Entries Tagged 'Agents' ↓

So, who do publishers and industry pros go to when they need advice? The very same person who just gave us, here at Speakeasy, a crash course in publishing: Alex Adsett of Alex Adsett Publishing Services (AAPS). Alex has fifteen years experience in a variety of areas of the publishing industry, both in Australia and internationally. She has worked for such giants as Simon and Schuster and Penguin, and has also written an array of authoritative articles on various aspects of publishing.

AAPS offers consultancy services and contract advice to all areas of the publishing industry, and has recently taken on the role of literary agent. So whatever you want to know about the industry, chances are Alex has an answer for you.

We recently had a chat with Alex, and I, for one, came away with a whole brainload of invaluable information. So if you’re looking for an agent, if you’re looking for any kind of publishing advice, if you want some tips on submitting your work or writing a great pitch, then you can’t miss what Alex has to say.

And, if you’re extra keen, Alex will be appearing at the upcoming GenreCon.

Speakeasy: Can you please tell us a little about Alex Adsett Publishing Services and the varied range of work you do and services you offer?

Alex Adestt (AA): As part of AAPS, I wear a number of different hats. Primarily, I work as a consultant for authors or publishers offering commercial advice in relation to publishing contracts. For authors, this means reviewing their publishing contracts in comparison with standard industry practice to make sure nothing sneaky has crept into the fine print, and either helping the author negotiate with the publisher, or negotiating on their behalf.

I am also involved with the publishing industry on a number of levels, and love this interaction.

Most recently, my partner and I have expanded into more traditional literary agents. We try to keep a clear distinction between ‘consultancy’ clients and ‘agency’ clients, and an author should never be charged for one and then the other.

Speakeasy: As an agent, what type of writing/writers are you currently looking for? How do you go about developing your list?

AA: I have chosen to concentrate on genre authors and manuscripts only, so I’m staying with the kind of manuscripts I love and know well. This includes speculative fiction (SF, fantasy, horror), crime and mystery, and paranormal romance, for both YA and adult markets.

The list has so far found me. Word of mouth, twitter, recommendations and pitching sessions have all resulted in an avalanche of manuscripts.

Speakeasy: Aside from thoroughly polishing their work, what tips would you offer to writers who might be thinking about approaching an agent? What should authors be aware of when approaching or signing on with an agent?

AA: Firstly, think carefully about whether you need an agent. In Australia, not everyone does. Many publishers are taking unsolicited manuscripts, and if you have managed to get yourself the initial publishing offer, you have managed the hardest task on your own.

Secondly, never sign with an agent who tries to charge you upfront fees for anything. For example, an agent should not charge you a fee to read or edit your manuscript. If they do charge you money for a service (e.g., manuscript assessment), they should offer to refund this fee before accepting you as an agency client. An agent should believe in your work and work for commission (usually no more than 15%) when they sell your work.

Speakeasy: What does a submission need to do to draw you in? Conversely, what are the most common things that immediately turn you off a manuscript?

AA: A polite and professional cover letter helps, with no obvious spelling mistakes. Trying to be too clever or funny in the cover letter or synopsis puts me off. A great opening line, first paragraph and first chapter help in drawing me in.

Speakeasy: What tips would you offer to emerging writers in terms of pitching to agents/publishers? What are some of the common mistakes/weaknesses that you see in first-time pitches?

AA: Be yourself and tell your story. Common mistakes are telling me how much your family and friends loved the manuscript. This is not going to help sell it to me. Also, again, watch out for messy spelling mistakes.

Try to avoid clichés: too much exposition too quickly, having your character describe themselves by waking up and then looking in a mirror.

Speakeasy: Can you tell our readers a little about the risks and rewards of self-publishing compared to traditional publishing?

AA: Excellent question, but the answer could take days. Self-publishing is an avenue to pursue where you can retain the control and sometimes obtain a higher percentage of the sales receipts. However, it is an awful lot of hard work with no guarantee of sales at the end of it. I would always recommend trying traditional publishers first, because they have the expertise and deep pockets to get your manuscript to the widest readers possible. If you do self-publish, you need to consider hiring an editor (both a structural editor and a copy editor), cover designer and typesetter. Consider how you will get your print books into bookshops, and how you will get your ebook noticed in a sea of other self-published works. I’m not saying don’t do it, but go in with your eyes open.

(For more information on self-publishing see Alex’s blog.)

