06/06/2008

Some flattery at the outset: it is generally a joy – as an agent – to work with journalists. Really. Of my 50-plus clients, a significant percentage have – or still do – work in newspapers. And the advantages are manifold. F

Firstly, most importantly and most obviously, journalists are professional writers; when you're doing a book this can be a great advantage. Secondly - though we can be a little more laissez-faire about such things in the publishing world - journalists are used to working to deadlines.

It's also been my experience that - after years of having their copy slashed to bits by editors and sub-editors - journalists are very responsive to positive criticism; they’re happy to enter into dialogue about their work and undertake re-writes when necessary. In addition, when it comes to works of non-fiction - where research and/or interviews are essential - these are skills the experienced newspaper (wo)man has down to a fine art.
 
So, if journalists are so well-equipped to step into the world of publishing - to become authors - why, then, would they need an agent?

Well, it's no different an answer than the one we would give to anyone approaching us, whether they're experienced novelists, aspiring poets, academics, insurance salesman, policewomen or accountants.

Here – in short – is what an agent can do for you:

Understand the Market

An important aspect of an agent’s work is to know what’s out there and what’s selling; and, more specifically, to know what a publishing house, or a particular editor, is looking for.

Perhaps there’s a shortfall of fiction for their spring list, maybe they’re starting a series on film or a new sports imprint; it might be that a publisher wants a kitsch humour title for the Christmas season or simply that an editor loves quirky travel books and is therefore likely to be sympathetic when presented with one.

Help to Shape Your Work

A journalist can write an article or feature to order … but writing a book or crafting a proposal is a different thing altogether. We have the publishing experience you don’t have; and a large part of our time is spent shaping manuscripts and proposals.

Contract Negotiation

An agent will do their utmost to get her or his client the best deal possible. This may not always mean the largest advance (though it often does), it might mean going with the publisher with the most ambitious marketing plans; or the best rights team … your agent will help you through this process – and will know from experience the worth of your book/idea.

To give some idea, the average advance is said to be around £15,000, a figure bumped up by the large advances that best-selling writers (the Rowlings, Binchys and Pattersons) pull in.

So, the most common advance is more like £10,000. That’s industry-wide; speaking from my own experience – and the journalists I’ve worked with – we’ve received an average advance of £20,000-plus.

At Jenny Brown Associates, we take 12.5 per cent of this in commission (most agencies charge 15 per cent).

We’ll also handle all the small – and large - print in your contract: the royalty rates, subsidiary rights splits, warranty and indemnity clauses, etc, which can be every bit as important as the advance. We’ll chase money when it’s due you and check royalty payments on your behalf. This leaves you free to have a relationship with your editor that is founded solely on your book.

Monitoring the Publishing Process

Producing a marketable script, placing it and negotiating a contract is only the beginning of the agent’s job. We’ll then keep an eye on the publishing process to ensure the book is properly produced, sold and marketed by your publisher.

We’ll also act as a buffer between you and your editor should there be any disagreements; we’ll mediate in any dispute.

Get Your Work Read by Publishers

Perhaps this should be at the top of the list. Publishers are inundated with unsolicited submissions (and the fact they refer to these as the ‘slush pile’ says it all). Most publishers simply don’t consider un-agented approaches these days.

I guess it comes down to this: book publishing is not magazine or newspaper publishing. They’re different worlds with different rules; and even an experienced journalist will need a publishing professional to help them get the best out of their book ideas. After all, you’d go to a barber rather than cut your own hair. Wouldn’t you?

Mark Stanton, ‘aka’ Stan, is a director of Jenny Brown Associates, Scotland's largest literary agency. Contact JBA on 0131 229 5334. Visit www.jennybrownassociates.com.

* Send your Scottish media news and gossip, in the strictest confidence, to  info@allmediascotland.com