L. Perkins Agency (Lori Perkins)

kaitie · Apr 27, 2013

Wouldn't any agent be able to sell things like audio and foreign rights, though? Why limit yourself only to epublishers, most of whom don't offer advances (or offer very limited advances)? Wouldn't an agent (and the author) be better served by sending to anyone who could have the potential to publish the book well?

I don't have a problem with an agent submitting a book to some epublishers on behalf of the author if the larger pubs have turned it down, but doesn't it make more sense to start at the top?

If the average agented sale to a publisher is $10,000 (a number I read somewhere, but I could be wrong, so correct me if so), I'd like to know if the agents specializing in epublishing are able to get the same level of advance for their authors. If not, as an author, I'd go to someone who could.

Old Hack · Apr 27, 2013

kaitie said:
I'd like to know if the agents specializing in epublishing are able to get the same level of advance for their authors. If not, as an author, I'd go to someone who could.

Yep.

And if they could get the same level of advance as agents with a broader focus, why are they restricting themselves to only e-publishing?

I just don't get it.

firedrake · Apr 27, 2013

Also, your average mid-list or newbie e-pub author isn't exactly going to be coining in the royalties. Why share what little £££ you get with an agent, when you don't need an agent to get published by an e-pub in the first place?

I've been following this thread for ages and I've yet to see a compelling argument in favour of having an agent approach e-pubs on a writer's behalf when a writer can submit themselves.

*shrugs*

Tromboli · Jun 16, 2013

This agency confuses me. Louise is fantastic, she has some great clients and some awesome sales (including the one mentioned a page ago), and Emily seems to be great as well.

But then there's all this talk of Lori Perkins herself being not so hot and the epub agency thing. It's weird. Feels like it should be two different agencies.

Anyway, Emily Keyes just requested a full of my YA contemporary after requesting the first 10 pages from #pitmad (twitter pitch). I like her, but seems like I'd have a lot of questions for her if she offered.

artemis · Aug 1, 2013

Louise Fury requested a partial in April after Brenda Drake's Pitch Madness contest and asked for the full a few days ago when I told her I had an offer from another agent. Just got an offer of rep from her today. Yay!

She was the first agent I'd ever sent a query to (and it was a complete disaster of a letter, let me tell you), so I was really not expecting this.

Girl Friday · Aug 1, 2013

congrats Artemis!!

artemis · Aug 1, 2013

Girl Friday said:
congrats Artemis!!

Thanks. I'm going to chat with her on the phone on Saturday and I'm very excited to hear her thoughts on the MS.

gingerwoman · Aug 13, 2013

Fae Sutherland said:
You're assuming the epubs give these 'e-agents' any preferential treatment. They don't. Saritza herself stated on AW once that she'd attempted to negotiate with Ellora's Cave on their 'right of first refusal' clause and failed because 'they won't budge on it'. Which is funny because I, a mere author who's not anywhere near one of EC's elite, was able to send a quick email to the publisher and 'negotiate' my way out of that clause with zero effort and zero hassle. Many other authors I know have had the same experience or at least were able to negotiate the clause and have it narrowed drastically to benefit their future work.

So, what exactly does she do that we can't do for ourselves? I mean, if someone wants to pay 15% of their income rather than send a single email on their own, then they can do it and more power to them. I just find it a bit ridiculous.

I've heard of other authors getting out of that clause too.

Tromboli · Aug 21, 2013

Congrats Artemis. Louise is awesome! Another friend of mine is represented by her. I was in pitch madness too, which one was yours?

Emily Keyes still has my full. Playing the waiting game.

artemis · Aug 23, 2013

Tromboli said:
Congrats Artemis. Louise is awesome! Another friend of mine is represented by her. I was in pitch madness too, which one was yours?

Emily Keyes still has my full. Playing the waiting game.

I was Firebird (which now has a new title) . . . I've since signed with Catherine Drayton of InkWell Management, but Louise and I had a great conversation. I went with another agent, but she was definitely near the top of my list.

