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Hey guys... I'm back from a long absence (to LiveJournal at least). Been busy working on some new projects. Here's what's been going on:
Recently I co-created (with Emmy Award-winner Laura Schrock) ON THE SLAB, a horror entertainment news show for ABC Disney Stage 9, to be released on the Internet in October 2008. We've been having a lot of fun with that.
I'm gearing up for the release of my next nonfiction book, ZOMBIE CSU: The Forensics of the Living Dead (due from citadel Press at the end of August). The premise is: if something like NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD were to happen, how would our real world deal with it? So, I interviewed over 250 experts in forensics, law enforcement, medicine, various branches of science, the military, psychologists and the clergy, lawyers and journalists --as well as folks from the pop culture world (Max Brooks, Brian Keene, Tony Todd, Robert Kirkman, etc.). The result is a book that starts with a 911 call following an eyewitness to the first zombie attack and follows the case through investigation and speculation. All of the science is accurate, as are the police and military tactics. I talked with folks from fingerprint experts to Homeland Security.
I'm also doing book signings for BAD MOON RISING (the conclusion to my Pine Deep Trilogy of supernatural thrillers); touring bookstores with members of the Liars Club; writing the sequel to that, and basically keeping a lot of irons in the fire.
Whew! Life's a wild ride, but I love it.
Jonathan
www.jonathanmaberry.com
Tags: abc, bad moon rising, brian keene, disney, joe ledger, liars club, max brooks, on the slab, patient zero, pine deep, robert kirkman, stage 9, tony todd, zombie
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One of the real pleasures of being a professional writer and of having been in this business for a long time (30 years and counting) is that sometimes you get to see young writers at the beginning of their careers and can watch them blossom. I want to introduce you to a writer that I’ve had the pleasure of knowing for his entire life (actually his dad directed the traveling production of GODSPELL I was in back in the late 1970s!). His name is JADE SHAMES. Take a moment and get to know this young man. He’s a poet, a playwright, a singer-songwriter, performance artist, and novelist. He wrote his first novel when he was fifteen, and it was a real killer about sex, drugs and psychological manipulation in high school. Not exactly Disney Channel stuff. Since then he’s studied playwriting and poetry in Paris and published a chapbook of poetry. He’s 22. I first heard Jade read his poems at a night of spoken word we held at the Writers Corner USA. Words like ‘powerful’, ‘disturbing’, and ‘riveting’ seem inadequate, considering that most of the poems he read were written during his teenage years. Here are a couple of examples...two of my favorites. “REGULAR” That guy at the bar With that woman With the cherry lipstick And the stem of her glasses Pinched between her perfectly white Perfectly straight Perfectly mint fresh chloride baking soda teeth Letting her fingers slide out flat Her cuticles rubbed with oil just a few hours ago Her eyes locked and ready Her nail polish Her shampoo Her blush Her scent Ready for him to take That guy is Jim, a regular He worked blue collared jobs Until he became a famous poet Where he wrote about his blue collared jobs And regulars So many times I..ve stared from across the room Trying to sit like him With his spine straight Shoulders slouched Fitted into a plaid red shirt Beer in one hand A grin so natural you..d think he had been grinning on the ultrasound photos His other hand squeezing into his tight worn at the knees workman’s jeans For another dollar For another beer For another woman I am four thousand miles from him in this bar Over with my friend, Thom Who has one gimpy eye Wild oil spill hair Hunched over and hunched over again Half a white Russian in one hand And god knows where the other one is A waitress with two handfuls of breasts keeps passing us Keeps speaking in secret to a manager Keeps pulling up her blouse and crossing her arms over her chest And more than another drink All I want is for everyone to be naked right now And everyone would laugh And be in love with everything. For a moment I lose myself And approach a blonde bartender with a LIVESTRONG yellow rubber bracelet She looks busy but I get her attention anyway ..I would like to buy that guy over there another MooseHead,.. I point to Jim ..Say it..s from Jade,.. I say with a cranked smile ..From who?.. ..Jade.. ..Jake?.. ..No..uh, you know what, never mind... I sink back into my seat next to Thom who is now part of the furniture ..What the hell am I doin.. here?.. He says. No matter how many times I come here I will never be a regular. *************** “TIME” Time Category: Writing and Poetry I am staring at the clock. Kara isn't home. It's 1:15 AM. She's out with someone else. Last summer, We decided to share the apartment Even though we were breaking up. Now it's winter. 