Literary Agents

Literary Agents

I want to get published, do I need an agent? This is a question I get frequently. If you want to write fiction for a major publisher, I believe you will need an agent. How-to writers and professional reference writers do not normally need an agent.

I had an agent several years back. He got me book deals with publishers who I probably would not have gotten traction with on my own. Overall, I sold most of my own work. I did not sign an exclusive contract with the agent. Most agents require an exclusive, but I negotiated my way out of it. We did agree that what he represented was exclusive to him, but I could sell other ideas to other publishers on my own.

Now, how do you get an agent? It’s tough. The procedure is much like getting a job when you are young. Employers want people with experience, but you can’t get experience without a job. The struggle is similar with agents. They want known names. By the time that you have a known name, you may not need an agent.

I recommend doing your early work on your own. Once you have been published a few times, you have something to show an agent. What you got paid for the writing rarely comes up. What matters is that you are published. Many smaller magazines and publishers have limited budgets and will pay authors in copies of the publication or very modest fees. It is a little painful to suck it up at the time, but getting your name out there is important and having clips to send to other potential buyers and agents is very valuable. I think I got 12 copies of the magazine where my first article appeared as payment, but look where I wound up.

Another issue pertaining to agents is sorting out the good from the bad. Beware of reading fees. These are becoming more common, but you should not have to pay for an agent to read your proposals. If they do not have enough confidence in you to read what you have written, why should you sign with them?

When I got into this business the internet for consumers was just developing. I was using DOS programs and somehow had memorized the codes for using it. Imagine that in this day with smart phones, Windows®, and the like. I remember getting a 20 meg hard drive and wondering why anyone would need that much space. Times have changed. Back then it was difficult to check out agents. Now you have the internet, forums, writer’s groups (such as my Writer’s Nook on Linkedin®), and similar places to check out potential agents. Use these resources.

Before you sign with an agent, read the contractual agreement closely. Make sure that you can get out of it in short order if something goes wrong. Sometimes you just can’t tell until you are in the water if it is safe to swim with the sharks.

Does it sound like I don’t like agents? It sounds like that to me, but the opposite is true. Good agents are invaluable. They are doing face time and pressing the flesh with editors on a daily basis. Agents are a conduit to success when you have the right one. The key is getting the right one.

Dodge

Multiple Submissions

Multiple Submissions

A question that I am asked from time to time has to do with multiple submissions. People ask me if they should float their queries or proposals to several potential buyers at the same time. At first glance, this may seem like a good way to go. But in reality, it is not. You can burn bridges quickly. Acquiring editors do not want multiple submissions and they will remember you if you send them a project that their competitors are reviewing.

Few writers and authors have the power to enter into a highest-bid auction. There are literary agents that pull this off and some authors, but it is not common. In general, you are more likely to hurt your future prospects than to help them.

My advice is to do your homework. Do competitive research. Know your potential markets inside and out. Market your proposal or query to the publisher who best meets your criteria. Then, wait and see. Granted, you may wait for what seems an eternity. That is just the way it is. That is why you need to be an assembly line of ideas, concepts, and projects if you want to thrive as a pro writer.

While multiple submissions are a no-no, there is no foul to sending out twelve different proposals or queries. I am not saying to chum the waters with mediocre offers. Make each offer concise and important. But, if you want to make real money, get a bunch of them out there. How do you do this?

When I started out I went to a motel for a weekend alone. My wife understood my mission. I started with magazine articles. As an avid outdoorsman, I tried to capitalize on my experiences in that venue. It worked.

As a young man I was a hunter with both a gun and a bow. That gave me two different markets. My experience as a wildlife and nature photographer gave me two more. Hiking and camping gave me two other markets. There was a time in my late teens when I was a trapper, and that opened another market. Then there was fishing, and there are lots of types of fishing, so this role gave me many markets. Are you getting the point? I dissected my experience and strength and then found the markets for them.

I had never planned to be a writer. During my life I read a lot of how-to books. Learning was interesting to me. It turned out that all that reading had taught me how to write how-to articles and books. Frankly, I didn’t know it at the time, but it proved to be true.

English class was not my friend in school. I far preferred history. Yet, I made it as a pro writer working full-time and earning a 6-figure living. It did not happen overnight, but it did happen quicker than I would have ever imagined. In fact, I never really thought I would get published, but I enjoyed what I was doing with my spare time and it paid off and has for about 25 years.

I never made millions at a time. My best year that I can remember was around $150,000, but that was enough for my family and I to live comfortably and I had the advantage of working from home, where my children were.

I don’t want to mislead you. Making a full-time living as a freelance writer is very difficult. I remember one year when I wrote 13 books that ranged in length from 50,000 to 100,000 words. Twelve-hour days were not uncommon.

You can’t get up, wander around the house, write a few thousand words a day and pay the bills that most families have. If you can, please tell me how to do it. I worked from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. as a writer and then went to work as a salesman to sell new projects. I made myself write a minimum of 6,000 words a day, and 8,000 words was not uncommon. Believe me, it was a serious commitment.