Tromboli · Sep 5, 2013

Uh oh. Looks like Louise Fury moved to The Bent Agency http://www.thebentagency.com/agent_louise_fury.php. Not sure how well this bodes for Lori Perkins. The only agent I know here now that does deals with big publishers is Emily Keyes. Anyone else have sales info for the other agents?

Emily is awesome IMO but she's still a little new, only has a few deals under her belt (but at least one to a big 6 imprint).

gingerwoman · Sep 16, 2013

kaitie said:
Wouldn't any agent be able to sell things like audio and foreign rights, though? Why limit yourself only to epublishers, most of whom don't offer advances (or offer very limited advances)? Wouldn't an agent (and the author) be better served by sending to anyone who could have the potential to publish the book well?

I don't have a problem with an agent submitting a book to some epublishers on behalf of the author if the larger pubs have turned it down, but doesn't it make more sense to start at the top?

If the average agented sale to a publisher is $10,000 (a number I read somewhere, but I could be wrong, so correct me if so), I'd like to know if the agents specializing in epublishing are able to get the same level of advance for their authors. If not, as an author, I'd go to someone who could.

$10,000 lol I'm thinking no not ever? I think I'm pretty knowledgeable about epubs, the best epubs and what they offer. I'm pretty damn sure they aren't going to go from offering no advance, or a $250-$500 $1000 tops to $10,000 because of an agent's sweet words in their ear. The deals I do know that authors have got (not from this agency necessarily, but from agents with digital deals) there has been no advance offered whatsoever, and that includes one whose website said they offered an advance so I don't know what was up with that deal.
I don't actually know who the agent was on that one so this is just general commentary about e-deals not about Lori Perkins agency.

black13 · Sep 16, 2013

The digital-first model is different to the print-first one. With digital-first, you get a token advance or no advance at all, but a much higher royalty and a faster turnaround. It means that earnings largely depend on sales. With print-first, the older model, the advance is the norm, but royalties are lower, therefore it's more of a buy out and it's (nominally) up to the publisher to make the greater effort to sell the book to recoup their initial investment.
Whether that actually works or not is another discussion altogether, but that seems to be the reasoning behind it.

kaitie · Sep 16, 2013

I understand that epubs are different. I guess my point is that, as an author, why on earth would it be better to have an agent who only sends to epubs when the better deals are all at the larger publishers? An agent who sends to big pubs could still theoretically send to smaller ones (or the author could if the book didn't sell and the agent wasn't interested). Why limit yourself?

As Uncle Jim always says, start at the top.

black13 · Sep 16, 2013

I agree with you. Absolutely no reason why you should use an agent to get an epub. I don't think the digital-first publishers care who submits a book, I've heard that said more than once by the principal (by sales) digital-first publishers.
But the "better deal" thing - not now. Once I really wanted a print-first contract, but when I talked to my friends, I realised I was better off where I was.
These days with advances closer to $1000 than $10,000 for first time authors, even more so. Now the print-first pubs are trying to impose the 25% of net as "standard" for epublishing, oh yeah. All authors should fight against that clause, but very few do. They're just too grateful to find a publishing slot, I guess.
That's the thing. You have to decide what's best for you and then find out everything you can about the avenue (or avenues) you've chosen. Maybe try a few first, if you can. There is no one way any more.

kaitie · Sep 16, 2013

I think having an agent can be very valuable. I just question the choice of choosing an agent who eliminates the best markets from the get go.

Old Hack · Sep 16, 2013

kaitie said:
I understand that epubs are different. I guess my point is that, as an author, why on earth would it be better to have an agent who only sends to epubs when the better deals are all at the larger publishers? An agent who sends to big pubs could still theoretically send to smaller ones (or the author could if the book didn't sell and the agent wasn't interested). Why limit yourself?

