[Lisa Grace]

Here is an article that mentions Hugh Howey and I love the first sentence.

http://www.digitalbookworld.com/2013/president-of-dystel-goderich-literary-management-jane-dystel-agents-unwilling-to-adapt-wont-last/?et_mid=597379&rid=234325453

First line from article: One of the hottest new places for agents to find clients and for publishers to find their next best-selling authors is the self-published best-seller list.

The agent I'm working with now (just for the angel series) came to me through the movie producer. The movie producer found and read my books that were on an Amazon best seller list. I think agents are coming around and realizing it's a better bet to work with those who have a proven ability to build a fan base.

I'd be more than happy to work with another agent on The 15th Star all though currently it's not on best seller list.

 

[David Adams]

I suppose so, but it doesn't matter to me since I'm not on any bestseller lists for long.

It's cool though. Gives us all hope we'll be discovered by an epic agent who'll make a terrible, soul-less film adaptation of our work that we'll be forced to endorse to the screaming masses, leading to heavy drinking and an early, miserable grave.

That's my dream.

 

[Anne Frasier]

i think this has been going on a couple of years. i've had agents and editors contact me because of the amazon bestseller list.  it's very strange, but certainly nice. i even had an editor from a traditional house that's currently publishing me say they saw my suspense on the list and hoped i'd be interested in writing a suspense for them. (i write nonfiction for them right now.)

 

[Hugh Howey]

I suppose so, but it doesn't matter to me since I'm not on any bestseller lists for long.

It's cool though. Gives us all hope we'll be discovered by an epic agent who'll make a terrible, soul-less film adaptation of our work that we'll be forced to endorse to the screaming masses, leading to heavy drinking and an early, miserable grave.

That's my dream.

We have the same dream!

 

[David Adams]

We have the same dream!

Well you better hurry up and get your Hollywool people to do a worse job on that film adaptation then.

"No no no, I want fewer explosions. Less sex. Cut all the snappy dialogue. Can we just have a twenty minute scene where the protagonist stares into a dead pixel and ponders life? Yeah. Let's do that. Twenty minutes, no dialogue or motion or audio except a faint, really really annoying high pitched whine."

 

[Hugh Howey]

"No no no, I want fewer explosions. Less sex. Cut all the snappy dialogue. Can we just have a twenty minute scene where the protagonist stares into a dead pixel and ponders life? Yeah. Let's do that. Twenty minutes, no dialogue or motion or audio except a faint, really really annoying high pitched whine."

That was 2001: A Space Odyssey.

 

[David Adams]

That was 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Everything bad/good has been done before.

 

[IB]

Here is an article that mentions Hugh Howey and I love the first sentence.

http://www.digitalbookworld.com/2013/president-of-dystel-goderich-literary-management-jane-dystel-agents-unwilling-to-adapt-wont-last/?et_mid=597379&rid=234325453

The agent I'm working with now (just for the angel series) came to me through the movie producer. The movie producer found and read my books that were on an Amazon best seller list. I think agents are coming around and realizing it's a better bet to work with those who have a proven ability to build a fan base.

I'd be more than happy to work with another agent on The 15th Star all though currently it's not on best seller list.

Thanks for posting. BTW, did mentioning Hugh give you a spike in sales?

Just a point of clarification. At the established agencies, both boutique and large, the first person to read material is an assistant (or a reader, if the agency is large). Same with producers (unless they're starting out). The material gets to them after it's made it through the first line of defense.

 

[dalya]

The agents are trawling, not trolling.

I mean, they're not contacting authors with asinine questions in order to elicit an emotional response and then coldly walk away.

OR ARE THEY?!!!!!!

 

[IB]

The number one thing that the studio will do with Wool, once it gets into studio development, is move up each and every plot point. That's a guarantee you can bet on.

See the thread on adaptations on my FB page about Three Days of the Condor! It starts with the cartoon of the Mama Book reading to the Kiddie Books. I'd post the cartoon in here, but I don't how!

 

[IB]

The agents are trawling, not trolling.

I mean, they're not contacting authors with asinine questions in order to elicit an emotional response and then coldly walk away.

OR ARE THEY?!!!!!!

Ha! Nice! But they will coldly walk away if they sense any resistance to their lowly offer (if you're just starting out).

 

[Wansit]

Speaking of agents and authors, I got an email about you today Hugh.

 

[Lisa Grace]

The agents are trawling, not trolling.

I mean, they're not contacting authors with asinine questions in order to elicit an emotional response and then coldly walk away.

OR ARE THEY?!!!!!!

Ha! Ha! I went to my handy dandy Merriam Webster Dictionary and "trolling" is correct.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/troll
Comes from the old Anglo-French troiller or troller. First known usage 15th century.
Since I've been around almost as long, I know these things.
Please update your dictionary.

 

[Lisa Grace]

Thanks for posting. BTW, did mentioning Hugh give you a spike in sales?

Just a point of clarification. At the established agencies, both boutique and large, the first person to read material is an assistant (or a reader, if the agency is large). Same with producers (unless they're starting out). The material gets to them after it's made it through the first line of defense.

My readers, 12-15 year old girls, are not Hugh's market. I can hear it now, "Too many steps! No cute boys! uggh.

Spoiler

Two old people do it, yuck!

This is something my Mom would read ."

Lol, I agree, agents don't read the whole book. They look at the synopsis. Movie producers pay research firms to tell them if the book will make money as a film, so I'm not sure they read the entire book either. It's business.

 

[MGalloway]

The agents are trawling, not trolling.

I mean, they're not contacting authors with asinine questions in order to elicit an emotional response and then coldly walk away.

OR ARE THEY?!!!!!!

If they were truly trolling, as in "trolling for walleyes", then it would be best to keep their lure/bait near the bottom of the water column since walleyes often hang out there. Now, to keep the analogy going, if only they would check out some of the books at the bottom of the lists...who knows they might find a keeper or two.

 

[Eric C]

Lol, I agree, agents don't read the whole book. They look at the synopsis. Movie producers pay research firms to tell them if the book will make money as a film, so I'm not sure they read the entire book either. It's business.

I've had agents who don't read. I've had others who not only read, but edit.

Now as for movie producers, I've had very little personal contact, but have heard it said nobody reads in Hollywood.

 

[George Berger]

I suppose so, but it doesn't matter to me since I'm not on any bestseller lists for long.

Likewise, and when I am, well... quick, name the last three lesbian coming-of-age movies Hollywood has produced. Or the last movie about a lonesome goat.

No agent is ever going to come knocking at my virtual door wanting movie rights, or translation rights, or anything to do with any book I write.

--George, which is a shame, because 'Stanley and his Sword' would make an awesome movie, really. It'd be like insert-generic-romantic-comedy-here crossed with Clerks...

 

[Dustin Metzger]

--George, which is a shame, because 'Stanley and his Sword' would make an awesome movie, really. It'd be like insert-generic-romantic-comedy-here crossed with Clerks...

You had me at "crossed with Clerks"

 

[BRONZEAGE]

Is this the page to order a banana slicer?

[ Hugh. Howey. ]

 

[JumpingShip]

It's been months, but one of my books is back on a bestsellers list. However, I don't anticipate any agent or movie producer interest since the book never had any the other times it made lists. Once an audio book producer asked about rights because the were interested. Then they lost interest. I'm using acx now. The one thing that could attract interest is that there is waterboarding in my book and Zero Dark Thirty will open nationwide next week. It is stirring controversy because of its depiction of waterboarding and the movie itself is expected to get some award nominations. Now if only I could figure out how use that to my advantage. Any ideas?