1:18 in the morning. She told me last night that she met him at the bar. She told me about how he fucked her so hard She bled. I'm making myself little snacks Of cheese and crackers and tea with honey. I am watching commercials on TV, To pretend that I am not staring at the clock. And I told her this morning that I want her to see him again. And I told her this morning that I want her to be happy. And I told her that the reason I still say, "I love you" before bed, Or before I leave, or hanging up the phone, It's in the hope that those words will stay with her Though out her day, And make her life just a little easier to bear. This morning she cried in my arms. It's 1:23. And time is moving on. And I am not. ********************** So...do yourself a favor: check out his page at http://www.myspace.com/jadeshamespoetry. Subscribe to his blog. And support the arts and offer to buy a copy of his chapbook, MOMENTUM. Every page is a jewel. Would I be saying all of this if I didn’t know him and just stumbled onto his stuff online? Yeah. Absolutely. Check it out. See for yourself. -Jonathan Maberry www.jonathanmaberry.com  Tags: jade shames, poem, poet, spoken word
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COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS FOR AUTHORS
There are a lot of tools you, as a new author trying to pitch your book, can use to help you stand out from the pack. Over the next few blogs I’ll be discussing some of those (and in earlier blogs I talked about good form in query letters).
One really useful tool is variously known as the ‘competitive analysis’, ‘marketplace analysis’, ‘market list’, or ‘submission list’.
This is a list of books that define the genre and identify the audience where your book would be accepted. Remember, pitching a book is a sales process, so you have to help the agents and editors see the profit potential in your product. The book has to fit onto an established shelf at a bookstore –and knowing which shelf can make or break your pitch.
For example, in Barnes & Noble there is no ‘horror’ shelf. Novels that would ordinarily fit there are scattered onto different shelves. Most of them wind up in the general ‘Fiction and Literature’ section, which is not a bad place to be, especially if you’re looking for a broad audience. Some, however wind up in ‘Science Fiction/Fantasy’, because the fan base is more genre-based. Laurell K. Hamilton and Jim Butcher are both in that section, and because the publishers know that the SF/comic book/fantasy crowds are the core demographic they keep those books there and they do well. But new shelves are emerging, such as ‘Paranormal Romance’ (authors like L.A. Banks, Sherrilyn Kenyon, etc.)
I suggest creating a list of 6-12 authors whose works most closely resonate with your own. This identifies those publishers who have known track records for handling your kind of work. Most writers don’t know about these lists, but when they do and can offer them up front to an agent it shows market savvy and a willingness to partner in the sales process that many agents find very appealing. Editors appreciate the lists because it’s something they can take to the marketing department and publisher to get approval to buy your book.
It’s also useful for any novelist as a way of identifying the genre/subgenre where they would ideally like their book placed.
Sublists should be a mix of recent hot sellers (which establishes that the genre is making money), a few enduring classics (showing that the genre has staying power), and a few recent deals (showing that the genre is active right now). These recent deals can be found by searching databases such as www.publishersmarketplace.com
For pitching, say, a supernatural thriller, the entries would likely include:
1. SALEM’S LOT by Stephen King; Signet; paperback; 1976; 496 pages
2. THEY THIRST by Robert McCammon; Kinnell; 1981; 552 pages
3. GHOST STORY by Peter Straub; Coward, McCann & Geoghegan; 1979; 483 pages
4. GHOST ROAD BLUES by Jonathan Maberry; Pinnacle Books; 2006; 480 pages
Etc.
