Does anyone know anything about this agency. Only where I can find them is on Publishers Marketplace.
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Nieves C. Daggett Literary Agency, LLC / N.C.D. Literary Agency
- Thread starter Willowwriter
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The aforementioned PM page: http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/NCDLiteraryAgent/
The domain in the email was created 12/31/11.
And there's also this: http://www.meetup.com/The-Golden-Wannabe-Writers-Meetup-Group/members/33787942/
The domain in the email was created 12/31/11.
And there's also this: http://www.meetup.com/The-Golden-Wannabe-Writers-Meetup-Group/members/33787942/
I'm intrigued because she (she, right?) is sorta local for me. Maybe she has Google alert set up and will pop in here to tell us about her publishing background.
Yes, it is a new agency.
Nieves Literary Agency is a new agency that is in the process of getting set up. She is thrilled and excited about her new agency. With her young fresh approach to help writers, she will do well. She represents my work and others for a good start. PRIVATE PAYNE www.privatepayne.com
Nieves Literary Agency is a new agency that is in the process of getting set up. She is thrilled and excited about her new agency. With her young fresh approach to help writers, she will do well. She represents my work and others for a good start. PRIVATE PAYNE www.privatepayne.com
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Welcome to AW. Can you tell us anyting about Ms. Daggett's background? Did she work for a literary agent? At a publishing house?
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Thanks for stopping by.
A few questions, if you don't mind:
1) How long has your agency been in existence?
2) Have you worked at an agency before?
3) Have you worked in publishing before , if you've never been an agent before?
4) You offer translation services? You have translators on staff or work with other agencies that do translations? Who picks up the tab for that?
I'm sure some others may have some other questions.
Looking forward to your replies.
A few questions, if you don't mind:
1) How long has your agency been in existence?
2) Have you worked at an agency before?
3) Have you worked in publishing before , if you've never been an agent before?
4) You offer translation services? You have translators on staff or work with other agencies that do translations? Who picks up the tab for that?
I'm sure some others may have some other questions.
Looking forward to your replies.
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I too would like to know the answers to Richard's questions. New agents can be a great fit for new writers, since they're usually actively building their client lists--but only if they have prior professional experience that qualifies them to be literary agents (working in trade publishing or training at another [reputable] agency).
- Victoria
- Victoria
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In addition to the previous questions I hope you'll expand a bit on the following:
It's impractical to use the 24/7 terminology which might lead some to assume you'll be available the instant they have a question or problem. Ideally much of your time will be spent vetting contracts, talking with editor to pitch projects, etc.
The term "We create exclusive tactics to find the right publisher" makes me think of gimmicks to get an editor's attention. I wouldn't want my name or work associated with a gimmick that had the potential to be a monumental flop.
This bit strikes me as the "we're family" vibe that so many new small publishers have used. While I've been on friendly terms with my previous agents, the relationship (for me) comes down to my confidence in their business savvy.
If there is no "slush pile" will you get clients via referral or invitation? Well known agents do this but I get the feeling we aren't on the same page as to what slush piles generally means.
It's impractical to use the 24/7 terminology which might lead some to assume you'll be available the instant they have a question or problem. Ideally much of your time will be spent vetting contracts, talking with editor to pitch projects, etc.
The term "We create exclusive tactics to find the right publisher" makes me think of gimmicks to get an editor's attention. I wouldn't want my name or work associated with a gimmick that had the potential to be a monumental flop.
This bit strikes me as the "we're family" vibe that so many new small publishers have used. While I've been on friendly terms with my previous agents, the relationship (for me) comes down to my confidence in their business savvy.
If there is no "slush pile" will you get clients via referral or invitation? Well known agents do this but I get the feeling we aren't on the same page as to what slush piles generally means.
So you have no previous publishing or agenting experience and therefore no previous contacts in the publishing industry?
Agenting is not an entry level position and while excitement and motivation are great, as an author I need to know whether you have the contacts with acquiring editors to make it worthwhile signing with you.
Do you have contacts with any publisher?
Why are you translating anyone's work? Are you aware that if you sell foreign rights in a book, the publisher in that territory will usually want their own translator to do the translation so that they can be certain of the quality of the final product?
I take it that these "haughty agents" didn't offer to represent the work of your discouraged writers?
The attitude of an agent can be important because ideally you should be looking to build a relationship with them (and FWIW, when my agent left her mega big UK agency last year, I went with her mainly because of our relationship) but writing is also a business and you need to know that the agent can pull their weight by having the contacts to get you published.
It is complete, umitigated bullshit to say that writers don't get given a publishing contract because they haven't been published before. It's the kind of myth that usually gets trotted out by people who have absolutely no clue how commercial publishers work. You actually stand a better chance of being published if you haven't been published before because if your first book didn't sell as expected, then a publisher is going to be more wary of taking your next book.
And how many of those clients have manuscripts that you have sold or are close to making a sale for?
Anyone thinking of querying this agency would be better off leaving it for a year and seeing whether any sales have been made and if so, to whom.
