tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30197724186762260422024-02-18T23:57:24.565-05:00THE NEW LITERARY AGENTSWe love books. We love authors. We're publicists. We're agents.Kae and Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02169990362453797344noreply@blogger.comBlogger166125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019772418676226042.post-88989964489474779442013-03-21T16:26:00.002-04:002013-03-21T16:26:26.486-04:00A New Home for This Blog<br />
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Our new website, <a href="http://www.ktpublicrelations.com/">www.ktpublicrelations.com</a>, will be up and running within a few days. We will reactivate our blog at that time and it will be housed within the new site. Please check us out soon!Kae and Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02169990362453797344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019772418676226042.post-17454059568194466162012-05-08T14:52:00.001-04:002012-05-08T14:52:46.044-04:00WEBSITE UNDER CONSTRUCTIONI wish I understood computers. I wish I could explain why our website began to erode a few months ago and why things simply began disappearing from its pages. I wish I could tell you why it finally became a useless embarrassment. Kind of like an old dog who bites visitors.<br />
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We pulled the plug on the old website a few days ago--actually, the techie guy we hired did the plug-pulling. Now we are creating a new site with the help of professionals. I hope to have it up and running within a few weeks, but you can't hurry these things.<br />
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Meanwhile, you'll find an "Under Construction" sign at our web address. (Careful of the orange cones and heavy equipment.) We're alive and well--our website is in the process of becoming something better than it's former self. Keep checking back. I'll let you know via this blog when we unveil it.Kae and Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02169990362453797344noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019772418676226042.post-45913660487743660462012-03-28T11:14:00.000-04:002012-03-28T11:14:43.831-04:00UPDATE ON THE MARTINI GLASSThanks for all your interesting comments regarding the case of the gorgeous martini glass.<br />
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I wrapped it up and sent it back to the author. Was that the best thing to do?<br />
Not according to your comments. I think I will act differently next time and donate the item to a worthy cause.Kae and Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02169990362453797344noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019772418676226042.post-83440386474052271042012-02-26T16:04:00.001-05:002012-02-26T16:06:41.070-05:00THE LITERARY ETHICIST ASKS....Last week the UPS man delivered a nice big box to me. I did not recognize the return address. <br />
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I began unwrapping the package and was very impressed with the billowy quantity of tissue paper and bubble-wrap. <em>This is breakable--cool!</em><br />
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I carefully removed the final layer of bubble-wrap only to find a beautiful and quite expensive item. (The exact nature of the item shall remain untold to protect the sender.)<br />
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The next layer of the package contained an advance copy of an unpublished book and a query letter from a hopeful author. The author said that the beautiful item was a gift. Jon looked at the beautiful object and said, "You have to send it back."<br />
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"I do?" I said, cradling said item and getting quite fond of it. "Why? I didn't order this; it's a gift."<br />
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"No," he said. "It's a bribe."<br />
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"That's so cold," I sniffed, setting the lovely thing on my hutch. (It looked quite beautiful there, glinting seductively in the waning afternoon sun.)<br />
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"It's gotta go," he said.<br />
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"But, I'll have to pay postage for a thing I didn't order! It's not fair!"<br />
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"No, it's not fair," he said. "Send it back."<br />
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I'm not going to tell you the rest of the story. What is the ethical thing to do? What would you have done? <br />
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I'll tell you what I did in the next post.Kae and Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02169990362453797344noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019772418676226042.post-40503760591225811512012-02-17T19:55:00.001-05:002012-02-18T20:28:30.363-05:00<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">WYLIE, A BOOK CAT<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">August 1, 1995—February 17, 2012<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYQEVM-Cppwfb6jvfAuQFiPEJo9x-Wtlt3flXMI9rDA-j9NsA4X0p4ClFTm0X-W187LOsyj6MxcYs_WpZsxf5YF5knYoxZBxR-UcqPRgdIZbjLWS8hxa-Zl7yzlu6BQYcbwDDHTkahT3dQ/s1600/watchingwatcher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYQEVM-Cppwfb6jvfAuQFiPEJo9x-Wtlt3flXMI9rDA-j9NsA4X0p4ClFTm0X-W187LOsyj6MxcYs_WpZsxf5YF5knYoxZBxR-UcqPRgdIZbjLWS8hxa-Zl7yzlu6BQYcbwDDHTkahT3dQ/s320/watchingwatcher.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Wylie was a fixture in our office for over 14 years, from his early days with his brother and sister, romping under our feet and skittering down the hall after catnip mice, to the past few weeks when play, eating, sleeping, even purring, were more than he could manage.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">He was sick and suffering so we took him to the vet this afternoon and said goodbye for the last time. What an awful decision, but it was a promise we made to him years ago. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">When you’re unable to be a cat, when pain and suffering dominate your days, we will release you.</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">When we got home tonight we gathered the blankets, towels, the brushes, cat toys and dishes and put them in large trash bags. The cans of cat food and container of cat litter will go to our local cat rescuer; the litter boxes will be discarded. Without all that cat detritus the office looks much more professional and less cluttered. But it’s also less alive. We’re going to have to figure out how to move forward post-Wylie. We’ve decided that we will not try to replace him. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The house is so different without Wylie. We both fight the tears and the sorrow and I’m sure we will for some time. He was such a good friend and such a good cat. We miss him desperately and will remember him forever.<o:p></o:p></span></div>Kae and Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02169990362453797344noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019772418676226042.post-76672661890679247172012-02-16T12:53:00.000-05:002012-02-16T12:53:44.681-05:00MOOSE HITS NY TIMES EXTENDED BESTSELLER LIST!As the snow flutters down here in Fogelsville today, we are reminded of the quaint seaside village of Cape Willington, Maine, setting of the national bestselling Candy Holliday mystery series. <br />
