Sydney:

Words is money.


Sydney has been scooping up many writer's estates, and signing writers that is largely retired and is not keeping up with changes in publishing, offering to handle their back-lists.  Scooping up like plump little mousies!  Yum!


Sydney knows how to sell words (especially good words written by professional writers) by the pound, turning them into cash!  Sydney has her own publishing company on side.  (Oh!  Whoopses!  Is just publishing company that is just happens to be BESIDE Sydney.  Is not connected!  Oh, no, oh noes!)  Anyway, this almost certainly unconnected company publishes all these words as ebooks and print-on-demand books!  Only a little bit, because company does not do very good job on conversions or formattings or covers, but does not matter, because Sydney works in bulk!


Then, somehows (does not want to know how) bails of money fall into Sydney's mail-slot.  KLUNK!  There's anotherones!


Oh, wait!  What is this envelope here under bail of money?  Oh, is from publisher trying to buy rights to one of Sydney's estate books! Sydney has dealt with these bad peoples before!  Wants to offer estate much more moneys than Sydney's bulk deal.  More money for estate, but LESS FOR SYDNEY!  THIS CANNOT STAND!


But do not worries!  Sydney has easy solution!  Just does not pass deal along!  Tells publisher to go away!  But this new letter, they is asking for contact information for estate, so can take offer to them directly.  WELL, SYDNEY WILL NOT TELL!


Does not have to.


Will just keep estate in dark, and feed them -- well, you knows!


KLUNK!


Is good to me me!


PURRRRRRRR!





 Bad Agent Sydney wants to hear from YOU! Please leave your queries, questions, or comments! Perhaps Sydney's response will inspire a future post! While Bad Agent Sydney is not taking on new clients at this time, she is well aware that ALL WRITERS NEED CAT SUPERVISION!  Little known fact that this instinctive talent that ALL cats have!  Writers (and everyone want to be writer!), do to local shelter and ADOPT HOMELESS KITTY TODAY!  Use this LINK to find shelter near you!  GO!  AGENT SYDNEY SAYS! If you found this post useful or fun, please be aware that Sydney has NEEDS! Toys. Catnip. TUNA! Support Sydney (and her people) by digging deep and sending a "thank-you" donantion her way. PURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! (You cannot resist my hypnotic "pay up!" purr! PURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

Conflict of Interesting

Sydney:

Lately, Sydney is hearing a lot about agents and conflict of interests!  People is talking about how agents may have special relationships with publishers, or may not work in client's best interests if agent is also acting as a publisher.  
Sures, these is all conflicts of interest!  Sydney loves them all!


But there is other conflicts of interest that ALWAYS go on with agents, and people never thinks about!  These are Sydney's favorites, because nobody ever complains about them!  They is so deeply rooted in the agenting business they is invisible!  Is like money in the bank!


In fact, IS money in the bank Sydney is talking about!  See, all money flows through agent!  Publisher sends check!  Sydney cashes check plenty-quick!  Then, Sydney deducts her well-deserved 20% commission!  Finally, Sydney cuts check for rest of moneys and sends to writer!


But here is where conflict-of-interest comes on.  Writer's best interest is that Sydney should get money to writer as soon as possible! Agency law says agents first interest should be client's first interest...


But Sydney is just a little cat (agent), and does not study the law, much less obey it!  Sydney's interest is that money stays with Sydney as long as possible!  Sydney knows that "money in the bank" means "interest," and interest is money that STAYS in Sydney's bank!


So, if check comes in on Wednesday, Sydney cashes right away, but pretends not to get it until Friday.  If gets on Friday, can't log it in until Monday.  If does not log till Monday, cannot send to accounting until Tuesday.  But accounting person is taking personal days till Thursday.  Then authorization to cut check doesn't get on Sydney's desk till SECOND Friday.  Then Sydney cannot sign till Monday, but is in meetings all day, and is out of office on Tuesday and then everything is backed up on Wednesday and then signs on Thursday, but accidentally signs in wrong place, and accounting person doesn't find it becauses starts maternity leave, and then temp replacing her doesn't know where anything is...


