Being an agent is not an easy job. It looks good, it’s pretty, but if I’m being honest, every day I find it more difficult, because you never know which book will stand out and why. Many times I think that it will be ‘that’ one, because you’ve fallen head over heels in love with it, it has kindled a thousand emotions in you… but, at the end of the day, that novel goes unnoticed. As an agent, you must always be on alert, not miss a thing and, furthermore, take care of your authors on a daily basis, to whom you can’t always give them good news and that’s why you must be flexible and handle things deftly. However, these things happen and instinct is the one that takes charge. That’s why sometimes you get it right, and sometimes you don’t. That’s also part of the magic of this crazy business. There are publishers that have missed opportunities that have become bestsellers, agents that have said no to authors that, later, found a good place in the publishing market and have sold millions of copies, and when these things happen, you’re left feeling like a stupid for not having been able to detect it. But it happens, because no one can know for sure if a story is going to work and you’re going to be selling it to everyone. You have to risk, and bet and, most of all, BELIEVE in what you do and why you do it. If you do it like this, with determination, things will come to you, but not everyone has the patience to wait.
It’s not Paz Castelló’s case, an author that we discovered already eight years ago through her wonderful blog. Despite being a good writer and having good ideas, it hasn’t been easy to find a proper publishing house for her, up until Umbriel came and read MI NOMBRE ESCRITO EN LA PUERTA DE UN VÁTER and said to us ‘Yes, I do’. She’s had a lot of patience, and there have also been moments of wanting to give up, but at the end we’ve managed to weather the storm and even enjoy it. Monday was a great day, both for her and for me, because after all the struggles, we found a great publishing house and a great editor for this book, Esther Sanz, to whom I thank for believing in this story and this author, who truly deserves it. As a new part of this odd game, her story is a “criticism” to the publishing business and its way of behaving, but with a darker plotline that keeps you on pins and needles, while showing the hardest part with whom a writer has to live and the solitude, sometimes, with which they walk.
We’ll meet Mauro Santos who, despite his talent, hasn’t been published by any editor. Frustrated, he accepts an agreement with Germán Latorre, a famous TV presenter that turns everything he touches into gold. The deal consists in Mauro selling to him two novels already written –which have been previously rejected by several publishers– and writing for him another two, thus becoming his ghost writer. Under Germán’s name, Mauro’s works turn into international bestsellers, sold worldwide, with dozens of translations and a big response from the critics and the media. It’s then when Germán Latorre’s television channel launches a new program, a talent show to discover new writers. Mauro Sauntos finds there the only opportunity to take back his literary career and start believing in himself once again. But in order to do so he has to turn upside down his life: he must stop writing for Germán Latorre.
A novel with a provoking title, an open criticism weaved in a plotline that you’re not going to stop reading. Perfect for those that like books, crime stories, mystery and the ins and outs of the television world, the show and literary business. You’re going to enjoy it like crazy. A novel that comes after LA MUERTE DEL NUEVE, the first book of the author that lots of people loved, who have always helped us not to give up. Therefore, I want to thank from the bottom of my heart all the readers that each day do your best to help keep books an important part of lots of people’s everyday lives.
