Joel Gotler is a literary manager in Los Angeles who has been instrumental in numerous publishing, book to film, and TV deals. Joel has worked with James Ellroy, Dennis Lahane, Michael Connelly, and Sue Grafton. Many of his clients have won a National Book Award, Pulitzer Prize, Nobel Prize, and Academy Awards. In this interview, learn what Joel looks for when deciding to work with an author.
How long have you been in the publishing industry?
I have been a literary agent since 1976 and sold my first book to Rodale Press. Then it was called ‘Circadian Rhythms’ a non-fiction book about how the body changes during air flight.
What is the name of your company?
Intellectual Property Group.
What genres do you publish?
We agent fiction and non-fiction.
What does a manuscript have to contain to be considered?
The manuscript has to be formatted professionally and must have a real voice and must be commercial in our opinion, so that we can also market the book to film.
Do you work with first time authors?
Yes, but we get too many queries to deal with everyone who asks.
Do the authors you publish have to meet a certain criteria?
No criteria, but that their covering letter should grab our attention if it is not a writer who has been recommended.
Do you work with authors directly or must they have an agent?
We work directly with authors as the agent or literary manager.
Do you evaluate the competition to ensure that the manuscript can be marketed and advertised as a unique stand alone title?
Yes, we are on top of the market place on a daily basis here and abroad (We get the reports of what is being developed and at what stage the project is at), and in terms of what the Hollywood studios are looking for. For instance, at lunch today three executives from a major Hollywood studio said to me in unison, “No dramas!”
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Hollywood and publishing are hard, tough nuts to crack these days as there are fewer slots for new movies although there is still film development; and, the publishers don’t accept slush pile material, and they have a real economic problem dealing with first timers as well as bucking the electronic publishing trend at the same time, so how do you break in? Get your stuff read by the right person. I am a frequent guest at USC and UCLA to discuss this issue.
Some of our film clients include James Ellroy, Dennis Lahane, Michael Connelly, Sue Grafton, The Estates of John O’ Hara, James Cain, and so on. We have about 150 clients all of a status and many having won National Book Awards, Pulitzer Prizes, Nobel Prizes, Academy Awards, etc.
For more information about Joel Gotler and Intellectual Property Group visit http://www.stonevillagepictures.com/ipg/
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Julie Barnes is a Freelance Writer focusing on her passion of entrepreneurship. Julie published “So You Want to Start a Business…Now What?” in December 2009. Julie lives and works in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park, KS with her husband Ron and lovable dog Hank. You can visit her site at http://www.onewhowrites.com.
Copyright © 2010 Julie Barnes and One Who Writes