When I query I often offer a competitive analysis. Often this results in the editor/agent taking the next step and asking for it, along with the synopsis and sample chapters. Some might want to have the list emailed to them before deciding whether to ask for the manuscript. In all cases it shows that you are sharper and more business focused than most aspiring authors. Or as Stephen King would say, “It’s one more tool in your writer’s toolbox.”
-Jonathan Maberry www.jonathanmaberry.com
Myspace: www.myspace.com/jonathan_maberry
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THE LIAR’S CLUB The writing life is always interesting but it isn’t always fun. Most writers don’t make enough cash; reviewers can be savage; with the sagging economy book sales are down; and publishers mostly don’t spend much bread on promotion. To want to be a professional author you really need a lot of optimism, or you need to be just on the useful side of delusional. Often both. One of the key elements to making this wacky profession work is ‘networking’. Two writers together can do more than two writers alone. Not exactly a new concept, but it’s nice to discover that it still works. Yesterday I met with three friends who are also professional authors and together we created a new organization: THE LIAR’S CLUB. (Why that name? Well...let’s face it, we’re authors, we make stuff up for a living.) We started the group to network with each other authors, but over the course of a long and very funny lunch at the Irish Pub in Philly, we agreed that we could also do a lot of good for the writing and reading community. So...were cooking up plans to do joint signings, workshops, panel discussions, speaking engagements, contests, mentoring and more.  The one certain thing is that we’re going to have fun. No doubt about it. But I got a feeling that Liar’s Club is going to make itself heard. Count on it. Here are the founding members: L. A. Banks (www.leslieesdailebanks.com), author of the insanely popular Vampire Huntress series of novels. Gregory Frost (www.gregoryfrost.com) author of, among other things, the recent Random House release SHADOWBRIDGE. Jon McGoran (www.jmcgoran.com), who writes forensics mysteries under the pen name of D. H. Dublin. The third in that series, FREEZER BURN will be out in June. And my website is www.jonathanmaberry.com There are some other folks who will be joining us. I’ll catch you up on those later Right now, do yourself a favor and check out my co-conspirators in the Liar's Club! Tags: authors, d h dublin, gregory frost, l a banks, networking, publishing, writing
Current Mood: accomplished
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The Patry Francis Blog Event –THE LIAR’S DIARY Last year I had the opportunity to meet Patry Francis ( http://www.patryfrancis.com/) at the BackSpace event at the Algonquin in NYC. Her first novel, THE LIAR’S DIARY, had hit stores in February 2007 and I snagged a copy to read back at my hotel. Yowzah. Talk about your compelling reads! I’ve been a big fan of this book since its release, and in my writing classes I often said that Patry was “an author to watch”.  Then I heard that Patry was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer and that the fates seemed determined to silence this magnificent new literary voice. The news sent shockwaves through the book world. We were all shocked, all stunned, and every one of us felt impossibly helpless. We’re writers...what the hell can we do? Silly question. A could of good-hearted folks, Susan Henderson and Laura Benedict cooked up the idea of getting the blogging authors to step up and support Patry by helping to promote the paperback release of LIAR’S DIARY. When my friend, Karen Dionne (of BackSpace) asked me if I’d like to help I jumped right in... and found that there were over 300 of us working to make that book a major hit. It’ll help Patry financially, sure, but more importantly it’ll show her that there is love and support out there. That kind of good will can move mountains and maybe it can apply some leverage to the healing process. Here’s a link to the book-trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jD31Ip3y3Gk Here’s a link to an audio sample http://www.audiobookstand.com/clips/liarsdiary924.mp3 Go find the book on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Liars-Diary-Patry-Francis/dp/0452289157/ref=reader_req_dpBe a friend by telling a friend. Join with folks all across the