Do You Need to Have A
Literary Agent? MOST RECENT PUBLISHING POINTS ARTICLE Note: It's been a while since we've published a print newsletter, but plans are underway to bring it back, bigger and better than ever. Meanwhile, you can still pick up some handy tips in these articles from years past. Do You Need To Have A Literary Agent?--- from the June 2000
newsletter Ron Kaye, a professional ghostwriter, editor and book designer in Houston, is the founding president of our organization. "Do I need to have an agent?" This is a question that comes up for virtually every new author. After all, this whole publishing business is pretty overwhelming when you are just starting out, so it would seem to make sense to align yourself with someone who really "knows the ropes" and has the inside contacts and information. I will grant that there are some publishers that will only consider manuscripts from agents, but they are actually in the minority. Truth is, a fledgling author can get access to publishers without going through an agent. Plus, established, reputable agents are usually as swamped with submissions and queries as the publishers themselves, and can frequently become merely another source of those dreaded rejection letters. Now that we’ve muddied the water a little more, let’s take a closer look at agents, so you’ll be better prepared to make your decision whether or not to seek representation. What does an agent do? The three primary things
that agents do are: 2) Negotiate contracts. I know... your brother-in- law is an attorney, and has volunteered to look over any contract you might be offered. But unless he is a specialist, with extensive experience in the publishing industry, he won’t really be able to protect your interests as well as they need to be protected. As an alternative, consider joining the National Writers’ Union (www.nwu.org). One of the benefits included in exchange for your $75 annual dues is that one of their experienced publishing attorneys will review your contract for no charge. See how much luck you have getting a private attorney to match that price! 3) Collect money. Here, an agent is hard to beat. They review your royalty statements, which are pretty complicated, and point out any mistakes. Furthermore, an agent — who typically represents several other authors — usually has a better chance than an individual writer of getting the publisher to pay. What does an agent get in return? Most literary agents receive a 15% commission on your actual earnings — including that whopping advance you got, royalties on future sales, and the like. And when you start talking about movie or foreign publication rights, the rates can go significantly higher. How do I find an agent? Here’s where the catch-22 begins. You’ll have the best luck landing an agent once you get published. Until then, it can be tough getting a reputable agent to take you seriously. Remember, they are getting an enormous amount of queries and manuscripts from other authors, simply because they are reputable. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try, but be aware of the facts, so you won’t feel discouraged if you’re turned down. There are numerous resources online, devoted to helping you find a reputable — and effective — agent, as well as listings of known scammers. Also, you can check out the current printing of Writers’ Digest Guide to Literary Agents, or Jeff Herman’s Insider’s Guide to Book Editors, Publishers, and Literary Agents. With a little research and a wary eye, you shouldn’t have any trouble finding the information you need. How can I tell a reputable agent from a scam artist? While I don’t want to discourage new authors, the truth is that if an agent contacts you, he/she is, at best, not a top-notch agent, and, at worst, is probably running a scam. The really reputable agents — like the big-name publishers — are sought out by more authors than they could ever possibly represent. Quite simply, they don’t need to go looking for business. The agencies that do solicit new, unknown authors are all-too-often preying upon the hopes (and naiveté) of individuals who are less familiar with the publishing business. They often fill the prospective client with promises that his or her work could be the next bestseller, so long as the author pays for editing, consultation, or other services that, as it turns out, the "agency" either offers itself, or can highly recommend. One of the biggest "red flags" that should warn you to stay away from an "agent" that seeks you out (besides the fact that they sought you out in the first place) is one who makes a request for payment of a "reading fee." The vast majority of reputable agents make their money from the sale of a client’s manuscript, period. Since there are plenty of agents who don’t charge a reading fee, it only makes sense to pass on an offer from agent who does charge one. Most professional editors will charge a reading / evaluation fee when dealing with a new client, but they bill for actual services performed, rather than charging a commission. Big difference. If you want more information on "agents" who charge their clients such fees, go online and type either "Commonwealth