Literary Agency
venue (online or in a brick-and-mortar store), or whatever the mode (paper or e-reader), our appetite for books is
definitely on the rise. Yet even as reading becomes more popular and unit sales are up, the publishing business
continues to struggle. Prices are down on many products, and the balance of power has largely shifted to the online
retailers. Consumers demand steep discounts, forcing many stores to seek out other revenue streams such as food,
toys, and music.
So what advantage do the publishers have left? It's a buyer's market! They get to choose the writers they will work
with. And make no mistake, they have plenty of choices: According to one source, about 81 percent of all Americans
(that's 243 million!) say that want to write a book. Further, there are about six million manuscripts, proposals, and
queries circulating among American publishers and agents at any one time. If you want to get noticed in this
competitive marketplace you might as well sit around waiting to get struck by lightning, or win the Powerball Lottery,
or get drafted into the NFL.
spend a few dollars and do it yourself. (No doubt, you've got plenty of choices out there.) We take the long view,
looking beyond your current project, to help you advance in your
career. After all, what's good for you, is good for us. You just
might have the world's best book on Hungarian history, but you'll
be wasting your time if you send it to editor who onlyhandles
books on stamp collecting. (Yes, some are that specialized. And
many writers are indeed that clueless!)
truly original? If they offer you a contract, should you accept it?
(Many are clearly slanted in favor of the publisher.) Inexperienced
writers won’t have these insights, and you might be better off to
keep walking. Generally an agented author can score a larger
advance, negotiate better contract terms, and sell more books.
With this advantage you'll be well-positioned to market your next
book, and the one after that.
First, the good news: According to BookStats, American consumers purchased 2.57 billion books in
2010 (a 4.1 percent increase over 2008), and it bodes quite well for the future of our business. I'm
reminded of a song from Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, about the glory days before
the advent of television:
- How would they keep themselves contented, before this monster was invented?
They used to read, and read and read. And read some more.
Great Scott! Gadzooks! One half of their lives was reading books!
venue (online or in a brick-and-mortar store), or whatever the mode (paper or e-reader), our appetite for books is
definitely on the rise. Yet even as reading becomes more popular and unit sales are up, the publishing business
continues to struggle. Prices are down on many products, and the balance of power has largely shifted to the online
retailers. Consumers demand steep discounts, forcing many stores to seek out other revenue streams such as food,
toys, and music.
So what advantage do the publishers have left? It's a buyer's market! They get to choose the writers they will work
with. And make no mistake, they have plenty of choices: According to one source, about 81 percent of all Americans
(that's 243 million!) say that want to write a book. Further, there are about six million manuscripts, proposals, and
queries circulating among American publishers and agents at any one time. If you want to get noticed in this
competitive marketplace you might as well sit around waiting to get struck by lightning, or win the Powerball Lottery,
or get drafted into the NFL.
- At WordWise Media Services we have personal relationships with hundreds of editors and
scores of publishers. Better yet, we know what type of material they're looking for. We
represent dozens of authors, and have placed their work with some of the largest and most
acclaimed publishing houses in the business.
- Fewer and fewer publishers will accept a manuscript or proposal directly from an unknown
writer these days; instead, they rely on literary agents to separate wheat from chaff and send
them only the best work that has been thoroughly vetted and edited. And that's where we
come in...
spend a few dollars and do it yourself. (No doubt, you've got plenty of choices out there.) We take the long view,
looking beyond your current project, to help you advance in your
career. After all, what's good for you, is good for us. You just
might have the world's best book on Hungarian history, but you'll
be wasting your time if you send it to editor who onlyhandles
books on stamp collecting. (Yes, some are that specialized. And
many writers are indeed that clueless!)
truly original? If they offer you a contract, should you accept it?
(Many are clearly slanted in favor of the publisher.) Inexperienced
writers won’t have these insights, and you might be better off to
keep walking. Generally an agented author can score a larger
advance, negotiate better contract terms, and sell more books.
With this advantage you'll be well-positioned to market your next
book, and the one after that.
| Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia. - E.L. Doctorow |
Coming soon: Dark Biology by Bonnie Doran, Harbourlight Path of the Faithful (3-part series) by Carla Laureano, NavPress Employment Deficit Disorder by Bill Jerome & Curt Powell, ASTD Press Dark Heritage by Carolyn Sherrow, OakTara |
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