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