<br />
Author B.B. Haywood just did it again with the latest in the series, <em><strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Moose-Chase-CANDY-HOLLIDAY-MYSTERY/dp/0425246175/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1329413815&sr=1-1">TOWN IN A WILD MOOSE CHASE</a>.</strong> </em>The book hit the <em>New York Times</em> Mass Market Fiction Bestseller Extended list at #33!<br />
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This book is set in winter in Cape Willington--and trouble is about to walk right into Candy's life. First, town hermit Solomon Hatch stirs things up by claiming to have seen a dead body in the woods with a hatchet in its back. Then, a mysterious white moose starts appearing around town in the strangest of places...<br />
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Take a look at this book--it's a great winter read!Kae and Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02169990362453797344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019772418676226042.post-81351115048459925462012-02-13T15:31:00.000-05:002012-02-13T15:31:09.666-05:00IT'S NOT JUST THE WRITINGJon received an email yesterday from an author he'd turned down at the partial stage. Jon told me that while he admired the author's writing, the content was simply too dark and troubling for Jon's taste. <br />
Jon explained this to the author when he sent his rejection letter.<br />
Yesterday the author wrote back telling Jon that he'd been picked up by another agent. He thanked Jon for his comments and said that, rather than discouraging him, the rejection gave him hope that another agent might see things differently.<br />
This is not an unusual story. We often pass on projects that don't fit our own personal tastes because it's very hard to get behind a book that we don't find personally compelling.<br />
So, when you receive rejections from agents like us think of them as stepping stones to your goal. If your writing is splendid, if the topic is unique and your voice is driving, your book will find a champion.Kae and Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02169990362453797344noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019772418676226042.post-28949313766880174112012-02-02T13:57:00.000-05:002012-02-02T13:57:18.973-05:00TOWN IN A WILD MOOSE CHASE!Our authors Rob and Beth Feeman (a.k.a. B.B. Haywood) just redesigned their <a href="http://www.hollidaysblueberryacres.com/">website</a>. The timing is great as the third book in their Berkley Prime Crime cozy mystery series, <em>Town in a Wild Moose Chase, </em>will be published next week.<br />
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If you liked the first two books, you'll love this saga of life in Cape Willington, Maine during the winter. Of course there is a dead body and a celebration and Candy and Doc Holliday. But this time there is also a mysterious moose and lots of other exciting features. The book is available everywhere!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGY5rC-ieHA5sWKQjF9YcGpazcI5sW-_Psd2tW00zNxfVssM7V9OBHxA7PrHJ5QFBWksuZs5rVEUZ31sXjiwe330l6iuawZ2k6d1ldwW5PNGtOsMY2apyrahciSKcgiK4sheokCL0Nax-b/s1600/Moose+(3).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGY5rC-ieHA5sWKQjF9YcGpazcI5sW-_Psd2tW00zNxfVssM7V9OBHxA7PrHJ5QFBWksuZs5rVEUZ31sXjiwe330l6iuawZ2k6d1ldwW5PNGtOsMY2apyrahciSKcgiK4sheokCL0Nax-b/s320/Moose+(3).jpg" width="198" /></a></div>Check out the website and read a chapter!Kae and Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02169990362453797344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019772418676226042.post-57542333055510092962012-01-22T15:38:00.000-05:002012-01-22T15:38:50.155-05:00WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU NEGLECT YOUR WEBSITEEgad! I just logged on to our website, <a href="http://www.ktpublicrelations.com/">www.ktpublicrelations.com</a>, and discovered that its been sacked! Very little content is left there. I'm going to have to figure out how to place orange cones and an "under construction" sign on it. It's an embarrassment. Don't go there...please. It's like a house that's been hit by a tornado. <br />
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I wish I were smarter about this stuff, but I'll just have to do what I can. Please bear with me while I trash the old site and create a new one.Kae and Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02169990362453797344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019772418676226042.post-8667739395411842502012-01-22T15:26:00.000-05:002012-01-22T15:26:19.804-05:00NEW YORK, NEW YORKNext week I'm visiting NYC for the first time since October. I'm hoping to meet a few editors while I'm there.<br />
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I will be having lunch with the "PR Gals," cronies in the book publicity biz whom I've known / worked with forever. Three of us are still in the business, the fourth is "semi-retired." All of us are trying to figure out what the "new" book publishing model means for us. <br />