MM
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I'm in agreement with all Momento Mori's comments. I'm also surprised you're shocked by my "dissecting" your bio. It's typical agent research on my part.
I'm all for new agents. Mandy Hubbard who has posted here is still fairly new and she's made some solid, verifiable sales.
I signed with a brand new agent some years ago, but that agent had been my first editor at a major New York house. I was confident she knew the genre and had contacts with editors at her old company and at other publishing houses who acquired such work.
I hope you or your one of your clients will update us with info on the books and authors you sign with publishers in coming months.
I'm all for new agents. Mandy Hubbard who has posted here is still fairly new and she's made some solid, verifiable sales.
I signed with a brand new agent some years ago, but that agent had been my first editor at a major New York house. I was confident she knew the genre and had contacts with editors at her old company and at other publishing houses who acquired such work.
I hope you or your one of your clients will update us with info on the books and authors you sign with publishers in coming months.
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This.
Agenting is like any skilled profession--if someone is going to practice it competently and successfully, they need a range of specialized skills and knowledge (as well as contacts within the industry; publishing is still a surprisingly small world)--which are best acquired by working in publishing or training at another agency. Without that kind of background, the odds that a would-be agent will succeed are small--and while for the agent that may just mean closing their doors after a year or two, for the agent's clients it means wasted time and, possibly, squandered submission opportunities.
Would you hire someone to represent you in court who'd had no legal training, and was attempting to learn on the job? Would you employ someone to renovate your kitchen who'd never done any construction work? Agenting is no different. Writers, ask yourselves: if your agent has no better skills or contacts than you do, what do you really think they can do for you that you can't do on your own? A bad or incompetent agent --no matter how well-intentioned--is worse than no agent at all.
Nieves, it's clear that you are well-intentioned. No one here suspects you of trying to scam or deceive anyone. But I fear that your apparent lack of relevant professional experience, as well as what look to me like some misconceptions about the industry, will not do your clients any favors.
That would be my advice as well.
- Victoria
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No experience, then.
Where did you teach, and at what level?
Oh, really.
I've dealt with agents who have decade upon decade of experience in the industry. I wouldn't describe any of them as desensitized or jaded; but unlike you, they know what they're doing.
How can you do that?
No, you don't. You can't. Not unless you mean you're translating an occasional business letter. Translating fiction is a demanding, specialized, and labor-intensive task. Only fans do it for free. No way do newbie agents have that much spare time.
If you do have spare time, I encourage you to work on your commas.
Is that before or after a company that publishes in that language expresses interest?
But you don't do translation into English? That would seem to be a more logical service for someone whose clients are all over the world.
But you don't think you need experience before declaring yourself an agent, and you don't hesitate to implicitly stigmatize more experienced agents as jaded and desensitized.
Still, it's good that you have ambitions.
By Seinte Loy, you haven't read slush. I can't believe it. You think there are scads of wonderful manuscripts out there that are going unpublished solely because their authors have no publishing history. You know nothing.
Vetting contracts? What have you sold? Be specific.
Inquiries.
If you don't know what you're doing, how do you know your ideas are fresh? For that matter, how do you know they aren't errors everyone else knows to avoid? You should be concentrating on learning your job, not trying experiments at random.
Don't be jejune. I'm questioning your statements as one adult to another. If you want to talk to someone who feels the need to "chastise" you for not fitting into some imaginary ideal mold, phone your mother.
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It says they're open again. The website does not look promising aka the random column of irrelevant news.
Nieves is my agent and I am happy with how she is running things. She is very passionate about my novel and has worked hard in submissions, recently getting good news from Random House who has interest in it. She believes in my novel and I trust she will get an amazing deal. She is new, but she knows her stuff.
I am for querying a new agency. HOWEVER, they have to have SOME pub experience. Like they use to be a agent assistant. They where a J.R Agent at another agency... But it dose not appear this agent dose. From her replies it dose not seem she has any contacts.
Thought Ill bump this thread. Nieves no longer works as an agent. She was my agent for 12 months and ended our contract when she couldn't sell my novel. Ive tried to email her over the years to see how she is, as a friend, to no avail. She has simply dropped off the face of the planet. From my understanding, she is no longer an agent. I can't find any evidence that she is still active.
Kellie, I'm sorry for your experience. I hope that better ones are ahead of you.
Ongoing stories like these are why I research the hell out of agents, editors, and publishers. If I get any whiff they might not have the skillset for the job, I do not chase them further. I knew about my agent for over three years before we did a handshake deal on a mms. She is a friend, but we have a business relationship first.
I've been hung out to dry too many times in another industry by reps and agents posing as 'friends' or 'family' to hide their graft or incompetence.
Ongoing stories like these are why I research the hell out of agents, editors, and publishers. If I get any whiff they might not have the skillset for the job, I do not chase them further. I knew about my agent for over three years before we did a handshake deal on a mms. She is a friend, but we have a business relationship first.
I've been hung out to dry too many times in another industry by reps and agents posing as 'friends' or 'family' to hide their graft or incompetence.