Why I Left My Mighty Agency and New York Publishers (for now)

Olivander / via Flickr
Olivander / via Flickr

Note from Jane: Today I’m beyond honored to feature bestselling author Claire Cook (@ClaireCookwrite), who has just released Never Too Late, from which this post is excerpted. Claire has a fascinating story to tell about her decision to leave her agency and traditional publisher, and chase after her publishing dreams.


As the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus said, “The only thing constant is change.”

I was cruising along, represented by a powerful literary agent from a mighty agency that I both liked and respected, published by a series of big New York publishers that believed in my books and helped me make them better, and receiving advances for my novels that were substantial enough to live well on.

And then the publishing world began to get rocky, just like the music world and the newspaper world and so many others had before it.

I was one of the lucky authors. I had multi-book contracts, I was still being sent on book tour by my publisher and published in both hardcover and paperback, so I was able to put on my blinders and ignore the changes at first. Eventually, I couldn’t help noticing my career stalling out, but I’m a glass half-full kind of person, so I just shrugged it off, and figured if I dug down deep and worked even harder than I was already working, I could make up for the shrinking energy and resources being put behind my books.

And then, after years of stability and support, it was jolting when a single one of my novels made the rounds through three separate editors, because the first two left the publishing house. I lost count of the in-house publicists disappearing through the revolving door—even their names began to blur. But the good news was that this was my final book under contract with this publisher, so I’d just find a better home for my books and myself when I was free.

When the time came, my agent and I made the rounds, meeting with editors at the big publishing houses. I signed a two-book contract with the one who promised they’d put all their resources behind me to grow my readership and to get my career moving again in the right direction.

It didn’t happen. I think they tried hard with the first book, but the things that used to work for traditional publishers trying to break out a book weren’t working so well anymore. I wrote the second book I owed them. And then I found out that their entire plan for this book was to do all the things that hadn’t worked for the first one. Even I couldn’t find the glass half full in that. So I spoke up, verbally, and then in writing, and then in writing with lots of detail, even some bullet points.

Let’s just say it didn’t go over so well. And then my editor went off on a three-month maternity leave that would end just before my book came out, leaving her assistant, a very nice young woman a couple years out of college, responsible for the care of my novel. Less than a month before my publication date, I received an email from this very nice assistant telling me she was leaving publishing to start a takeout food business with a friend.

What a coincidence, I almost wrote back. I’m leaving publishing to start a takeout food business, too!

And now no one was in charge of my book.

Oh, it was such a low point. I’d spent thirteen years trying to be the hardest working author in the universe, and I felt excruciatingly let down by the institution that was literally feeding me. And paying my bills.

It gets worse. Around this time I started receiving emails and calls from booksellers telling me they were having trouble ordering my backlist books that had been published by my last publisher. And then that last publisher went under and was bought out by another publisher who inherited all their titles. So in another huge bump in the road, these five backlist books went from being ignored to being part of a fire sale and were now owned by a new publisher that quickly demonstrated they had absolutely no interest in them.

One day right around this time it hit me: I simply can’t do this again. I cannot let another publisher break my heart.

It gets better. Independent self-publishing had taken off and grown into a viable alternative. Authors in situations similar to mine were becoming hybrid authors—both traditionally and self-published. And in this new world, there was little of the cloak and dagger stuff I’d experienced in traditional publishing where everything from money to marketing was kept secret. Indie authors were generously sharing everything they learned to help others on the same path. Via message boards and blogs and conferences, a great support system was bubbling up.

I’d already dipped a toe in this new pond, back when I first began to feel the changes. Ebooks were taking off like crazy and my readers were embracing them. Since I owned the rights to Must Love Dogs, I reformatted it and uploaded the ebook on Amazon. I gave it away on Mother’s Day to thank my readers for their support. No advertising, just an email blast, a post on Facebook and another one on Twitter. It had 32,000 downloads in that one day and reached the No. 1 spot on the Amazon free list, right next to Fifty Shades of Grey on the paid list. And now a whole bunch of people wanted to hear more from these characters. Amazing.

