March 19, 2004

Who Needs an Agent? You Do!

By RACHEL TOOR

I had dinner recently with an eminent academic, a person whose book has been getting a lot of popular attention. We discussed his readings and radio appearances, chatted about the fact that the paperback was in its fourth printing. Finally I asked who represented him.

"What?"

"Who's your agent?"

He looked at me like I'd asked if he paid for sex.

"Why give away 10 percent of my earnings to an agent?"

Oh.

First I had to point out that, in fact, the

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