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THE LIVELY RIGHTSMARKET OFTHE LITERARY WORLDAn agent with over 50 years in publishing explains why the modern writer needs representation to succeed in a volatile businessI fell into it without much planning. This was in 1977; you wouldn’t be able to do that quite so easily now becausethe publishing worldis a much harsher place. I still represent some of the authors that I took on in the early daysIn an ocean of publishers, a fish eager to get a manuscript published can easily get caught in meandering currents. Without a starting point, it is difficult to find a publisher who sees the value of your writing and is ready to polish it into a bestseller. Complex contracts covering aspects from royalty rates of paperbacks and e-books to the costs of insurance are dizzying to navigate. None of the complications that writers face are as fundamental as how to get a fair deal from hegemonic publishers.As a literary agent with 52 years of experience in the industry, Carole Blake is able to illuminate some of the ways through the publishing labyrinth. She spoke to Elite+ about the beginnings of her career, reading trends and the significant role of agents in modern publishing.“When I grew up, I always thought about working with books, but I didn’t know anything about the publishing industry, so I just assumed the only way you can work with books is working in a library,” she said. “But one of my teachers told me that it would definitely make me bored stiff and I should go to a publisher. It never occurred to me there was a publishing business.”Through an advertisement in a London newspaper, Ms Blake found a job with an art publisher at the age of 17. It was her first step into the book industry. “It was absolutely heaven, and the only time I have ever applied for a job in my life. After that, people approached me and asked if I could work for them. I ended up as a marketing director with a paperback company. I worked for avery volatile publisher, who was quite brilliant.”An incident caused her to resign from the company and started her on a newpath. During several job interviews, she found no position to foster her literary passion until an author she had worked with suggested something different: would she become his literary agent? With a number of clients already in hand, she was able to set up her own literary agency.“I fell into it without much planning. This was in 1977; you wouldn’t be able to do that quite so easily now because the publishing world is a much harsher place. I still represent some of the authors that I took on in the early days of my agency.“When I started my agency, it was just me and a part-time secretary. Then in 1982 I was talking with another agent who was also the same size. He wasElite+ 31