When I first looked into Joshua Blimes, I wondered if he was a legitimate literary agent. After all, his agency, called JABberwocky, uses the URL "AwfulAgents.com". But I did my research, and discovered that this three-partner agency is indeed well-respected.
Joshua Blimes has been in the business for a quarter of a century, opening his own agency in 1994. He is known for representing science fiction and fantasy, but the agency is also interested in a variety of other projects. The agents page will give you all the details. There, you'll see some of the names Blimes has worked with over the years, including Carl Sagan and Elizabeth Moon.
Blimes writes regularly on his blog, Brillig. Here are a few posts of interest:
Some professionals say writers need to establish themselves in short stories before trying to get a novel published. Blimes disagrees, and gives his reasons in this post, then expands on them in another post.
Even though you may not have even finished your first book, it's a good time to begin learning the different aspects of the business. Blimes explains the details of book contracts--an important topic for writers to understand.
And while he's not as thrilled with ebooks as some, Blimes understands their place in publishing. He spends time thinking about how ebooks will change the industry.
If you'd like to hear more from Joshua Blimes, here's a great interview from the Guide to Literary Agents.
I completely agree that it's necessary to learn the business side of things before starting to pitch your manuscript--it keeps you safe, and gives you confidence in all decisions you make. There are a lot of writers who try to rush through the process so they can say they are "published" (I used to be one of them), and you may as well burn your manuscript for as much good as rushing will do you. To put all of that work into your manuscript, and then make a bad decision on the agency can be a difficult thing to come back from.
ReplyDeleteYou're absolutely right, Krissy. All that work is for nothing if you haven't taken the time to learn the business. Agent Rachelle Gardner and Kristin Nelson are my go-to agents for easy to understand explanations.
ReplyDelete~Debbie
I just linked over to Blimes' blog and read the post on details of a book contract. Wow, and we thought the writing itself was hard?! Negotiating a contract seems to have gotten excruciatingly more difficult. Yikes. Thanks for sharing :-) At least we've got a better idea what we're up against...
ReplyDeleteI know, Kenda. It makes you realize that agents earn every penny they get! And going with an established agent (or one connected to established agents) might be a better idea than a new, solo agent.
ReplyDelete~Debbie
An agency called JABberwocky and a blog called Brillig? LOVE IT! Definitely need to check these guys out more. Thanks for sharing! Thanks also for sharing the tip about Workflowy (did I get that right?) for making to-do-lists. I am so NOT a list person (type B here, all the way) but that doesn't mean I don't recognize the value of the lists I don't make. This sounds just geeky enough I am sure to try it!
ReplyDeleteI do like Joshua Blimes. I literally 'lol'-ed when I read the URL for his site.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this, Debbie. It's a real help.
I was pretty amused by his URL, too. Sounds like he knows fantasy and sci-fi, though!
ReplyDelete~Debbie