I have been tossing this one around in my head for some time. Of course, the odds of it happening seem slim to none but hey, I'll throw it out there anyway. Maybe something will come of it.
I would love to see something that I have tentatively called AGENT FEST.
The idea is simple. Get together a large group of agents for a weekend. Spend part of the time in small group sessions discussing topics such as pitching, query letters etc. Then spend the rest of the time in serious pitch sessions.
No editors. No book signings. No "power house" key note speakers. Just a chance to really go head to head with agents.
Logistically? Put it in the mid west in some city with a central airport that tends to be a hub to a lot of people.
Cost? Hmmmm... haven't figured that one out, but I would think if a lot of writing groups got together and put together a portion of the conference, that would cover it.
Just a thought. Now off to finish reading these critiques. I'll have some things posted beginning on Monday for the pitch contest. Check out the blog!
Scott
Yes, Scott, finally, and if you check out the very expensive (and sounding well worth it) Backspace conference in NY city, you will see that this is about what they are doing this year.
ReplyDeleteBut, as always, but, I hope something like this would include some honest answers about what the big changes in the industry mean for people who did not have the sense to get in the door 10 years or so ago. Those who did, through a combination of talent, hard work, timing, and luck, are in a very different position than those still on the outside. Several agent sites now include the information that they have been told to selct many fewer books, and to pick commercial rather than literary properties, by their own bosses, and while this contains some good news for new writers, it also indicates what is to come, and that's less encouraging.
I hope someone will address the issue of advances and electronic publishing of almost everything, and the impact of being able to read a book on Kindle for much less than the cost of buying it in traditional form.
Anyone can walk into B & N and see that way, way, too many books are being published. I have an internet friend who is a NY Times best seller author, but in a different part of the country. In four years, NOT ONE of her paperbacks has sold in our big store, even though they have beautiful appealing covers. That says a lot to me. What about the people who are not already NYT BS? How long can any store stock all these books that do not sell? All of these will likely live on, in Kindle et al format, and it seems to me that advances can only go way down. One publisher is already known for capping his at $200,000, and that is for the big sellers, not paperback romances, obviously. We live in interesting times.
Great idea, hope it happens, but the care and feeding of the best seller authors simply has to be the priority for any company right now, not the newbies. Anyone see it differently?They need to get as many James Patterson and Nora Roberts covers out there as possible because those are the proven sellers. What ever happened to McLarty? He came. He went.Hope he invested that 2 million advance-it may be the only one.