So you think you need an agent? Most agents do not represent poetry, short stories, non-fiction or material suitable for academic or small presses. If you have written a novel or a memoir, you might consider finding a literary representative. The best reference guide is Chuck Sambuchino’s Guide to Literary Agents published annually by Writer’s Digest Books and the 2014 issue has just been released. Before you seek representation, it’s important you do some initial research on potential agents before you send a query. Here’s a few questions you need to answer before you contact a specific agent. Is the agent a member of the Association of Authors’ Representatives (AAR)? Self-identified ‘agents’ may not be members of AAR and are not bound by their code of professional ethics. Are book deals this agent has sold to publishers reported in Publisher’s Marketplace? What comes up when you Google your agent’s name, or the name of the literary agency? How many years has the agent worked as a literary representative? Does the agency have a website? What did they do before they became an agent? The agent’s website should have a bio. How many books has the agent sold to publishers? Many self-identified agents are ‘packagers’ or ‘book producers’ who work for imprints of self-publishing companies. Investigate the track record of the authors’ books. Look at publishing houses, sales rankings, reviews, and news coverage of the agents portfolio of published clients. How many authors does the agent currently represent? The more authors an agent…

When you write a book, it needs to be about something. When someone asks what your book is about, how do respond? Do you stumble over your words trying to describe your book? Time to pin down your premise. The perfect pitch means you need to hone your premise statement. Premise: The central idea, situation, or set-up which provides the foundation and pushes the narrative forward. What happens as a result of actions is another way of describing the premise. If point A is where the conflict or problem arises and point B is the outcome, then the premise is A leads to B. Perhaps another way to get a handle on the premise of your book is to determine its main point or take-away lesson. What’s the moral of your story? A premise is usually one sentence. “When Dorothy is caught up in a Kansan tornado, she visits a magical place called Oz, only to discover there’s no place like home.” Expressing your premise — your driving idea — helps you while you write. It keeps you from wandering too far astray from the organizing concept and your narrative arc on a steady path. Consider your opening scenario, central characters, the inciting incident and how the stakes are raised. Your premise may be stated in the form of a question. “What if a group of school boys stranded on a desert island work to govern themselves?” A premise should be brief, provocative, and include the central characters, a conflict,…

Typically written for new releases 30 days before publication date or up to 90 days afterwards, book reviews are 500-750 word essays which give other readers an idea of what the book is about so they can decide whether or not to read it. I blogged about the reasons to consider book reviews a couple of weeks ago. Here I provide suggestions on what to write in a review of someone else’s book. What kind of book is it? Who is the intended audience? What is the purpose of the book? These are three questions to ask yourself before you begin. Keep readers in mind. What do they need to know about this work to make an informed decision? Points to note What is the premise of the book? Give the reader enough information to know what it’s about and who would be interested. It’s not a summary of plot points or a synopsis of the argument as much as a product description. What is meant by the title? Are there features worthy of note? Are such things as pictures, maps, DVD, and lesson plans included?  What is the cover design? How is the book organized? How effective is the structure? Is it a page-turner or shelf-reference? What does the book contribute to the marketplace of ideas? What is the take-away? What are two or three quotes from the book you identify as examples of the author’s voice and perspective? Critic’s appraisal A book review requires a critical assessment of…