Today’s ONE THING feature is with romance star Claudia Dain, one of the infamous goddesses and a USA Today bestselling authors of a boatload of fabulous books. She’s had a long and prosperous career, so advice from someone like her is golden.
We posed the question of the day: What is the ONE THING that you know now that you wish you’d known when you were first starting out:
An agent’s first job is to look after her own career, not mine. It’s not that an agent is hostile to her clients, but that when push comes to shove (and it will), an agent will always choose to do what’s in her best interests even if she has to sacrifice what’s in the author’s best interests. No, I don’t have an axe to grind. I love agents. I love my agent. But business is business. Authors (especially new authors) sometimes forget this; a good agent never forgets it.
Claudia is generously giving away one backlist title to a US address to a lucky commenter. But be sure to check out her new book, in bookstores July 6!
DARING A DUKE
Berkley
ISBN: 0425235467
Jane Elliot of New York is in London for an adventure. Unfortunately, her two brothers are also in London and quite determined that Jane have no such thing, which does create a few problems, and really is so typical of brothers.
What Jane did not expect was the Duke of Edenham to be quite so dashing and quite definitely the most handsome man she’d ever seen. She also did not expect to capture his attention upon the first look.
It was flattering, to be sure, but did Edenham have to be quite so bold with her two brothers looking on? Most inconvenient. How was a girl to have any sort of adventure at all with brothers snarling at her and a duke commanding her attention?
How? Why with Sophia Dalby’s help, that’s how. If there’s one thing Sophia believes it’s that every proper woman should have at least one very improper adventure.
Check out previous ONE THING features!
Jill Shalvis
Mary Jo Putney
Susan Crandall
Tanya Michaels
Kathy Garbera
Lori Handeland
Carrie Lofty
By all reports, Julie Leto was a sweet child once, somewhat shy, preferring to play quietly in her room making up stories. However, being raised with three brothers in a loud, primarily Italian household did have its influences and Julie discovered her inner tough girl. That’s probably why most of her heroines kick serious butt. Writing sassy heroines has worked out, as she’s sold over forty books to four publishers featuring strong, confident women. Julie lives in Florida with her daughter, a spoiled dachshund, a haughty lynx-point Siamese and a wide range of relatives all within driving distance.
Destiny
Dirty Little Secrets
Once Upon A Valentine
Through The Night
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Good morning, Claudia! How I love Sophia–the Courtesan Chronicles are a treasure.
I’ve never thought of this before in terms of an agent/author relationship. Thanks for giving me something to chew on. :)
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WOW I thought that an agent should be 100% for their authors or whoever they represent!
Another example of… Life is not fair!
I definitely want to read Daring the Duke. I enjoyed your marriage bed series!
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That is one of the hardest things to learn as a fledgling writer, to separate the business from the craft. Thanks for the reminder that agents have bills to pay, too.
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I had never put much thought into this before but it does stand that an agent would think more about their career! Thanks for sharing with us today! Your new book look fabulous, love the cover!
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Welcome to the Jungle, Claudia
Last weekend an author spoke at my local chapter meeting and I asked her some specific questions regarding agents. And your comment about agents looking out for themselves is totally true!! I was shocked and dismayed by what she told me. This author had been represented by a HUGE well known agent in a Valhalla agency and her agent put HER best interests first instead of this author and boy did she get screwed. What a horror story! It makes me shudder just thinking about it.
We have an agent who will be visiting our chapter in October and has offered to take “3″ minute appointments. I signed up for one BEFORE I had the enlightening conversation with this author. This agent is from a smaller agency. I will be thinking not only twice but three and four times before I send any of my work to an agent. I just got a rejection from a couple of agents who both have sterling reputations and at the time I was disappointed but now it makes me think I might have dodged a very big bullet.
I know that not all agents are bad, there are a lot of good ones out there but devoting time and effort to the best selling big fish client over here trumps devoting time and effort to the new little fish over there any day. Money rules. Period. And I can understand that especially if an agent is one of many in a big agency and they are expected to pull in the dollars.
Thanks for being here,
Cher
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I never realized that an agent is all about their career first… I too believed that they did everything they could for their clients… reality check… thanks for the insight!
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Great advice Claudia!
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Cher and everyone…be clear on what Claudia means. The reality is that an agent is in business to make money…just like we are. Sometimes, their ability to make maximum $$ runs counter to our best interests. It doesn’t mean they will act against us, necessarily, but that they have to weigh their own bottom line against ours.
