Blogger: Mary Keeley
A client sent me the link to a May 8, 2013 blog post by Caleb Pirtle III. It was not so much a surprise as it was startling in the degree of his disgruntlement and that of those who commented. You can read it here. I feel the need to respond to his assertions on behalf of CBA agents and in support of our authors.
I am pleased and thankful to be able to say I haven’t heard anything approaching this level of dissatisfaction about agents in CBA. We certainly aren’t perfect either, but it reassures me to know God is helping us to honor him in our work. That makes all the difference.
First, let’s talk about Pirtle’s assertion that literary agents are an endangered species. He says, “There was a time when an agent was invaluable for authors because those agents were locked solidly into the publishing houses.” He apparently is referring to New York agents because he is making the case that these days New York publishing houses prefer to stick with big-name authors and celebrities because it means sure money for them…and lots of it. They aren’t open to taking a risk on a new author. Consequently, those agents have fewer and fewer opportunities with those houses.
To some degree we see this in CBA as well. But I can assure you that in this industry agents are continually in touch with traditional publishers. We keep current on which ones are looking for which genres. And we continue to nurture our relationships with acquisitions editors. Traditional CBA publishers are looking for exceptional new writers and they rely on agents to deliver them. Be encouraged.
Perhaps the New York agents Pirtle refers to use a different model. If they take only the short view to the next marketable book that will make them a lot of money, they will naturally render themselves more expendable in the current New York publishing climate.
Long-term career planning and client care are hallmarks of our agency. It’s what good CBA agents do. This approach helps all of us to weather trends and the transformation going on in our industry. For example, most agents in our industry continually look for the best avenues for our clients to publish e-books, strategize the best time to work these in to their traditional publishing schedules, and negotiate fair contracts. Authors who aren’t getting anywhere with New York agents and publishers must navigate this road on their own, and that may not go very well.
Pirtle’s views present an opportunity and a charge for all of us involved in the CBA industry. The charge: continue to let our lights shine before the publishing world. Agents, authors, publishers—anyone involved in Christian publishing—must continue to shine gospel light through our integrity, client care, fair approach, and cooperative dealings.
Let us never acquiesce to hiding the light of the gospel under the cloak of political correctness. By that I mean we must not shy away from shining the light of the gospel in our dealings and in our content out of concern that it will negatively affect sales amidst the growing cultural prejudice against Christianity. God is in charge of outcomes. And the Bible tells us, “But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 10:33).
Are CBA agents willing to take a risk on a new author who writes in a new hot genre, thus stirring the saturated waters of the CBA pot? I hope so. I know I am because I believe it’s a healthy approach for traditional CBA publishers and writers…and for our readers, who have grown in the last decade and are ready to embrace something new.
Thanks for reading my musings in response to Caleb Pirtle III’s blog. What are your reactions to his post?
TWEETABLES:
Response to author disgruntled by New York agents and publishers @marygkeeley. Click to Tweet.
Are agents an endangered species? Click to Tweet.
What is going right in Christian publishing? Click to Tweet.
One of Pirtle’s complaints is against publishers who cancel contracts because their mission has changed and they need to cut costs.
He’s got a valid point – isn’t that exactly what good Christian publishing house B&H did less than two weeks ago?
And I know you don’t like to talk about money and advances here, but he alleges that a typical advance is only $5,000, a figure I’ve seen quoted on other industry blogs. Is the CBA really paying more than this?
I absolutely agree with your call that Christian publishing be a light. I just wonder how much that is possible given that many CBA publishers are owned by multinational corporations for whom profit is their sole goal.
And I’m happy to hear that CBA agents are willing to take a chance on new genres. If only I could see that being backed up by publishers producing a wider variety of genres.
True, Lola, B&H tried doing a fiction line, but it wasn’t working for them. I’m not defending them, but it makes sense that if it wasn’t working for them, it wasn’t working well for the authors in terms of book sales either. At least B&H tried it, and some novels were published.
Agents have to talk about advances, royalties, and such. It’s our livelihood. Advances are down in CBA as well, and $5,000 is common. A good agent will try to negotiate for more, but publishers currently are risk-averse. These days aren’t we all looking for ways to spend less at the gas pump and the grocery store to weather the down economic climate?