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One thing is for sure--there is a publishing revolution going on and we're all trying to keep up with the ever-changing tides.Kae and Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02169990362453797344noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019772418676226042.post-82263508373641606472012-01-02T15:04:00.000-05:002012-01-02T15:04:18.884-05:00COMING BACK TO LIFE<u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">January 2, 2011—</span></u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I was diagnosed with endometrial cancer in November, a week before our planned trip to the Northwest. Bummer.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I have always been proud (if a bit smug) about my consistent good health. My first wake-up call came in April when I discovered I had type 2 diabetes. Bummer.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I’m lucky though. I had undeniable symptoms (quick weight loss, thirst) and my physician assured me that I hadn’t had the condition for long. Diabetes is chronic and cannot be cured. It is up to me how quickly it progresses. I take one pill a day, count carbs, keep my weight down and try to exercise consistently. So far, so good. I feel great most of the time and the condition does not slow me down.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Cancer, though, that is something else again. The word itself is damn scary. After a consultation with my gynecologist, I made an appointment with a surgeon—a guy with a fine reputation for this kind of surgery. He explained everything to Jon and me and assured us that he was confident that endoscopic surgery would rid me of the cancer. If the post-surgery biopsy indicated that more malignant cells were present, I’d have to endure chemotherapy.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">We scheduled surgery for December 8 and then went ahead with our plans to visit our son in Portland and my brother and sister-in-law in Boise, Idaho. I put the surgery and the cancer on the back burner and we had a wonderful time.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">As soon as we returned, I was scheduled for every pre-op test imaginable including chest x-ray, ultrasounds, and countless blood tests. The 3 ½ hour surgery was successful and the surgeon said he was pleased with what he saw. The pathology report would be the final hurdle. We had an appointment to hear the results on December 19.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">My recovery was excellent. I spent a week and a half sitting in a chair with my feet up watching “Real Housewives” and reading several books on my new Kindle. But after a few days I was making meals, doing laundry and other light tasks. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">December 19 loomed large though. I felt numb when the surgeon said, “I have good news for you.” Just as he predicted, the pathology report was clean. Now I’m an ex-cancer patient. I’ll have frequent check-ups and various tests over the next few years, but I do not have cancer now—I hope I never have it again.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">However, the diabetes diagnosis and this experience have really set my back. My health became the focal point and I’ve gotten so behind in agency work. And, between Jon’s 97-year-old mom and me, Jon, too, has let things slip. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">That’s why I’m writing this blog at long last. Our New Year’s resolutions are simple: Read partials and manuscripts and report back to the authors who’ve entrusted us with their projects. Then….sell books. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Thank you for your patience. It’s a new year and we have committed ourselves to getting caught up. I look forward to many exciting publishing experiences ahead.<o:p></o:p></span></div>Kae and Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02169990362453797344noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019772418676226042.post-49343587277752778502011-07-29T11:42:00.001-04:002011-07-29T11:42:49.582-04:00TOWN IN A WILD MOOSE CHASE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYbEDSugDn8S52c0rC9BriD4IkkSj01bXNviSNmQr2HyxupcgcumjDRWo6Ha0RZ6GfhTEq-fi-KRsGHrW82YZ2iMoZI2Nj1LYET0Jn4mmMvWkCOekgofgkhSioGEPUC4tqRswaP4D0GtFe/s1600/Moose+%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYbEDSugDn8S52c0rC9BriD4IkkSj01bXNviSNmQr2HyxupcgcumjDRWo6Ha0RZ6GfhTEq-fi-KRsGHrW82YZ2iMoZI2Nj1LYET0Jn4mmMvWkCOekgofgkhSioGEPUC4tqRswaP4D0GtFe/s320/Moose+%25283%2529.jpg" width="198" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Feeling hot and bothered this summer? Take a look at B.B. Haywood's new book, <em>Town in a Wild Moose Chase</em>. It should make your temperature drop. Candy Holliday and her friends are at it again in the third book in the Berkley Prime Crime series, this time during Cape Willington's winter carnival! The book will be published, appropriately, in the winter of 2012. Read it to see how a cozy is put together!Kae and Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02169990362453797344noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019772418676226042.post-14473799978729285642011-07-28T16:10:00.002-04:002011-07-28T16:14:08.394-04:00Addendum to article below....For some reason, the link I enclosed for today's post--a great essay in the <em>New York Times</em>--seems to be broken. It requires sign-in to the the NY Times site. My apologies. The article is just great. It was published on July 24 and talks about imprisoned writers through history whose writing improved because of their incarceration. Find it, read it, if you can.Kae and Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02169990362453797344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019772418676226042.post-53065708622333149292011-07-28T16:01:00.000-04:002011-07-28T16:01:06.424-04:00PRISON MAY BE JUST THE PLACE FOR WRITERS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCods-cjftakSGApH3KBnctxd2Bsw593He6nILHgjs4RQ6jbT7Q0NiaJUq_4rrsjGtlhNiAv8zigxAjYqFBKXE_Ev061zZ3EsdfSdbQxphHez14ePW62zmmjjLe_BcW4Vx3COYFfarw2s8/s1600/17573uqnrcylfjh+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCods-cjftakSGApH3KBnctxd2Bsw593He6nILHgjs4RQ6jbT7Q0NiaJUq_4rrsjGtlhNiAv8zigxAjYqFBKXE_Ev061zZ3EsdfSdbQxphHez14ePW62zmmjjLe_BcW4Vx3COYFfarw2s8/s320/17573uqnrcylfjh+%25282%2529.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><br />
<div align="center"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Cp%3E%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=1058">Image: Arvind Balaraman / FreeDigitalPhotos.net</a></p>">Photo by Arvin Balaraman</a></div><br />
Maybe what I need--maybe what you, as a writer need--is <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/24/books/review/why-writers-belong-in-prison.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all">a stiff prison sentence.</a> That might be just the ticket to get us all focused and inspired to churn out the work we so desperately need to do without the distractions of the digital age.<br />
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But I have to confess, it's not simply the Internet that gets in the way of my productive work. It's my aged mother-in-law, my failing cat, and the umpteen things that I'd rather be doing during the summer than putting nose to grindstone.<br />
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Here are a few tips I've come up with to help myself do what needs to be done. Maybe they will be helpful to you as well:<br />
<ul><li>Exercise in the morning, before the day begins. Then you have no excuse to quit working mid-day.</li>
