The Agent
Personalities, Politics, and Publishing
Arthur Klebanoff

TEXERE
January 2002
eBook/240 pages
ISBN: 1-587991-04-7

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TEXERE
Rosetta Books
www.amazon.com

 

 

 

. . . he worked over a ten year period on more than thirty seven-figure book deals

". . . captivating up-close account of how the book agenting business really works."

ARTHUR KLEBANOFF is the owner and president of the fifty-year-old Scott Meredith Literary Agency. As co-founder of Morton L. Janklow Associates, Inc. and partner in the law firm Janklow, Traum & Klebanoff, he worked over a ten year period on more than thirty seven-figure book deals, most involving commercial fiction. Klebanoff previously led the publishing division of International Management Group. He is also the CEO of RosettaBooks, the leading independent electronic publisher focused on quality backlist books. The author resides in New York City.

Arthur Klebanoff peels the inner workings of the book and movie business to the bone in his first-ever book, THE AGENT, Personalities, Politics, and Publishing

Once beyond the first chapter—a bit disjointed from the rest of the book—Arthur opens his fascinating world of seven figure book deals and the commodity-like trading of both famous and infamous authors.

The book is a strange mix of memoir and business strategy, yet the intimate details of each story compel the reader to turn every page to the end.

Here''s a man who has not only been there and done that. He''s willing to tell the whole truth about what happens inside the business—behind oak doors, over whispered lunches, and in hallowed halls of the church. The intimate details of book deals involve everyone from famous stargazers and sizzling romance writers whose names we all know; to the power brokers in the White House, and yes, even the Vatican.

 

Any serious student of the book and entertainment business should toss the how-to books and pick up or download this captivating up-close account of how the book agenting business really works. Even veteran professionals—editors, publishers, big-name writers, and seasoned agents can learn a few new tricks from this master negotiator.

But Klebanoff''s biggest secret of all is that, no matter how many millions of dollars lie on the table, success in the book business often turns on pure luck and providential good timing.
Reviewer: Dory Leggett