Comments on: The Sobol Award http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/1829 Feel Smart Again Mon, 13 Feb 2012 08:01:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.5 By: Michelle http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/1829/comment-page-1#comment-2846 Michelle Tue, 10 Oct 2006 15:51:20 +0000 http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/1829#comment-2846 I was skeptical, so I did some googling and came across this article: http://www.cbc.ca/arts/story/2006/09/13/sobol-award.html The bit that caught my eye was this: Literary lawyer F. Robert Stein, who represents novelists such as Janet Evanovich (the Stephanie Plum series) and David Baldacci (Absolute Power) is Sobol's legal counsel. He initially turned down the job because he thought it "sounded terribly suspicious." "I thought it would destroy my reputation," says Stein, an attorney with Pryor Cashman Sherman & Flynn LLP. "I laid out conditions for the contest, including that winners are not bound forever to being represented by the Sobol agency. Gur Shomron had no problems. I have been over every word on the website and every word of the promotional material. I have been absolutely satisfied." That made me feel a little better about the contest so I coughed up my $85. I was skeptical, so I did some googling and came across this article:

http://www.cbc.ca/arts/story/2006/09/13/sobol-award.html

The bit that caught my eye was this:

Literary lawyer F. Robert Stein, who represents novelists such as Janet Evanovich (the Stephanie Plum series) and David Baldacci (Absolute Power) is Sobol’s legal counsel. He initially turned down the job because he thought it “sounded terribly suspicious.”

“I thought it would destroy my reputation,” says Stein, an attorney with Pryor Cashman Sherman & Flynn LLP.

“I laid out conditions for the contest, including that winners are not bound forever to being represented by the Sobol agency. Gur Shomron had no problems. I have been over every word on the website and every word of the promotional material. I have been absolutely satisfied.”

That made me feel a little better about the contest so I coughed up my $85.

]]> By: Jeff Bach http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/1829/comment-page-1#comment-2841 Jeff Bach Tue, 10 Oct 2006 15:02:39 +0000 http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/1829#comment-2841 I love the idea of this contest. To Ms. Snark and the others who leap to criticize, I offer up the notion of "disruptive technology". The Sobol Award, and I assume it is an honest and legit effort, is different and comes out of nowhere. There are many old, faded, and sometimes defunct businesses that stuck their heads in the sand and hoped this new thing would go away. Dinosaurs and meteorites offer up my favorite analogy. An old stodgy exclusive world full of snooty agents and critics sees something that could ultimately democratize their business and take away their power and they are a bit nervous. I would be too. Change is tough and the established side never likes to see it. I hope this contest begins to change agents and publishers. Agents and publishers are a horrendous bottleneck in my opinion. In fairness to them, most manuscripts are probably not worth being read by the public, but nonetheless, in my opinion, agents should not be judge, jury, and executioner. I think the book reading public should be the deciding party, just like in the rest of our economy. I just hope this is honest, well run, and legit. I love the idea of this contest. To Ms. Snark and the others who leap to criticize, I offer up the notion of “disruptive technology”. The Sobol Award, and I assume it is an honest and legit effort, is different and comes out of nowhere. There are many old, faded, and sometimes defunct businesses that stuck their heads in the sand and hoped this new thing would go away. Dinosaurs and meteorites offer up my favorite analogy. An old stodgy exclusive world full of snooty agents and critics sees something that could ultimately democratize their business and take away their power and they are a bit nervous. I would be too. Change is tough and the established side never likes to see it. I hope this contest begins to change agents and publishers. Agents and publishers are a horrendous bottleneck in my opinion. In fairness to them, most manuscripts are probably not worth being read by the public, but nonetheless, in my opinion, agents should not be judge, jury, and executioner. I think the book reading public should be the deciding party, just like in the rest of our economy. I just hope this is honest, well run, and legit.

]]> By: sapirman http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/1829/comment-page-1#comment-2046 sapirman Thu, 21 Sep 2006 09:00:42 +0000 http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/1829#comment-2046 Dear Linda, the reason "anyone" in the know, in Miss Snark's blog has the same cynical opinion is that she does not allow any other opinion be shown, and you'll have to take my word for it - I've been there. Ask her, I dare her to deny, or say that she is not aware of such cases on her blog. She is very good with words, this Snark agentwoman, I have to admit, when she feel threatened... I'm in, anyway. Dear Linda,

the reason “anyone” in the know, in Miss Snark’s blog has the same cynical opinion is that she does not allow any other opinion be shown, and you’ll have to take my word for it – I’ve been there.
Ask her, I dare her to deny, or say that she is not aware of such cases on her blog.
She is very good with words, this Snark agentwoman, I have to admit, when she feel threatened…

I’m in, anyway.

]]> By: Linda http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/1829/comment-page-1#comment-1964 Linda Tue, 19 Sep 2006 18:15:00 +0000 http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/1829#comment-1964 Well, I tidied up my manuscript, wrote out my check to Sobol Award but then I decided to check out the link to Miss Miserable Cynical Snark. Oh dear...what to do? Anyone in "the know" have advice for this first time author who has switched from Starbucks to McDonald's new brew just to gather the $85? Help????? Well, I tidied up my manuscript, wrote out my check to Sobol Award but then I decided to check out the link to Miss Miserable Cynical Snark. Oh dear…what to do? Anyone in “the know” have advice for this first time author who has switched from Starbucks to McDonald’s new brew just to gather the $85? Help?????

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