The crazy, it goes around...

[lagilman]

All right. I'm about to be as indiscreet as I ever am, because this has me going bwaaa? Literally, as kradical can attest, as he just had to listen to me doing a very good impersonation of speechless bwa?ing.

....
So, I was conned into joining Linked-In by several people who enjoy doing things like that to me, and have been sort of selectively building a network. One of the things I've been doing is trying to get back in touch with a lot of my former co-workers. It's been a great experience, overall. However....

One of those co-workers is now an agent. Many years ago, I worked with some of this agent's clients. I was not happy dealing with this agent, who was IMO a Not-Good Agent, but I did it because I wanted those authors/books and fine, that was the job.

Over time, two authors who were represented by this agent decided on their own to terminate the agency relationship. When they each called to tell me, I was, perhaps, slightly gleeful. [all right, I did a happy chair dance, and at least one of the authors knew it, and was laughing, after he said "why didn't you TELL me?"] But only after the fact, and after they had already come to their own decisions. Because that's how the game is played. You don't diss someone's agent. In fact, you don't offer a opinionn of agents at all, no matter what. Admittedly, this did not keep editors from talking to each other...

Anyway. Against my better judgement, this week I sent this agent an invite via Linked-In, to be completist, and discovered that this agent still blames me for losing those two clients, almost ten years ago. Bitterly blames me, in fact.

Bwa?

Dude. Reality check. You lost those clients because the clients were fed up with you. At least I was still willing to work with you -- at least one other editor in-house refused to buy a book from your client because you were representing it. Maybe that should have been a clue?

And if on the off chance that something I said to someone had made them end their professional relationship with you.... well, that suggests to me that your professional relationship with them sucked already. Because I just didn't have that kind of power, not then and certainly not now.


(and no, I am not going to name names. Not even now. Sorry. Some of you will be able to identify anyway....)

Comments

[butterflykiki.livejournal.com]

Heh. Am also on Linked-In, but I'm jobhunting, so... yeah.

Sounds like Mr. Agent will always blame someone else, hunh?

[debg.livejournal.com]

Oh - as usual - dear...?

[lagilman]

Sounds like Mr. Agent will always blame someone else, hunh?

There are four hard rules to being an adult, IME.

1. Acknowledge when you've fucked up.
2. Own your fuckups, even the painful ones, for only that way can you learn from them.
3. Move on with what you've learned and try not to repeat said fuckup.
4. Stay the hell away from people who cannot manage 1-3, because they will turn on you, eventually.

Even knowing that there are people out there who are Never Wrong, It's All Your Fault, it still always takes me by surprise....

[neutronjockey.livejournal.com]

You were already on my list of "People NOT to Piss Off."

Cajole a bit, poke your ribs here and there, snark every once in awhile ...but never to piss off.

My instincts were certainly correct.

[j-bluestocking.livejournal.com]

Without asking for hints, I have to wonder: is it anyone I know? (And by that I don't mean, is it my book agent of record. It's just, I left an agent myself early on, and every now and then I'm impressed at how there are only 17 people in the universe.)

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Because that's how the game is played. You don't diss someone's agent. In fact, you don't offer a opinion of agents at all, no matter what.

Yup. When I - finally! - parted from my first agent, my favourite editor said "Face it, Chaz, she hasn't cared a fig about you for the last five years." Which was absolutely true, and I had pretty much known it - and of course my editor had said nothing, which was absolutely the right thing to say. I'm still grateful for that, as for much else.

[lagilman]

is it anyone I know?

Doubtful -- I think this person hit the scene after you were safe in CA.

[lagilman]

oh, this is not me pissed-off, m'boy. This is me WTF-bemused.

Me pissed-off you don't get to see coming.

[lagilman]

one of the hardest things I had to do, during my editorial tenure, was not warn someone away from an agent. It wasn't my place to do so, and I would not have been thanked for saying anything, even though I knew it would end badly (it did).

If an agent is known to be acting in manners illegal or unprofessional, and someone asks me, then I will say that they are not in my top ten list of people to work with. That's about it.

[varkat.livejournal.com]

This is the same agent who once had the nerve to imply that I would sleep with his clients to steal them away. If I hadn't been too shocked to move he'd have lost his man parts that day.

[greatsword.livejournal.com]

A note on LinkedIn. It's easy to make connections on that site, but very hard to break them. I now link only to people I'd be willing to hire for their job.

:: blink ::

[onyxhawke.livejournal.com]

I consider myself pretty brave, but that, that is just _wow_. Words i have not.

Re: :: blink ::

[varkat.livejournal.com]

Pretty sure this is he of the "expedited reading fees" as well. No more, of course, 'cause there was a slap-down.

Re: :: blink ::

[onyxhawke.livejournal.com]

Me, speechless. Twice in one day.

Well, not exactly speechless but Laura would beat me for using the most accurate and colorful language to describe this refugee from decency.