Six weeks later, if writer even knows about money, if even suspects money exists, they is stuck staring at mail-box, wondering where money is!  If they calls, Sydney says, "the check's in the mail!"  Thanks-you crappy USPS!  Sydney can always blames it on you!  "Oh," says Sydney,
"you should have it by now!  Sydney will send another check soon as can get paperwork through!  Only accounting person just started two year sabbatical in Tibet!  May be slight, delay!"


Meanwhile, Sydney's "conflicted interest" is turning into "compounded interest!"   See!  Sydney makes clever joke!  HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! 


You got that check yet?


Is good to be me!


PURRRRR!




 Bad Agent Sydney wants to hear from YOU! Please leave your queries, questions, or comments! Perhaps Sydney's response will inspire a future post! While Bad Agent Sydney is not taking on new clients at this time, she is well aware that ALL WRITERS NEED CAT SUPERVISION!  Little known fact that this instinctive talent that ALL cats have!  Writers (and everyone want to be writer!), do to local shelter and ADOPT HOMELESS KITTY TODAY!  Use this LINK to find shelter near you!  GO!  AGENT SYDNEY SAYS!

 If you found this post useful or fun, please be aware that Sydney has NEEDS! Toys. Catnip. TUNA! Support Sydney (and her people) by digging deep and sending a "thank-you" donantion her way. PURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! (You cannot resist my hypnotic "pay up!" purr! PURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

Wisdom of the Day: Sydney's Almost-Certain-To-Get-You-Pre-published-Writing-School

Sydney:

Good news!  Sydney is starting a writing school for would-be clients!  If you're not good enough for Sydney to read out of slush, you is still plenty good enough to give Sydney money to learns how to write!


If you pays to go through Sydney's writing school, Sydney almost certainly promises to put your submissions back in her slush pile, maybes near the top!  Slush pile is not quite tall enough to get Sydney into prime afternoon sunny spot!


Of course, Sydney cannot teach you.  First, she is busy napping on top of slush-pile.  Seconds, she is just a little cat, and cannot write.


So Sydney needs to hire some writing instructors!  How to find peoples?  Hmmm.  Sydney has heard that if you go to Home Depot parking lot in the morning, you can hire people there...


Get your moneys ready!  Sydney will be right back!


PURRRRRR!


 Bad Agent Sydney wants to hear from YOU! Please leave your queries, questions, or comments! Perhaps Sydney's response will inspire a future post! While Bad Agent Sydney is not taking on new clients at this time, she is well aware that ALL WRITERS NEED CAT SUPERVISION!  Little known fact that this instinctive talent that ALL cats have!  Writers (and everyone want to be writer!), do to local shelter and ADOPT HOMELESS KITTY TODAY!  Use this LINK to find shelter near you!  GO!  AGENT SYDNEY SAYS!

If you found this post useful or fun, please be aware that Sydney has NEEDS! Toys. Catnip. TUNA! Support Sydney (and her people) by digging deep and sending a "thank-you" donantion her way. PURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! (You cannot resist my hypnotic "pay up!" purr! PURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

Sydney Wisdom of the Day - Conflict of Interest

Sydney:


Dear client,


Bad news: Sydney has not sent your great new novel manuscript out to anyone!


Good news: Reason is, Sydney has decided to start her own publishing company and has cherry-picked your book to be her first release!  You would much rather be published by "Cat Box Books" than by stupid-old Putnam or Random House, right?


Do not worry.  Sydney will not charge you much for printing.

No, this is not conflict of interest.  Stop thinking that... LOOK!!!  OVER THERE!!!  A CLOWN!!!!!!


Purrrrrrr....


Bad Agent Sydney wants to hear from YOU!
Please leave your queries, questions, or comments! Perhaps Sydney's response will inspire a future post!

While Bad Agent Sydney is not taking on new clients at this time, she is well aware that ALL WRITERS NEED CAT SUPERVISION!  Little known fact that this instinctive talent that ALL cats have!  Writers (and everyone want to be writer!), do to local shelter and ADOPT HOMELESS KITTY TODAY!  Use this LINK to find shelter near you!  GO!  AGENT SYDNEY SAYS!


If you found this post useful or fun, please be aware that Sydney has NEEDS! Toys. Catnip. TUNA! Support Sydney (and her people) by digging deep and sending a "thank-you" donantion her way. PURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! (You cannot resist my hypnotic "pay up!" purr! PURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!