what to do with my movie-minded agent

Does your agent have the appropriate publishing connections, or are most of his connections in LA?

If he does have connections with editors appropriate for your work, I wouldn't worry about it too much. Christopher Moore's agent sold the film rights to his first novel before landing a publishing deal. Hell, film rights to every single one of his books have since sold (or as of a year or two ago, I haven't looked lately), and as he himself has remarked, not a single one of them is in any danger of ever being turned into a movie.

My agent handles TV and film for his agency, so while he's hitting publishers hard, he's also pitched and submitted the ms to film agents, studios, and to one producer. That's cool. Whatever gets the book published. (I'm totally with you, though. I want to see my book, not some other guy's adapted screenplay.)

ETA: If your agent doesn't have the right publishing connections, I think you're probably gonna need a new agent, tho. Even well established literary agents often balk at taking on genres they don't usually represent, because they wouldn't know who to approach, and film is a whole other animal.

Hell, I'd tell the agent to go ahead and sell the film rights, if he can. One thing I learned a long while back is that Hollywood does not have to interfere with your novel writing, even if they do want to make a film.

Your novel won't be subjected to anything. A movie isn't a novel, and no matter what Hollywood does with the movie rights, no matter who writes the screenplay, even if they hire William Shatner to sing the theme song, the novel itself will be right there on your computer, under your control. You can write it the way you want, sell it to whoever will buy it, etc. Movies do not change novels.

Having said this, if this agent really is your friend, you should be able to tell him "No, at least not now. First I want to pursue a print publisher, and we'll see where it goes from there."

Real friends do not get mad when they're told no.

Jamesaritchie said:

... A movie isn't a novel, and no matter what Hollywood does with the movie rights, no matter who writes the screenplay, even if they hire William Shatner to sing the theme song, the novel itself will be right there on your computer, under your control...

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I'd sell my ms to the lowest bidder and shrug it off if they hired on the last writer to touch the Battlefield Earth screenplay if it meant William Shatner would sing my theme song.

Rocket Man.

So. Much. Awesome.

(Er, that wasn't you, right, billyshake? If it was, I meant Waterworld, of course.)

Friendship aside, I'd suspect you'd have some contractual issues to deal with. Do you have a contract with him? If so, what are the details of your contract concerning him representing your work? Find out what your legal issues are and what your contract says. The solution might even be in your contract.

My agent works with a film rights agent, so it's probably fine for you to have another agent to sell your novel while your friend continues to sell film rights. You might need to work out a special arrangement with the book agent, but I believe having two agents for those rights is pretty common. (you'd want to check with someone who knows more than I of course)

The friendship part sounds trickier, because you don't want to hurt your friend's feelings. But you probably need to be honest with him about what you want for your writing career. Talk to him. Let him know that your career goals have changed. It doesn't sound like he realizes how unhappy you are about going back to that Hollywood life.

From a print career standpoint, if your current agent has no experience (or interest) in submitting to editors, you'd want a different agent for your novels. But there's most likely a way to get a lit agent and still have your friend rep you on the film side.

billyshake said:

... Nope, 'Battlefield' wasn't mine...I'm not a Scientologist and I think that was a prerequisite for working on the flick.

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The original screenwriter wasn't (but that was soon remedied- by which I mean it's my understanding that they hired Scientologists to "fix" it, not that he became one himself). He apologized for the script when he accepted his Razzie earlier this year, in what is quite a funny speech, IMO.

billyshake said:

... I think a good compromise would be to ask him to help me find a straight-up book agent and I'll let him shop the movie rights (I feel so silly even saying that last bit).

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My concern there would be that if you sign with a good literary agent, they're likely to have either in-house agents or sub-agents who shop film rights for them, and it could get sticky if someone else is already contracted to sell them. Someone smarter than me about this will probably chime in to correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm thinking you probably either want to let him sell the film rights first, so they're already off the table (at least for the duration of the option), and go after a lit agent based on the book already being optioned (which could be more hinderance than help), or keep everything available while you look for one yourself. The first choice seems like a real gamble, especially if he's not successful selling the film rights, and they've already been shopped around when you land your agent. (I realize you don't give a fig about the film rights, but your agent most likely will. Careful about selling the house if you still want someone to buy the land it's on.)

If he does help you find a lit agent, be sure to check out anyone he recommends carefully (right here is a great resource -- over in the B,R&BC thread -- and also Preditors & Editors, the AAR website, etc). I've no doubt he's extremely reputable, but for the most part, publishing and TV/film don't even spend much time on the same coast. He may know people, but they may not be the most effective agents for your book.

Then again they may. It's pretty easy to check out.

billyshake said:

... I've met Shatner, though -- a buddy of mine is his right-hand man (read: indentured servant). And yeah, his spoken word Rocket Man was about the greatest few minutes of video I've ever seen.

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I waited on him once in Woodland Hills. This was way pre-comeback, and I'm of the TJ Hooker generation, so I didn't really pay much attention. I would today, though. Shatner could make me giggle reading the side of a Tampax box.

Good luck!

billyshake said:

... In the end, I'll send the ms. to him regardless...if for nothing else, just to get a badly needed pat on the back!

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A pat on the back is awesome, especially if someone in the biz who knows and admires your work delivers it. You've got a bit of a sticky wicket, though, because of the friendship. Can you send him the book without him thinking he can shop it? Would he read just for interest?

At the very least, I really think you should try to find a literary agent first (and, honestly, your credentials are going to be interesting to agents--a curiosity, at the very least--and will certainly help get you reads). Once you've signed with someone, you can discuss your former agent and the film rights question with your agent and see what s/he thinks. Who knows, maybe they'll be all for it. But, it's one tough fuck of a market right now. Reeeeally tough. Literary agents aren't looking for a reason to say yes, they're looking for a reason to say no. They don't have the time or money to spend on a piece they don't believe they can represent 100% effectively.

billyshake said:

I was in No. Holly for 15 years...I miss the place. More importantly, you gave me a helluva giggle there -- Shatner reading a tampax box...funny. Shatner at Lucky supermarket, the canned music machine switches to bongos: "Oh, Bee! YOU...are.so.small.so.tiny -- WHY?!"

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I grew up on the other side of the Valley. I miss the weather, and I miss the beach (beaches are very different on the East Coast). But otherwise? Not so much. My family's still there, so I get to cool my jones for a Malibu Mutt falafel about twice a year. It was a fun place to waitress as a kid, though -- not so LA that it LA'd the hell out of me, but just LA enough for the Hollywood refugees to file in. My high school, on the other hand... Ick.

Frank Zappa stole my childhood. That's all I'm saying.