<li>Get your in-box down to a reasonable number and KEEP it there. (This is advice I really need to follow with upwards of 500 queries as of this writing.)</li>
<li>If you are writing, write. Don't email or answer emails. Don't talk on the phone. Don't surf the web. Write for two hours or so, then do those things.</li>
<li>Reward yourself with a night out, a movie, a visit with a friend after a long, productive day.Or, do you think the Internet helps you?</li>
</ul>What do you do to keep yourself organized and prolific? Does the Internet slow down your progress? How do you avoid its allure? Or, does the Internet help you?Kae and Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02169990362453797344noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019772418676226042.post-87483243397565409142011-05-26T16:29:00.000-04:002011-05-26T16:29:56.878-04:00TALES FROM BEA & KUDOS TO KINDLEI just spent two days cruising the BEA in New York City. One day as a publicist, the next as an agent. From what I can see the book is still alive and well--it's just morphing as I write this.<br />
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On my bus trip home from the city I sat next to a lovely young woman who was juggling her smart phone along with a Kindle. As she settled next to me she seemed to be having difficulties with the latter. We were just leaving the Lincoln Tunnel when she turned to me and said, "Please excuse me. I am not one of those people who talk on the phone all the time, but I do have to make this call."<br />
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I thanked her for her courtesy and told her that it was no problem. But, since I was practically sitting on her lap, I overheard every word of her conversation with the Help Desk at Kindle headquarters:<br />
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<em>Oh, I hope you can help me! I just took my Kindle out of my bag and it's stuck. The screen isn't cracked, but there are black lines running through it and I can't turn it off or on......No, I didn't drop it. I'm right in the middle of this book and now I can't read it and I'm so devastated!...What? Oh, you will? When?....Oh, I can't believe it. You'll send me a replacement? Really? But, what about all my books?....You can load them onto the new one? Oh, my!....You'll have my new one shipped right now?....Of course. I'll pack the old one up and send it back as soon as the new one comes!...Thank you so much!</em><br />
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The young woman turned to me and said, "That's the BEST customer service I have every had! I'm positively addicted to my Kindle and they will replace it, no questions asked!"<br />
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"My husband gave me the Kindle for Christmas--a complete surprise! I didn't know if I would like it, but I tried it and fell in love. I've read 30 books since then. I work at home and have two little kids, so you know I'm a dedicated reader. But what will I read on the way home?"<br />
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I mentioned to her that my new Droid smart phone has a Kindle app. Her phone did not, but she was able to download it right then and there, access her account, and read the rest of her book on her smart phone. The book she was so desperate to finish? <em>A Discovery of Witches. </em>She finished it before I got off the bus 2 hours later and had already begun another.<br />
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So what does this tell us about the state of reading? I think it's an inspiring and hopeful story. People of all ages are still reading--books, e-books, audio books--they're even reading on their smart phones. <br />
<br />
We still need authors and publishers are still important. The trick is to make sure authors get paid well for their work and don't become victims of the e-book revolution.Kae and Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02169990362453797344noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019772418676226042.post-19702506492601050902011-05-26T16:04:00.000-04:002011-05-26T16:04:46.720-04:00RULES OF BLOGGING--BROKEN!<div>The first rule of blogging is to be consistent--blog daily, if possible; weekly, for sure; bi-monthly, if that's the best you can do.</div><div></div><div>Sue me--I've broken all those rules. Time to get back in harness. Here are some topics I'd like to tackle:</div><ul><li>Zombies--Are they really still hot?</li>
<li>Women's fiction--Is there a place for "grandma-lit?"</li>
<li>Can anyone write a book--If "yes," SHOULD they?</li>
</ul>Don't give up on this ignored blog--more to come!Kae and Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02169990362453797344noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019772418676226042.post-26545237971417260262011-02-21T16:00:00.003-05:002011-02-21T16:25:07.325-05:00CROSS THOSE T's--DOT THOSE I's!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXv0g-T5ErjhoHn_lJnaIlTwhsvqbEyr4CN6jh9EDi-VNxGBA6zbDjvRKgaT8p-tc9_w93OrcuvGe7I10qhpgWoDelw3fQz-ziCpFpRvHwJMQcHi5abo0IeuaC_dEPy0pxuNVA6INFTPgy/s1600/PinkAma.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576254537683257810" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXv0g-T5ErjhoHn_lJnaIlTwhsvqbEyr4CN6jh9EDi-VNxGBA6zbDjvRKgaT8p-tc9_w93OrcuvGe7I10qhpgWoDelw3fQz-ziCpFpRvHwJMQcHi5abo0IeuaC_dEPy0pxuNVA6INFTPgy/s320/PinkAma.jpg" /></a><br /><div>I've spent much of this President's Day reading queries and organizing the emailed partials and manuscripts I've requested. Later in this post I'm going to sound like that old, cranky English teacher you had in high school. You remember--the one who insisted that you write your term paper in a conventional style and that you number the pages and write your name clearly. But for now, in the interest of transparency, I must confess some organizational sins of my own.</div><br /><div></div><div>I asked for the same manuscript--twice. That's the trouble with electronic submissions. If you're not very organized, you can get in trouble. I have a new system in place which should prevent these kinds of mistakes.</div><div> </div><div>I know I've done the same thing with rejections. How awful to get rejected once and then get rejected again. So sorry.</div><div> </div><div>My current problem is that I'm loving a manuscript I requested, but the author did not put her contact info anywhere. It's not on the manuscript, her bio or the synopsis. I no longer have the original query. No way for me to contact her unless she reads this blog. Lisa T--email me?<br /></div><div>Please remind yourself to identify everything you send to agents. Write your name, address, phone number and email address on each item. Use a running head on each page of your manuscript with your name and title of your book. Simple to do and it could mean a lot.