country who are standing together in this. And...hey, it’s also a hell of a good book. If you need an incentive, then the first ten people who send me proof that they’ve purchased the book from Amazon will receive signed copies of my next book, BAD MOON RISING before anyone else gets it. As soon as I get my author copies I’ll sign ‘em and ship ‘em to the first folks who email me proof of purchase. (And...hey, let’s write some reviews for her, too!) PARTICIPATING AUTHORS IN THE PATRY FRANCIE BLOGTASTIC EVENT Mario Acevedo Susan Adrian Samina Ali Christa Allan Anne-Marie Joelle Anthony Jorge Argueta Melanie Avila Tricia Ares Backspace Backstory Terry Bain Gail Baker - The Debutante Ball Anjali Banerjee Lauren Baratz-Logsted Elizabeth Bartasius Carolyn Burns Bass Brett Battles Laura Benedict Pinckney Benedict Janet Berliner William Bernhardt Alexander Besher Bev Marcie Beyatte Brenda Birch Roberto Bonazzi Bookfinds Raven Bower Laura Bowers Beatrice Bowles Tara Bradford Gayle Brandeis Stacy Brazalovich Susan Breen - Gotham Writers Workshops Heather Brewer Eve Bridburg - Zachary Shuster Harmsworth Sassy Brit Heatheraynne Brooks Josie Brown Pat Brown Ruth Brown Ken Bruen Rachel Kramer Bussel Aldo Calcagno Austin S. Camacho Bill Cameron Lorenzo Carcaterra Vincent Carrella Karen DeGroot Carter Rosemary Carstens Cynthia Clark - Futures Mysterious Anthology Magazine Jon Clinch Kamela Cody Oline H. Cogdill - Sun-Sentinal Tish Cohen Eileen Cruz Coleman Myfanwy Collins Laurie Connors - Penguin Eileen Cook Richard Cooper David Corbett Auria Cortes Bill Crider - Pop Culture Magazine Kim Cristofoli Ann Mare Cummins Sheila Curran Kristie Cutter Jordan Dane Josephine Damian Daryl Darko A.J. Davis Kelli Davis Alyssa Day Alma Hromic Deckert Jim DeFelice Mike Dellosso Katrina Denza Bella DePaulo Karen Dionne Felicia Donovan Julie Doughty - Dutton Gerry Doyle Firoozeh Dumas Christine Eldrin J.T. Ellison - Killer Year Sheila Clover English - Circle of Seven Productions Kate Epstein - the Epstein Literary Agency Kathryn Esplin Rachel Fershleiser at SMITH Magazine Ryan Field Michael A. FitzGerald William Floyd Natasha Fondren Jamie Ford Connie May Fowler Heather Fowler Therese Fowler Jenifer Fox Thaisa Frank Michelle Gable Gary Gach Leighton Gage Neil Gaiman Colin Galbraith Jayson Gallaway Jane Ganahl - Red Room Erika-Marie S. Geiss Linda Gerber Shane Gericke Tess Gerritsen Karin Gillespie Anne Glamore Kathi Kamen Goldmark Jewelle Gomez Susan Helene Gottfried Deborah Grabien Elizabeth Graham Caroline Grant Robin Grantham Bob Gray - Shelf Awareness Nancy O. Greene Robert Grudin Lisa Guidarini David Habbin Jim Hanas Lynette Hart Melanie Harvey Michael Haskins Melanie Lynn Hauser Bill Hayes Maria Dahvana Headley Susan Henderson Heidi the Hick Georgia Hesse Billie Hinton Vicki Hinze Lori Hope Khaled Hosseini Eileen Hutton - Brilliance Audio Gina Hyams International Thriller Writers David Isaak Susan Ito Lisa Jackson Arachne Jericho Allison Johnson Jen Jordan - Crimespree Jungle Red Writers Lesley Kagen Polly Kahl Jessica Keener Charles Kelly Lisa Kenny Jackie Kessler Merle Kessler Kristy Kiernan - Southern Authors Blog A.S. King Jeff Kleinman - Folio Literary Management Sandra Kring Kyra R.D. Laban Rebecca Laffar-Smith - Writers Roundabout Clair Lamb Daphne Larkin Larramie Judy Merrill Larson Caroline Leavitt Leah Virginia Lee Leslie Levine Mary Lewis Richard Lewis Liane Sharon Linnea Julie Anne Long CJ Lyons Jonathan Maberry Amy MacKinnon - The Writers Group Tim Maleeny Ric Marion Nancy Martin Adrienne Mayor L.C. McCabe Ellen Meister Melba Christa Miller Kyle Minor Jacquelyn Mitchard P. A. Moed Terri Molina Pat Montandon David Montgomery Alexis Moore Joe Moore - Inkspot Amanda Morgan Sarie Morrell Murderati Amy Nathan "Nathalie" Tia Nevitt Nicole Carolyn North Martha O'Connor Andrea Okrentowich Lori Olivia Aimee Palooza Pamela Michael Palmer Stephen Parrish Marie Peck Marcia Peterson - WOW! Women on Writing Jason Pinter Anthony S. Policastro Douglas Preston Terese Ramin Jody Reale Martha Reed Janet Reid - FinePrint Literary Management Kamilla Reid Lance Reynald Michelle Richmond Maria Robinson John Robison James Rollins M.J. Rose - Buzz, Balls & Hype Renee Rosen Jordan Rosenfeld Russell Rowland Anneli Rufus Hank Ryan Marcus Sakey Harris Salat -Visual Thesaurus Rachel Sarah Maria Schneider - Writer's Digest Magazine Nina Schuyler Dani Shapiro Rochelle Shapiro Charles Shaughnessy Jessie Sholl Robert Siegel Clea Simon Lynn Sinclair