Publishing" or "Woodside Agency" into your favorite search engine. The results are scary enough to fit in a Stephen King novel! And, speaking of Stephen King, well-known authors such as he are frequently approached by agents, simply because he (and others like him) represent a known, easily marketable product. Sure, the approaches might be subtle, so as to avoid an ugly (and potentially costly) confrontation with his current agent, but they happen, nonetheless. Just like the Prom Queen who has all the boys competing for her attention, the "pretty faces" in literature can pick and choose with whom they dance. The rest of us have to jockey for attention. Ah, well. In conclusion, don’t think that it is my intent to discourage you from seeking a relationship with an agent. Far from it. A good agent can be worth his or her weight in gold, and far more than the percentage he or she will make from the sale of your book. But I do suggest that you stay realistic in your expectations, and be as informed as possible of the intricacies of the author / agent relationship. Remember that, as in every other enterprise, an informed consumer is a good consumer. Good luck! Manuscript Formatting: Style Counts as Much as Substance--- from the April
2000 newsletter As I sat down to write this installment of the column, I was reminded of the need to advise authors of some fundamental guidelines that are too frequently overlooked (clearly evidenced by manuscripts my partner and I have received of late). Those guidelines cover the appropriate format for manuscripts submitted to publishers, agents, and editors. And believe it or not, a detail as seemingly mundane as paragraph formatting can actually sour a publisher right off the bat ! For the purposes of readability, editability (new word alert!), and as a concession to the anal-retentive nature of some acquisitions editors, the author is advised to provide his or her manuscript in the following fashion, unless instructed otherwise by the ultimate recipient: 1. Clearly printed on 8 1/2" by
11" white bond paper (the manuscript should not be
submitted on a disk unless specifically requested).
Forget using the $49 inkjet printer you got at the
discount house. If you don't have a good laser printer,
pay a friend or copy shop to print the manuscript out for
you at a minimum 600-dpi resolution. Inkjet copies smear
too easily, and tend to look amateurish.
Naturally, the specifications listed above are pretty generic, and are intended only as a "rule of thumb" for you to follow. If you are submitting to a specific publisher or agent, be sure to ask for their unique guidelines, and format your manuscript accordingly. Once you have your manuscript written, edited, and properly formatted, it's time to get busy and get it in front of your readers. Good luck! Publishing: It's a Buyer's MarketBACK TO TOP--- from the May 1999
newsletter I've been approached a number of times these last few months by authors who say they've been contacted by agents and / or publishers who want to represent and / or publish the writer's work. Now I'm all for seeing a talented writer get a break, but the hard reality is that the publishing biz simply doesn't work that way, and if an agent or publisher contacts you, chances are pretty good that they are perpetuating a scam. Consider this: Over 150,000 manuscripts are submitted to the major publishing houses every year. Of those, only a tiny fraction are picked up for publication. With so many manuscripts literally falling in their laps (more than they could publish in 100 years), why would any reputable publisher need to beat the bushes for something to publish? And with reputable agents receiving a never-ending flood of requests to represent authors, do you think a good agent would even have the time to solicit new business from an unknown, much less the motivation to do so? If you're contacted, I suggest you take about 10 deep breaths, then do some serious research before accepting what may seem like a wonderful deal. Check the newsgroups. Check with former clients. Ask the agent / publisher what genres they handle, what titles they've gotten published in the past year, and, most importantly, whether they expect you to pay them any money. Truth is, reputable agents make their money from books they sell, not from reading fees or retainers. And reputable trade publishers will commit the resources to produce a book that they believe in. They won't expect you to foot the bill. If you want to publish your own book, more power to you. This has proven to be a great way to get your ideas out before the reading public, and can even give you the marketing leverage you need to catch a big publishing house's eye. But don't get caught by a company that presents itself as a mainstream publisher, but wants you to pay their operating costs. To get an idea how big a nightmare such an arrangement can be, type the words "Commonwealth Publishing" into your favorite search engine, and read the articles and websites that come up. If you're not careful, it could happen to you. Why Join a Group Like AAP?BACK TO TOP-- from the May 1999
