Random Scattershot Approach
I'm not even going to pretend like this post will make any sense. It's a few hours before the blazing SoCal sun begins to roast my poor little tomato plants to death and I've got to hustle out of here to Starbucks where I can freeze my ass off writing. I'm planning to 'q later today, so I've got to get in at least 10 pages before then.
I did acquire an agent recently. However they are only working for me on a
case-by-case basis. Meaning, I find the deal, they negotiate. They don't
actively find me work, which is fine for the moment. I'm just curious about how
to encourage him/her to aggressively sell my material. However, I am still
working on that material at the moment, so I'm getting ahead of myself. From what
I can tell, the Canadian system is a tad bit different from the American system.
Some agents don't want to do more work. Hopefully, yours isn't one of them. In the States we'd call this arrangement being "hip pocketed." For a writer without much material to sell, this situation can work. The key is get out there on meetings, and to be introduced around to folks who might be able to hire you to do some work, or purchase an idea that you have. If you've been working your Plan, you can nudge the agent to submit your material to places that are looking for what you've got.
Don't leave your success to someone else: an agent, a manager, an attorney, a producing partner, a spouse, a friend. Work your plan. The best way to get folks motivated to work hard for you is to work hard for yourself. Have a conversation with your agent on a regular basis about the best way you can help, keep track of who is producing, directing and buying the types of material you create, and treat your work like the business that it is. You may want to talk to friends about their agents to see if there is more that yours could be doing for you. It takes years to really build a career, so as long as you stay on top of your craft, creating new material and the market for that material (which means all the players who buy, sell and make it) you'll be do well.
If you haven't seen Ewan McGregor's motorcycle film, I recommend it. I'm taping the Fox Reality channel's back to back episodes right now, and just the little bit I've watched while typing this has made me laugh. The bit where they eat sheep testicles is Hi-larious.
1 comment:
I actually watched that entire Ewan McGregor motorcycle series recently one rainy day. It was good. I loved Mongolia and Russia.
AND
Thank you for the advice. Right now, I'm working hard on building material. So far I've proved that I can sell my stuff, but the only people who are buying it thus far are the people who actually read it, which is a tiny sampling of the industry.
Things'll change. Thanks again.
Post a Comment