:07:48.745-06:00Disturbing on all levels...Good thing I write beca...Disturbing on all levels...Good thing I write because I love it. (Would be nice to make money at it, but we all have to have a dream, right?!)Vanilla Mamahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08857752710040192834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-64587306083590388232011-07-07T09:56:13.172-06:002011-07-07T09:56:13.172-06:00Wow! Really? Both the letter and the news about Ca...Wow! Really? Both the letter and the news about Case Anthony make me nauseated. I'm not quite sure what to think. I think I need time to process. Grrrr!Emily R. Kinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03892444969625637064noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-44411827965554399022011-07-07T09:16:09.547-06:002011-07-07T09:16:09.547-06:00I hate our celebrity obsessed culture... in fact I...I hate our celebrity obsessed culture... in fact I hate that we consider somebody like that a celebrity. <br /><br />As for the agents--it's really interesting. I've been participating in some author chats and EVERYBODY is gung-ho self-pub. The problem is the vast majority are 'I just finished my book, now I want to self-pub' instead of understanding how much work a novel still needs at that point. It is going to get harder to break through the thickening layer of crap, even if you have a great book, if publishers aren't looking. I think services like this agent is switching to may indeed be the next wave--help to do it RIGHT instead of doing it all alone.Hart Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17599570189253229318noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-51476662666222213912011-07-07T09:00:01.976-06:002011-07-07T09:00:01.976-06:00And Americans will buy her book .... disgusting!And Americans will buy her book .... disgusting!Reenahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17813380986631007962noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-1399176150576231112011-07-07T07:26:17.408-06:002011-07-07T07:26:17.408-06:00The U.S.A. rewards crime. The guy that hacked into...The U.S.A. rewards crime. The guy that hacked into the Sony Playstation network a few months back is working for Facebook now for six figures.<br /><br />The guy that hacked the Wii remote was hired by Microsoft to develop the Kinect.<br /><br />The guy that jailbroke the Apple iPhone was hired by Apple for a six figure job.<br /><br />Casey Anthony murdered her daughter and gets rich from it.<br /><br />Capitalism. Plain and simple.<br /><br />The thing I find interesting about the agent news (yes Raquel it is real) is that this is an honest up-front letter to a client. Maybe a lot of form rejections are coming because other agencies haven't been able to sell anything and just haven't admitted that yet. It made me start to look at the last sales made on some agencies out of curiosity. Some of them have no activity for 2011 at all...like going on 8 months without a recent deal.Michael Offutt, Phantom Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10557969104886174930noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-42971836339050845772011-07-07T06:55:26.271-06:002011-07-07T06:55:26.271-06:00That's probably been true for a while now. I ...That's probably been true for a while now. I heard they're offering Maria Shriver a $15 million advance! Jesus God, that's a lot of money for a cuckold's memoirs. At least she didn't murder anyone, so that's good.<br /><br />But it's like with "Transformers 3": when the public demands crap they'll get crap by the bucketful. If they simply didn't buy books from murderers or cheats then publishers would stop printing those books.PT Dillowayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09394481476862013009noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-52763171112590838132011-07-07T05:35:28.571-06:002011-07-07T05:35:28.571-06:00This is depressing. Though the idea of "when ...This is depressing. Though the idea of "when pigs fly" is kind of funny. Like "you'll get a book deal, when pigs fly."Matthew MacNishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03264738483763244969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-81293082300018384012011-07-07T05:22:10.136-06:002011-07-07T05:22:10.136-06:00It's appalling all around isn't it?--The C...It's appalling all around isn't it?--The Casey part.Charity Bradfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01960821077619680661noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-90187780792771645162011-07-07T04:14:46.631-06:002011-07-07T04:14:46.631-06:00Interesting times. If you see publishing as an oce...Interesting times. If you see publishing as an ocean, then the seascape is more turbulent than ever before, there are no longer any reliable stars in the sky to navigate by, the sun rises where it shouldn't and sets where it once rose, and tidal waves and rogue currents are the order of the day. No-one out there seems to have a reliable compass, and any maps that exist have long since been proven useless. <br /><br />It seems to me that in times like these we writers have no choice but to come up with heavy-handed and obvious metaphors...Neil Voglerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15306928741501293782noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-58219652698840676052011-07-07T03:02:41.913-06:002011-07-07T03:02:41.913-06:00Oh well, that's the business. Once something i...Oh well, that's the business. Once something is in demand, you can bet your last dollar the sharks will bite. And HARD!<br /><br />It is a shame people who have not an iota of knowledge regarding the writing process stand to make more than actual writers do. But one wise man wrote (can't remember where): "The works the industry acquires and sells might seem frivolous and derivative, but they sell, hence the publisher makes money. What they then do is use those funds to acquire new writers--folks like you and me. Consider it the grand circle of literary life."<br /><br />Amen to whom ever wrote this. ^_^T.D. McFrosthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12923335522993845076noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-3632452340832544012011-07-07T01:34:01.319-06:002011-07-07T01:34:01.319-06:00I can see a lot of agents going this route. and i ...I can see a lot of agents going this route. and i expect the bigger agencies will also slim down somewhat. Freaks and weirdos will of course always have a place at the table. Ho hum.<br /><br />moodmooderinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01523337588830695638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-36705707985372846272011-07-07T01:31:42.575-06:002011-07-07T01:31:42.575-06:00This is real? I can't believe it. How discoura...This is real? I can't believe it. How discouraging. :(Raquel Byrneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12870113745683162915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2495499100279472520.post-69467225240037134662011-07-07T01:19:29.029-06:002011-07-07T01:19:29.029-06:00I really hate it that idiots and monsters have a b...I really hate it that idiots and monsters have a better chance of getting book deals than actual good and hardworking writers do! Like completely moronic sports starts who can hardly even talk coherently, getting book deals for biographies. Makes me mad!!Trishahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16927558937796802496noreply@blogger.com