Posts in Literary Agents
It’s True. Getting Your Book Published Is All About Who You Know. (But Not In The Way You Think)

I didn’t believe it when I started out, but to get a book published, you’re going to need to know people—mentors, teachers, friends, colleagues, critique partners, and cheerleaders. There’s nothing I hate more than schmoozing, so I’ll tell you how I found those people without ever networking.

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How to Format a Book or Book Proposal…and Look Like a Pro Doing It

Format your book the right way for each occasion— pitching agents with a manuscript, querying nonfiction with a book proposal, or for self-publishing. You want your book to stand out for its stellar writing, not for its unorthodox formatting. Here’s how the pros do it.

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Ask the Writing Coach: Do I Need A Literary Agent?

If you want to sell your book to a major New York publisher, you need an agent, no question. As with anything in life, there are rare exceptions, but do you want to drastically narrow your chances in hopes of winning the lottery? If so, why? A good agent has relationships with editors and publishers, they know who’s looking for what, they know how to sell a book, they know how to negotiate a good contract, and

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3 Simple Mistakes That Will Kill Your Novel's Opening (+ how to fix them)

You’re trying to juggle a dozen things at once – an unforgettable first line, a fresh voice, an original theme, complex characters, mood and tone and conflict and a sense of mystery, and so on and so forth. In so doing, there’s a good chance you’ve inadvertently lost the most important element of all – clarity. 

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