</div><div> </div><div>And, yes, a super-organized agent would never lose a contact. In a perfect world, all agents would be perfect secretaries. Trouble is, sometimes we're just not as together as we should be. </div><div> </div><div>Oh, the photo above. It's just for fun--the first of the three amaryllis bulbs we received for Christmas from our daughter-in-law, Phaedra. They are all in bloom now and they make winter easier to bear.</div>Kae and Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02169990362453797344noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019772418676226042.post-2621300784287445142011-02-19T19:32:00.004-05:002011-02-19T19:46:40.898-05:00AUTHOR RANTS--AGENT RANTSHere's one for the "You Can't Please Everyone" files. This email came in tonight:<br /><br /><em><span style="color:#cc0000;">i send in my query with a SASE, and the best you can do is scribble a rejection on the bottom of my own query letter and send it back to me? that's not just rude, it's unprofessional; a professional would have had the courtesy to reject my query with a form letter. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">wassamatta</span>- is your printer broken? unpublished writers don't merit simple human decency?<br /><br />and you people are supposed to be in charge of public relations? shame on you.</span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#cc0000;"></span></em><br /><span style="color:#000000;">This missive annoys me for several reasons:</span><br /><ol><li>It's Jon who "scribbles" on snail mail queries. He does it because he thinks it's more personal than a form letter. This person sent the email to me--I'm innocent here. I scribble my rejections via email and don't even deal with snail mail!</li><li>Authors tell us time and again how happy they are to find an agent who will respond to a query in ANY fashion. Many agents simply tell authors that if they don't hear back, consider it a rejection. I've been tempted to do that but Jon thinks it's tacky (and not very professional) not to respond.</li><li>I'm annoyed by the tone and attitude of this email. Somehow this author thinks we don't respond with "simple human decency"--<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">pul</span>-<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">eeze</span>! Human we are and we really bend over backwards to be decent!</li></ol><p>OK, I think I'm done now. Just needed to rant and while the author certainly merited "simple human decency," I didn't think that email merited a personal response.</p>Kae and Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02169990362453797344noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019772418676226042.post-23602258441579691492011-02-16T15:30:00.003-05:002011-02-16T15:52:06.866-05:00EMERGING FROM THE GLACIERThis winter has been one for the books. Up until a few days ago our sidewalk sported an ice wall on each side, compliments of a Pennsylvania 1-2 punch--snow, then freezing rain with resulting ice moguls everywhere. It's enough to make you use a steak knife on your partner. That's what a local lady did, according to our newspaper. She asked her boyfriend for a cigarette and when he said, "Get your own!" she stabbed him with a handy steak knife. Her excuse was the weather and that I can understand.<br /><br />But, I digress. Today it's over 40 and ice is melting everywhere. Tomorrow it will be even warmer and I'm feeling pretty chipper.<br /><br />But, let me apologize to all of you who are waiting for Jon and me to get back to you about your queries, partials and manuscripts. We are making progress, but we're still behind. Your patience is much appreciated. Why are we so behind? Is it the weather?<br /><br />Can't use that as an excuse. It's simply that there are so many good writers out there and we're doing our best to sift through their work and to select those projects we think we might be able to sell.<br /><br />The glaciers are melting, spring is forthcoming and we continue to work through the backlog.Kae and Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02169990362453797344noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019772418676226042.post-69139300889488208632011-01-17T11:04:00.003-05:002011-01-17T11:21:04.883-05:00POTPOURRI<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6DH6wz4czslTFM9fMMtnoh73S-GVa5opJTv11HWDvMjGHduXCNg-Zn73fyI7JoQ17lWl8xDR_iWaZrkOJMt1oakakDYEOmZtC5pJho0mtMqf2PBybDtGq-Y258e9lK30_Z2ImyUddfY6Q/s1600/TownInALobsterStew.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 198px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563189886375130850" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6DH6wz4czslTFM9fMMtnoh73S-GVa5opJTv11HWDvMjGHduXCNg-Zn73fyI7JoQ17lWl8xDR_iWaZrkOJMt1oakakDYEOmZtC5pJho0mtMqf2PBybDtGq-Y258e9lK30_Z2ImyUddfY6Q/s320/TownInALobsterStew.jpg" /></a><br /><div>A belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!<br /></div><div>December went by so quickly--I had elective surgery to correct a hernia (of all things!) on December 9. Publishing typically grinds to a halt between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day, so I figured I'd take advantage of the lull and get this thing done. Everything went swimmingly and I was back on my feet the next day. On my feet SOME of the time, but on the couch MOST of the time watching terrible daytime television and sleeping.<br /></div><div>The weirdest thing is that I thought I was of sound mind. I wasn't. I really can't remember much about that week except that Oprah really looks nice and the "Real Housewives of......." are just addictive! Jon, sweet man that he is, took very good care of me and discouraged me from working much. I couldn't face the stairs down to the office, so I set up my <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">netbook </span>on the dining room table to keep up with queries somewhat.<br /></div><div>I'm embarrassed to say that I took advantage of my invalid condition. When my son Frank called to see what I wanted for Christmas I said, "I want a wireless modem and I want you to hook it up for me--this Sunday." <div></div></div><div>Now, I'm not that kind of mom, really I'm not. I blame the post-anesthesia-haze on that kind of cheeky request. But, the worst part is, Frank was over Sunday afternoon, modem in hand and we are now a wireless cottage. (Thanks, son, I really appreciate it!)<br /></div><div><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">All's</span> well now and we're very excited about new projects upcoming. The second book in the Candy <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Holliday</span> series will be on sale next month. The title is <em>Town in a Lobster Stew--</em>look for it!