Shelley Singer Sisters in Crime Robin Slick BPM Smith - Word & Bass Bridget Smith Claudia Smith Kim Smith Stephie Smith Alexandra Sokoloff Char Solomon James Spring Emilie Staat Maryanne Stahl Bella Stander Kelli Stanley Marta Stephens Bronwyn Storm Jennifer Talty Judith Tannenbaum Mindy Tarquini Charles R. Temple Theresa The Outfit David Thayer Joyce Tremel Danielle Trussoni Louise Ure N. L. Valler Barbara Vey - Publishers Weekly Bev Vincent Brenda Wallace Therese Walsh - Writer Unboxed John Warner - Tow Books Gary Wassner Brenda Webster Sarah Weinman Kimberly M. Wetherell Dan Wickett - Emerging Writers Network Jennifer Weiner Laura Wellner Susan Wiggs Liz Wolfe Cheryl Wyatt Stephen Wylder Irvin Yalom Belle Yang Dawn Yun Michele Zackheim Victoria Zackheim Ernie Zelinski Crystal Zevon Tags: liar's diary, patry francis
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WRITING THE NOVEL SYNOPSIS In a previous blog I mentioned that when you pitch your novel you need to have a strong synopsis ready to roll. Next to query letters the synopsis is the single most dreaded piece of writing a writer faces. But it doesn’t have to be. Here are some notes on writing that pesky synopsis. WHAT IS A SYNOPSIS? *****: A synopsis is a narrative summary of your novel, written with brevity but with style and feeling. *****: A synopsis is always written in present tense. *****: A synopsis is always written in third person. *****: A synopsis is written in the same style as your book, which means if the novel is spooky and moody, then so is the synopsis. If your book is action-packed, fast-paced, filled with dialect, or any other style, your synopsis should be as well. *****: The synopsis introduces all of your main characters and each of their essential conflicts, all woven together in the narrative. (It does not list your characters.) *****: Weaving, by the way, is important. One paragraph should flow logically to the next. If you are switching ideas, you need to make sure you build in a transition to connect your paragraphs. *****: You do not have to include every character or every scene, plot point, or subplot in your synopsis. But your synopsis should give a clear idea as to what your book is about, what characters we will care about (or dislike), what is at stake for your heroes, what they stand to lose, and how it all turns out. *****: Yes, you must put the conclusion to your novel in your synopsis. No cliffhangers or teasers. Agents and editors want to know that you know how to successfully conclude your story. (Often agents don't read the synopsis until after they've read the entire ms--but not always.) FORMATTING YOUR SYNOPSIS In the upper left hand corner you should have the following info: Synopsis of "Title here" Genre:................. Word count: By__________ e.g. Synopsis of PATIENT ZERO Thriller 140,000 Words By Jonathan Maberry *****: If the synopsis is going to run one page, single-space it. *****: Synopses longer than one page should be double-spaced. Its paragraphs are usually indented, with no spaces between paragraphs. *****: Don’t use a cover page or any fancy headings or fonts. Stick with Times New Roman or Courier, at 10-12 points (12 is preferred unless you’re really trying to fit it to one page) TIPS ON WRITING THE SYNOPSIS *****: Does the opening paragraph have a strong narrative hook to grab the reader and keep him reading? *****: Are your main characters' conflicts clearly defined? *****: Are your characters sympathetic? *****: Can the reader relate to them and worry about them? *****: Have you avoided all grammar, spelling, and punctuation mistakes? *****: Have you hit on the major scenes, the major plot points of your book? *****: Did you resolve all important conflicts? *****: Did you use present tense? Tags: agents, editing, novel, novels, query, selling, synopsis
