Managers, agents?

[SockPuppet]

Just curious:
What's the SportsJournalists.com opinion on journalists having managers/agents? Considering the dire position of newspapers, is it worth it to hire somebody to troll for offers? Any SportsJournalists.commers utilize someone like this? If so, do they get paid a monthly fee or do they get paid only if they come up with real opportunites?

 

[Mizzougrad96]

If you work at ESPN, you should have one. If you do a lot of TV, you should probably have one. Some major columnists have one. If you're doing books, you might have one.

Other than that, why bother?

 

[Dan Hickling]

to that, an agent would say that if you don't have major income producing chops, why should he/she bother with you....

 

[Jones]

A lot of magazine writers have agents, but that's because most of us are treated like independent contractors and our contracts come up every couple of years.

With me, my agent does any work contract stuff for free, taking his cut off my book and film stuff. I think most agents would work that way. But it's the book and film stuff that makes them interested in becoming your agent in the first place, as far as I can tell.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

A lot of magazine writers have agents, but that's because most of us are treated like independent contractors and our contracts come up every couple of years.

With me, my agent does any work contract stuff for free, taking his cut off my book and film stuff. I think most agents would work that way. But it's the book and film stuff that makes them interested in becoming your agent in the first place, as far as I can tell.

If you work under contract, that's a different story. That's why most ESPN employees have them.

 

[slappy4428]

to that, an agent would say that if you don't have major income producing colon, why should he/she bother with you....

Fixed, to reflect Jonesy

 

[Joe Williams]

Talk about a miserable lot in life.

Athletes accomplish things that mean very little in the grand scheme of life. Sportswriters merely chronicle those insignificant things and thus, accomplish even less. And now you want someone to actually work as a sportswriters agent, for some percentage of the scraps being paid to their devalued clients.

What percentage would an agent get from a laid-off scribe's severance or unemployment check?

 

[playthrough]

I once went through a headhunting firm for a university publishing job. I found the job online and the application went through the firm, which then screened me, determined I was worthy of an interview with the company and helped prep me for that interview. They were as motivated as I was to get the job, as they would get paid when it was filled. I didn't get it, but they kept my materials on file in case they ever had to help fill similar positions. The whole process never cost me a cent.

So it might be worth circulating your resume and info around town with such agencies. Not the same as having your own personal rep, but for the money (none) it's not a bad option.

 

[cranberry]

Talk about a miserable lot in life.

Athletes accomplish things that mean very little in the grand scheme of life. Sportswriters merely chronicle those insignificant things and thus, accomplish even less. And now you want someone to actually work as a sportswriters agent, for some percentage of the scraps being paid to their devalued clients.

What percentage would an agent get from a laid-off scribe's severance or unemployment check?

How about 5 percent of your eventual buyout?

 

[Nathan Scott Phillips]

My agent can have my entire pension.