| As I travel the country speaking to | | | | truth is that the big guys are |
| writer's groups in workshops and | | | | constantly looking for product. If your |
| seminars, I'm struck by the amount of | | | | book, blog, or magazine article, |
| misinformation that is floating around. | | | | attracts the attention of an editor or |
| Having spent 25-years working for two of | | | | publisher, then you can save the 15% and |
| the largest publishers in the world, I | | | | sign without an agent. You do not have |
| thought it would be important to set the | | | | to have an agent to sign a publishing |
| record straight and write about three of | | | | contract with a big company. But you're |
| the most common myths. | | | | going to need plenty of patience, a |
| It's not about who published your book, | | | | whole bunch of perseverance, and lots of |
| but will it make money | | | | marketplace knowledge to make that |
| First, there seems to be this impression | | | | happen, but it can happen without an |
| that if an author publishes with a | | | | agent. |
| print-on-demand company - or god forbid | | | | The contract is only the beginning of |
| self-publish their own manuscript - the | | | | your work |
| big publishers will never be interested | | | | Third, most authors that I encounter |
| in their book. This is wrong! The fact | | | | through my consulting have the feeling |
| is that the biggest companies in the | | | | that once they sign that big time |
| world are focused on making money. If | | | | publishing contract, they will be taken |
| they discover a title they feel has | | | | care of. In fact, this is the biggest |
| potential to gain widespread | | | | wrong of all! The New York publishers |
| distribution and sell lots of copies, | | | | are in the business of making money; if |
| they don't care who published it, they | | | | you can help them, terrific, but if not, |
| want it. The big publishers rarely look | | | | you are as expendable as the next |
| at who published what, for them, it's | | | | author. In fact once you sign a |
| about dollars and if they feel your | | | | contract, your work is just starting. |
| writing has the potential, they'll | | | | You must help your publisher market your |
| publish it. | | | | book and that could many a number of |
| An agent is not required | | | | things. So the contract is not the end, |
| Second, writers have the impression they | | | | but the beginning. Your publisher is not |
| absolutely have to have an agent to | | | | in the business of taking care of |
| attract the attention of a big New York | | | | authors. |
| publisher. Again, this is wrong! If you | | | | The next time you hear something foolish |
| have a book and a voice and a platform | | | | at your writer's group meeting, or |
| as an author, and a big company sees | | | | conference, send me an email. I answer |
| your potential, they will come to you | | | | them all personally and I'll be more |
| without the need of an agent. Now, | | | | than happy to pass along my 25-years of |
| clearly more than 90% of the books the | | | | New York experience and give you the |
| New York companies publish were bought | | | | facts. |
| with the assistance of an agent, but the | | | | |