So the pieces of my new dream started to come together. I would find a way to get the rights to my backlist books reverted, and then I’d republish them with my own publishing company, which I’d call Marshbury Beach Books after the fictional town in my novels. Then I’d turn Must Love Dogs into a series—my readers wanted more, series were becoming more popular, and it would be fun to have a new kind of writing challenge since I’d never written a series. After that, I’d just keep writing, maybe even that nonfiction book about reinvention I’d wanted to write for years.

I hired a lawyer to help me begin the arduous process of getting the rights to my backlist reverted. But this time I did it the smart way. I reached out to a wonderful organization I belong to, Novelists, Inc., which has a legal fund for its members I could apply to for help subsidizing my efforts. NINC had a list of lawyers, and once I’d chosen one, they even made the initial contact for me.

I finished writing a draft of Book 2 of the new Must Love Dogs series. My agent not only read but also gave me helpful editorial advice. We seemed to be on the same page in terms of the steps I needed to take to get my career back on track. I’d already self-published Must Love Dogs and Multiple Choice with her full knowledge and support. It seemed to me that if I could get my career moving again, it would only benefit us both down the road.

And then one day on the phone my agent informed me that in order to continue to be represented by this mighty agency, I would have to turn over 15% of the proceeds of my about-to-be self-published book to said agency. Not only that, but I would have to publish it exclusively through Amazon, because the agency had a system in place with Amazon where I could check a box and their 15% would go straight to them, no muss, no fuss.

There was no deal, no sale. There would be no self-publishing assistance, no special treatment from Amazon to give my books an extra push, no marketing. Why would I pay 15% of my profits—forever—simply for the privilege of being represented by a big name agency? And this might well turn out to be representation in name only, since it was made clear to me that the mighty agency’s subagents could not be expected to devote time and energy to selling rights to works that were not traditionally published.

It was wrong, ethically and financially, and I just couldn’t do it. I Googled and searched message boards and was introduced to the term revenue grabbing.

To say it rocked my world would be an understatement. I was stunned, in part because I had several author friends traveling the same road, whose agents were supporting their indie journeys to get their careers back on track in a big way, and only commissioning the sales of subrights like foreign and audio.

A lawyer at another organization that I’m a member of looked over my breakup papers furnished by the agency, and told me to look on the bright side: They never would have bothered if they didn’t smell money. I was hardly a big fish at this agency, so in my mind it was more about getting caught in the crossfire as agents and publishers alike try to reinvent themselves and stay relevant in these quickly changing times.

I cried. A lot. At one point, I remember Googling Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’s five stages of grief and realizing that I was cycling through them all, from denial to anger to bargaining to depression to acceptance. And then, once I finished wallowing and being pathetic, I shook it off and got back to work, more determined than ever.

As much as this whole thing totally, totally sucked, as much as it felt like my entire support system had been pulled out from under me, I never once questioned that I would continue writing. And I never once questioned that my readers would want to read my next book, no matter how it was published.

I tell this story not to point fingers or to badmouth anyone, but in the spirit of those indie authors who have so generously shared information to help others coming up behind them on the road.

Onward and Upward

I loved having a savvy, formidable literary agent advocating for me, and a connected group of terrific subagents going after foreign and film rights. I loved working with publishing teams made up of smart people who knew how to help me make my books better and had the clout to get my books much wider distribution than I could ever get on my own.

If the right literary agent comes along, one who gets where I’m going and can support my new journey in a meaningful way, that would be great. But I’m in no rush, and it’s been both good to take a break to think about what I’ll need moving forward, as well as empowering to take control of my own career.

I consider myself a hybrid author, both traditionally and self-published. If the right traditional publishing offer comes along, especially one that would get my paper books into bookstores in a more widespread way than I can on my own, I’d absolutely work with a traditional publisher again. As Guy Kawasaki, the former chief evangelist of Apple, said about his own hybrid author career, “I’m not for sale, but I am absolutely for rent.”