Speakeasy: Clearly, the publishing industry is still in an intense state of flux; can you offer some general thoughts about the state of Australian publishing? What are some of the major issues that still need to be addressed? Are there any people or organisations you see as being particularly innovative right now?

AA: Much of the traditional industry is still a bit nervous about the changes being forced upon them at the moment. Profits and jobs are down, and the biggest publishers seem too nervous to take a chance on any manuscript that is less than a ‘sure thing’.

Keeping the passion and expertise of bookshops involved in the solutions for the industry should be key. I would hate to see bookshops being forgotten in the publishers’ scramble to survive.

In particular, I would love to see the digital-only publishers working with print-on-demand technology to allow bookshops to support new authors. When bookshops are able to order print-on-demand titles at standard pricing and discounts, this gets them back in the game of getting quality books in the hands of the right readers.

Saying that, the market for Australian independent publishers is expanding with the rise of ebooks. Australia is incredibly fortunate to have a thriving indie publishing scene (check out the list over at SPUNC ), and the involvement of some wonderful people. Booki.sh and Readcloud are great ebook solutions for shops, the Small Publishing Network digital distribution network is helping small publishers sell their ebooks globally, and some of the bigger publishers are developing exciting new digital imprints. I think you should definitely keep an eye on Momentum and Harlequin Escape, and print-on-demand company Lightning Source.

Speakeasy: Following on from that, what shifting challenges are writers now facing due to the changes in the industry?

AA: Authors are facing lower advances (or no advances) and being asked to take on more of the marketing/publicity burden. Most publishers that are setting themselves up as digital only (be it offshoots of the big houses or start-ups) are offering higher royalties (40%-50%) for sales, but not all are. If an author is going to take a chance on a digital only publisher, they should be careful about signing away print rights at the same time.

Speakeasy: Is there anything else you might like to mention to our readers?

AA: It’s an exciting time to be a writer. Although the chances of making a living out of it are about the same as ever, there are so many more opportunities available to explore.

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Julian Thumm is a freelance editor and writer. He has degrees from The University of Queensland and The University of Adelaide. He has worked with the Australian Journal of Communication, The University of Queensland Press, and Corporate Communication International through The City University of New York. He is currently based in Brisbane.

One of the highlights of the AWMonline Writing Races is the bi-monthly Special Guests. Racers, often aspiring or developing writers, love the chance to get some insight into the writing practice of accomplished authors.

Last week we had the pleasure of Daniel O’Malley’s company. Dan’s debut novel, supernatural thriller ‘The Rook’, came out at the beginning of this year. Featuring a kick-ass female protagonist, magical amnesia, supernatural spies, and supernatural conspiracies, it’s a humdinger.

The majority of discussion revolved around getting published for the first time; Dan talked us through the sometimes harrowing, mostly hilarious, and slightly bizarre adventure of getting published.

First off, naturally, you have to finish the book. I’ve had a few acquaintances who are really keen to become published authors, but they always seem taken aback that they have to write the book first. Unless there are some exceptional circumstances (like, you’re a movie star), having a good idea usually isn’t enough.

Dan’s primary tip for developing authors was getting a good agent. A past experience of trying to get an un-solicited work published had come to nothing, so he endeavored to get representation.

I was determined that this time I would have an agent. Now, I recommend that approach to everyone. It makes all the difference in the world, having someone in the industry who believes in you, and who is working on your behalf.

One of the most beneficial aspects of having an agent, Dan said, was the rigorous editing process his agent insisted on.

Mollie was very keen to have the work as tight as she could get it before she put it out to people. It took months and months … I had been braced for someone to stomp in and really shred my work to pieces. But most of it was adding stuff. So much of a story is inside your head, that you forget what you take for granted. Working with an editor made my book so much better.

But, when it finally went out, it was quite a quick process. Within a week or two, my agent was teeing up phone calls for me with various publishers. It was a little disconcerting, because it had to be in New York business hours, and I was in Canberra. So, at 3 or 6 in the morning, I would be in my PJs, in the hallway, in the darkness, trying to sound intelligent.

And then Little, Brown put in a pre-emptive bid, and I accepted! I was really excited because the editor who had signed me (Asya Muchnik) is extremely good. She was the editor for ‘The Lovely Bones’, and also, talking to her on the phone, I’d just thought she was glorious. If you have a good connection with someone, working with them is going to be good.

Dan is currently working on the sequel to ‘The Rook’.

