Mensch tracht, und Gott lacht

Thursday, October 27, 2005

Art, Money, and Markets

An article on art, money, and markets, by this author, is now available on Tech Central Station. Read it here.

6 comments:

James F. Elliott said...

So, uh, on the subject of "art" (or perhaps "artifice") I have a rather presumptuous favor to ask. I know many of the contributors here are published writers. I have just received an offer of representation from the very first agency I submitted a manuscript to. Since this practically never happens to anyone, I'm leaning towards "They're not very good" rather than "I rock."

The agency, however, wants me to use a preferred vendor list and pay someone to critique my work before they agree to market the book. This has immediately set my alarm bells ringing. My first instinct is to turn the agency down. Do any of you know enough about publishing to confirm that this is the right call?

Thank you.

S. T. Karnick said...

Your request is not at all presumptuous. In fact, I'm glad you asked, because I hate to see anyone's better nature exploited. The answer to your question is simple: Never pay anyone up front to represent your work. Reputable agencies take the (very small) financial risks themselves.

James F. Elliott said...

That's kind of what I figured. Thank you.

S. T. Karnick said...

You're welcome, and I'm sorry that the news was not good. There are plenty of good agents out there, however, and finding the right one is just a matter of persistence.

Matt Huisman said...

Good luck to you with that James...there's no doubt in my mind that you are a fine writer; hopefully someday I'll get to enjoy your work.

Besides, the world of fiction could use a fresh face=]

James F. Elliott said...

Or a round and hairy one, as it may be...