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Okay...now we’re onto the next phase of finding a literary agent. When you have your manuscript nice and clean, then the next stage is to build that list of agents. First, a quick recap of one important bit: I recommend using www.publishersmarketplace.com to search for recent deals in your genre/subgenre. Look for deals by the significant authors in your genre. The deal listings will name the agent who represented the book and the editor who purchased it. Here’s an example of a one of my own deal listings from Publishers Marketplace. Bram Stoker Award-winner Jonathan Maberry's PATIENT ZERO, in which a Baltimore police detective is recruited by a secret government organization to help stop a group of terrorists from launching a weaponized plague against America that turns its citizens into zombies, to Jason Pinter at St. Martin's, in a three-book deal (including PATIENT ZERO), by Sara Crowe of Harvey Klinger. When you see “to” before a name, that’s the editor; “by” indicates the agent. You can then do searches on the editor to see the other books they’ve bought (and the agents who repped them), and you can search the agents by name. You can also search the categories (fiction debut, thriller, young adult, etc.) and that’ll pull up a couple of years’ worth of listings. Make sure you double-check to see if the agent and/or editor is still at that firm before you pitch. These folks move like nomads. For example, the editor who bought my books at St. Martin’s Press, Jason Pinter, is no longer there. He scored his own book deal and has left editing to writer crime novels for Mira. Also, when compiling your list of agents you have to remember that the better ones typically have very few spots left on their lists, and that means that they’ll be very picky when agreeing to look at works from new authors. You have to pitch the hell out of it. In one of my earlier blogs I posted a sample of a book pitch letter to an agent. Go take a look at that. I landed an agent with that letter; students of mine have used variations on it to sell their works. Okay, so now you have your list and your query letter. The next step is to get that letter out to everyone on your agent list. Never do the one-at-a-time method. Years pass, you get old, stars burn out to carbon cinders before you get through the whole list. This is your career, be pro-active. The way I did it, I sent ten copies of that letter out to agents. I got six go-aheads to submit material (four partials and two complete manuscripts). Normally agents take anywhere from 3 months to an entire age of the world to get back to you. They’re busy, yeah I get that. I suggest following up with a note or an email after a few weeks, just to see if they’re aware that it’s in their office. Some may snap back at you for pestering them. Too bad, this is business and follow-up is a part of any business. The trick is to be very brief, business formal, and business casual. Something like: “Dear Kira, Just following up to see if you received the partial on BIG FAT NOVEL, which you requested last month. Regards Joe Schmoe” When approaching an agent, here’s what you should have ready: QUERY LETTER: Use good quality stationary and matching envelopes; do not hand write anything except your signature; include either a self-addressed and stamped envelope, or SASE, or request a reply via email. Or both. COMPLETE MANUSCRIPT: Have it clean, edited, and in final draft. Never query with an unfinished manuscript –not unless you already have an agent and books in print. NOTE: Your manuscript should be in Times New Roman (or Courier), 12 point type, double-spaced, with the default margins of Microsoft Word. Paragraphs should be indented and there should be no spaces between paragraphs. Print only in black on paper that is 94 or 96 brightness (or better). Don’t bother with expensive watermarked paper; just make sure it’s as bright and opaque as possible. I also BOLD the entire manuscript as it creates better contrast between paper and ink, which makes it easier on the eyes of the editor or agent. This courtesy costs a little extra, but courtesy is always appreciated. Also, when mailing the manuscript, mark the envelope with REQUESTED MATERIALS; otherwise it’ll vanish into a slush pile somewhere. MARKETPLACE ANALYSIS: This is a list of books that would in your same genre/subgenre. List about a dozen and include the title, author, publisher (including imprint), date of original publication, page count and format (paperback, trade paperback, or hardcover). I usually offer this in my query and include it, asked or unasked, with the manuscript. You want the agent (or editor) to know where you think your book belongs; you want to make it clear that it’s part of an established genre; and you want to send a message that the genre is active. This marketplace analysis is your argument that your book can and will sell because there is a ready market out there made up of readers of these other authors. SYNOPSIS: Have a short 3-5 page synopsis of the entire story, written in present tense (weird, yeah, but that’s how they do it). Be lively and have fun with the writing. Run this by a few friends to see how it reads, and try reading it aloud to look for clunky sentences. Now you’re ready to roll. There’s more to say on finding an agent (particularly in regards to networking), so we’ll come back to this topic later this week. Good luck! Jonathan Maberry Tags: agents, editors, literary agent, publishing, query, selling, writers, writing
