Agent/publisher jargon for sizes of deal

Anne Lyle · Mar 21, 2011

Agents and publishers like to use vague and somewhat cryptic phrases like "a nice deal" when referring to new acquisitions. I'm sure someone posted a list of what these phrases equate to in approximate cash sums, but I can't find it now. I've tried the forum search, but I can't seem to phrase the search terms right as they are all such common words.

Anyone care to enlighten me?

aruna · Mar 21, 2011

"Nice deal" $1-$49,000
"Very nice deal" $50,000-$99,000
"Good deal" $100,000-$250,000
"Signifigant deal" $251,000-$499,000
"Major deal" 500,000 and up

writermom · Mar 21, 2011

"nice deal" $1 - $49,000
"very nice deal" - $50,000 - $99,000
"good deal" - $100,000 - $250,000
"significant deal" - $251,000 - $499,000
"major deal" - $500,000 and up

EDITED: ha! Aruna, you were quicker on the trigger finger.

Anne Lyle · Mar 21, 2011

Wow, that was fast! Thanks, ladies!

Guess I won't be expecting anything bigger than a "nice" deal for a long while, then...

Jennifer_Laughran · Mar 21, 2011

To be VERY CLEAR - these are the suggested phrases and numbers for deals in Publishers Marketplace. While loads of agents and editors do use and peruse Publishers Marketplace, this is by no means a definitive definition of what "nice" "good" or "significant" might mean outside of that one particular website.

I personally prefer the "real world book deal descriptions as outlined by Scalzi & Co, here: http://whatever.scalzi.com/2004/09/08/the-real-world-book-deal-descriptions/

Anne Lyle · Mar 21, 2011

Thanks for that, Jennifer - though I don't think my agent or Not Insignificant Genre Press publisher will be using words like "meh"

ETA - back to the serious scales, I guess that a "nice five figure sum" is a lot less than a "good five figure sum", then?

aruna · Mar 21, 2011

Jennifer_Laughran said:
To be VERY CLEAR - these are the suggested phrases and numbers for deals in Publishers Marketplace. While loads of agents and editors do use and peruse Publishers Marketplace, this is by no means a definitive definition of what "nice" "good" or "significant" might mean outside of that one particular website.

I personally prefer the "real world book deal descriptions as outlined by Scalzi & Co, here: http://whatever.scalzi.com/2004/09/08/the-real-world-book-deal-descriptions/

That was great, and very true!
Believe it or not (I don't any more) I once got three shut up! deals. Those were the days, my friend. I thought they''d never end. (and we did all yell shut! up! or something similar.)

Jennifer_Laughran · Mar 21, 2011

Again, the only place there are such designations actually set is on ONE WEBSITE, Publishers Marketplace. If you are not talking about a Publishers Marketplace description, then you can use whatever words you want to describe it. You could call 10,000 "pretty ok" and 95,000 "not too shabby." You could call either one of those "Amazing!" "Great!" "Good!" "Nice!" "Neato!" or any other thing you want.

If you are really keen to know exactly what they mean, my suggestion would be you just ask them. But of course, they will probably not be willing to discuss exactly how much money another author made with you (and if it is your OWN book, well, you already know that!)

CACTUSWENDY · Mar 21, 2011

Shoot. Give me ten bucks and I'll shut up. I have a paypal account just for stuff like this. :poke:

(Not saying I'm cheap or anything.....but.....)

Anne Lyle · Mar 21, 2011

Jennifer_Laughran said:
If you are really keen to know exactly what they mean, my suggestion would be you just ask them. But of course, they will probably not be willing to discuss exactly how much money another author made with you (and if it is your OWN book, well, you already know that!)

Thanks - I was just curious about how standard such jargon is. It's not like it makes a blind bit of difference how much someone else got paid for their book, since I'm in no position (yet!) to kick up a fuss

Ineti · Mar 21, 2011

Anne Lyle said:
ETA - back to the serious scales, I guess that a "nice five figure sum" is a lot less than a "good five figure sum", then?

Well, yeah. $99,999 and $10,000 are both five figure sums...one nicer than the other.

wonderactivist · Mar 21, 2011

Jennifer_Laughran said:
To be VERY CLEAR - these are the suggested phrases and numbers for deals in Publishers Marketplace. While loads of agents and editors do use and peruse Publishers Marketplace, this is by no means a definitive definition of what "nice" "good" or "significant" might mean outside of that one particular website.

I personally prefer the "real world book deal descriptions as outlined by Scalzi & Co, here: http://whatever.scalzi.com/2004/09/08/the-real-world-book-deal-descriptions/

AWESOME post! I'll take a "not bad" sunny side up, please.

rsullivan9597 · Mar 23, 2011

How come "Very nice deal" sounds better than "Good Deal" even though the Good deal is better?

Agent/publisher jargon for sizes of deal

Anne Lyle

Fantastic historian

aruna

On a wing and a prayer

writermom

Avada Kedavra

Anne Lyle

Fantastic historian

Jennifer_Laughran

knows what she's looking for when she finds it!

Anne Lyle

Fantastic historian

aruna

On a wing and a prayer

Jennifer_Laughran

knows what she's looking for when she finds it!

CACTUSWENDY

An old, sappy, and happy one.

Anne Lyle

Fantastic historian

Ineti

Purveyor of Prose

wonderactivist

rsullivan9597