I’m excited about it! I have a bunch of other ideas I’m looking forward to (and have made starts on), but I have a contract for the sequel, so that’s the one that gets priority.

It’s coming along pretty well, I think. My mum likes it, anyway.

Read the rest of the conversation at the AWMonline forums. There’s a lot; we Racers tend to be Chatty Cathys, and Dan was a (hilarious) wealth of knowledge.

And check out Daniel O’Malley’s website to learn more about the man himself, and his book.

Coming Up in the Writing Races: Anna Campbell as Guest Racer on October 31st. Don’t miss out.

So, you’ve finally finished writing; you’ve buffed that manuscript so hard that you can see your disheveled writer-face in it, and you think the hard work is over. No such luck. It’s time to try and publish that big ol’ sucker, and that means that just maybe it’s time to think about contacting a literary agent.

Some say that finding an agent to accept your work is nearly as difficult as finding a publisher. Well, what we have here is an expert’s take on the process. So, if you think you’re ready to tread those murky waters in search of an agent, or if you’re merely wondering what it is that they do, then have a listen to what Sophie Hamley, Australian literary agent with Cameron’s Management, and president of the Australian Literary Agents Association, has to say.

We at Speakeasy recently had the opportunity to throw a few questions her way. In response she offered us tips on approaching agents and writing pitches and query letters; advice on preparing manuscripts; and insights into the role and work of the literary agent – invaluable reading if you’re thinking of approaching an agent, or if you’re just interested in the business of writing.

Sophie Hamley will be appearing at the 2012 GenreCon. For full details please see the website.

Speakeasy: For those who may not be familiar, can you please talk a little about the role of the literary agent?

Sophie Hamley (SH): In very simple terms, an agent manages the business of writing. An agent helps their writer find and keep publishing with a publisher – hopefully the right publisher! The agent also acts as an intermediary, to give the author guidance about the publishing process (if they’re new) and deal with any issues that arise – anything from the author not being sure what they’re being asked to do in an edit, to helping them prepare for publicity, to talking over a cover with them, and reviewing their contracts for them. Ideally we free up authors to concentrate on the creative part of their job, as being a writer and being able to manage a writing career are discrete activities.

Speakeasy: Numerous stories abound about various author/editor relationships; can you describe, in general terms, the author/agent relationship?

SH: It differs from author to author (and from agent to agent). Some authors like to be in regular contact and some do not; some like to be in contact only when there’s a project on the go; some like to be in contact even if there’s nothing on the go. Some agents give editorial advice and some do not, which can also influence what sort of relationship you have with an author. Ideally agents should be able to interact with each author as an individual and tailor the relationship accordingly.

Speakeasy: What kinds of authors and/or writing do you tend to work with? How do agents generally develop their lists?

SH: I look after fiction, non-fiction and children’s books, but not all flavours of those. Agents in Australia have to be more broad in their lists than agents in the US and UK, who can afford to specialise a bit more. Agents always have to take on work they respond to, so the first criterion is, ‘Do I love it?’ After that we have to be pragmatic about whether or not we can find a publisher for the work. For me a big consideration is whether or not the author is suited to the publishing process – are they going to be able to work with an editor and a publicist? Being able to behave professionally (or not) has an impact on the author’s trajectory through the publishing world.

Speakeasy: How can an author determine if an agent (or an agency) will be a good fit for them?

SH: Authors should research agencies before they submit to them. Quite often authors submit to agents who do not represent the sort of work they’ve written, and that wastes everyone’s time. Most agencies have their clients listed on their websites and they may also indicate what sorts of submissions they’re looking for. If they do not, the author is absolutely entitled to enquire before making a submission.

Speakeasy: At what point should an aspiring/emerging/established writer consider approaching an agent?

SH: When their work is as ready as they can possibly make it. That doesn’t mean polishing a manuscript to within an inch of its life – it means not being too impatient about sending it off. Don’t send a first draft of anything. Take the time to ensure that you have done the best you can by your own work. So many authors will do their work a disservice by not giving it time to mature. You can’t write a manuscript overnight – it’s worth taking a bit of extra time to make sure that manuscript is as good as it can be before sending it out.

Speakeasy: Can you outline some of the important things to keep in mind when submitting work to agents? What should writers look for, or be aware of?

SH: The most important thing is to follow the submission guidelines – if you don’t it looks like you either don’t care to or think that you don’t have to do what everyone else does. The guidelines are not frivolous – we all receive a lot of submissions and we need to have a way to compare them.