</div>Kae and Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02169990362453797344noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019772418676226042.post-87124161619205444162010-12-06T19:04:00.003-05:002010-12-06T19:28:57.495-05:00SUPER-QUERY-WRITER-FOR-YOUJust when I think I've seen everything, I discover, ta-<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">da</span>!! SUPER-QUERY-WRITER-FOR-U!!<br /><br />Let me back up. I've been on a magnificent roll for the past week--dealing with a huge back-up of emailed queries and getting my responses down to under 4 weeks. (I'm now finishing up my November queries and am so proud of myself.) But, for the past few days I've been noticing an interesting phenomenon. I've been receiving clumps of queries for different books from different authors using different email addresses. HOWEVER, these clumped queries (sometimes as many as 8 0r 10 in a row) are virtually identical in their format, font and type size. Even the writing style of the queries is the same.<br /><br />Let me explain how this works. I open query #1 for the day sent on November 10. It's a nice book, but not for me. I email my standard rejection and close and discard the rejected query. I open query # 2 from a different author with a different email address. BUT it's the identical format!! Same thing for queries # 4, 5, 6 and so on. Tonight I was really on a roll--I opened 10 of these in a row!<br /><br />So what's the problem?<br /><br />It seems to me that some nice authors are getting ripped off. I am assuming that these authors are paying someone to write their queries. And, to be fair, the queries are pretty good. They are brief and to the point. BUT the person writing them is sending them one after another to the same agent. Didn't that person think that it would begin to look a little fishy that all the queries look the same?<br /><br />The problem is that this is annoying to this agent. I don't like it. I feel like I'm being played and soon, I stopped reading these queries and just rejected them because they were in that same confounded format!<br /><br />I really don't have a huge problem with authors getting help with their queries. And, if they want to hire a pro to write a query for them, I can't complain. But, whoever is sending these queries is a bonehead. A great business idea, writing queries for a living. But, for heaven's sake, be professional about how you send them out!<br /><br />Does anyone out there know more about this?Kae and Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02169990362453797344noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019772418676226042.post-55796741346022450922010-11-12T10:13:00.002-05:002010-11-12T10:51:55.346-05:00FLORIDA DAZE, WRITERS CONFERENCE & MICHAEL CHABONQuiet on the blog front for oh-so-many reasons. Jon and I took a week plus to travel to Florida and check on his mom's property there. Between watching the sunrise over the river, feeding the turtles in the marina, and taking walks on balmy mornings, we oversaw the installation of new carpeting and a kitchen floor and spent hours in Bed, Bath & Beyond buying kitchen necessities like shelf paper, cutting boards and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">zesters</span>. The home has no Internet access and we found ourselves reading more, going to bed earlier and calming down quite a bit. I can't remember when I've been so relaxed!<br /><br />We got home in time to vote and now we're both ratcheted up to cope with the real world.<br /><br />Last weekend we enjoyed attending the <a href="http://www.mc3.edu/campusLife/artsCulture/writers-conf/default.aspx"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Montgomery</span> County Community College Annual Writers Conference</a> in Blue Bell, PA. The keynote speaker Friday night was Michael <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Chabon</span>, Pulitzer Prize winning author of novels including <em>The Yiddish <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Policemen's</span> Union </em>and <em>The Amazing Adventures of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Kavalier</span> and Clay. </em>I have never heard a more inspirational, powerful, or entertaining speech in my entire life. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Chabon</span>, who claims to truly enjoy the Q&A format, asked himself questions, a most clever way to tell us what he wanted to tell us. His comments ranged from the value of an MFA program (for him, it meant everything) to where he gets ideas (the easiest thing about writing--they are everywhere!). I felt myself tearing up during his speech as he talked about the magic and agony of writing. If you ever get the opportunity to hear him, don't pass it up.<br /><br />I sat on the agent's panel where the audience of writers lined up to ask questions of me and six other agents. The questions don't change too much in my experience, although sometimes they are quite bizarre. There seemed to be much interest in self-publishing and many of the questions related to that: <em>I've self-published a novel--will publishers still be interested? </em>(Yes and no. It depends on you, the topic of the book and how many copies have sold.) <em>I want to write a very <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">nichey</span> book on real estate fraud. Should I self publish? </em>(Yes.) Other questions included one about a cookbook memoir, a very hot topic now, even without star-quality.<br /><br />The first question to the panel was rather blunt: <em>You all say you get 100s of queries a week--why are you here? </em>It seemed obvious to me that the author was sick and tired of being whined at by busy agents and wanted to know how we had the gall to take time off from reading queries to immerse ourselves in the rich literary stew of the writers conference. One of the agents answered in kind: "You need to know most queries are crap!" The rest of us added that you can only read queries for so many hours a day--you need to take frequent breaks to recharge and get your head on straight. A writers conference gives agents the perfect opportunity to talk shop, hear new ideas and maybe find new clients.<br /><br />After the agent panal Jon and I and the other agents interviewed authors in the typical writers conference "speed dating" format.<br /><br />The <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">MCCC</span> Writers Conference is a classy affair, always held in November. I encourage you to think about attending next year.Kae and Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02169990362453797344noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019772418676226042.post-28162608957749513352010-10-14T09:37:00.006-04:002010-10-15T15:49:14.302-04:00CAN SELF-PUBLISHED NOVELS BE SUCCESSFUL?Last month Angela responded to our post about self-publishing and asked this perfectly reasonable question about the publicity side of our business.