newsletter Those of us who write for a living will attest to the fact that writing is, by its nature, a solitary endeavor. And for the author, this isolation can present some real obstacles to getting your work in the hands of readers. Many writers find much-needed support in joining one of the various writers' groups that are formed in virtually every city (there are close to one hundred such groups in the Houston area alone!). While these groups are invaluable sources of support and inspiration, they typically focus upon the creative process alone, and offer little help in actually getting your book published and marketed. The AAP exists as a resource for taking your work to that next level. With a membership including not only fellow authors, but editors, publishers, printers, graphic artists and designers, and publishing and marketing consultants as well, all donating their time, free of charge, to help you succeed. You are provided with the advice and counsel of experts who have learned, through experience, the steps you need to take to see your book achieve its greatest success. The information you will receive from attending just one meeting would cost you far more in consultant fees than a full year's membership dues, and infinitely less than you would spend with a single mistake in your publishing and marketing efforts. You do the math: how far does $35 go toward your book's success? The answer? A long way, if invested in a resource as rich as the AAP. So don't put it off any longer. Join the AAP today, and start realizing the many other benefits available to members, as well:
See you at our next meeting! How to Edit Your WritingBACK TO TOP--- from the May 1999
newsletter Judy King is a professional editor in Houston. She has more than 20 years editing experience and has published three books. Don't let careless errors in your writing tarnish your professional image. Follow these simple guidelines before going to print:
The True Nature of Book PublishingBACK TO TOP--- from the April
1998 newsletter Our guest columnist, Herman Holtz, is the bestselling author of over 60 books, including many on the business of writing and publishing. Book publishing is like any other business that relies on creating and marketing a stream of new products--toys and movies, for example. The publisher has an occasional big winner and a few more modest winners. But it also has a large number of losers, items the public did not embrace. A great many books - a majority, in fact - do not "earn out," earning enough in royalties to recoup the advance paid to the author. The author is not required to return the advance, but his or her book goes out of print and the author has worked for the advance only - probably between $6,000 and $10,000 - for months of work. So the author is gambling, along with the publisher, on the success of the book. OOP (Out of Print)When a book goes out of print, all rights normally revert to the author, although it is wise to ask the publisher specifically to send a letter confirming the return of all rights to the author of the OOP book. The publisher also usually offers to sell the author whatever copies remain in the warehouse at some wholesale price. Otherwise, the remaining inventory will be remaindered or pulped. Some authors buy up those copies and do their own peddling of them to the public. (The publisher may refuse to return rights until the remaining inventory is disposed of somehow.) So far, I have never bought the inventory because I am not in a position to warehouse and retail books. On the other hand, I have been able to make some profitable use of a few of my OOP books in one way or another. A couple of OOP books I was able to update a bit and sell to new publishers. A couple of others furnished large chunks of copy that would fit or could be revised to fit into new books I was writing. And in one case, I made a deal to sell rights in the book to an entrepreneur who wanted to convert the book into a training course to be sold to the public. Thus, going OOP does not necessarily mean that you have gotten all you will ever get from that book. You may very well be able to reincarnate the OOP in some manner or form. And if you make a practice of proposing only books that have content of a reasonably widespread appeal, you greatly increase the probability that you will be able to make profitable post-OOP use of them, should they be fated to have a short shelf life and go OOP at an early age. Know Your Market BEFORE You Even Begin Your BookBACK TO TOP--- from the February
1998 newsletter