Also keep in mind that we do receive a lot of submissions and most of us are not reading them at the office – we’re reading them outside of work hours. We get through them as quickly as we can, so calling or emailing to remind us that we haven’t read yours yet is unnecessary. We understand that you want to know, but we’re not superhuman!

Speakeasy: Aside from writing a great book, what things should a writer absolutely do before submitting work to an agent? Can you outline some of the common mistakes that authors make when approaching agents?

SH: As mentioned above, the most common is that they’re impatient – they submit their work before it’s ready. There are lots of ways now for authors to ‘test’ their work – at writers’ centres, in courses. Yes, it’s time consuming; yes, it can be hard. But isn’t it worth it to take the time and do the best you can?

They’re also impatient when they submit – we state clearly in our guidelines when authors can expect to receive a response, but I regularly have authors contacting me before that time to ask why I haven’t responded to them yet. That doesn’t make me feel warmly about them. Agents are looking for great work but they’re also looking for great clients, because we expect to have that relationship for a while. All of your interaction with the agent – not just what’s in your submission – can influence our decision.

Speakeasy: Can you talk a little about pitching to agents and about what makes a good or bad author pitch?

SH: A good pitch tells me what I can expect to read in the manuscript and why I should read it, without resorting to hyperbole. It also shows me that the author can write – some authors complain about having to write query letters, but writers write and it would be unusual if they could only write one type of thing. I have yet to see a bad query letter and a brilliant manuscript – someone who can write a great story usually also has the facility to write a great pitch. But, like writing a manuscript, writing a pitch takes practice. It’s also good for your manuscript – if you can’t describe your story in one or two paragraphs in a way that makes me want to read it, how is any publisher going to be able to do that to persuade a reader to buy it? If an author has difficulty coming up with a pitch, it can indicate that there is actually a problem with the manuscript. If you think you’d be better off talking through the pitch, then say it out loud and record yourself doing it, then transcribe it.

Speakeasy: The Cameron’s Management website presents a range of genres that are accepted in terms of submissions. Obviously you pay close attention to market trends. What type of work is flooding the market right now (the website clearly states no vampire erotica)? Conversely, are there any particular areas or types of work that the market is particularly hungry for right now?

SH: There is far, far, far too much young adult fantasy being submitted now and publishers are saying that they want realistic YA, so any fantasy/paranormal YA would have to be super-extraordinary for me or a publisher to take it on. I also see a lot of chick lit and its variants, but it’s very hard to get that published (because it’s a crowded, but not very big, market).

The market doesn’t know what it’s hungry for – that’s the nature of markets. Demand is, to a great extent, often manipulated by supply. Even Fifty Shades of Grey does not necessarily indicate a hunger for BDSM erotica – it is Twilight fan fiction and that is likely where its ‘tipping point’ came from. If another writer were looking at it and trying to replicate its success, it would be impossible unless there was a very similar set of circumstances around another book’s publication. The other thing to bear in mind is that by the time a trend has been identified, it’s over. Writers should concentrate on writing the story that they really want to write and on making it as good as it can be, and worry about the market later. That is not to say that they shouldn’t look at genres and what’s popular, because the story that they want to write may well be in a genre and therefore they should pay attention to what’s around. But it’s very difficult to devote a lot of your time to writing a novel if your motives are purely cynical and, therefore, your heart’s not in it. In order to be able to commit to it, you have to really want to do it.

Speakeasy: How is the current state of flux in and around the publishing industry effecting the role of the literary agent? As an insider, can you offer us your perspective on the state of the Australian publishing industry?

SH: Our publishing industry, like that of almost every other country that has one, is in its state of greatest ever change. The jobs that all of us do – including writers’ – are changing. A couple of decades ago writing involved producing a story and leaving almost everything else to the publisher. Now writers need to be engaged with what’s happening in their genre, in the community around that genre, and with the world at large. That’s not a bad thing – it’s just a changing thing. And as writers’ jobs change, so must agents’ – in the future we are likely to do a lot of advising and managing and distributing knowledge, and the focus will be less on ‘the deal’. None of us really knows how it will end up. Like all change, it’s a bit scary but a bit exciting too.

Speakeasy: Is there anything else you might like to mention to our readers?

