Josh Adams: Agent Secrets

 Josh Adams is an agent with boutique agency Adams Literary.

First something that's not a secret: agents take 15% commision (sometimes 20%)

As an agents he's there to provide support for their authors. He's also there to negitiate rights, but that's just one of the many services we provide.

What's their strategy? Do what we know. Do what we love. Do it really well. Do it really really well. "Agenting is not a 9 to 5 job for us. It's out lives."

Agents, he says, don't "sell books" Instead, he sayd, they license an array of rights for clients. 

Josh says it's not always about looking for which publisher offers that highest advance. A publisher offering long-term commitment and support is more valuable. (He gave a great example of a long-term view versus a short-term view.)

Contracts, says Josh, are bot the least interesting and the most important aspect of his job as an agent.

For an agents, it's all about who you know. Josh has (295 editors as contacts in his phone.) Adams Lierary works with a large array of editor on many levels (from associate to VP) to find the right match for their clients.

He reminds writers that agents aren't magicians. Supply and demand affects that they do, and finding a writer-editor match involves a lot of hard work.

TIP: If they get material that is really trendy, they are less likely to consider it. "Timeless will always be timely" when it comes to book. They are not looking for the next TWILIGHT or the next HARRY POTTER. They're looking for the first of something. (They love debuts.)

Last year they got 6,000 submission. It's really important to grab them early with both your pitch letter and your work.

Agent Panel: Josh Adams (Adams Literary)

Literary Agents View the Market Place

moderated by Lin Oliver

Together with his wife Tracey, they started Adams Literary in 2004. They represent everything from picture book to young adult.

"I'm here to say today that the state of the market is strong." Editors in today's market are being cautious, but there is a resurgence in hiring and acquisitions.

Timeless is what Adams Literary strives for. They are in the business for the long run and want to build careers.

"Timeless will always be timely."

Lin: Explain a little bit about foreign markets.

You want someone who will aggressively market foreign rights. Generally, it's a much better deal for you as an author having your agents negotiate foreign rights for you directly (the publishers get a percentage too).

They've seen that authors' advances can be higher in foreign markets.

Lin asks about sub rights, especially in this time of new publishing platforms.

Authors want to keep all their rights.

More and more publishers are asking for audio rights because they are looking to recoup their investment, especially with a high advance.

How should authors feel about a simultaneous release of their books traditionally as well as on another platform?

There has been talk about ebooks for years. There has been growth with ebooks but it's still a very small fraction of the traditional.

Lin: There's much discussion about self-publishing and what defines a published piece of work. How do you all feel about that?

They've noticed it used as a way for people to break into publishing. Then people come to them with a track record, having built a fan base.

Lin: How would you assess the market place? And how do you access the opportunities for people to break in in a significant way?

In some cases (not generally true) it's easier to sell a debut than an author that has one or two books under their belt because there is no track record. There are opportunities for authors who are focusing on their craft. It may be more of a challenge these days, but it can still be accomplished.

Lin asks about the client/agent relationship.

It's all about teamwork, striving for the best for the agency and their clients. It's all about communication.

Compares the relationship to being a real estate agent. They're not the interior designer, and won't go in and completely redecorate the house, but they will go in and stage it for you.

Adams Literary wants to look at the big picture with their clients; to manage and maximize earnings over the lifetime of a career.

Adams believes part of their job is instilling in their clients the confidence they need to do their best.

Literary Agents View The Marketplace

The Agents Panel is starting!

From Left To Right: Ginger Clark (Curtis Brown), Ken Wright (Writers House), Josh Adams (Adams Literary), and Lisa Grubka (Foundry).

Team blog is covering each agent individually - look for those posts coming up in the next minutes...

Josh Adams: Submission Stategies

Peeking in at Josh Adams who runs Adams Literary--I was lucky enough to hear his descriptions of Preempts and Auctions. It was fascinating to see the differences, when one is the better path. He also told us how anytime he goes on vacation or goes for a drive, the offers seem to come in :-)


Suz

SCBWI Team Blog Suggests Some Travel Day Reading

So as you take your plane, car, or unicycle to the 2010 SCBWI Summer Conference in Los Angeles, here are some new exclusive interviews with the Conference faculty for you to enjoy. (Uh... don't read them while driving or riding your unicycle. But you know, for all those hurry-up-and-wait travel day moments, these will be great reading... and they even count as doing your homework for the conference!)

Check out:

An interview with National Book Award-Winning Author M.T. Anderson, who is giving a Keynote tomorrow (Friday) morning. See what M.T. thinks is the difference between writing for MG and writing for YA. (hint: It has something to do with voice and duct tape.)

M.T. Anderson

An interview with Scholastic Editor Nick Eliopulos, in which you'll find out how many pages it takes for an editor to "know" whether a manuscript has potential for them or not, and also about how social media for a writer is like icing:

Nick Eliopulos

An interview with Literary Agent Josh Adams, where we talk boutique agencies, online portfolios, and if a writer (or an agent) needs a business card:

Josh Adams

Jolie Stekly's interview with Bonnie Bader, Editor-in-Chief of Grosset and Dunlap and Price Stern Sloan, where you can found out the scoop on Bonnie's two-part first page workshop - which is sure to be incredible!

Bonnie Bader

Martha Brockenbrough's interview with Newbury-Winning Author Linda Sue Park (Okay, it's not a NEW interview - , but I learn so much from Linda Sue Park every time I listen to her - if you missed it, check it out now!)

Linda Sue Park

Want more? Scroll down and check out the links and highlights to ALL the amazing SCBWI Team Blog Pre-Conference Interviews!

Okay, Alice Pope, Martha Brockenbrough, Jolie Stekly, Sarah Stern, Jaime Temairik, Suzanne Young, and me, Lee Wind, wish you safe travels, and we'll see you conference attendees tomorrow.

Happy reading!


-Posted by Lee Wind