You have to keep a lot of balls in the air to make it in publishing, but don’t use the same ball. Switch up your game. The game has changed a lot over the years. Our present economy has hurt book sales in my venue. Since most of my current books are based on construction topics and the fact that construction is nearly nonexistent my sales have suffered.

As a book producer, I have seen a lot of work being moved to offshore contractors for cheaper prices. All of this has hurt greatly.

It is possible to make it has an independent freelance writer, but you are going to have to work for it. Magazines are disappearing as we once new them. Brick-and-mortar bookstores are going away. Ebooks and electronic databases are gaining ground. Big publishers are buying out small publishers. It is a changing world. Step carefully. Publishing is a close-knit community. If you make mistakes with one editor others are going to hear about it at lunch.

Do your homework. Be professional. Know when to nag and when to wait. Most of all, make your work irresistible.

Dodge

Manuscript Checklist

QUICK MANUSCRIPT CHECKLIST FOR AUTHORS

Please check your manuscript for all of the following before mailing.

 1. The Author’s name as it should appear in the book, address, telephone, email and fax should be included.

 2. You must obtain all permissions for copyrighted material. See the sample permissions letter on http://www._____.com.

 3. Your text manuscript and artwork should be separate. Most popular software programs are acceptable.

 4. Supply one set of printed text manuscript.  Print on one side, double-spaced, to allow for publisher’s editing process.

 5. Supply an electronic disk with your printed manuscript if possible. The two versions must agree in all respects. If you update your disk, update the printed version. (Minor corrections clearly written in are acceptable).

 6. All disks/CDs must be clearly labeled with author name, book title, chapter number and title, file contents, and the operating system and software used.

 7. Text manuscript should contain consecutive manuscript page numbers.

 8. All figures should have figure numbers (e.g., Fig. 1-1), be numbered consecutively, and mentioned explicitly in the text.

 9. All tables should have table numbers (e.g., Table 1-1), and should be numbered consecutively.  When you start chapter 2 the first table will be, Table 2-1. Include tables in the text, not separately with figures.

 10. Original printed and electronic art should be submitted separately from the text.  It should not be embedded in the text.

 11. You are required to provide reproducible originals for each figure in your manuscript. Your electronic art must be accompanied by a printed version, preferably 600 dpi or higher. If possible, create the figure in the size you envision it will appear in the finished book. Do not supply photocopies.

 12. Electronic art submissions must be in .TIFF or .EPS formats only. If you cannot supply art in these formats, we will scan your clean printed originals. Printed originals should not include gray-scale screens or tints. They do not scan well. Cross-hatching is an acceptable substitute. This book will be printed in black and white so avoid color illustrations. If we receive color illustrations, they will be converted into black and white; and because the artwork is converted to black and white some details could be lost.

 13. Original photographs should be crisp and supplied in black and white. Avoid color originals.

 14. Submit Figure a Legend list on a separate sheet, including figure numbers in consecutive order. In general, all figures require a caption. Do not embed figure captions in the text or print them on the art. Label lightly in pencil on the back.

  Refer to Publisher’s Guide to Authors for more details.

My Writer's Retreat

This is a rare look at my personal writer's retreat. It is not something that I normally share.

I built this in 1997. It is remote, has no modern facilities, and suits my nature well.

Dodge

Write for Wiley

I am retained by John Wiley & Sons to find suitable authors for professional reference books, to work with the authors in a management role during the writing process and then my production division performs all pre-press work and delivers printer-ready files. Fees for these services are paid by the publisher. There is no charge to you.

I am not seeking specific titles, but I am seeking authors in selected fields, such as yours. As you are the expert, I would ask you to provide a concept for a book that you feel is needed. The intended audience will range from students to practicing professionals at various levels of their careers.

Authors are paid royalties from the publisher on book sales twice a year. Publishing agreements are between authors and the publisher.

I will work with you in preparing a proposal for the sale of your book idea. Once the proposal is submitted, Wiley will take over with the evaluation and approval process.

Authors are normally given up to one year to prepare a manuscript. The books generally contain 300 to 350 pages. Illustrations, such as tables, drawings, charts, and such, account for many of the pages.

I will be happy to address any questions you have with regards to this proposition.

Thank you.

R. Dodge Woodson

rw@rdodgewoodson.net

www.rdodgewoodson.net

Writers: Sell Your Life Experiences

Writers: Sell Your Life Experiences.: Copyright © 2011, R. Dodge Woodson.  All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the author.

Disclaimer

Information contained in this work has been obtained by R. Dodge Woodson (herein referred to as “the company”) from sources believed to be reliable. However, R. Dodge Woodson, Roger Woodson, authors, employees or freelancers of the company do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any information published by the company. R. Dodge Woodson, authors, employees and freelancers of the company do not guarantee any work offered by the company to be free of any errors, omissions, or damages arising out of the use of the information. All work is published with the understanding that R. Dodge Woodson, authors, employees and freelancers of the company are supplying information but are not attempting to render advice or professional services. Anyone requiring services or professional advice should seek such services and/or advice from qualified professionals who offer the advice or services being sought. The publisher and all its associates hereby state that they are not offering tax or legal advice. R. Dodge Woodson is not providing legal, tax, or other professional services as a result of this work.