But the magic for me is that I don’t need it anymore.

Jumping off the traditional publishing treadmill I’ve been on since 2000 has meant making some short-term sacrifices, the biggest of which was letting go of the money it provided. But my self-published checks come monthly, not twice a year, and I get much higher percentages of sales without sharing a percentage. The income gap is closing.

I now own seven of my twelve books. I control pricing and promotion, and I can balance my need to earn a living with making my books available to my loyal readers at the best price I can offer them. I can add fresh content and switch excerpts and change covers any time I want. By the time I have ten indie-published books, I think Marshbury Beach Books and I will be doing just fine.

But already I’m happy. Instead of waiting for the next thing to go wrong, instead of feeling like I can’t get close enough to my own career to move it in the right direction, I wake up every day and get right to work. I’m ridiculously busy, but I’m learning so many new things about writing and publishing and connecting, and I spend all day (and often a chunk of the night) doing the work I was born to do.


Never Too Late by Claire cook

If it’s time for you to reinvent yourself like Claire did, be sure to check out Never Too Late. You can also stop by Claire’s website, ClaireCook.com, to download your free Never Too Late workbook, and to sign up for her newsletter.

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lori

This is very inspiring for those of us who waiver between the two worlds. That said, I have to add that it’s unrealistic to expect an agent to work for free. Yes, what this agency wanted was outlandish, nonetheless there should be some payment because like writers agents need a paycheck also and in this ever-changing environment they too are trying to find their way.

T.K.

This is pure silliness.

They don’t need a paycheck if they are not adding value. Maybe they should go into the take out food business.

Nobody gets a paycheck because they need it.

Writers need agents like a fish needs bicycle. I figure you must be an agent 🙂

I have no agent and I sell my books, on my own, to traditional publishers.

molliecoxbryan

But the agent did not broker the deal. Why should they get paid?

lori

Here is what the author wrote: “My agent not only read but also gave me helpful editorial advice. We seemed to be on the same page in terms of the steps I needed to take to get my career back on track. I’d already self-published Must Love Dogsand Multiple Choice with her full knowledge and support. It seemed to me that if I could get my career moving again, it would only benefit us both down the road.” I interpreted this as the agent working for/with the author. I don’t agree that there should be a fee without work, but it appears that the agent did do work and that the author wanted to continue to work with the agent albeit in a different way. It doesn’t seem fair for the agent to be expected to work with the author if there’s no payment. Everyone who contributes to the success of a book deserves to share in the reward.

Melanie Smith

The author also wrote…

“There would be no self-publishing assistance, no special treatment from Amazon to give my books an extra push, no marketing. Why would I pay 15% of my profits—forever—simply for the privilege of being represented by a big name agency? And this might well turn out to be representation in name only, since it was made clear to me that the mighty agency’s subagents could not be expected to devote time and energy to selling rights to works that were not traditionally published.”

I read that to mean she would no longer get editorial advice, beta reading, or valuable input. The agent would no longer be working with the author. She would no longer contribute to the success. The author would be on her own and have an agent in name only. For this privilege, she would have to turn over 15% of her profits to the agent – forever. In my world, this is called bad business. Unlike you, I got the impression the author was open to continuing the relationship. The reason she ultimately went in a different direction was the lack of future participation she would receive on the part of the agent. Again, paying 15% of your profits for zero participation is bad business.

Respectfully,
A Happy Indie Author

Diana Stevan

Thank you so much Claire and Jane for this inspiring post. I’m on the road to self-publishing my first book, after decades of sitting on my writing. Some of these past years have been spent trying to find a road into the traditional publishing world. I wasn’t lucky enough or maybe not good enough, who knows. I’ve kept going, heartened by stories like yours and also by stories of well-known authors who’ve faced multiple rejections. It’s the nature of the industry. Good luck with this new phase in your life.

