We have launched an experimental use of an AI-powered search approach at PublishersMarketplace, called Matcher. Up until now, our corpus of over 200,000 deal reports has only been searchable through basic word matching and Boolean search strings—and our Dealmakers lists, while quite extensive, only cover the 100 or so sub-categories that we tag and track. Matcher is designed to help you find agents and editors that “match” your manuscript, using natural language descriptions of your work. In this initial phase, it comes in two versions: Deal Matcher lets you search through the deals database, and highlights the editors and agents involved […]
Agency News
Gendell and McGuigan Agree to Payment of Some Commissions
There has been one modest point of agreement in the long-running legal disputes between former Foundry Media Partners Yfat Reiss Gendell and Peter McGuigan. The parties agreed on the least contentious issue before the court: Payment to McGuigan of almost $500,000 in commissions earned from 2020 through 2023. Additional commissions of almost $200,000 from 2016 to 2019 are still in dispute, as are the larger claims and counter-claims between the two. The court has scheduled an evidentiary hearing on December 20 regarding the period still in dispute, and to assess damages, if any, for the failure to previously approve those […]
Backman Signs with UTA
Bestelling author Fredrik Backman has signed with UTA for representation in all areas, after terminating his longtime representatives at the Salomonsson Agency earlier this year and waiting for a notice period to pass. UTA says they “will represent Backman across various divisions, expanding his publishing business alongside media rights, theater, podcasts and more.” Co-head of UTA Publishing Byrd Leavell said in their announcement, “We’re thrilled to welcome Fredrik Backman to the UTA family. His emotionally resonant and insightful work has made an impact on countless readers across generations, myself among them, and we’re looking forward to helping him reach even […]
Agency News: Irene Goodman Agents to Start New Agencies
The Irene Goodman Literary Agency has announced that as of July 1 all of their senior agents will be transitioning into a variety of new agencies. In a statement provided by Goodman, the agency says: “This is a natural progression based on growing interests and diverging needs. We will all miss being under the umbrella of IGLA, but remain excited for the future. We will continue to enjoy warm collegial relationships with each other, with our clients, and the many publishers with whom we work.” Irene Goodman will remain president of the Irene Goodman Literary Agency. At least three new […]
Pagnamenta Joins Kneerim & Williams to Form New Agency, Calligraph
The Kneerim & Williams Agency and The Zoë Pagnamenta Agency have joined together to form a new literary agency, Calligraph, based in New York and Boston. Katherine Flynn and Zoë Pagnamenta serve as managing partners, joined by Alison MacKeen as partner. Kneerim & Williams co-founder John Taylor (Ike) Williams says in the announcement, “I am thrilled we are uniting with Zoë and her distinguished agency. My late co-founder and friend, Jill Kneerim, and I had long treasured our friendship with Zoë and admired her many successes. My colleagues and I look forward to working with her and her team to […]
WME Acquires Ross Yoon Agency
Consolidation continues among the big representation agencies, as WME announced Friday morning their acquisition of Washington, DC-based literary agency Ross Yoon Agency. Ross Yoon’s president Gail Ross and principal Howard Yoon will join WME as partners. The office becomes WME’s first physical location in the DC region. “Gail and Howard set the gold standard of nonfiction representation,” head of WME’s book department Jay Mandel said in the announcement. “They have impeccable taste, unparalleled editorial chops, and an admirable sense of purpose about the authors they represent. Ross Yoon is the perfect complement to our book business, with a brilliant client base […]