SH: There are a lot of people who write manuscripts – and send them to agents and publishers – but they don’t actually read a lot of (or any) books themselves. It shows. If you are not a passionate reader, you’re unlikely to make a great writer (the exception is people who have a great personal story that can be turned into a non-fiction book). If you’re a writer, other people’s writing is the context for your own work. Don’t compare yourself to other writers, though, and don’t engage in ‘If only’ statements (‘If only I had the talent of XXXX I would be a superstar’). If you have a story to tell, just write it. If you don’t have a story to tell, wait and see if you have one. But don’t force yourself to write a story just because you want to be a writer, because it is very difficult to make it if you’re working with ego alone – you need more. You need talent, yes, but that’s only part of what’s required – you also need to apply yourself. Talent will only take you so far. I see submissions from people who are clearly talented but they either give up too early (when they get feedback, usually, because they don’t want to redraft) or they think that their talent is enough and they don’t need to learn the craft of writing. People who get by on talent alone are rare and they are flukes. If you look at any of the writers you admire, it’s a safe bet that behind their success is countless hours of plain old work.

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Julian Thumm is a freelance editor and writer. He has degrees from The University of Queensland and The University of Adelaide. He has worked with the Australian Journal of Communication, The University of Queensland Press, and Corporate Communication International through The City University of New York. He is currently based in Brisbane.

We kick this fry-up off with a boldly-titled article from John Barber: There Will Be No More Professional Writers in the Future. It takes a pessimistic point of view of the changes undergoing publishing, bringing forth a series of arguments about the aggregation of free content and the rise of self-publishers who have outflanked the traditional industry.

In contrast, Stephanie Lauren’s  has delivered the keynote at this years RWA conference in the USA that celebrates the changes in publishing and the ability to focus on connecting with readers, rather than publishers, as the measure of success.

Guy Kawasaki looks at the increasing lack of limitations in his Doctrine of Self Publishing post at the Kirkus site. While his Doctrine post is all about the advantages of self-publishing, it’s followed up by Plan C in Self-Publishing that succinctly outlines some of the things that self-publishers are giving up.

DearAuthor.com have been following the Roni Lauren lawsuit regarding pictures used on her blog, and have posted The Principle of Fair Use and Image Use for Bloggers.

There’s a language warning on this link, but it’s a great one for when you get stuck. Help Me Be Fucking Creative uses twitter to curate a list of advice for creatives who a suffering a creative blank, and offers up one pearl of wisdom every time you go to the site.

J. W. Manus argues that Electronic Files Shouldn’t Be This Hard that talks about what is, and isn’t, achievable with current ebook conversion technology.

Rachel Hill offers up some advice about approaching magazine editors with freelance submissions.

Jane Gleeson-White has blogged about her experiences at the Reality Bites non-fiction literary festival.

Porter Anderson asks What if your platform becomes your shadow career?

Finally, there’s been a run of guest-post at Louise Cusack’s site every Wednesday, covering topics such as How to use a writing contest to score a book contract, dealing with the media, and some advice on self-publishing an ebook from an Australian perspective.

Marketing guru Seth Godin recently launched a kickstarter project for his next book. Although Godin’s move to the kickstarter model is interesting in and of itself, I’m far more fascinated by the post over on We Grow Media about  Godin’s campaign in which Dan Blank examines the way an argument is being positioned in Godin’s Kickstarter rhetoric that’s all about speaking to his fans and less to do with reality.  It’s fascinating stuff.

In April, the DOJ filed suit against five of the big 6 publishers alleging an illegal price fixing conspiracy to increase the price of ebooks. Several publishers have since chosen to settle, while others continue to fight, and the publishing world is waiting for the results of the trail with interest. Dear Author has put together a great recap of the lawsuit that includes a time-line of events and several links to commentary that makes it clear exactly what’s going on.

Whether you get it or not, phenomenal success of 50 Shades of Grey has given writers, publishers, and booksellers plenty of things to think about. TeleRead.com rounds up some of the more interesting commentary, dealing with how the book’s success seemed to come out of nowhere, and how the industry can capitalize on the momentum.

We’re used to celebrating authorial success, but Corinne Purtill’s post about failure for Salon.com, My Book Was a Bad Idea, speaks to the realities of the writers life. Sometimes you write, fail, and keep on writing.

In a campaign designed to appeal to the tech-savvy, a British hotel in Newcastle is swapping out the the Gideon bible found in hotel drawers for a dedicated e-reader.

John Birmingham wrote an interesting follow up to John Scalzi’s post on becoming a New York Times best-seller that we linked to in the last fry-up. It’s interesting to note the points of similarity between John’s experience as an Australian best-seller and Scalzi’s experience as an American.

