THE ICE PICK

Agents, Editors, and You: the Insider’s Guide to Getting Your Book Published, edited by Michelle Howry. Cincinnati, Writer’s Digest Books, 2002. 260 p. $22.99. Includes index. ISBN: 1-58297-141-2.

Whether you are a beginning writer or a professional, you should be able to find the answers to many, if not most, of your questions about publishing in this great book. Sometimes books on publishing seem to conceal as much as they reveal, and what they do tell you is frequently couched in language that is difficult to understand and proves even more difficult to put into practice. But this book, which is a compilation of up-to-date advice and information from top-notch agents and editors, explains things in a no-nonsense, practical, and easily comprehended manner.

The golden rule of publishing fiction is explained: Finish your novel first before you approach either an agent or an editor with it. Stephen King may be able to sell a novel on an idea and a promise, but most of the rest of us, who have a limited or nonexistent track record, should finish our book first.

Included with advice on finding and approaching an agent and submitting your manuscript, are warnings about the kinds of agents to avoid and what to do if you have doubts about the legitimacy of offers you receive from agents or editors.

Sample letters are included along with the agents’ comments on what made the letters stand out for them. If you have been wondering whether you should send an e-query or not, and if so, how to format it and what to include, guidance is provided here.

Advice is also given on how to meet agents and editors at conferences--what to say, what not to say, what to bring (including a plan, a pen, and your own business cards), and what not to bring (a shy attitude, for one thing). And what to do if you can’t attend conferences.

There is also a chapter on what to do after you’ve caught an agent’s or an editor’s interest. This includes how to prepare a proposal, cover letter, synopsis, and outline for a novel or a nonfiction book.

There are chapters on what fiction, nonfiction, and children’s book agents and editors are looking for these days.

An entire section covers what happens after your book is sold, including the actual process your manuscript goes through, as well as how you can best cooperate with your editor to make your book a success, what you need to know before you sign a contract, and how to help market your book.

Chapters on e-publishing and self-publishing discuss both the advantages and the pitfalls, but if you plan to go in either of these directions, I recommend you look into books like Tom and Marilyn Ross’s The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing or Richard Curtis’s How to Get Your E-book Published for more information.

The chapter entitled "Are all the good agents and publishers in New York City?" includes fascinating information about how agents and editors operate and relate to each other and to authors, particularly in handling and building the careers of first-time authors.

I enjoyed reading this book and I learned a lot. If "it often seems as if the publishing industry itself was structured to make it as difficult as possible for a first-time author to figure it all out" or you wish for a guide through the publishing maze--"a kind of ‘publishing mentor’" to answer your questions, or you just want to learn more about the publishing industry and how it works, I highly recommend this book.

{Published in SF and Fantasy Workshop Newsletter, Aug. 2003. Reprinted in Worlds of Wonder E-zine, Sept. 2003.}