Literary Agent Blog – By a Former Literary Agency President

During this insider interview on our literary agent blog, Jane Jago (author of the crime novel The Wrong Hand published by Penguin Books), shares tips for authors of all genres about how to write, publish, and/or promote a book. Jane also talks about how Mark...

During this insider interview on our literary agent blog, Rebecca Besser (author of the novel Nurse Blood) shares tips for authors of all genres about how to write, publish, and/or promote a book. Becca also talks about how Mark Malatesta (a former literary agent and...

If you’re a novelist, it doesn’t matter how compelling your story is or how clean your writing is. You won’t get a literary agent to represent you unless you categorize your book correctly. Label your novel with the wrong book genre(s) in your query letter and you run...

What can you learn about getting a top literary agent, publisher, and book deal by getting locked out of your house? A lot. Here’s what happened… A few weeks ago, my wife and business partner, Ingrid Elfver, and I arrived home from a relaxing Friday night dinner out....

This article will help you do a better job promoting your book(s) to literary agents (as well as to publishers, the media, and the general reading public). Here’s the secret... What you say always matters, but when you say it also matters. In other words, if you say...

There are lots of ways you can have more impact as an author--but I can’t think of a faster and easier one than having a website that gets a lot of visitors. In fact, having a good website can help you get a book deal with a traditional publisher like Random House......

A couple weeks ago an author on my mailing list, trying to stay afloat in a flood of rejection letters, shared an article with me that he'd written. It talked about the stupid things literary agents say and do when rejecting authors. He made some good points. One of...

Have you ever wondered what’s “legal” to include in a book? What can you say, or not say? It doesn’t matter if you’re writing fiction or nonfiction, some things are okay—others will get you in trouble. And the last thing you want is to get rejected by literary agents...

It takes a lotto challenge me. That’s because I’ve been in the publishing industry for more than two decades: as a writer, a literary agency owner and president, the Marketing and Licensing Manager for a well-known publisher, and now as an author coach and consultant....

By Rick Killian (Guest Post) Bestseller: “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” Romeo famously asked, “What’s in a name?” By the end of the play, he got his answer—apparently quite a lot! I wish the same could be said for the word...

Finding the perfect place to live is a lot like finding the perfect literary agent and publisher. It’s usually an emotional roller coaster ride, a major source of stress, and a massive time suck... even if you go into it with the right expectations and a good plan....

When Ingrid and I move to California at the end of this April it’s going to be a catalyst for you, in one way or another. So I thought I’d explain what we’re doing (and why), and tell you how it’s going to affect you. For those of you who’ve followed The Bestselling...

What signs, situations, and people do you look to, to see if you’re doing the “right” thing? My experience says there’s a good chance you’re looking in the wrong places. You’re looking at the wrong things. And you’re listening to the wrong people. You’re not doing it...

By Becca Besser (Guest Post) Recently, in a group I’m in on Facebook, someone brought up the topic of personal religious beliefs and swearing in writing based on a person’s moral standards. Being a Christian myself, I chimed in on the discussion, explaining the only...

Book contests are often to unpublished authors what casinos are to people with gambling problems. They can be a whole lot of fun (and they can pay off big time), but there are also serious risks you need to know about. The upside of book contests is easy to imagine...

What’s the most important key to reaching your goals as an author? Here's a hint: It has nothing to do with your work ethic, concept, content, craft, style, or platform. Instead, it has everything to do with what you’re writing…in your head. Now, this article isn’t...

Tax Deductions for Writers – If you’re a writer or author (or aspiring author), you’re probably paying more than necessary each year in taxes, without realizing it. This article about freelance writer taxes explains. It's part of our article library for authors who...

How to Become a Bestselling Author – As a former literary agency owner (now an author coach and consultant) I know that most authors spend plenty of time writing, and thinking about How to Get a Literary Agent. This article is about something else, and it's arguably...