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7 Insider Secrets to Get a Top Agent, Publisher, and Book Deal
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Literary Agent Directory
Important: Visit each agent’s website (links in their listings below) to see if they’re open to submissions before querying.
Matthew Valentinas
Biography
Matthew Valentinas is a literary agent and attorney with Sennott, Williams & Rogers, LLC. He advises an array of clients covering all transactional entertainment matters including authors, screenwriters, directors, producers, production companies, publishers, life-story rights, estate rights, comedians, broadcasters, actors, podcasters, and radio and television personalities.Matthew has also held business affairs positions for a major studio, an international sales agency, and two independent film and television distributors. In his role as production counsel for projects Matthew handles everything from loan-out company formation and production financing through development, pre-production, production, post-production, sales and exhibition. A list of agreements Matthew handles for clients include the following:Production counsel for feature length motion pictures, television series and documentariesBook-to-film/television agreementsPublishing agreementsLife-story depiction and estate rights agreementsOption & purchase agreementsProducer agreementsDevelopment agreementsInvestor and financing agreementsTalent and crew agreementsLicensing and distribution agreementsSales agency agreementsAdvise and negotiate deals for unscripted and alternative television series (i.e. reality TV)Corporate filings including Articles of Incorporation (C-Corp & S-Corp) and Articles of Organization (LLCs)Shopping and appearance agreementsLoan-out corporations and personal service contract negotiationsManagement agreementsAcquisition agreementsCrowdfunding counselBranding and merchandising agreementsMarketing and promotional agreementsCollaboration and co-production agreementsNon-Disclosure AgreementsLocation AgreementsSAG-AFTRA, WGA, DGA, PGA, IATSE review and complianceReleases and clearance reviewOpinion letters for First Amendment and fair use issuesCopyright registration and analysisMatthew is also an affiliated agent with the New York and Boston literary agency, Kneerim & Williams, LLC. Kneerim & Williams is a full-service literary and dramatic rights agency. Additionally, he also is the literary manager for numerous authors and screenwriters under his MomÕs Basement Management banner handling long term career strategy for clients. Managing tasks include providing submission services, screenplay and manuscript coverage, and advising on book proposal creation. Matthew also serves as an Executive Producer on numerous film and television and digital media productions through MomÕs Basement Media Inc. which packages and produces projects based on rights acquired or represented by Matthew.He frequently speaks on panels at film festivals, colleges, and law schools including The New Hampshire Film Festival, The Boston Globe Documentary series, Harvard Square Script Writers, The Independent Television Festival, Bright Lights Series at Emerson College, Northeastern University, University of New Hampshire Law School, and New England Law School. Matthew has been interviewed by numerous radio and television shows, magazines, and newspapers including The Hollywood Reporter, Le Figaro, Deadline Hollywood, The New York Daily News, Der Spiegel, Elle Magazine, The National Enquirer, RTL Television, NPR, RT, The Daily Mail, The Guardian, and The Boston Globe among numerous other publications and podcasts.Matthew received his BFA in film and television production from the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University and earned his JD from Suffolk University Law School. He is admitted to practice in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts.
Notes
FICTION: Fiction, Mystery, Suspense Fiction, ThrillerNONFICTION: Biography, Business Book, Celebrity, Film Entertainment, General Nonfiction, History, Humor Nonfiction, Lifestyle, Nonfiction, Technology, True Crime