I’m learning about the industry as time goes by. Things are definitely changing. But nothing ever stays the same … in any industry, does it? And, much as we might like things to be different, so that we can be comfortable, secure, happy—it’s just not going to happen that way.
I’ve persisted in pursuing the ‘traditional’ route to publishing, despite the very tempting option of self-publishing.
I think that agents can still offer more than I can list here, if one is able to ‘hook’ one! And I’ve seen agents get out of their comfort zone, like the rest of us, and try to meet our needs (the writers) in the current market.
I have loved books for so long, and have loved finding the names of the big name publishers on the spine, because I knew that I would be reading a good book if I found their name there.
Even if I choose to self-publish, I will still be hoping for an agent to help me broaden and raise the level of whatever success I am able to achieve!
Angela, how right you are: “But nothing ever stays the same…in any industry, does it?” So many things have fostered change in publishing in he past six years, including the economic downturn and technology. Fortunately, e-book publishing is providing another route to publication and revenue. Agents are working hard to find options that best benefit for our clients’ interests. And might I add that agents don’t get paid for this extra work–only when a contract is signed.
Every industry goes through up and down times. Yes, publishing has been changing for a few years, but the entire country has too. The housing market is just now starting to make a come-back in areas where it had all but shriveled up seven years ago.
I think it’s natural to assume a decline leads to death, but it’s not always accurate. Sometimes a decline is just that–a decline. It can lead to new innovations, different markets, and it can prune the unessentials.
I have no doubt many agents will open their own e-publishing houses, essentially becoming publishers. If agents who go that route continue their role as an agent, then writers will have to go into that relationship with eyes wide open. There’s a conflict-of-interest aspect writers need to consider.
Writers need to be savvier than ever. We can’t just sit back and expect someone else to handle our career. We need to continue to learn about the industry, keep up with the changes, and make choices accordingly.
I know of two other CBA agencies who have done this, created e-book lines for clients’ books that they believe in but can’t sell. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this, Mary and other B&S agents.
Sally, yes of course, Books & Such is exploring this possibility. It’s part of keeping current and looking out for our clients’ continuing publishing careers.
Jill, I love your statement, “Sometimes a decline is just that–a decline. It can lead to new innovations, different markets, and it can prune the unessentials.” Exactly.
CBA agents are avidly exploring e-publishing options for their clients, our agency included. New options present themselves all the time, and we’ll choose the one or ones that serve our clients best.
I agree that writers need to be savvier than ever about the industry because the author-agent partnership will become a highly functioning team through these changing times in publishing.
That’s one reason I’m very thankful to be with the Books & Such team. I know my agent prays over decisions, and she wouldn’t steer me into something that would benefit her more than me.
I think there are new options that open doors for people. I still really hope for an agent. I am a writer. I want to be a really, really great writer that makes a difference with my words. I’m not an expert on the market or the publishing world. I hope for someone to help me navigate those waters. I also love the idea of someone being there to guide my career that has the same values.
Lisa, you highlighted the important point. Writers need to focus first on developing their craft to create irresistible books. The agent’s job is to help you navigate the sometimes surging waters of publishing and steer your career. Together, you create a high functioning team.
Wow. That kind of negativity is overwhelming. The picture is quite startling to begin with, stark in black and white as if there is no color, no joy, in publishing any longer. Then each choppy fragment pounds like another nail in the coffin. How dismal!
But I love your response, Mary, and I’m grateful you took the time to write it, including those rays of hope that shine forth from the Scriptures. Faith really does make all the difference. At the top of my long list on why I love CBA agents is career planning and client care. Yes, money matters. But even more important for (most) writers and agents in CBA is shining the light of the gospel.
Meghan, thanks for your kind words. I wonder how authors can do their best writing while nurturing such a dismal attitude. They only serve to further hurt themselves and their chances of success.
As you said, “Yes, money matters.” It’s the way we make our living. But in CBA we have a higher purpose, which helps to keep our priorities in check. We see this lived out among writers, agents, and publishers in CBA when compared to the climate in New York.
Like Jill said, every industry has its ups and downs. Writers have to weather the storm like everyone else.
Does this frustration with the process speak to something on a larger societal scale? We’ve become impatient and want things to happen for us right now. In the past, writers accepted the way to get published was to seek representation. Enter technology that makes self-publishing and ebooks an easy reality, and we impatiently want our work to be published now instead of hanging in for the long haul.
