Sydney Wisdom of the Day - Keeping Score

Sydney:

Hey, sports fans, one of the things Bad Agent Sydney like best about being agent is the scoring system.


It like this: Sydney gets credit for every deal that goes through Sydney's office.  People only interested in this, "what Sydney does," not how well she does it.


What that mean?  Well, say that Sydney sells a book (this has never happened, but could!) to major publisher.  Gets credit, plus rep as that agent who can sell to major publishers!


Now, say Sydney and her book-doctor Mr. Oz rewrites all client's books and they don't sell.  Nobody notice but client!  No points against Sydney!


Or say, new writer walks in door with a fat offer from a publisher.  Sydney handles contract.  Gets credit, plus reputation as that agent who gets the big-money deals!


Now, say Sydney forgets to read contract carefully.  Leaves in bad reversion and sub-rights clauses that will bite client in ass years down line.  Nobody notice but client (and maybe not them!).  No points against Sydney!


Say studio head's secretary reads book on plane and tells him what it about.  He looks at picture on cover and likes lady with boobies.  Movie deal comes out of nowhere.  Sydney handles contract.  Sydney gets credit, plus reputation as "that agent who gets Hollywood deals!"


Now, say Sydney doesn't know Hollywood and offers to take half the money for percentage of gross.  Forgets that through "magic bookkeeping," Hollywood movies never make money on paper.  Whoops!  Nobody notices till movie comes out and is old news.  No points against Sydney!


Say big-shot writer gets tired of her bad agent and fires them.  Looks around.  Sydney got reputation as deal-maker!  Also cute and soft to pet!  Big-shot signs with Sydney, and brings tons of automatic sales to Sydney's office!


Sydney locks in long-term contracts and coasts on big-shot's sales for years, long after big-shot notices Sydney is bad-agent and moves along.  Big-shot's books stay in-print forever!  Sydney lists big-shot on web-site as client forever!  Makes money off those contracts forever!  Score, score, score for Sydney!


Sydney's successes are noticed (even when they aren't really hers).  Her mistakes usually aren't (and may not be discovered for years, if ever).  If you are catching on that Sydney would have to work to lose under this scoring system, you see why Sydney is happy-agent-kitty! 


Nobody asks, was that deal well negotiated?  Was that a good contract?  Could that big deal have been bigger, or at least, better?  Writers is doo-doo-brains, and never looks or thinks beyond the surface of the deal they read about in Publisher's Lunch!


So easy for Sydney to build reputation as deal-maker, and reputation is like a big old check that Sydney can take right to the bank!


Is good to be me!


PURRRRRR!

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