This is a truth that I accept as part of running a business. It’s not to scare people off agents (Cher, I said that for you!) but to make authors aware that they need to look at their situations from the point of view of everyone involved in their career. Their agent, their editor, their publisher. Time and again, I see authors putting faith in their editors to take their side against their publisher…and that makes no sense to me. The publisher signs their paycheck! Doesn’t mean the editor is unethical! It makes them smart.
I’ve said it a million times–the ONLY person who is looking out for you is YOU. Your agent is on your team…but if she has to make a choice between backing you up over something and making her rent or paying her assistant…well, it’s a hard choice to make.
However, if you’re AWARE of those hard choices and you stay on top of things, then I think conflicts can, in some instances, be avoided.
And Cher, also remember there are two sides to every story. I’m not saying this author isn’t telling the truth–I’ve heard a lot of horror stories myself–but I’ve also heard agents talk and sometimes their perspective is very, very different.
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It seems like in all business you have to look out for you. The idea of team work that we grew up using has flown out the window.
That being said I have to tell Claudia what a fan I am. The cover for Daring a Duke is gorgeous. Where did they get that dress?
I can’t wait to read it I love a good historical. They just transport me back in time.
I am slowly going back and getting some of your older work to add to my collection. I just ordered THE COURTESAN’S SECRET and it is on its way.
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Thank you, Julie
Cher
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That is a good thing to keep in mind.
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This is actually useful in real life too. People that you think are your friends and seem nice will throw you under the bus when they start looking bad. Same goes with co-workers. It doesn’t happen too often, but don’t think everyone is a saint. Especially with the economy being so tough right now.
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Hi Claudia. Daring a Duke sounds good. Beautiful cover. Thanks for sharing with us.
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Good insight. Love the theme of the new book. Hope the brothers get distracted withtheir own relationship woes.
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I always thought the agent was looking out for the author, I’m really surprised. Daring A Duke sounds wonderful and I can’t wait to read it. Have a great weekend.
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Hmm….you know something??? This got me thinking….and my thought process says that they have to look after themselves and their best interests….in order to be able to stick around and look after their authors as well…sorta like a double edged sword…damned if they do and damned if they don’t…
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Welcome Claudia! Great advise today. Daring the Duke sounds wonderful. Adding it to my TBR list now.
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Love the cover. wonderful post.
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Great food for thought, Claudia. Thanks for sharing.
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Hi, Claudia!!!!!!!!! I was in Boston for the day yesterday so stopping by today! You are 100% right. So is Julie. The only one who looks out for you is YOU! That doesn’t mean don’t trust your agent (I DO!) it means trust your gut and weigh what they say if you’re gut is screaming no. Hey sometimes (I hope most times) the agent is right, editor too, but YOUR feelings and knowledge count too.
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Thanks for the post Claudia . It is a good thing for new and old authors to remember. The book is the most important thing and if they want it different than what you want you can get their reasons why and then tell them your reasons to keep it in the book. But as you said, push comes to shove you have to go with your agent or editor suggestions.
Have you on my new authors list and wish list. Thanks for the great books.
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Gang, it’s so easy to forget stuff like this, like that the agent has her own career to build. Why do we forget that? She has bills to pay and a career plan for herself that includes (I’m assuming) greatness in her field and general acclaim over her astute business sense. I actually think it makes working with an agent easier when I can remember what her ultimate goals are; we can work together better that way.
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Cher, PLEASE don’t take my “advice” as a slam against agents. I adore them. I couldn’t do the work of writing without an agent doing the work of watching my legal and business back. Not all agents are good, nor are all bad. You just have to find one you can work comfortably with.
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Again, oh, so sorry that I gave the wrong impression, but I do think that agents can be trusted. They are doing their very best to do their best by you. But sometimes what’s best for them is not what’s best for you—and they don’t know that! No agent is trying to throw you under the bus. They just can’t tell that bus is going to crush you because, hey, it’s not going to crush them!
Am I making sense?
See, let me go back to Miss Kallie’s comment that ultimately you should go with the editor or agent’s suggestions. That’s one bus. No, my gut rules on my writing, not the agent’s gut and not the editor’s gut. It’s my writing career we’re talking about with that change. If I don’t want my writing career to go that way…but it would be so great for my agent’s career if it went that way…well, then my way wins. See?
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Thank you to all who said such lovely things about The Courtesan Chronicles. Pearls on my heart, I assure you. I hope you like DARING A DUKE as I much as I enjoyed writing it. I LOL many, many times. (Is that gauche to admit?) Oops!
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Yeah. What Carly said. LOL
And I want to apologize for not being here to chat with you all in a timely manner. I was in CHARLESTON for the first time and was wildly distracted (and without internet).
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Daring a Duke looks great! Can’t wait to get my hands on it.