<br /><br /><a onclick="" href="http://www.angcorbett.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">Angela</a> said...<br /><em>I agree with Alissa that there is more than one way to get published. I also agree with Julie that the business is really subjective.People often recommend self-published books to me and don't even know the books are self-published. They could care less who the publisher is, they just want to read a good book. That being said, I think it's hard to put a good self-published book out there and be successful without the benefit of editors, readers, proofreaders, a marketing and PR team, and sales team. <span style="color:#ff0000;"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Kae</span>, do you and Jon do PR for self-published novels? And if so, I'm curious if you have a different strategy for promoting self-published books. </span></em><br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;">Jon brought this question to my attention this morning and we spent some time discussing it. While we have worked with self-published authors in the past and continue to do so today, these are authors of nonfiction. Publicizing fiction is very difficult, even if the fiction is published by a standard publishing company. Fiction benefits from the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">distribution</span>, advertising, marketing and sales efforts provided by large companies. But, other than sending out review copies, most publicity efforts for first novels are minimal. When a novelist gains a name and reputation, there is the opportunity for a much wider publicity campaign. That's why you see famous novelists on "Today" and "Oprah."</span><br /><br />I would never advise an author to self-publish his or her fiction. (Unless, of course, the author is famous, lectures widely, has a built-in audience of potential buyers, and is already a veteran of countless media interviews.) Without the support a publishing company provides, it's next to impossible to get a fiction book out there in the numbers required to make an impact. Now, I am sure there are exceptions. Perhaps you are a successful self-published novelist or know someone who is. If so, please let us know. I'd love to hear how you did it and so would our readers, I'm sure.<br /><br /><br />Publicizing self-published non-fiction is a different matter. We've been very <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">successful</span> with our nonfiction self-published authors. Because these authors are experts in their fields, they have the option of selling their books when they do lectures and programs, on their websites, and online. These people have a "platform" (a built-in audience) and can use that audience to promote and sell their books. Typically we will send out review copies, schedule radio and television interviews, set up book signings and pursue online opportunities for our nonfiction authors. Our campaigns for self-published nonfiction authors are the same as for published authors and are limited only by budget constraints.<br /><br />Bottom line is, publicity for ANY book, published or self-published is tougher than ever as media channels morph and shrink.Kae and Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02169990362453797344noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019772418676226042.post-56922059086969199612010-10-13T15:15:00.002-04:002010-10-13T15:37:57.396-04:00FOR WHOM DO YOU WRITE?My friend Phyllis is an avid journal-writer. She has been keeping a journal for as long as I've known her and she's saved the day on a number of occasions. <em>What year was it when we bought our house in the country? When did we all take that great trip to Bethany Beach? When did we take that long bicycle ride and get lost in the rain? Who gave us that recipe for "Oven Stew?"</em><br /><em></em><br />I think of Phyllis as a domestic historian, the keeper of our families' combined memories. But, at the heart of it, Phyllis is not writing for me or for anyone else. She writes for herself and that's the real value of a journal.<br /><br />But, if you are writing for publication, you are most certainly writing for others. If you still write for your own enjoyment that's fine. Just understand that if your mind is set that way you probably won't find a publisher.<br /><br />Michael Cunningham, the author of <em>The Hours, </em>explored this topic beautifully in the Sunday Opinion section of October 3rd's <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/03/opinion/03cunningham.html"><em>New York Times</em></a><em>. </em>His article, "Found in Translation," is a must-read for would-be authors. I love his description of the students in his writing class:<br /><br /><span style="color:#3333ff;">"I teach writing, and one of the first questions I ask my students every semester is, who are you writing for? The answer, 9 times out of 10, is that they write for themselves. I tell them that I understand--that I go home every night, make an elaborate cake and eat it all by myself. By which I mean that cakes, and books, are meant to be presented to others. And further, that books (unlike cakes) are deep, elaborate interactions between writers and readers, albeit separated by time and space.</span><br /><span style="color:#3333ff;"></span><br /><span style="color:#3333ff;">"I remind them, as well, that no one wants to read their stories. There are a lot of other stories out there, and by now, in the 21st centruy, there's been such an accumulation of literature that few of us will live long enough to read all the great stories and novels, never mind the pretty good ones...I should admit that when I was as young as my students are now, I too thought of myself as writing either for myself, for some ghostly ideal reader, or, at my most grandiose moments, for future generations. My work suffered as a result."</span><br /><span style="color:#3333ff;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;">I hope you'll take a few minutes to read Cunningham's entire article. And next time you sit down to work on your book, remember your readers. Think about them and how you can best reach them. It's a good exercise and it will make you a better writer.</span><br /><span style="color:#3333ff;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;"></span>Kae and Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02169990362453797344noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019772418676226042.post-75375427297338923972010-09-16T11:48:00.004-04:002010-09-16T12:40:35.375-04:00ARE TODAY'S BOOK PUBLISHERS LIKE GM?