I am in discussions with an agent for my book

[JonathanLB]

As you may or may not know, I have entered into discussions with Mr. Richard Curtis of Richard Curtis Associates Inc. in New York, New York. His agency represents more than 100 top authors including Leonard Maltin. Mr. Curtis has written over 50 books, and he sold over 100 books to publishers last year on behalf of his clients, making them more than $8 million in royalties and advances. In addition, he has served two terms as President of the Association of Authors Representatives (AAR), the primary agent alliance (they have codes of conduct and whatnot to govern all members, like the WGA or SAG or something).

Basically, the only way to become a client of Mr. Curtis is to know someone who will refer you, or if you've become a best-selling author, you might be able to interest him. Craig Faris referred me to him, explaining my project on The Phantom Menace, and Mr. Curtis requested to see the proposal for the book.

I sent him the proposal last week, and he promptly looked it over (the advantage of sending it "Personally Requested Material," instead of through a secretary), then returned word to me on Thursday (though Craig told me Tuesday he was interested). He told me Thursday he was "tremendously impressed" by the book, and wanted me to call him. We have not spoken on the phone yet, because I have missed him both times I called. Nevertheless, on Friday he requested to see the entire book, and he tells Craig that he is interested in representing me (and, of course, he wouldn't say he was tremendously impressed only to say, "But, I don't want to represent you").

Only 5% of his clients are unpublished authors, and that number declines rapidly I am sure, haha. He deals with the biggest New York publishing houses, and he could very well be one of the top few literary agents in the nation.

So, when I talk with him Monday, hopefully we will strike a deal and I'll be signing on with him soon. Usually, finding a major New York literary agent without having published experience is next to impossible. Sometimes, things happen to fall the right way, or you know the right people, and you get a break. That is pretty much what happened to me. With 100 clients already, Mr. Curtis probably does not accept more than 5 new clients per year I'd imagine, and I think I would be the second this year (the first just got her book deal this last week with a publisher).

Finding an agent, by the way, is far more difficult than finding a publisher. There are only a few hundred agents in the nation, and there are actually a few hundred publishers too, lol, and as you know, many authors either choose not to have an agent, or can't get one, but still are able to publish their books.

I felt that in my situation as an 18 year old author, I would be best off having a powerful agent represent my interests and protect me on the financial side, that way I could take care of the writing without having to haggle with a publishing company.

So, one can never know these things, but I may have a publisher before I graduate from high school on June 1. If so, I'll keep you guys informed, though it'll still take until April of 2002 until it arrives in stores (hopefully, I don't want it to come out later than May).

With agents, they become your representative, theoretically, indefinitely, or until one of the two parties terminates the agreement. So, I have several other book ideas that I may now develop once I sign with Richard, because I feel more confident about him being able to sell my work.

I look forward to having some of you guys read the book! :)

[JonathanLB]

Oh yeah, and if you want to read the first media article about me and the book, published in a small local weekly, then you can visit:

www.ourtownmag.com/ (http://www.ourtownmag.com/)

Click on "Maggi" on the left side bar, towards the bottom. That link won't be up for more than a few more days, though, then the new issue is out.

[CMJ]

Really impressive Jon. My prospects for success are more up in the air right now. Remember that screenplay I was working on? Well I just enteres the prestigious Nicholl Screenwriting competition sponsored by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences with it. There are historically over 5700 scripts submitted a year, so my chances of winning are next to none. If I managed to hit the quarterfinals, my name would be sent to all the established agents for screenwriters. So they would actually be seeking me out to read the script.

Do I actually think it's good enough to advance or even win? I'm not sure. When I first wrote it, I was really impressed with myself. :) I could hear my name being called out at the Academy Awards and such. LOL. Anyways, my professor said it was among the best his students had ever written. My parents, who also dabble in screenwriting, were also impressed. They gave me suggestions on how to improve it. I took some of them, and didn't for others(this is actually what you do with everyone's ideas for the most part. Everyone gives you SOME crappy ideas and SOME good ones). Of course, now when I read GALVESTON I am appalled at how "bad" I think it is. Maybe I'm too close to it. Well...I definitely am too close to it. :) Nonetheless it's entered...no turning back now. If I somehow miraculuosly win I get a 5 year stipend of $25,000 and the Academy enters me in screenwriting workshops and gets me an agent.

[JonathanLB]

haha, damn that is some risky crapshoot CMJ! It is funny how all of the creative arts are much like that, you really stand so little chance of making it with any given shot, so you need to just stick with it and keep trying.

If you think that you have something really worth consideration, then you must never give up on it, because someday, when everyone has said it will never happen and that you're wasting your time, you'll hit it big and you're the only one who will be laughing...at them!

If you don't have luck with this one thing, why don't you get a few of those books that provide the agency listings for agents interested in screenplays? I know there are a lot of them, and it's very difficult to get recognized, but that would provide you another chance to succeed.

I will use sort of another close analogy here to what you might do. Many authors of fiction have written one book, tried to sell it to publishers or agents, and not succeeded, then when they felt they exhausted their options, they wrote another entirely new book, and tried again. That didn't work either. Then they did it one more time, or maybe two more times, and finally, eventually, they struck it big. Then, you don't have 3 wasted books on the shelves, you have one best-selling book and 3 more that now you may have the opportunity to polish more and publish. Your work is never wasted if you can succeed with just one project, then you will find interested buyers for the rest...

