Interview with Ted
Weinstein
Interview by Jenna Glatzer
Ted Weinstein is a San Francisco literary agent with broad experience on
both the business and editorial sides of publishing. Also a
widely-published author, Ted has been the music critic for NPR's All Things
Considered and a commentator for the San Francisco Chronicle, Bay Guardian, SF
Weekly and Might Magazine.
Why did you decide to become a literary agent?
I have been in publishing for most of the past decade - both the editorial and
business sides of the business - and after taking some time off to write a book
it was an obvious, effortless segue to return to the business side and become an
agent. In fact several other Bay Area agents were kind enough to spend
time speaking with me when I was considering the move, and they eventually
referred me to my first two clients.
When a client submits work to you, how much editorial
feedback do you give?
Often quite a bit. I am not a copy editor, but I work with many clients on
substantial reworking of their proposals and sample chapters. I have spent
as long as eight months with a client polishing the structure of their work as
well as the proposal materials.
How do agented writers have an advantage over unagented
writers?
Agents serve many important purposes for writers. Finding a reputable agent to
represent you is almost always worth the effort. Here are just some of the ways
a good agent can help his or her clients:
a. Impartial feedback
Every writer benefits from expert feedback. Friends and family may sugarcoat
their comments, or they may simply not be sophisticated writing critics. A good
agent is a publishing professional whose sole incentive is to help you tune your
writing so it has the best chance of commercial success.
b. Market knowledge
"Write what you know" is great advice for any writer, but what you
know may or may not be what editors are looking to buy right now. A good agent
is deeply immersed in the publishing marketplace and can help you understand
what kinds of writing are most likely to sell.
c. Contacts and access
Most major publishing houses no longer accept unagented submissions. More
important, agents spend enormous amounts of time making and cultivating trusting
relationships with editors, so they know just who would be most interested in a
particular type of work. The writing on the page is always the most important
factor in acquisition decisions, but getting a proposal or manuscript into the
right hands usually requires a personal touch.
d. Contract negotiation
Congratulations! A major publisher wants to publish your work. Are you prepared
to negotiate on your own the details of a lengthy legal document with an
acquisitions editor who does this many times a year? Do you understand the
intricacies of copyright law, subsidiary rights, reversion clauses,
indemnification and all the other elements of a publishing contract, so you can
adequately protect yourself? Do you know how much books similar to yours have
sold for recently, so you can ensure you are getting the highest possible
advances and royalties? A good agent is a skilled, knowledgeable expert in all
of these areas.
e. Accounting and paperwork
If all goes well, you will be receiving advances and on-going royalties from
sales of your writing. Royalty statements, however, are among the most
confusing, incomplete accounting documents ever created. A good agent reviews
every line of every royalty statement to determine that their clients are being
paid on time and completely.
f. Career guidance and continuity
In the modern publishing world, editors jump between publishing houses abruptly
and often. Many a successful writer has stories of how their book was
"orphaned" when the editor who acquired it changed publishers. For
many writers the only continuity will be their relationship with their agent,
who has a vested interest in helping each client build the most successful
possible career.
So, should you have an agent? To put all this in perspective, I have a literary
agent who represents the book I have written. I am delighted to be represented
by her for all of these reasons and more.
Let's say you have a client whose book proposal you
love. You send it out to several houses, but it keeps getting rejected.
When, if ever, do you give up?
I try to select clients who look at their writing as a CAREER, so temporary
set-backs on one work don't stop their progress. If we receive rejections
from many different editors offering similar reasons, my client and I will
discuss these comments in great detail and decide whether revisions to the work
or the proposal are necessary, or if we should continue the search for the right
editor.
Do you only deal with major publishing houses, or do
you also work with small publishers?
A broad range of publishers, large and small.
What kinds of proposals would you like to see more of?
Great storytelling, i.e. compelling narrative nonfiction.
How often should clients expect to be in contact with
you? And how do you communicate with your writers most often-- by e-mail?
Phone?
It varies widely depending on the working style that evolves with each
individual client and the stage of development and marketing of their work.
Let's say a writer has no published credits. What
can he or she write in a bio that would impress you? Or would you rather
that the writer wait until he or she has a more impressive publishing past
before approaching you?
Be a publicly recognized expert on the topic you're writing about. Get your name
and insights out via many media outlets (show me clips from newspapers,
magazines, radio, etc.) "Platform" is the key word these days.
Only half-jokingly, agents often say "the most powerful seven words in
publishing are 'It's good to see you again, Oprah.'" For those who don't
already appear on Oprah, find other ways to build your "brand" as an
expert on your topic.
What are the best and worst parts of being an agent?
I love every part of it. I wish I had become an agent years ago.
Describe your dream client.
A talented professional with unique insights and the ability to communicate them
to a wide range of readers. Publishing is a business, and the most
successful authors are those who treat their writing accordingly.
More information about Ted's agency can be found at http://www.twliterary.com.
