tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post1719220109323891673..comments2024-03-18T19:00:03.047-04:00Comments on SleuthSayers: A Guide in a Strange LandLeigh Lundinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07921276795499571578noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-3683499029872346802019-09-01T16:11:48.020-04:002019-09-01T16:11:48.020-04:00R.T. and Eve -- Thanks for your kind words, about ...R.T. and Eve -- Thanks for your kind words, about the option. You're right, R.T., the next step is to get it filmed. Keeping fingers crossed. I'm such a movie fan, just the possibility is exciting!John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-66049319320199465872019-09-01T13:44:07.004-04:002019-09-01T13:44:07.004-04:00John, wonderful news about the option! The dream ...John, wonderful news about the option! The dream is coming alive! <br />Eve Fisherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03015761600962360110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-42546701936631352372019-09-01T11:43:30.866-04:002019-09-01T11:43:30.866-04:00John, best wishes on your option. I assume it is f...John, best wishes on your option. I assume it is for a one-year time period. The next step is getting the option turned into a movie. Though I've heard that some authors have made good money just by getting their option renewed from year to year while waiting to see if the movie will actually be made.R.T. Lawtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15523486296396710227noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-61788762918908271422019-09-01T03:11:05.131-04:002019-09-01T03:11:05.131-04:00Quotes, Shayari, DP, Status<a href="https://www.personaldp.com" rel="nofollow">Quotes, Shayari, DP, Status</a>Kamal Baliyanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16981053973275181947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-13985202008665011792019-08-31T20:45:22.591-04:002019-08-31T20:45:22.591-04:00Steve, you're right, agents don't have muc...Steve, you're right, agents don't have much love for shorts because they can't make much money from them. My first agent, as I mentioned, DID represent short stories, and I think that came mostly from a real love of that form of writing. He once told me he was the one who'd talked Robert Bloch into writing Psycho (which was a short story before it became a novel). <br /><br />As for attention span, I probably suffer from the same thing you do--I love spinning these short tales, but hanging in there long enough to complete a novel is daunting. Maybe I just don't like my characters enough to spend that much time with them . . .<br /><br />Thanks for the thoughts!John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-11178409582679810572019-08-31T18:53:38.376-04:002019-08-31T18:53:38.376-04:00Interesting post, John. I sent roughly 400 queries...Interesting post, John. I sent roughly 400 queries to agents, many never answered, and stopped sending after selling my fifth or sixth short story, one of which won the Black Orchid Novella Award and two of which won Honorable Mention for the Al Blanchard Award. None of that impressed the agents, and I still remember the three who treated me as a potential client before I stopped looking. Two of them are now well over 80, if they're still alive.<br /><br />I'd love an agent, but the truth is that I suspect I have written my last novel. I'll be discussing a lot of this in my own blog Monday, but my attention span seems to be shrinking. I resolved in January to write more short stories, and it appears that my brain was waiting for that command. I've always loved short stories, but agents certainly can't make much of a living off them now.Steve Liskowhttp://www.steveliskow.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-25334850476086557052019-08-31T13:20:01.684-04:002019-08-31T13:20:01.684-04:00Hey Melodie. Your experience seems to go along wi...Hey Melodie. Your experience seems to go along with Janice's thoughts--agents might be more important early in one's career. I bet you did the right thing in getting a film agent, though, because that side of the business is not (at least to me) as familiar.<br /><br />As for clients not hearing from their agents regularly, I think that's a given.<br /><br />Many thanks! John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-58824336850500198442019-08-31T12:04:05.114-04:002019-08-31T12:04:05.114-04:00I had a New York agent for my first book series. ...I had a New York agent for my first book series. Then he died, but none of us in his stable knew for two months, because he was so bad at getting back to us. We just figured he was ignoring us, as usual. (I hope you're smiling by now.) Jack got me in the door at Ace Fantasy. After he died, I was taken on by Orca Publishers, and am not looking to change. So don't actually need a book agent at the moment. I do, however, have an agent for film. When Entertainment One came calling for the Goddaughter series, I was picked up by a film agent. Still waiting for the big bucks...nobody hold their breath.Melodie Campbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07870938103759179132noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-18792940969308254092019-08-31T09:39:47.492-04:002019-08-31T09:39:47.492-04:00O'Neil -- Thanks--just saw your comment. The ...O'Neil -- Thanks--just saw your comment. The main thing is, sounds as if the agent you have now if useful and helpful. We haven't talked about literary lawyers, but you're lucky to have someone with that kind of expertise.<br /><br />I guess if your agent dies and you don't hear about it for a year, he/she is not greatly needed.<br /><br />Thanks for the note!<br /><br /><br />John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-81714184309006666252019-08-31T09:31:28.636-04:002019-08-31T09:31:28.636-04:00Thanks, Janice. Good point. Another thing: The v...Thanks, Janice. Good point. Another thing: The very act of finding and getting accepted by an agent is hard, and few of us want to go through that if it's not needed--and once you have an agent he/she will expect a return of some kind. Something else I didn't mention is that if you make a big sale on your own and then find you need an agent to help you negotiate terms, etc,, you can always get one then.<br /><br />I suspect that most writers these days don't have and are not looking for an agent because they don't feel they need one. John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-67894713991326987402019-08-31T09:28:12.269-04:002019-08-31T09:28:12.269-04:00Agents? I've had four. None for short stories....Agents? I've had four. None for short stories. One died and I didn't find out for almost a year. Ran a one-man agency. One was on the road six months a year "with the band." One told me to stop writing fiction and focus on non-fiction. My current agent/literary lawyer is good.O'Neil De Nouxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03142721824657611738noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-65094006821863455682019-08-31T09:09:08.808-04:002019-08-31T09:09:08.808-04:00I think one big consideration is where one is in o...I think one big consideration is where one is in one's career. Early on, I'd say try for an agent. Late in life, regardless of the quality of the work,- no one wants a writer who hasn't had a few big books- or some real claim to fame or an audience.janice lawnoreply@blogger.com