Look at how the various generations manage being in the workforce. Generally speaking, my generation and before looked for a lifelong career where we slowly worked our way up the ladder. My son’s generation and above seem to move from place to place, looking for what will satisfy their needs at the time. It’s a totally different approach, bred by this me-focused world we can often fall victim to.
Cheryl, great points!
Was the Guttenberg press a reflection of “being impatient and wanting things to happen for us right now?”
I see no difference between that and the current technological alterations to the publishing landscape. In a world of interconnected entertainment and communications options, what virtue is there in the publishing world languishing behind in the previous century?
What is wrong with being able to get books to readers quicker? What is wrong with being able to directly connect to ones’ market and not have to deal with middlemen?
To say that writers who embrace or simply acknowledge the realities of the new and changing publishing landscape are going after low-hanging fruit is quite erroneous: more often than not, those are the people putting in the effort to create and support the new market . Indeed, I don’t see how those who choose to be their own editor, publishing, agent, and commissioning agent for cover art in a market which still has yet to quantify a general route for authors to follow (which is why those folks are trailblazers) could ever be confused with looking for the “easy” road, when there is none of the infrastructure in place compared to those who go the traditional route (indeed, isn’t the lament of those seeking traditional publication often, “I can’t just write the book and be done?”)
Furthermore, while I certainly do recognize Millennials to have some unsavory habits, in regards to their place in the workforce, I suppose that has more to do with prior generations eschewing the notion that loyalty should be rewarded, or that employees should be fairly compensated for the work they put in.
If all they look out for is their bottom line, are they really surprised to see they only attract bottom feeders?
I never said it was an “easy” road. I simply commented on how impatience to get to publication may be motivating how some writers approach their careers. In addition, I would counter that they are actually going the harder route, because acting as “their own editor, publishing, agent, and commissioning agent for cover art” requires the writer to have a host of other skills that they may or may not truly possess. I have ideas for cover art, but I sure wouldn’t want to be the one in charge of creating a marketable cover for one of my books. There are people in the industry who specialize in this and I bow to that experience. And let’s face it, a rush to publication can be disastrous for an author, which is why self-publishing started off with such a stigma in the first place.
I don’t feel the way Millennials approach employment is “unsavory.” I simply commented that they approach careers differently than earlier generations. I’m sorry if my comments appeared to state otherwise.
Ah! Thanks for the clarification, Cheryl.
Absolutely, Larry. Self-pub, done right, is in no way the easy road, and it’s not for everyone. It’s harder to be both the writer and agent and publisher but then you also get to keep the profits that agents and publishers would’ve kept in trad-pub. Then again, not all writers are entrepreneurs.
I have genres I want to self-pub, and genres I want to go through agents. Self-pub is fun because of ownership of the entire process including hiring editors etc. Entrepreneurial genes run in my family. Today I realized another cool thing — I get to veto book covers. How fun is that!
You are right again re: millennials. Self-pub is not a generational thing. Even seniors and retirees are self-punning. Just ask the AARP who are now publishing their own non-fiction books.
To each her own. I think if you choose to self-pub or trad-pub, it’s a free country. There are naysayers on every side. I just go do what I think The Lord is leading me, and leave the results to Him.
LOL. My iPad spellchecker changed self-pubbing to self-punning….
Good points, Cheryl. I sympathize with Pirtle and others if they have been treated with arrogance by New York agents and publishers. It pours salt on the wounds of unfulfilled “I expect it to happen now” and “Me first” mentalities that you mentioned.
And so true, we have to include adjusting to the new generation’s different approach with all the other transitions going on in publishing.
There’s something about trying for 10 years and turning 60 and feeling yourself no closer to “cracking the oyster” (as A. Conan Doyle put it) of the publishing industry that tends to drive one to self-publishing. If that’s impatience I plead guilty.
To be quite frank, Mary, the only thing that is “startling” is how anyone could read that and assume that the author and the other contributors are merely “disgruntled”, or that it reflects some heretofore unknown level of disenchantment writers have with the traditional publishing world.
Furthermore, I agree with the author and Jill: I’ve been saying so for a while now, but the traditional role of agents will probably have to change (some hybrid of editor, lawyer, and mini-publisher as the author echoed) if that career is going to remain a relevant part of the publishing landscape.