Any comments or questions can be directed to rw@rdodgewoodson.net.

Writers: Sell Your Life Experiences.

Have you ever read an article or a book and found the writing style to be awkward? Did it appear that the author was standing outside the circle of knowledge and simply reporting facts? This is too often the case when writers gain their subject matter solely from research.

Authors who know their subjects convey that confidence in their writing. Far too many novice writers seek publication through topics that they do not have a full grasp of. There is no need for this. You can do very well by writing about what you know.

People have varied backgrounds. While I might write about fly fishing, you may be more comfortable publishing a piece on skiing. It would not make much sense of us to swap topics to write about. Both pieces would come off as cold research.

When you know your subject matter first hand, your writing can be conversational and informative at the same time. This is a sign of an accomplished non-fiction writer. What is your favorite hobby? Why not write a compelling article about it? You could write about your job, your experiences in college, or your love of gardening. Stick to what you know and your writing career is far more likely to blossom.

Writing a Book

 Writing a book is a big undertaking. If you have not been published previously, I believe that you should cut your teeth on articles. It is much easier to prepare a manuscript of 2,000 words than it is to prepare one of 100,000 words for a book.

Book authors are expected to be experts in their field. If you do enjoy expert status, a book project might be right for you. There are a number of different opportunities in authoring a book. You can go for a book that will be published by a mainstream publisher. Expect this to be a difficult deal to make. Competition for large publishers is immense. Your credentials for writing a book have to be outstanding in order for a publisher to offer you a contract.

Many large publishers will not work directly with writers. These publishers want to deal with literary agents. The problem a budding author faces is that agents want published authors to represent and publishers want agented writers to publish. If you write how-to books for consumers, you are far less likely to need agency representation.

Modern technology makes it possible for writers to self publish themselves with either Ebooks or Print-on-Demand (POD) books. There is a lot more to this than just writing a book and sending the manuscript to a printer or burning a PDF.

Good books  require professional editing, page composition, proofreading, art manipulation, indexing, and cover design. Most individuals cannot afford to pay for all of these professional services. But if you cut corners on your publication it will show.

Books are big-ticket items. Articles are much easier to break into and much more accessible to unknown writers.

 Articles

Articles used to be published mostly by newspapers and magazines. It could take a year to see your work in print with a magazine. With online articles, you can be up and running as a published author in one day. The credibility is not quite the same, but published is published, and it all helps. New writers need examples of their work and online articles are a great place to get your feet wet.

Article length generally ranges from 750 words to 2,000 words. Magazines seem to be paying an average of ten cents per word. Some magazines pay thousands of dollars for articles with photos included, but the heavy-hitting pros are pounding this market.

How much will you make from an online article? You are not likely to see much income from your writing effort. However, the exposure these articles bring to your name and your web site can be quite valuable. This is a side benefit of gaining experience and adding to your portfolio of sample works.

 Life Experience

Whether you choose to write articles or books, concentrate on your strengths through life experience. Make your readers feel as if they are sitting across a table from you exchanging information. Endear yourself to your readers. Believe in what you are writing. It will show in the finished work. Concentrate your efforts on topics that you have a passion for and tell your stories from the heart. Don’t make the writing too flowery. Remember that you are talking in a normal conversational tone to an old friend on the other side of your words. You are not writing a press release for the Department of Tourism.

Okay, Where Do I Sell My Work?

Selling your work and seeing your work published are two very different goals. Magazines are known for “paying” rookie writers with copies of the magazine where the article is published. This doesn’t put food on the table, but it is a strong step in building a foundation for yourself as a published author.

You can do online research to see which magazines are buying articles and what they are paying. For example, if you are into fishing, check out all the fishing-related magazines for opportunities. Don’t hold out for big bucks in the beginning, be happy with getting published.

Online articles might not pay you a penny for your submission, but the exposure can be very valuable down the road. These articles tend to be short and you can get some much-needed experience while seeing your byline on articles almost right away.

If you have a full book project in you, check online for publishers who publish the types of books that you want to write. You can do this at online book stores. Type in “fishing” and look to see who published the books listed. Then find the publishers and learn about their submission guidelines. Expect a lot of rejection here, but one win is an awesome experience.

R. Dodge Woodson, Publishing 

R. Dodge Woodson Publishing (www.rdodgewoodson.net)  is both a book producer and a book publisher. Personally, I have written over 110 books for major publishers and dozens of magazine articles. My team produces dozens of professional reference books for major publishers. I got started writing articles around 1991. In the publishing world you have to build a track record and network your contacts to be successful.

Changes in the Internet, Ebooks, PODs, and other new technology has created tremendous change in the old-fashioned style of publishing. If you are just starting out, this could be the perfect time for you. Old grey-beards like me have trouble transitioning from traditional publishing to modern publishing. Fortunately, you will be getting in near the ground floor and with enough effort and ability your writing future should be quite bright.

Now stop reading and start writing.