Current Mood: accomplished
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FINDING AN AGENT Pt 2 After you’ve made the “Hey, I need an agent!” decision, the next step is to identify the right one for you. And the first step in that is to make sure you don’t fall prey to some of the many, many unscrupulous agents in the business. Literary agents get 15% of your gross and that fee is taken out of the checks sent from a publisher. They also get percentages of foreign sales, film rights, etc., but the bottom line is that agents make their living off of fees based on actual sales. And, take note, you’ll know the exact amount of your advance from the contract you sign with the publisher and you’ll get an end of year accounting from the agent that clearly shows what monies were received by the publisher, the amount of their fee-based deduction, and the monies disbursed to you. With royalties you’ll be given a copy of the royalties breakdown, which is sent by the publisher to the agent along with the royalties check. The agent will deduct the agency fee and send a check along with a copy of the royalties breakdown to you. Since I posted the first part of this thread the other day I’ve received a lot of email from writers who have been gouged by agents who charge all sorts of fees: submission fees, reading fees, evaluation fees, marketing fees, and even editing fees. Even though these practices are technically legal (though prohibited by agent trade organizations), I always advise my students and friends to avoid those agents like the plague. An agent living off of incremental pre-sale fees is in business to make those fees. There’s no incentive for them to ever sell anything. Some agents will offer to sell additional services, such as website design, PR kits, catalog placement for book events and fairs, print and Internet ads, book cover designs (publishers always use their own designs, so these would be a pointless waste of cash), business cards, writing class enrollments, etc. These are all money-gouging scams. There are exceptions, sure. Some good agents do charge fees for copying and postage. Of all the fees discussed those are the ones a writer might agree to. Making copies of a hefty manuscript and mailing copies around is expensive. Okay, that one’s a maybe. But if they ask for submission or reading fees then look elsewhere. I know a lot of agents, and every legitimate agent I know holds most kinds of fee-charging agents in contempt. Yes, I understand it’s a way for a start-up agency to get operating capital. Sorry, I have no sympathy for that. Take out a business loan or mortgage your house –don’t fleece the author. Agents that charge to edit your book are also suspicious. More often a good agent who likes your book but believes it to need work will suggest that you go out and find a book editor (not a book doctor –a topic for another time) and then come back with the revised version. They will seldom if ever even suggest an editor. It’s an ethical point, a conflict of interest. Freelance editors abound (but check them out, too). Get references if you can and follow up with those references. A rare few agents may work with you to edit your book, but this is less common and it chews up an agent’s time. I’ve heard of a few agents who routinely steer their clients toward self-publishing, POD (print on demand), vanity press, e-publishing, or other services where the author has to pay some or all of the expense of having their book published, distributed, or placed. Don’t go there. Legitimate agents SELL your book, they don’t pimp it for vanity press ‘publishers’. There’s a great resource for writers who want to check to see if an agent has a shady track record. http://anotherealm.com/prededitors/pubagent.htm is great. It’s not complete, of course, but it’s pretty damn far-reaching. Also, there’s a pretty scathing expose of these fee-based agents, TEN PERCENT OF NOTHING: The Case of the Literary Agent from Hell by former FBI agent Jim Fisher (Southern Illinois University Press, 2004; hardback). And check out THE STREET SMART WRITER: Self Defense Against Sharks and Scams in the Writing World by Jenna Glatzer and Daniel Steven (Nomad Press, 2006; trade paperback). In my next blog we’ll talking about how to build a target list of reputable agents who are positioned to sell your kind of book and have the track-record and connections to do so. Please feel free to use this blog thread to share your experiences (good and bad) with finding agents. The more everyone knows, the better everyone’s chances are in getting sold without getting fleeced. If you have a question you don’t want to post on the blog thread, drop me an email at jonathan_maberry@yahoo.com Tune in tomorrow and until then...write like you mean it! Jonathan Maberry www.jonathanmaberry.com Tags: agents, authors, literary agent, publishing, scams
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For the first twenty-five years of my writing career I didn’t have a literary agent. Most of my early sales were magazine features and columns for which you don’t use an agent; and then a few textbook sales which tend to yield money so small an agent would like set himself on fire rather than bother with making that kind of deal. When I decided to try and break into fiction --something totally new for me—I figured I needed an agent. Now I needed to find one. Any writer who hits that moment realizes how daunting it is. Unsigned writers fear agents because they know that to a very great degree there’s no way to get sold without one. First thing I did was to ask everyone I know who had an agent for suggestions on how to go about finding one. They all said the same thing, and the advice they gave SOUNDED right at first, but the more I thought about it the less I liked it. What they said was: “Find a low-level or mid-level agent, someone who is just getting in the business, and sign with them. They’re the only ones looking to take on new clients and you can rise with them.” Sounds good, right? Sounds reasonable. Think again. Business is all about messaging. There’s always a subtext to anything said in business. That said, think of the message that you send out if you only try for agents who are either bottom-rung or brand new to the business. It says: “My work isn’t good enough to be represented by a top agent.” Sadly that message comes across loud and clear. That didn’t work for me. I have more faith in my writing than that (as subjective as that might be) and I wanted a really good agent. So I sat back and thought about who and what an agent is and made some reasonable deductions: Agents are human. Not Olympian gods. I’d met some at writers conferences. None of them had horns, none of them threw lightning bolts. Agents are working stiffs, too. There have to be good and bad agents. There have to be lucky or unlucky agents. There have to be rising stars and has-beens. There have to well-connected agents and those to whom most doors are still closed. That’s the way every business is, no matter what business we’re talking about. Some of today’s top writers are still repped by the agents that handled their first works. The biggest deals are made by agents on the inside track of the business. Read the market news, this bears out most of the time. If so, then big agents must be taking on new clients (who then go on to make big money). One of the common pieces of good advice for writers trying to find an agent is to look in the dedication and acknowledgments pages of books by writers of the same genre. Writers often thank their agents (and editors) and that’s a great way of beginning to build a target list. Other resources include using www.publishersmarketplace.com (which costs $20/month) and http://www.agentquery.com/search.aspx (free) to search for agents whose recent track record shows that they have the chops and connections to make decent deals for authors. It’s worth checking those resources to see who is representing debut authors as well. Tomorrow we’ll talk about the next steps to take. Keep Writing! Jonathan Jonathan Maberry (my author website) www.jonathanmaberry.com Career Doctor for Writers (my consulting business) www.careerdoctorforwriters.com Writers Corner USA (the writers center I co-founded) www.writerscornerusa.com MySpace: www.myspace.com/jonathan_maberry Tags: agents, literary agent, novel, publishing, selling, writers, writing
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