When publishers can cherry-pick already proven indie authors or just click on an authors’ social media page to see if they have already done the work of marketing, when they can already look at the data which they are interested in, when it is as the author said, no longer a game of “who knows who and who likes who”, it’s not just a question of why authors would want an agent, but (as far too often it is not mentioned in discussing the future of publishing) what benefit do publishers have in seeing the role of the agent continues in the industry?
Larry, I dunno. I re-read the blog article twice and it did seem pretty “disgruntling” to me. Especially, Mr. Pirtle’s assertion (regarding agents), “Their days of playing God at the Gate are over.”
Yes, there are changes afoot, but I think we’re a far cry from seeing agents line up at the soup kitchen as the author’s blog photo depicts.
As Mary said, “long-term career planning and client care are hallmarks of our agency.” I especially love that paragraph. It sums up brilliantly “what good CBA agents do.”
Blessings~
Regarding that particular comment, I am not surprised:
I know many here only have experience with the CBA, where the agents certainly are of a different breed, but the arrogance and entitlement of secular agents is something not even the best satire can quite describe. (Is it any surprise the volume of their squawking about the changes brought about by the e-pub revolution is so remarkable, considering it is a direct challenge to their delusional sense of self-importance and contributions to the art and industry of writing?)
That is not to say that it doesn’t exist amongst Christian publishing agents, but the tone of which the author spoke of secular literary agents is quite tame compared to the disdain they readily earn.
We were actually talking about this last night at a planning committee meeting for a writers conference I am involved in. Part of the conference is an agents panel, where attendees are allowed to submit anonymous submissions that the agents then comment on: what they like, why they would stop reading, even if they would like this author to send this piece along to them.
One of the ways we would like to change it up this year is to open the session by posing questions to the agents like what their take is on the changes in the industry and also how they see their roles evolving.
That sounds like it could get pretty interesting, Cheryl. Are these Christian literary agents, secular, or a mix of both? Any who represent both secular and Christian authors? (That would be quite interesting, to hear from someone who has the perspective of working in both markets).
The comments here are thoughtful and right on the mark.
My reaction to Mr. Pirtle’s post is pretty much, “Meh. Another Chicken Little.”
As has already been pointed out, things change. Agents will adapt or quit. Publishers will adapt or go out of business. Writers will… keep writing. And we all hope readers will continue reading!
Well said, Elissa.
Wowser!
Mary, thank you for having the courage to speak to this. You could have taken many paths with this one, yet you demonstrated diplomacy and Christlike compassion as you broached difficult, but necessary, subject matter.
It’s no secret that the publishing arena is changing (high-five to Jill above for stating it so eloquently).
We can become disenchanted naysayers OR we can rise to the occasion. Now, will rising to the occasion involve healthy risk, compromise, or taking the high road when we’d sometimes rather not? Does it mean pressing on when knee-deep in discouragement wondering when our time will come? Does it mean drinking in God’s word when we’re tempted to drown our sorrows in chocolate? Yep. Sometimes, that’s exactly what difficult choices mean. For me anyway.
I may be a Pollyanna always looking on the bright side, but because I’m a Christian, my faith isn’t in “how things appear.” My God’s the God of the “extraordinary” and the perfecter of exquisite timing. And praise God for agents–the visionaries–who realize this and stay the course.
Amen and pour the coffee! 🙂
“I may be a Pollyanna always looking on the bright side, but because I’m a Christian, my faith isn’t in “how things appear.” My God’s the God of the “extraordinary” and the perfecter of exquisite timing. And praise God for agents–the visionaries–who realize this and stay the course.”
Excellent points!! Well said, Cynthia.
“We can become disenchanted naysayers OR we can rise to the occasion.” That’s it, Cynthia. And God IS in control. In CBA we SHOULD be looking on the bright side.
Pour me a cup too. I’ll bring the celebratory chocolate.
Well, isn’t he just a perky ray of sunshine?
The first thing that came to my mind when I read Pirtle’s Perky Post was Chicken Little, running around yelling “The sky is falling! The sky is falling!”
All doom and gloom and no joy. And perhaps no faith?I don’t know…
I was feeling the loathing and had to force myself to read the whole post. I try to stay away from Dougie Downer types, and poor Mr. Pirtle is a downer.