Claire Cook

Thanks, Diana! That’s exactly why I wrote Never Too Late, to share everything I could that might help other writers on similar journeys. As I look back over 14 years and 11 novels, the smartest thing I did was to build my readership, reader by reader, which is something we can all do.

Robyn Campbell

Wonderful post. The world is a changin’ for sure. Looks like you have found your place again. I’m pre-published and wondering what my place is.

Claire Cook

Thank you, Robyn. At the start of a career, I think traditional publishing has a lot to offer. I learned so much by being a part of that process, skills that I took with me when I went out on my own. So if you get that choice, consider it seriously. If you don’t, then you go to Plan B. Lots of ways will get you there, the important thing is that you go.

Debbie McClure

Thank you for this honest post, Claire. It’s always interesting to hear what writers a little further up the ladder have to say about the myriad changes happening in the
publishing world, and it’s effect on their writing careers. As I read this, and
posts by other writers, I cant help but think about the fact that your
self-publishing career has come along after years of building a solid reader
base with a large traditional publisher and agent. The fact that you have been
able to build this platform after years of hard work means you already have a
launch pad for your self-publishing efforts. Those just starting out on the
publishing road with only a few, or no books under their belt would find a very
different landscape in front of them. Every writer worth his/her salt knows
that gaining readers is key to success, no matter whether the books are print
or e-books. Having worked with a very small publisher for my first two books, I
know I’ve learned so much I wouldn’t have on my own. I also know distribution
and discoverability are huge issues writers deal with. You’ve already crossed
that threshold, which is a huge bonus for you. As someone with a background in
commissioned sales, I also find myself attracted to the idea of indie
publishing. However, I continue to struggle with the idea that I would like to gain the exposure and experience of working with a larger publishing house and possibly agent, as you did, before launching out on myown as a self or hybrid writer. I’m also enough of a business person to know that both sides must continually come to the table with more than promises. Contracts have to be fair and equitable to all parties, otherwise they are bound to fail. Make no mistake, I’m glad you and other writers like Jane are speaking out about your writing and publishing journey. You give many of us a beacon of light to follow. The fact that, for the first time in
publishing history, writers have so many more options available to them is exciting.
You are forging new paths, and that’s exciting. You are leading by example. I
don’t know what the continued future of my publishing path will look like, but what
I do know is that, if I have to, I will self-publish this next book. Writing
isn’t the question, how to publish is. Thanks Claire and Jane.

Claire Cook

All good points, Debbie. And I feel lucky to have started my career before things got rocky. And as I said in a comment above, I think there are definitely benefits, especially distribution, to working with a larger house. And you’re so right—it is all about building a readership, though I think there are many ways to do that, and in some ways it’s much easier in the days of social networking than it was when I started out in 2000, back in the dinosaur days.

David Mark Brown

Great post. It’s always instructive to hear about as many stories and paths as possible. While I’ve never worked with an agent, and only published one book with a small traditional publisher (several years ago), I find the stories from trad, indie and hybrid authors informative for the journey.

Claire Cook

Thanks, Mark. I agree—I love reading stories about other authors’ journeys.

Bob Mayer

I take the vehemence with which some top authors oppose Amazon more a sign that their royalty statements aren’t as rosy as they once were. Five years ago a #1 NY Times bestselling author asked me if she had to worry about this ‘digital thing’. Since then several have asked, but the reality is many are highly paid indentured servants locked into contracts with their backlist held hostage.

It takes guts to break free and start over, but I predict more and more will follow this path. The bottom line is that the author isn’t valued very much in traditional publishing as this blog post shows. They’re commodities. But now the commodities can walk away.

Claire Cook

When the system worked, and if you were lucky enough to break in, it was a great ride! But I think it’s important to realize when it’s not working for you anymore, and that’s when it’s time to step away, and be grateful that we have other options.

troublesometots

This is a really great post – thanks for sharing Claire! I adore hearing tales of other peoples journeys – warts and all. I turned down a traditional publishing opportunity last summer and even though I consider that opportunity “closed” I still constantly second-guess this decision. Your experience helps me feel less panicky that I’ve made a terrible mistake 🙂

When I was looking into it I reached out to a large number of published authors, some of them NYT/USA Bestsellers like yourself. Their stories and advice largely mirrors your own. Nobody was bitter or patently unhappy but there was generally a sense of discontent or maybe a lack of delight in their feedback. And if best-selling authors aren’t delighted in their experience, what chance does a small potato like me have?

