Pimps and whores

By Michael Fraase

Thursday, 12 October 2000 03:02PM CST

Section: Business

Sheesh, I thought the literary agency game was a scam. Then I learned about “independent consulting.” These guys make literary agents look like pikers.

The literary agent takes 15% of everything an author makes. I’ve had and fired several and, truth be told, they’re sometimes worth their 15%. Of course, I’ll never forget my famous agent who got me into a contract that required me to buy back my copyright from the publisher when the work went out of print, but that’s another ugly story. So the agent takes 15% straight off the top. Chances are he or she works pretty hard to sell a book to a publisher. It’s hard work to cultivate a series of relationships with publishers and I’m sure all those flights to New York for lunch are taxing.

Clearly, literary agents are pimps and authors are whores. It’s okay, most of us knew that going in. The problem is that the pimps care more about the johns than their hookers. That’s okay too, most of us learned that pretty early in the game.

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