“Are CBA agents willing to take a risk on a new author who writes in a new hot genre, thus stirring the saturated waters of the CBA pot? I hope so.”
I hope so, too. Why? Because I don’t write Amish, I don’t write romantic comedies, I don’t write traditional CBA stories. Simply, I am not called to or burdened by those stories.
I write characters who are pressed through a fine sieve of pain and suffering, shrouded in history’s darker moments and are then folded together with redemption and forgiveness. AND a happy ending.
Oh, and I have Indians, lots and lots of Indians. Trust me, I have had a few people scrunch their noses and ask WHY I’d do THAT.
Why? Because that is my storytelling passion. It’s probably safe to say that reaching indigenous people for Christ is an overall theme for my life.
There are only a handful of stories with well written, Native American characters within the realm of the CBA.(Red Shirt-Laura Frantz, White Eagle-Sandi Rog)
And there are quite a few Native American believers out there who read fiction and perhaps they don’t always want the hero be blond?
I’ve never been one to colour inside the lines. Yes, I know exactly where the lines are, but I like to bring a little zip to them.
I am quite surprised by how many here have spoken regarding the tone of the blog. It is perhaps one of the tamer polemics discussing the changing nature of the industry that I have seen in quite a while (from either side of the divide).
If that was considered egregiously pushing the envelope of good taste…..
(I’m using my calm, migraine in the house voice. I’m not mad or stressed out, I just want to discuss, all calm like.)
But we weren’t debating or discussing any other blogs, we’re discussing Pirtle’s thoughts. It’s not a sliding scale thing, it’s what we thought of THIS one.
And what do you mean by “If that was considered egregiously pushing the envelope of good taste…”?
The reason I put in context of other blogs was because it is part of the ongoing discussion within the industry: I thought it was worth noting how it stands in regards to the overall discussion, since this community is discussing it, involving it and ourselves in the larger discussion.
As far as the blog is comparable to objective measures of tone and taste(and not just the subjective discourse going on within the industry), I would say it is still pretty tame. The tone seemed…..blase. Not angry, not overly sarcastic…..I guess a good way to describe it, would be the same way my blue-collar buddies reacted to when the news media, during the start of the Great Recession, kept running all these stories on white-collar workers who lost their jobs and they, the white-collar workers, were the ones acting like the world was coming to an end. The reaction to their behavior was pretty much:
“Life is hard? You don’t say…..”
Disgust and incredulity is probably how best to describe the tone.
And as I said in regards to Cheryl, for many of these secular agents, for much of the culture of the publishing world, it is well-earned.
In regards to what I meant about “if that was considered pushing the envelope”, I was just wondering aloud, somewhat, about some of the stories of literary agents and publishers, and the often brutish, vile, entitled ego-worship they indulged in, and what it would have been like to hear those thoughts.
Oops, meant Cynthia, not Cheryl, regarding what I said about in regards to secular literary agents.
Larry, thanks for colorfully exhibiting a central difference between agents and writers in CBA and those in New York–one of the main points of my post today.
I agree completely, Mary, which is why I was so puzzled you used the word “disgruntled”, when the fellow was clear he specifically was discussing the culture of secular New York City literary agents.
In the world around us, Sci-Fi/Fantasy is booming. The Christian world says it can’t make a success in the genre, but I’ve not seen a strong effort. Most of the stuff is quatsch because it’s filtered through the old school market. I’m not talking as a writer, but as a consumer. Entertaining middle-aged women with historical romances that have God knitted in the pages is not going to grab the YA market. Christian Publishing has failed this market. Point out a book and I’ll gladly show you why most of us have never heard of it (i.e. it fails).
I often wish the Christian Publishing industry would do what it takes to create a genre rather than say “Oh but that doesn’t sell.” Go to church Sunday and as some teenager what Christian Fiction they’ve read and (barring Chronicles of Narnia) they’ll look at you blankly. “Umm, Isn’t there some Christian elements in ‘The Hunger Games?'” 😛
Sorry for the rant, but since I am only a buyer now, I figure I’m allowed. 🙂
Oh, just to be clear, I said all the above as a rally call, not as a chastisement. There is a great way to market to Christian YA and it’s untapped. Ask.
