The Richer The Author, The Smaller The Fee They Pay

While most authors hire agents to sell their books, some V.I.P. politicians and public servants hire Robert Barnett, an attorney who brokers big deals but doesn’t charge clients the usual 15%. Barnett’s hourly fee, although large enough to cover most people’s rent, still comes in at a lot cheaper than the cut he would be entitled to claim if he called himself a literary agent. Barnett’s latest client is ex-CIA chief George Tenet.