<span style="color:#009900;">Our reader "Julie" posted this message here today in reference to our recent post on <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Bowker's</span> new service for authors. I appreciate the time and effort Julie dedicated to this post and I think she brings up valid points that resonate with many authors and others in the book world. I'm going to attempt to answer and/or comment on some of the points she makes.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Julie: <em>I agree that this sounds like a way for this company to make money. However, as an unpublished author, I find it frustrating that a very small group of literary agents gets to decide which books are shown to publishers. </em></span><br /><em><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span></em><br /><span style="color:#009900;">KT: Yes, Julie, there is a small pool of agents. But not all publishers require that you submit your work through an agent. I'm always lecturing authors to learn about the book publishing industry. One of the things <u>you</u> should investigate is the publishers who accept <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">unagented</span> submissions. You'll find them listed in references such as <em>Jeff Herman's Guide to Book Publishers, Editors, & Literary Agents. </em>You can also find this information on publishers' websites.</span><br /><span style="color:#009900;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Julie:<em> I’<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">ve</span> been sending queries out for at least 12 years. Over that time, I’<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">ve</span> been struck by what a small pool of agents we have and how many of them are based out one city.</em> </span><br /><em><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span></em><br /><span style="color:#009900;">KT: Ahem!! Not ALL literary agents are based in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Fogelsville</span>!</span><br /><em><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span></em><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Julie:<em> I can’t count the number of times that an agent has told me that he or she likes my work but <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">doesn</span>’t know how to market me. I understand why they don’t want to waste time on a writer who may not sell, but I wonder why we all assume that this small group of agents has their finger on the pulse of American readers more than anyone else.</em> </span><br /><em><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span></em><br /><span style="color:#009900;">KT: It's not the agents' fingers you should worry about--it's the publishers' fingers or other items they use to judge what Americans and others want to read. Agents are at the mercy of publishers. I just had my heart broken again last week when an editor at a major house emailed me that she'd fallen in love with one of our books and was taking it to the editorial board. She called a week later to report that the board said the author was "too close to the topic." They turned it down. I still don't understand why, but it illustrates that even when an agent is high on a book, and even when an editor shares our enthusiasm, we have to deal with editorial boards at publishers who must SELL, SELL, SELL. (Book publishing, like any other business, MUST make money to survive.) The editors who make these decisions are just human beings like you and me and, as far as I can tell, they make their decisions based mostly on what they've sold in the past. They are not perfect and they make mistakes and they take very few risks these days. An agent must temper his or her own feelings about a book with the reality of the marketplace.</span><br /><span style="color:#009900;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Julie:<em> It reminds me of how <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">GMC</span> and Chrysler keep building gas guzzlers because they think Americans want big cars. (I don’t want a big car. I want a fuel efficient car and I don’t think I’m alone, but I don’t own a car company).</em> </span><br /><em><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span></em><br /><span style="color:#009900;">KT: I don't want a big car either, Julie, but those guys are all morons, IMHO. We've all seen what happened to these companies.</span><br /><span style="color:#009900;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Julie: <em>I think that self-publishing to Kindle and other sites will democratize the publishing world and I’ll be interested to see if it alters the kind of books that become popular in the future.</em></span><em> </em><br /><em></em><br /><span style="color:#009900;">KT: I would agree with you EXCEPT that most self-published books are simply not that good. There, I've said it. Although the book publishing system in place is inefficient, often unfair, unimaginative, and cumbersome, it still provides a structure for separating the wheat from the chaff. (Love that figure of speech--my mom used it all the time, but then she was born in 1911.) </span><br /><span style="color:#009900;"></span><br /><span style="color:#009900;">Back to the point--<u>self-published books do not have the benefit of</u>: tough readers and editors who make them sing; proof readers to catch grammatical errors and misspellings; marketing and publicity teams who will get the word out about them; sales forces who will push them out to major retailers, Amazon and others. Is that to say a self-published book will never rise to the standards of <em>The Great Gatsby </em>or <em>The Prince of Tides</em>? No. It could happen. Maybe someday it will. But...don't hold your breath.</span><br /><span style="color:#009900;"></span><br /><span style="color:#009900;">Agents and editors, today's "gatekeepers" for mainstream book publishing, are there for a reason. They love books. They've educated themselves about literature and most of them have developed a good instinct for identifying good writing. I believe they still have an important role to play in the publishing world. But time will tell. Self-publishing is here to stay and is a powerful force. Self-publishing and traditional publishing will operate on parallel tracks in the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">foreseeable</span> future. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out.</span><br /><span style="color:#009900;"></span><br /><span style="color:#009900;">What do the rest of you think? Will self-publishing eclipse the traditional model or is it more likely that the two will meet the needs of different kinds of authors and books?</span>Kae and Jonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02169990362453797344noreply@blogger.com7