I agree with you, P.J. We in CBA need to rally to this cause because today’s YA readers are tomorrow’s adult readers. Today’s adult readers will be gone.
Okay, I’m asking. In your opinion, what is a great way to market to Christian YA?
Through a cooperative effort with Christian Bands, the book industry could market a set of books that would break the ice of the genre.
OK, say someone like Pillar was asked to team up with Gabrielle Meyer and her Viking books. They could have a video that promo’d scenes from the book while they did a set song. Why go through all that? It’s a way of having a breakthrough book and medium for Christian YA. Put a lot of effort behind one book to get it out there through the music festival circuit and it will launch others.
Most YA readers just need to be aware of something “cool.” Make it cool, have a cool band say it’s cool, and it will become the cool thing. (I’m old, so I don’t even know if “cool” is still hip. 😛 )
Key to YA: One powerful pincer, several piggy backs. It’s been that way since the British invasion (Beatles) and carried through disco, punk, and even boy bands 😛 . It’s the same with books, true? Join forces and watch the boom.
Indeed! I know there’s quite a few Sci-Fi / Fantasy, and YA writers here in the community, so it is good to also hear the perspective of someone who is a consumer on that state of those genres in the Christian publishing world.
I also agree with what you mean about making a rallying call, and not a chastisement or recrimination. There are some hard truths the publishing world, and especially the Christian publishing world, need to acknowledge.
Part of it is because as writers, and as readers, we want there to be a Christian publishing world, not for it become another industry which allows itself to become obsolete, due to it’s very own practices, prejudices, and folly.
Interesting food for thought for YA writers, agents…and publishers, P.J. Thanks for your input.
I love your thought, “Let us never acquiesce to hiding the light of the gospel under the cloak of political correctness. By that I mean we must not shy away from shining the light of the gospel in our dealings and in our content out of concern that it will negatively affect sales amidst the growing cultural prejudice against Christianity.” That is so true.
Everything in publishing may be changing. The culture is shifting, but the Gospel is still the same. And the world will always need it whether it recognizes it or not. I applaud you and others who promote books that make a difference.
Thank you, Sharla.
I dunno…
I see Pirtle’s post as semi-incoherent. Maybe that’s because I have trouble reading tweet-length paragraphs and making sense of them. And the comments there are certainly not much better.
Why do so many on both sides tend to rant in an all or nothing way? The reading world is more than large enough for trade publishers and self-publishers.
“The reading world is more than large enough for trade publishers and self-publishers.” Amen, David. It’s important to be savvy in making these important decisions that can effect your long-term career. This is where a good agent can be invaluable.
. . . I love my agent. . . She sends me “Doggie Treats” and used tennis balls on my birthday – July 4th, 2004.
I send her fresh flowers on her birthday – June 30th. (I dare not say what year)
@Larry, I couldn’t reply directly to your comment so I am doing so here.
“That sounds like it could get pretty interesting, Cheryl. Are these Christian literary agents, secular, or a mix of both? Any who represent both secular and Christian authors? (That would be quite interesting, to hear from someone who has the perspective of working in both markets).”
There are actually no Christian agents at this conference. The attending audience has no interest in that market. This is the reason I’ve decided this will be my last year on the planning committee. While to some degree I’ve profited by my attendance over the years, not being able to interact with agents or other writers in the Christian market leaves me at a disadvantage overall.
Sounds like a wise choice. If there is an ACFW chapter in your area, you might be able to use your experience to get on a similar position; or, if there isn’t, to use your experience to start up a ACFW chapter in your area.
Mary, I love that you take on tough topics and yet at the end we can feel your smile in your post. Sometimes as life takes ups and downs on our journey it is easy to let bitterness cloud our impressions of what is happening. This happens with contests, agents, publishing houses…you name it, there is a story to tell.
But when it comes down to the truth of it all, an agent and their client form and amazing team that focuses uniquely on each of their strengths to bring out the best in a career. Both have talents and responsibilities.
What I have seen in the CBA market is a great strength in clients working with agents, with that rare exception of a pore pairing that might have been avoided with better research up front.
Having an agent helps me to focus on my strength, writing. My agent is a coach, encourager, business expert, informant of all things publishing, and a friend. I’m just so blessed I get to spend time focusing on writing and not all of the other details.