The answer is it isn't better. Having an agent who only submits to e-pubs is limiting oneself in a wholly pointless fashion: you can submit to e-pubs yourself, and with e-pubs offering little or nothing in the way of advances you'll proably end up worse off by using an agent, as they're unlikely to be able to negotiate you a significantly improved deal.

black13 said:
I agree with you. Absolutely no reason why you should use an agent to get an epub. I don't think the digital-first publishers care who submits a book, I've heard that said more than once by the principal (by sales) digital-first publishers.
But the "better deal" thing - not now. Once I really wanted a print-first contract, but when I talked to my friends, I realised I was better off where I was.
These days with advances closer to $1000 than $10,000 for first time authors, even more so. Now the print-first pubs are trying to impose the 25% of net as "standard" for epublishing, oh yeah. All authors should fight against that clause, but very few do. They're just too grateful to find a publishing slot, I guess.
That's the thing. You have to decide what's best for you and then find out everything you can about the avenue (or avenues) you've chosen. Maybe try a few first, if you can. There is no one way any more.

Advances for debut novelists with agents are much better than the figures you quoted; and the better publishers--which an agent will have access to--are paying better royalties on e-books than you quote, too.

You're right that writers should try to negotiate better contracts for themselves: having an agent is the best way to do this.

kaitie said:
I think having an agent can be very valuable. I just question the choice of choosing an agent who eliminates the best markets from the get go.

You're right on both points. There is no point at all in having an agent who specialises in ensuring her clients are excluded from the biggest-paying, best-selling publishers. It's a ridiculous idea.

gingerwoman · Sep 24, 2013

black13 said:
The digital-first model is different to the print-first one. With digital-first, you get a token advance or no advance at all, but a much higher royalty and a faster turnaround. It means that earnings largely depend on sales. With print-first, the older model, the advance is the norm, but royalties are lower, therefore it's more of a buy out and it's (nominally) up to the publisher to make the greater effort to sell the book to recoup their initial investment.
Whether that actually works or not is another discussion altogether, but that seems to be the reasoning behind it.

That's right. I have recently heard an unconfirmed rumour (?) that my digital first publisher gives a $200 advance to agented authors whereas I just submitted direct and did not get an advance, but because we are paid monthly I had a check for more than that that the month my book was released. I also had a smaller check the month before release for presales. So if the rumor is true I don't feel I missed out anyway.
Everything moves a bit faster with digital first. But I am unsure what an agent can really do for you with digital first, other than negotiate tricky contract clauses. However there may be things I am not aware of and I'm interested to hear other arguements.

Sheryl Nantus · Sep 25, 2013

And don't forget out of that advance you have to pay your agent 15% and continue to do so out of your royalties...

Old Hack · Sep 25, 2013

Agents should do so much more for writers than just find them that first deal and negotiate the contract. Foreign and subsidiary rights are almost impossible for an author to sell alone, but they're often forgotten about.

Krista G. · Sep 25, 2013

Sheryl Nantus said:
And don't forget out of that advance you have to pay your agent 15% and continue to do so out of your royalties...

A good agent is worth his or her weight in gold. That 15% is actually a steal when you take into account all the things he or she does for you.

gingerwoman · Sep 27, 2013

Old Hack said:
Agents should do so much more for writers than just find them that first deal and negotiate the contract. Foreign and subsidiary rights are almost impossible for an author to sell alone, but they're often forgotten about.

What is the name of that book you recommend again? From Pitch to ....

Old Hack · Sep 27, 2013

...Publication! by Carole Blake. I love it.

MandyHarbin · Nov 5, 2013

FYI... Emily Keyes isn't with L.Perkins anymore:
http://forewordliterary.com/2013/11/welcome-emily-s-keyes/

Not sure what that means for those of you waiting to hear from her??

Filigree · Nov 5, 2013

Well, that answers some questions. I guess. Perkins was never an agency I seriously considered, but with all the talent moving on, it's going to need some new agency recruits.

L. Perkins Agency (Lori Perkins)

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