Writer Beware on the difference between rights and copyrights, and what you should look out for in contracts.

Rachel Hills on why writing for exposure doesn’t work.

Sarah Alderson offers some advice on How to Get an Agent.

YA author Justine Larbalestier talks about Researching for Novels.

For years, reading has been a private act, but with the rise of e-readers and the ability to track reader data your ebooks are now reading you.

Those are the links that caught our attention this week. As always, we’re interested in hearing from our Speakeasy readers: What writing and publishing issues are you pondering this Friday? What links have caught your attention?

Apologies for posting this a little later than usual on a Friday – it’s been a busy week here at the AWM offices with the announcement of GenreCon and the work going on behind the scenes for the next Australian Writer’s Marketplace print edition. But we’re sneaking this in under the wire, and there’s plenty of interesting links for you to chew over on your weekend.

If you’ve paid attention to publishing in recent years, you’ve noticed that everything seems to be changing, and the future looks increasingly uncertain. Other people have noticed too, which is why we recommend the Syllabus for the Future of Reading – a collection of links to books and articles about the future of the book and publishing.

There are myths about writers and there are truths about writers, and one is invariably more interesting than the other. It’s a split that Kim Wilkins looks at in her most recent blog post, What Writers Do, although it’s possible the thing we’re most excited about in that link is the news that there’s a new  novel coming up.

We link to a lot of advice here on the Friday Fry Up, but there’s no doubt that there are times when too much advice is almost as bad as having none at all. For those situations the Booklife blog offers up a handy decision tree that can help you ensure the advice you apply is the advice that will work best for you. They also offer some handy advice should you find yourself in the unenviable position of choosing to leave your agent.

If you’re interest in scriptwriting then the 2012 Neighbors Initiative is a great opportunity. The Australian Writers’ Guild and FremantleMedia Australia are giving  two writers the opportunity to spend 6 weeks with the story department of Australia’s favourite television serial, learning the ins and outs of writing for television.

There’s a great live-blog of the London Book Fair Digital Minds Conference that covers topics such as the development of JK Rowlings website, Pottermore, and the blurring line between writers, readers, and publishers in the digital realm. Lots of interesting reading and well worth checking out.

There’s so much discussion surrounding Amazon’s role as a bookseller that its easy to forget that they’ve started their own publishing arm. Paid Content’s article in which Larry Kirshbaum shares details on how Amazon Publishing will work offers a slightly different conversation than the ones we ordinarily hear about the Amazon brand.

And those are the links that have caught our attention this week – how about you? Let us know about any interesting links we missed in the comments.

A fantastic day of professional development for writers today at Brisbane Writers Festival. As promised to delegates, Emma Rusher has provided a fantastic Q&A guide for authors to develop a strong and effective pitch for their manuscript.

After a weekend of amazing MWF author panels, parties, and spontaneous kaffee klatches, I have found a spare half hour to share the rest of the highlights from Friday’s The Whole Shebang professional development workshop for writers.

The fun part for me was presenting some hot-off-the-press results from AWM’s survey of Australian literary agents. More about that next week…

Firstly, I need to add to the last post about publishers. Whole Shebangers also heard from Laurie Steed and Zoe Dattner of SPUNC (Small Press Underground Networking Community). A resident organisation of The Wheeler Centre, the relatively young SPUNC works tirelessly to strengthen and promote small publishers – and this is great news for Australian writers and readers. The diversity of niche and independent publishers of SPUNC (currently 73 members strong, and growing) means that aspiring writers have a greater chance of finding a publisher who believes in their work and can help them connect with their audience. Australia is blessed to have such a vibrant and multi-faceted publishing industry, and SPUNC ensures that writers and readers are aware of the wealth of books beyond those published by the top tier houses.

Whole Shebangers were fortunate to learn about the role of literary agents from Clare Forster. Formerly with Penguin for 17 years and now representing Curtis Brown in Melbourne, two of Clare’s authors were recently nominated for The Age literary prize. Forster began by emphasizing just how small this integral sector of the publishing industry is, with just 17 members of the Australian Literary Agents Association, plus some others who are non-affiliated. But as Forster pointed out, not every author needs an agent: an author with a great non-fiction project and a popular blog is likely to get a direct commission from a publisher.

