Quote:
Originally Posted by anamardoll
Sure, but if the agent falls down on the job, they don't get blamed.
HOW long did it take before someone here said, "Well, the author shouldn't have signed..." I don't see anyone saying "Man, that author must have had a &*^% agent."
|
I think part of that is that sometimes authors cut out the middleman, as it were, and do more-or-less direct negotiations, especially in newbie small-press/self-pub situations or with a publisher they've come to trust.
We did blame her lawyers for possibly being incompetent, too.
Quote:
Originally Posted by anamardoll
Nor does the agent suffer from these problematic contracts in the same way the author does.
What we really need isn't better agents, but better contract law to protect the less powerful party in a contract from abuse.
|
Including those signed on the advice of agents, because I've read some old-school Hollywood horror tales about agents who basically sold their clients out to the big studios for a pittance and virtual indentured servitude, for the agent's own profit.
Agents who do that should be also held liable in some way.
Quote:
Originally Posted by anamardoll
And flying pigs. We need those too.
|
Well, we've got
flying piggy banks*. Is that close enough†?
* I personally own a plush one which is awesome, from a company that has apparently gone out of business judging from its MIA website.
† I am not willing to google for "inflatable flying pig" even with the SafeSearch filtering on. But I know that Pink Floyd‡ used a few during their "Animals" album tour.
‡ My pink plush flying piggy bank is indeed named "Floyd".