S2 E40 - The Downside of Blockbuster Advances, ft Ed Wilson (literary agent)

Publishing Rodeo: The Good, The Bad, and the Bloody Ugly

Sunyi and Scott have always maintained that "bigger is better" when it comes to book deals, and that any downsides will also apply to smaller advance sizes. But Ed Wilson, the literary agent and director Johnson & Alcock, believes the discussion is much more nuanced, and that 'blockbuster' book advances can sometimes be a symptom of publishing not working well.

With 18 years of experience in the industry, Ed brings a shrewd but frank perspective on a variety of important topics in trad publishing--along with some thoughts on American football, and the shininess of Scott's teeth. Oh, and we think you'll love his "petty hill" segment at the end!

Topics covered:

• Book advance sizes, and what they mean for your career
• Leverage, and managing publishing relationships
• Whether publishers really can "stall" an author's career
• Crucial contract clauses for the modern author
• The importance of literary agent relationships
• Editors getting insider book deals
• Football comparisons
• Bookscan inaccuracy
• And more!