Literary Representation
In our literary representation group, we offer specialized services both as attorneys and agents to our clients in the book publishing industry, who include celebrity best-selling adult non-fiction authors and children’s book authors, collaborators, illustrators, journalists, literary agents, senior publishing executives, book packagers and independent book publishers. Our breadth of experience in the book publishing business and our entertainment practice in general, together with our extensive professional contacts and knowledge of current publishing issues and trends, enable us to provide comprehensive counseling to our clients.
As literary agents and attorneys, we represent authors, collaborators and illustrators through the publishing life of their books. For adult non-fiction authors, we work with the client in crafting a strong book concept, developing a comprehensive book proposal for presentation to the premier publishing houses, engaging a collaborator and negotiating a collaboration agreement, securing and negotiating a publishing agreement, identifying and engaging publicists and providing ongoing support in the licensing of subsidiary and ancillary rights, such as motion picture, live theater, television, and merchandising, as well as developing emerging new content opportunities. Our books include memoirs, personal finance books, health books, cookbooks, self-help books, business books, inspirational books and other narrative non-fiction books. In order to maintain our focus and expertise in the adult non-fiction arena, we do not act as agents for adult fiction authors.
We also represent best selling children and young adult book authors and illustrators in all genres in developing their book ideas and in structuring and negotiating single or multi-book publishing agreements, forming creative partnerships with collaborators and other professionals, managing the book’s content into other platforms, such as audio/visual, live performance and merchandising uses, and all other aspects of the exploitation of a book. Our authors and illustrators have written numerous New York Times #1 bestsellers, and have been honored with Caldecott, Zolotow and BEA Booksense awards, among others.
For our literary agenting work, we charge a customary percentage of author revenue arising out of the exploitation of a project. Our services include legal representation associated with the project, such as the negotiation of collaboration agreements and agreements for the disposition of rights in the book. In some situations, such as where an author has already identified an agent or publisher for his or her work, we represent author-clients on a fee basis in the negotiation of their agency, publishing and other agreements.
We also represent, on an ongoing basis, many leading literary agents in the negotiation of sophisticated agreements for their clients, such as unique collaboration or publishing relationships, film option agreements and other special agreements for the exploitation of rights in their clients’ works. In addition, we counsel literary agents in their business relationships, including structuring and negotiating their relationship with a current agency, advising them in the transition from one agency to another and guiding them in the establishment of their own agency business. We also work with literary agents to resolve disputes with current and former clients or co-agents.
Our literary representation practice also includes the ongoing representation of book packagers and independent book publishers in the structuring and negotiation of creative publishing and other agreements with partners and authors.
Additionally, we represent many of the high level executives at the premiere publishing houses in the negotiation of their employment agreements, including counseling such executives on their continuing employment relationships, in their transitions from one company to another, and in the establishment of new imprints.