For the Love of Bringing Books to Life: Write, Publish, and Be Known
Publishing Tips from a Top Literary Agent: An Interview with Regina Brooks
Not long ago, participants in my Bring Your Book to Life Program had the opportunity to ask questions and get answers from a wonderful literary agent and author, my friend, Regina Brooks. Not only did Regina provide insight and insider information about the publishing industry, but she gave special insights into writing and publishing a memoir. As co-author of You Should Really Write a Book: How to Write, Sell and Market Your Memoir, Regina provided advice that I know you’ll want to hear. [And you can win a copy of her book--read on] Rachel Horwitz has generously transcribed our class[...]
How to Pitch Agents at a Writers Conference: Reflections from a Writing Conference Virgin
Guest Post by Maria C. Palmer About a month ago, I quit my day job to devote 100% of my energy to finishing my book and book proposal. For someone accustomed to working away from home a minimum of 60 hours a week with little free time, this meant quite a change of lifestyle. I still remember the first day I woke up and didn’t have to go to work. I realized my life was transforming–I’d stopped doing what I knew how to do and starting doing what I’ve always wanted to do: WRITE–a BIG leap of faith. However,[...]
How to Meet Literary Agents and Pitch a Book
I often recommend my clients attend the International Women’s Writing Guild’s Big Apple Conference, specifically for the “Meet the Agents” portion of the program. It offers a terrific opportunity to hear a variety of literary agents share the types of books they are interested in and then pitch your book in 3 minutes or less. A client recently sent some great questions and I thought they’d be valuable to anyone who wants to learn how to get published by a traditional publisher and get a book deal. Here, then, are her questions and my answers: 1. What should I bring[...]
Advice for How to Write a Book Proposal: An Interview with Literary Agent Miriam Altshuler
Ever since Dr. Craig Malkin signed on with his literary agent, Miriam Altshuler, he’s been singing her praises to me, as well as sharing some of her specific takes on book proposals. So when I decided to interview several literary agents for my “how to write a book proposal” series, I immediately thought of Miriam. While many agents suggest that book proposals are getting shorter, Miriam is not a big believer in trends. “How long should a book proposal be? Whatever will best sell it. That could be five pages and it could be fifty.” Lisa: You recently sold a[...]
How Do I Know Who to Send My Book Proposal Out To?
Thanks to Maria who sent me this question. It’s a common one. If you’re new to publishing, how on earth do you figure out who to send your book proposal to? And who do you start with–agents or publishers? 1. Do you send your book proposal to an agent or publisher? If you’re interested in a trade press (larger markets, non-academic), particularly one of the larger publishers like Simon & Schuster, Random House, Hay House, etc., you’ll most likely need a literary agent. Steps to Get a Literary Agent: Step 1: Write a Killer Book Proposal (I recommend Mike Larsen’s[...]
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