the pitch fall 2014 The Newsletter for the Association of Authors' Representatives CONTENTS LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT THIS PAST YEAR has been an you need to hustle to bring in 1. LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT extraordinary one for colleagues the commissions. in my office. Out of four next- I do think that publishing has 2. COMMITTEE REPORT: DIGITAL generation budding agents, we provided a very good home for had three weddings (two in the most of us. We love to read, and 3. BIG MOVES: AMY EINHORN same weekend!). This yields a we can read for a living. And I AND MICHAEL SAND lot of joy, wadded-up tissues have always felt that as a manager, from the emotional ceremonies, I wanted to make sure mine was 4. COMMITTEE REPORT: and a happy feeling that our a workplace where people were INTERNATIONAL community and office “family” happy to be. I aim to be fair to has been enriched by these my colleagues, helpful in sharing 5. PROFILE OF A SMALL PRESS: additions to the fold. I know information and advice, and TIN HOUSE BOOKS each spouse is proud to have focused as a group in promoting joined our universe, delighted the interests of our clients’ careers. 6. TWO PENDING COURT CASES to see their publishing better I have met so many agents through half thanked in acknowledgment the AAR who share these goals 8. TO BRAND OR NOT TO BRAND? pages of client books, and happy and who embody the values of about the parade of new titles publishing as an apprenticeship 10. COMMITTEE REPORT: that arrive in the house. business, where mentors and CONTRACTS But I also realize there are mentoring are all-important. And three new unsuspecting spouses much as we may all deplore the 13. IN TRIBUTE: LORETTA BARRETT out there who may not yet have endless homework and complain figured out the breadth of our about the sometimes exhausting 14. COMMITTEE REPORT: ROYALTIES commitment to our work. Instead eccentricities of clients, at the of going to movies and comedy end of the day we are doing what clubs, these couples may adopt we love – working on the front 15. UP AND COMING EDITORS readings as their entertainment lines to produce exciting, moving, of choice. The weekend hours provocative, wise, entertaining 23. REPORT FROM FRANKFURT will be complicated by piles book projects. of manuscripts that have to be I have been particularly proud 24. A TELEVISION AGENT dealt with, by hook or by crook, of my agent colleagues these past WEIGHS IN outside of office hours. The months, as we all face new forces publishing spouse may come that affect the successes – and the 25. NEW MEMBERS home with tales of this or that emotional stability – of our clients. lovely restaurant where he/she I have seen agents helping their 27. ELECTRONIC PUBLISHERS had a memorable lunch while Hachette clients get through the the other may have had a mere uncertainty of these past months; 29. BOARD OF DIRECTORS tuna sandwich at the desk. And, I see agents calming distressed of course, there is that basic clients whose current books are financial premise: this remains not achieving what their previous a modest-paying business and to books had achieved; I have seen improve your financial position, agents working around the clock and continued on page 2 page 2 the pitch fall 2014 continued from page 1 counseling patience to their clients, as this is a new world and things are unfolding in a different way. One salient challenge of the day is how to keep the value of our intellectual property relatively high, ensuring that our clients are paid fairly for use of their work. We manage to navigate price wars, very deep discounts and promotions which give away books at no cost, and the fact that many readers seem to expect to read more for free on the Internet. Perhaps I should rejoice that the human impulse towards optimism is still in full force! We always meaning to read. We would all their own disposal to promote it tell clients to do their best work, love just a few more hours in the and develop a relationship with and then bet on the book...now, week, which we could dedicate their own readers, and if we let’s add the concepts of adapting to reading books that are not our can educate the authors about to the changing way books are own. And when Christmas looms realistic expectations, we may displayed and sold, using social near, remember that “Books make have things to celebrate again. media and new promotional great gifts!” – Gail Hochman vehicles to best advantage, and The old-timers tell us that President, AAR working with our publishers to publishing is cyclical, that the build readership, instead of only down times will be replaced by making demands. future good times. We all see that COMMITTEE REPORT: I find that our interests are hugely promoted publications DIGITAL more aligned than ever with the can fall flat whereas a little book publishers’: we all want to sell by an unknown can seize the The Digital Committee has more copies; we all deplore the imagination of the reading public been working on several outside forces that try to control and find resounding success. We informative programs for the pricing, distribution, and know that even though publishing the membership. Upcoming: reviewing of our titles. We all is based on precedent, a wholly a series of “Meet the Digital need to keep the value of our original, new manuscript can Publisher” toolboxes, an clients’ work high. help a writer reinvent himself. evening panel to debate The good news is that I do It is of course heartbreaking to believe people are reading, and work with a modest manuscript the plusses and minuses of there is so much excellent stuff by a beloved author, knowing subscription-model book- available to buy. So when any friend that this particular manuscript selling, an evening panel asks us, “Do you know of any good is unlikely to fare really well in on “the history and future books that I can take on vacation?” this new marketplace – the little of royalties,” and a panel or “My mother’s birthday is coming secret that most of us prefer on the strategies of digital up; are there some great book to keep buried. But we work pricing. In addition, we choices for her?” we always have a with it, we press the author to have created a spreadsheet lot to recommend. improve it, and then we work to of new digital publishers There is always a pile of books by sell it, because it just takes one, with overviews and contact our beds, books by other writers, just one editor to champion it. information (see page 27). non-clients, award-winners, or If we can retrain the authors to bestsellers which we have been use what faculties they have at page 3 the pitch fall 2014 that hits that sweet spot between me to have all the things I loved BIG MOVES: literary and commercial, with about my previous job coupled SpOTLIGHT ON very strong voices. But in addition with more control over the entire to that, in my new role I now publishing process – and that’s so EDITORS’ NEW have a staff of editors that I’m important. To be able to oversee POSITIONS working with that are acquiring a book from the embryonic stage across a much broader spectrum of a submission, to helping finalize BY KATE McKEAN – from Young Adult crossover, to publicity and marketing plans and psychological suspense and crime, beyond – in today’s tough market, AMY EINHORN, Flatiron Books to literary fiction. It is very exciting you really want to be able to help to be able to have a bigger canvas, your authors every step of the way. After years at her eponymous and to have control over a lot more imprint at Penguin, where she aspects of the publishing process, What’s the next big thing, from acquired the force of nature that including marketing and publicity. your vantage point? was “The Help,” Amy Einhorn is setting up shop at Bob Miller’s new What new challenge will (or Oh who knows! Trends come and Macmillan imprint, Flatiron Books. has) your new role presented? go – good storytelling and writing, Here’s her take on her big move. those are constants that don’t have I’d say that one of the challenges of a shelf-life and that’s what we’re Where are you now and where building a company from the ground interested in. have you been? up is that we have no history to rely on so it’s starting from scratch. That MICHAEL SAND, Abrams Books Well, let’s start with where I am said, everyone here brings their own now – Flatiron Books, a new strong reputations – from Bob Miller In September 2014, Michael Sand division of Macmillan. My first job to Colin Dickerman – it’s such a joined Abrams Books after eight in publishing was at Farrar, Straus talented, wonderful group of people years at Little, Brown. Here, in his and Giroux. Then I worked at that we have on the staff so I’m very own words, he tells us the joys and Villard, Poseidon Press (remember confident about what we’re creating. pains of making a big move, and Ann Patty’s wonderful imprint?!), what he’s looking forward to next. Washington Square Press, Warner What new skill or muscle does Books/Grand Central, and Penguin.