Hi, I’m Dario Morgante, associate agent with Tomatofarm agency.
If you are reading this post it is because you would like to know more about how we operate.
I will try to proceed by points, some things may seem redundant to you, but it is better to risk being boring than to leave out some important details.
Here is an F.A.Q. with a series of potential questions and answers.
What does the agency do and how is the relationship with the artist regulated?
The agency is responsible for representing the artist’s work to publishers. The relationship is governed by a normal agency contract.
But the agency’s purpose is not only to find work. Building the career of the author is an important part of our work. It is about developing authors by taking them to the publishers that pay the best or can guarantee the best visibility.
How long does the contract last and what are the obligations?
The contract lasts three years and is automatically renewed unless one of the two parties sends an e-mail requesting otherwise. An additional clause protecting the artist says that if in eighteen months the agency has not brought any benefit to the artist, the artist can unilaterally terminate the contract.
Having said this, the artist’s only obligation is to accept exclusivity on a specific list of publishers (i.e. not exclusivity on his work in general). This list varies from author to author depending on the markets in which they may be interested. It is therefore flexible. To give an example, no Italian publishers ever appear on this list.
What happens if a publisher not on the list offers me work?
The artist can decide for himself whether to accept it or not. The agency has nothing to do with that work.
What happens if a publisher on the list offers me a job?
If the offer does not come through an agency, it is the artist’s duty to notify and have the agency follow up the contract.
If the offer comes through an agency, in any case the artist is under no obligation to accept the job.
I already have a close friend who is an editor in a publishing house on the list. We have often worked together. In that case what happens?
The list is not set in stone. In such a case you can take a specific publishing house off the list.
How much does the agency get for its work?
The agency takes a variable percentage (however written on the contract) depending on the type of market, experience of the author and other variables. It is, however, between 15% and 25%.
Will my name appear on the book or project I work on through the agency?
Absolutely, it is usually the name of the agency that does not appear.
How do I get paid? And how long after I deliver the work?
The agency acts as a go-between and earns a percentage of the contract value. Where possible we try to make the publisher pay the agency and author separately. When this is not possible, payment goes through the agency, which then pays the author.
The timing is highly dependent on the publisher. It is in our interest to speed things up as much as possible, but this can vary between a fortnight and two months.
When we receive payment, we notify the author, who must wait between two and fifteen days, depending on banking circumstances.
But if the work is very long, will I only get paid at the end?
Generally, payments are agreed with the publisher in steps.
Will I be able to work directly with the publisher?
It depends: some publishers want to work with direct contact with authors, others prefer agency intermediation.