It sounds to me like you have a great product, and you should keep trying and trying until something happens, because it is worth the effort!

Really, everyone says it's the talent of the writer, or it's their luck, or its their connections, but if you have motivation and you are absolutely driven to succeed, then maybe you will fail 5 times, or 10 times, but you will succeed eventually because you have something that most people don't, and that's unwavering confidence in your project. I think that can be a valuable asset.

I think success is a mix of fortune (luck, whatever you want to say) and hard work, though. But every time you try to do something, you have a chance of getting lucky too! :)

In my case, Craig referred my work to Mr. Curtis, and without having known Craig, he never would have seen my work. Ever. It just wouldn't have happened. He looks for new clients through referrals and solicitations mainly, not unsolicited submissions. So, Craig set me up, but I didn't blow my chance either. My proposal was very professional (Craig thinks it's one of the best he has ever seen), and Richard happened to be interested in the subject, and very impressed by the writing, so when I was given my opportunity, I took full advantage of it. Even so, I needed that extra bit of luck...

May the Force be with you, CMJ! I want to see your name read for Best Screenplay, then maybe the Academy would have gotten something right for once :)

[CMJ]

It is a risky crapshoot, I know. I have a couple other ideas for scripts if this one fails miserabley(but I know it won't :) ). As for you....keep us informed on how those talks go. I can't believe you're gonna have your book published! Thats really amazing...especially since it's your first. :)

[ReaperFett]

good luck both of you

I have no chance myself, Britains film industry is growing, but only comedies seem to make it out with any sort of effort put in

[JonathanLB]

I just talked more with Richard Curtis today, and he is very interested in the book and has already begun work on trying to help me see it to publication.

He contacted another of his clients, Leonard Maltin, and asked for possible comments that he could use to sway publishers about the merits of the book and interest them in it. He wants to see the entire manuscript to make sure that it is what the proposal promises (I'm sending today or tomorrow, if I finish today hopefully!). He reassures me that he has no reason to believe it wouldn't be as great as the proposal is (he really liked that proposal! lol), but he has to see the entire book first.

Then, just after looking that over this week he will send me an agent contract that will effectively make me a client of Richard Curtis.

He plans to submit the manuscript to six major publishing houses simultaneously and let them bid on the book, hoping to earn the maximum advance and royalty from an interested house.

We are, by verbal agreement, client and agent, but the formality of checkin the manuscript and sending the contract still exists. I'll be anxious to have that complete, needless to say, because it's like having a ten point lead with 2 minutes to go in a basketball game. Yes, you have probably won, but it has happened that teams came back from that deficit, hehe.

I will keep you apprised.

[foxdvd]

Congratulations Jon! I just heard he read your book, and loved it. He is taking you on! In less then a year folks, you will see Jon's book at your local book store!!!


I hope you guys are able to talk Lucas into officially sponsoring your book, so you can fill it with photographs, and maybe even a quote or two.

[JonathanLB]

We are probably not going to go about having it officially authorized because Lucasfilm will want the book copyrighted in their name, for one, and they will want to change a bunch of things, as Richard told me today by e-mail.

Him and I both think it would be best to proceed to seek out the six or so major publishing houses not associated with Lucasfilm.

Pictures and all would be great, but really not necessary and probably would drive up the price of the book. We will see, though, if the publisher can find a way to purchase limited rights to a few photos, the possibility is still open. I'll just have to see how it progresses.

But yeah, you heard right from Craig, Richard loved the book, he said it was "superb." I hope the critics feel the same way, and the publishers, and most of all the readers! :)

Hey Fox did you take a look at the proposal yet?

[foxdvd]

Yes I did. It made me want to read your book, which is what you set out for it to do!

[CMJ]

So it's official now. Congrats Jon!

[foxdvd]

when do you plan to launch your website for it Jon?

[JonathanLB]

Caroline is fairly busy, but we agreed on a time table that would have it up in early June. First week of June at the latest. So, that is fine, that's still about 10 or 11 months in advance of the book's release probably. It will work fine.

I'll be happy to have it up, though, because I want to have that there by the time Richard finds a publisher. I know that Joshua Griffin at TheForce.net will probably have an article or an interview when I find a publisher, and we'll want to link to the site. I want him to put a fairly permanent little button up on the site that links back to my book site so that people can buy copies. I will gladly provide him with a primary mention right at the top of my page and all throughout. I don't mind putting TFN links all over, but I need the support of the readers of that site because there are literally tens of thousands of Star Wars fans there who are potential buyers...

[JonathanLB]

Richard sent the manuscript to five major New York houses on Friday, asking for a quick decision from their editors. Basically, that means a couple of weeks, but Richard says, "realistically, a month." The publishers include: Warner, Harper, Penguin, Pocket Books, and St. Martin's Press.

I should know before I graduate high school, hehe. Although, I think it will take additional time to sign a contract. This whole book process is incredibly long, in fact, longer than movies some of the time (not harder, but longer).