Anyway I wish you all the best in your new hybrid adventure!

Claire Cook

That’s another reason I wrote Never Too Late. As writers, it’s easy to think that other writers have had these perfect journeys. So I thought it was important to look back and share my mistakes as well as the strategies that worked. As for second-guessing, I know how hard it is not to do that, but even if you made a mistake, and I’m not at all saying you did, that’s okay. Just move on—there are always new opportunities.

Grace

I met Claire Cook at an Atlanta based writers conference a year ago. For me, she was the highlight of the conference and the reason I turned away from my scattered writing and focused on finishing my first novel.

At the conference she told us how she wrote Must Love Dogs in her minivan at five in the morning while waiting for her kids to finish their swimming lessons (I may have take creative license with some of that.) Anyway, so I started waking up at five in the morning so I could finally finish my novel. I remember being amazed at how someone who’d already “made it” was still hustling the way Claire was. Congratulations, Claire. I can’t wait to grab Never Too Late. And thanks, Jane, for sharing things that encourage and motivate beginning writers like myself.

Claire Cook

Thank you, Grace! So nice of you to say, and I remember meeting you. I’m so glad my advice was helpful. And that you think I can still hustle!
Thanks so much for reading Never Too Late—hope you find some inspiration in it!
And I agree—Jane Friedman is such a gift to writers everywhere.

Mary DeEditor

Go, Claire! It’s inspiring for the mid-list author who’s getting jettisoned into the backwash. But it’s not quite a “gee whiz, any author can do it too” story. Claire had already built a solid name and readership through traditional publishing and a Hollywood movie. She launched into self-publishing from a solid base. Good for her! But new authors take note: unless you have a built-in market and know how to reach it, trad publishing remains the place to start.

Claire Cook

Thanks, Mary! I agree, traditional publishing has much to offer in the beginning. But if that’s not a choice that’s open to you, and you’ve got a good book and an entrepreneurial spirit, then I think we’re really lucky to live in a time where we don’t have to get past the gatekeepers to go for it!

Heather Wardell

I wasn’t able to connect with trad publishing back in 2009 when my first books were ready, so I went it alone. I now have 15 novels out and a solid base of readers. I did it day by day, answering email and chatting on Facebook with readers and traveling to meet them whenever I could, and I love it. Trad publishing remains “a” place to start, but it is not the only place. Self-publishing isn’t easy, no question about that, but I don’t ever want to have a trad deal at this point. I love what I’m doing and how I’m doing it, and being turned down by agents is the best thing that could ever have happened to me.

Abby Goldsmith

I’m encouraged to hear this, Heather. I’m coming to believe that traditional publishing is chasing trends, whereas the true innovations in many genres of fiction are happening in indie niches. Literary agents often say that they are looking for “the same, but different.” I think many readers are looking for “the same” OR “different,” and that is what indie authors are providing.

I’m having fun with audience engagement on Wattpad. The votes and comments are helping me finish my epic SFF series. I know a lot of indie authors publish as soon as they finalize each draft of a new book, but I want to finalize my whole 7 book series–and be writing the next series–by the time I shift my focus to professional marketing. There are so many facets to juggle.

Lisa Hess

Read this through tears. Thanks for an informative, honest, classy post. Can’t wait to get my hands on Never Too Late.

Claire Cook

Oh, Lisa, your post just made my eyes tear up! As a novelist, I’m used to hiding behind my characters, so being out there with my story was a big leap, but writers like you are absolutely why I did it. Hang in there. I wish you huge joy and success. And thanks for reading Never Too Late—I really appreciate that.