Choose "Make this ad premium" at checkout.
Middlemen: Literary Agents and the Making of American Fiction (Hardcover) Lewes
- Location: Lewes, Lewes, Delaware, United States
A revealing account of how agents have shaped book publishing and the literary canon from the 1950s to today Middlemen rewrites literary history from the perspective of one of its most important but least visible figures: the literary agent. Chronicling the story of agents in the United States from the 1950s to today, Laura McGrath uncovers their critical role in the making of American literature. From the famed three-martini lunch to the Frankfurt Book Fair, Middlemen takes readers behind the scenes to show how agents influence what we read. Along the way, it explains why many debut novelists never publish another book, why agents champion short story collections even though they sell poorly, how agents advocate for writers of color in a system that values whiteness, and why there are so many New York novels. Weaving together original archival research, data analysis, and interviews with scores of agents and other publishing professionals, Middlemen demonstrates that agents--eighty percent of whom are in fact women--are much more than 'middlemen.' As intermediaries between author and publisher, agents act as advocates, matchmakers, negotiators, and tastemakers, and they must balance artistic values with the commercial imperatives of publishing conglomerates. The book describes the decisive role agents have played in celebrated novels--from Jack Kerouac's On the Road to Colson Whitehead's The Intuitionist--but also in the creation of entire literary categories like the debut novel, the story collection, postmodernism, multiethnic fiction, and world literature.
Useful information
- Avoid scams by acting locally or paying with PayPal
- Never pay with Western Union, Moneygram or other anonymous payment services
- Don't buy or sell outside of your country. Don't accept cashier cheques from outside your country
- This site is never involved in any transaction, and does not handle payments, shipping, guarantee transactions, provide escrow services, or offer "buyer protection" or "seller certification"
Related listings
-
30-Day Self-Healing Guide: Manifest Your Best Skin - A Holistic Approach to Natural Eczema HealingBooks Magazines - Westby (Montana) - June 22, 2026Are you tired of being told there's no cure for eczema? Frustrated with steroid creams that only provide temporary relief, leaving your skin even worse over time? How much longer will you watch your child scratch relentlessly, struggling through slee...
-
Unleash Your Child's Inner Genius with Our Activity Books!Books Magazines - Seminole (Florida) - June 20, 2026Unleash Your Child's Inner Genius with Our Activity Books! Are you looking for fun, educational, and engaging activities to keep your child entertained and inspired? Look no further! Our diverse collection of activity books offers something for every...
-
Ignite Young Minds: Fun and Educational Activity BooksBooks Magazines - Sappington (Missouri) - June 19, 2026Unleash Your Child's Inner Genius with Our Activity Books! Are you looking for fun, educational, and engaging activities to keep your child entertained and inspired? Look no further! Our diverse collection of activity books offers something for every...