As noted in a previous column, the time to start marketing your book is before you’ve even written it. No, I don’t mean that you need to begin a promotional campaign before you start writing, but you do need to consider who your readers are likely to be, and ask yourself, honestly, if you are writing something that they will want or need. The world is overrun with “starving artist” types, who weep and whine because nobody understands, appreciates, or buys their work. If you enjoy this kind of pity party, well, that’s your choice. But if you want your book to be bought and read, you had best give some thought to your readers wants and needs! Say you’ve begun your manuscript, gotten a chapter or two written and polished to your satisfaction. Now it’s time for preliminary "market research." Writing coach Joe Vitale, whose latest book, There’s a Customer Born Every Minute, has just been released, sends his work to 12 people for comment and critique. That may or may not be the right number for you, but the principle is right on the money. The important thing is to pick folks who will tell you what they really think, and not simply pat you on the back for being so talented. Remember, you’re trying to get a realistic feel for your readers, not a dose of ego-salve. Put aside your defenses, and weigh their comments against your own feelings. Then make whatever changes feel right. With this simple act, you have begun to develop a product that readers will want to buy. Writing the Book is the EASY Part...BACK TO TOP--- from the January
1998 newsletter
As we enter the new year, we each find ourselves looking back upon the dreams we have held, and reflecting upon how well those dreams were fulfilled. For an author, this reflection usually includes looking at whether our work is on bookshelves and being sold. And, all too often, the answer is not to our liking. The biggest reason for this isn’t necessarily the quality of our work. Indeed, noted (and highly successful) author Herman Holtz has stated that a book must be either "good enough or bad enough" to achieve bestseller status. The biggest single reason for a book’s failure to succeed is, to be blunt, the author’s failure to finish the job! Writing a book is the easy part; getting it in front of potential readers is tougher, and a step most authors overlook. So when should an author begin marketing his or her book? How about before it is even written?! While I don’t suggest that your book should be written only with the market in mind, you need to maintain focus on who your readers are, what they are hungry for, and where they are most likely to go to satisfy that hunger. Failure to effectively target your marketing efforts is one sure way to keep your work from getting the recognition it deserves. In future columns, I will discuss some of the steps you can take to realize the success you deserve. Good Luck! How to Sell 300,000 Books With One Phone CallBACK TO TOPby Joe Vitale Joe Vitale, a past member of AAP, is an author, speaker and marketing expert whose latest book, There's A Customer Born Every Minute, became an overnight bestseller after it was featured on an A&E special about P.T. Barnum. One of the many things Jerry Jenkins told me in Chicago at his Special Book Sales seminar was that the government buys books. LOTS of books. I found that hard to believe. I thought the government was broke. But yesterday I saw shocking proof that Jenkins is right. I was visiting a friend's office and noticed a new hardcover book on his shelf that I had read and loved: "Being Direct" by Lester Wunderman (Random House, 1996). The book is destined to be a classic guide to making money by direct response mail. I asked if my friend had read it. He hadn't, and added, "The post office gave it to me." "What!?" I asked, knowing the book sells for $25. "You mean for free?" "Yep. The post office is encouraging people to spend money on postage by doing more direct mail. You fill out a coupon in some business magazines like Target Marketing, and the post office sends you a kit on how to implement a direct mail campaign. Along with the kit comes the book." He opened the book and showed me the first page. This edition was printed *for* the post office! Amazing. Somehow Wunderman or his publisher struck a deal with the post office and now he's selling hundreds of thousands of his book. My friend and I estimate that at least 300,000 copies of the book are being bought and given away by the post office. Three hundred thousand! What a thought! I want a deal like that. And thanks to what I learned at the Jenkins seminar, I am going after deals like that right now. I thought you would want to know about Wunderman's story because it's so inspiring. What happened to him can happen to you. Or me. Dreams do come true. Avoid Publishing Scams!BACK TO TOP--- from the December
1997 newsletter All too frequently, I hear a first-time author proclaim, with great excitement, that a publisher has expressed an interest in the author’s manuscript, claiming that it has great market potential, but needs extensive editing - by an editing service which the "publisher" frequently uses. Thus begins a common scam, one which gives true self-publishing a bad name. By whatever name it is called, this kind of approach amounts to "vanity" publishing, which plays upon the author’s hopes, often leaving those hopes dashed, and the author considerably poorer. So how does a novice spot a vanity press scam? Start by looking for the following warning signs:
You’ve worked hard on your book, and put your heart and soul into it. Don’t let impatience deflect you from your goals now. Look carefully (and maybe even sleep on it) before you agree to anything, and you’ll stand the best chance of success. Good luck! CURRENT PUBLISHING POINTS ARTICLE TThis web site
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