RomanceEverAfter
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People You Should Know A Conversation with Ross Howard, A Cure for Kirby, Meet Monica Davis and Geir Ness. The Beauty of Change Series Historical Romance Column and Book Reviewer: Kaye Hatfield NEW! Sam DeMarco Have you dreamed of starting your own business? Sam DeMarco, owner of Compliance Team, did and he tells us how he made his dream a reality! Photo Gallery Romance & You (Articles) Romantic Memoir
Quotes & Poetry Expand your quotes and poetic horizons by visiting our various Quotes & Poetry categories: Thought of the Week: Time for New Beginnings A series of 8 articles by Melissa Hamilton comprising a collection of principles that will allow you to make your vision for the future a reality. Read about the Amish, India, Philippines, Greece, & Rome.
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We invited Patrika Vaughn, president of A Cappella Publishing, Inc. and CEO of eLit Agent to share her comments regarding a variety of topics in publishing. Subjects include working with a publisher, an agent, how publishing is changing in the 21st century, and some of the misconceptions that novice writers have about publishers. You can find out more about Patrika and some of the services she offers at www.acappela.com. She also welcomes questions from our readers!
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Patrika Vaughn is President of A Cappela Publishing, Inc. and CEO of eLit Agent. She is a widely published author of articles, books, audiobooks and online classes for writers. She has been awarded the Order of Excellence in Who's Who in the 21st Century and is listed in Outstanding People of the 21st Century and The International Authors and Writers Who's Who. A widely published author herself, Patrika is known as the world's foremost Author's Advocate. She guides authors through the processes of writing, marketing and publishing (see www.acappela.com ) and is the pioneer of electronic literary agenting (www.eLitAgent.com).Patrika's mission is to help new authors get published. To accomplish this, she has created a ‘ "one-stop shop." Through A Cappela Publishing, Advocate House and eLitAgent, Patrika works with authors from concept through publication, offering both consulting and editing until a marketable work has been achieved. She also helps authors pinpoint their markets and can either produce books for self-publishers or represent them to publishing houses through her innovative electronic agenting service.She holds a B.A. in Literature and Anthropology from New College (the honors program for the State of Florida) and did her postgraduate work in World Literature at the University of Arkansas. __________________________ Discuss the misconceptions that novice writers have about publishers. Many writers belief that their sole job is to write; that their publisher will handle all the steps of producing and marketing their book. Even those who use book producers (the houses that offer to produce books for a fee) often assume that they can leave all the production and marketing details to the producer. The truth is that it is the author's job to promote his/her book. It is the author's job, whether self-published or published through an existing publisher, to handle a large part of the book's marketing and promotion. I suggest to self-publishers that they plan to spend at least as much on marketing as they do on book production. Discuss how publishing has changed (and is changing) in the 21st century. Include how technology is creating new opportunities and approaches to getting published. Publishing is a whole new ball game and the old rules don't apply: •Major publishing houses are being gobbled up by international cartels •Bookstores are giving way to superstores •Accountants now decide who gets published •Editors acquire, they don't edit •Literary agents handle authors as "properties," rarely taking on anyone unpublished. Getting published today is difficult and confusing but opportunities are there. Today's publishing options are staggering. On-demand printing and e-books make entire books available in moments. Today books can be published electronically, without ever appearing on paper or waiting for the cumbersome process of printing: e-publishing is nearly instant publishing. And the new On-Demand printing (POD) allows books to stay in print forever, making it possible for books with limited audiences to be made available. The challenge today is to understand each option and its pros and cons....something most authors need help with from an industry professional.For writers seeking an agent, based on your experience please provide three dos or dont's regarding seeing agent representation. DO: 1. Do your homework. Make sure you query only those agents who handle your genre. 2. Be brief. Your initial query should briefly outline what you've got, where the market is for your work, and ask if the agent would like to see a full proposal. 3. Be professional. Make sure all your submissions are professional presented (cleanly typed and in a consistent format) and should indicate what marketing efforts you will make to promote this work. DON'T: 1. Inundate an agent with a lengthy proposal on your first contact. 2. Pester the agent. Allow 4-6 weeks for a reply to your initial query. Then request information on the status of your submission. 3. Don't get cute. Gimmicks will not impress.
With the many options available today, any writer can get published without an agent. However, it will be difficult to interest a major publishing house without going through an agent. Representing your own work is possible to smaller houses, but it requires time away from writing and wearing a different hat. You'll have to think like a PR person, coming at it from a totally objective viewpoint which asks such questions as: "Why should the person I'm contacting be interested in this book? What's in it for the reader? Does this tie into any event currently in the news that can be used as a vehicle to promote my book? Comments that would be helpful to readers who are writers. With the continuous evolution of publishing, an author's choices are multiplied and often confusing. Beware of publishing offers that sound too good to be true. They probably are. I've had many an author come to me after a disappointing print run or unfulfilled marketing promises. What sounded like a bargain turned out to be wasted money. If you are unsure of any move, you would be wise to get an hour's consult from someone in the business before making a move. It could save you time, frustration and money!
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We
wanted to share Patrika's detailed background with you then proceed with
questions writers will find most informative.
Even major publishers will focus marketing dollars on those three-out-of-ten
books they expect to profit from (rarely from a first-time author!), so the rest
remain largely unknown to the public and that results in minimal sales.
Please
present the pros and cons regarding agent representation.