Forster presented some of the services that agents should , and should not, provide. Agents DO: Read widely, and ’stand shoulder to shoulder with publishers to lobby for and protect Australian authors’. Agents DON’T: charge for reading, fail to disclose finances, or intervene with a good author-publisher relationship.

Forster also set some homework for the writers present:

•    Find 20 good published books and read them: the kind of book you’d like to write, or you’d like your book to sit next to in a bookstore.
•    Find a good narrative or story: with a beginning, middle, and end – with drama, scenario, and exchange – outline what it is that you want to say and how you can say it uniquely.
•    Find a voice: develop clarity and distinctiveness of expression.
•    Develop your style: whether it is plain and understated or vivid and pyrotechnic; get good at listening to style and voice.
•    Use bum glue (as Bryce Courtenay calls it).
•    Read and revise your own work – completing and printing, reading and revising each draft. Take the lead from Thea Astley, who would only submit her 8th draft – writers need ‘pausation’ (Ruth Cracknell’s term) to consider our own work afresh.

The last highlights I will share are from fiction author, arts grant-writer and Writing Race guest, Tom Cho. Tom began by assuring us that if an author meets the eligibility requirements, has a strong project, and uses some grant-writing basics, then they were in with a chance to gain funding to support their work. He also emphasized the usefulness of grant writing in helping you clarify your ideas – it gets you thinking clearly and logically about the steps, goals, reasons for your work. His main tips were to:

•    Always speak to someone at the funding body before you apply to check you fit eligibility criteria.
•    Write to the selection criteria.
•    Include all the info – communicate what’s in your head to your audience
•    Get feedback from rejections

Cho recommends a few websites to help you get started: Australia Council, Australian Society of Authors, Artshub, and GrantsLINK.

The Wheeler Centre, established through a generous endowment by the former owners of the Lonely Planet, includes a number of organisations working alongside each other as part of Melbourne’s City of Literature initiative: the Victorian Writers Centre, Emerging Writers Festival, SPUNC, Express Media, Melbourne Writers Festival, Overload Poetry Festival, Melbourne PEN, and the Australian Poetry Collective (the latter to merge with the NSW Poets’ Union next year to become Australian Poetry). Each resident org gave a short presentation to Whole Shebangers about their key goals and activities. The Wheeler Centre, located in the State Library of Victoria, certainly provided a great venue for an incredible day of professional development for writers.

Tasty treats for your Friday brain…

From the noteworthy: ‘Vanity’ Press goes digital

Writer Karen McQuestion spent nearly a decade trying without success to persuade a New York publisher to print one of her books. In July, the 49-year-old mother of three decided to publish it herself, online…

To the informative: Author Platform

It has never been more crucial for authors to play a major part in marketing themselves – but it has also never been easier…

To the freaking hilarious: SlushPile Hell

A grumpy literary agent wades through query fails…

Have a great weekend of writing, folks. Then join us next Tuesday at the Writing Race with special guest, Lee Battersby!

 

There’s something in the air, can you feel it? Writers everywhere are planning, focussed, determined, motivated…

I call it the NaNo Effect. Even if you’re not signed up to write a novel this November, the impetus to write is everywhere around you. It’s a vortex, sucking you in to a wonderful world of words on the page and social writing fun.

AWMonline is running extra Writing Races with loads of special guests. Subscribers, log in this Sunday 3-4pm to write alongside the science fiction short story writer, Peter M. Ball, whose novella Horn was published with Twelfth Planet Press this year. He’s kooky and charming and full of good ideas about how to get those words on the page – and he’s madly finishing off a novella in time to start a NaNo project!

Peter M. Ball with Spokesbear

Then next Tuesday 7-9pm we are getting really adventurous, launching into a cross-platform world of social writing fun at Digital Pizza. If you’re in Brisbane, call QWC 07 3839 1243 to book your seat. If you prefer the online world, join us for this special two-hour Writing Race, with Captains Kim Wilkins and Trent Jamieson, and special guest Racer Kate Morton!

Perhaps, as Liz Sinclair explains to Angela Meyer, you can use this month of frenzied writing to raise funds for your writing project or another good cause. Technology is rendering old business models for content producers obsolete, so maybe writers will need to get used to taking their wares to market themselves; artisans at online markets ftw!

And for insight into how the other half lives, check out this fantastic blog by Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent. Offering straightforward and practical advice on the process of getting an agent, this post demonstrates the quality that is not often attributed to Agents, but which frequently strikes me as being there in abundance: heart.

Have a great writing weekend, folks.