This paper will explore the strategies of an Ottoman author, Atai (d.1626), in finding and maintaining patronage in the late sixteenth century. Although we Ottomanists have begun to study the rich field of Ottoman patronage relations, we still know very little about the specific choices of our subjects and how patronage ties were established in a particular cultural milieu such as the late sixteenth century. For example, could we talk about a rupture in patronage during this period compared to the early sixteenth century as argued by Andrews and Kalpakli? Who did a late sixteenth century author choose as his patrons? Did profession, social background, or literary preferences play a role in his choices? And how did one talk about patronage, especially during tense moments such as the fight between patrons, death of a patron, or being neglected by a patron at a time of intense factional strife? To address these questions, I will focus on the life and work of the prominent biographer Atai who provides us with a colorful portrait of his circles in his poetry and biographical dictionary. I will argue that Atai sought his patrons from a group of the high ranking ulema who shared similar tastes in poetry and the same social background through their fathers among the sixteenth century learned elite. I will examine the specific strategies Atai pursued to receive the interest of these patrons and discuss them in the context of changing patronage relations from the mid sixteenth to the early seventeenth century.