Before I get to this field guide to the rare and colorful species Literarius Agentia, known popularly as “literary agents,” allow me first to address some of the yelps that tend to arise whenever I start spelling out some of the customs and norms of the publishing industry. No one is going to reject you solely because […]
Literary Agents
How to write a nonfiction book proposal
If you’re seeking traditional publication for a nonfiction book, you’re most likely going to need to write a nonfiction book proposal. The art of writing a nonfiction book proposal is sort of like cooking lasagna. There are a thousand ways of making it, everyone has their own recipe, but most every lasagna will have a […]
When to follow up with a literary agent
Contrary to popular belief among some fearful authors, literary agents will not be scared off and disappear into an angry puff of smoke the moment you send them a follow-up email. An agent’s inbox looks like the electronic equivalent of Niagara Falls, and at any given time they will have literally thousands of pages in […]
Why writers need to perfect their first thirty pages
Back when I was a literary agent, I did something that many writers found extremely odd. When I liked someone’s query letter, I asked them to send me the first thirty pages via email. If I liked those thirty pages, I would ask to see the whole manuscript. Why didn’t I just ask for the […]
How to handle an offer of representation
The day an agent offers you representation is one of the most incredible moments in your publishing journey. I’ll never forget when my agent, Catherine Drayton, called me to offer representation for Jacob Wonderbar. I had doubted myself nearly every step of the way before that point and hadn’t even told my friends and family […]
How to write a synopsis for a novel
Of all the things you will write throughout the publishing process… a synopsis may be what you dread the most. It’s not fun to have to shoehorn an entire novel into a relatively brief summary. But if you follow just a few relatively simple steps and keep a few key things in mind, it may […]