Why sacrifice ten to fifteen percent of your book advance to a commissioned agent when you don'¬?t have to? If you'¬?re a talented writer with a head for details, you can prepare your manuscript, pitch it to publishers, secure an offer, and negotiate your contract without using an agent or spending hundreds of dollars on a publishing lawyer. In this revised and updated edition of BE YOUR OWN LITERARY AGENT, fifty-year publishing veteran Martin P. Levin walks first-time authors through the intimidating process of selling their work with a clear, intelligent, and supportive approach that works. Sample letters and proposals show you exactly how to write a query letter, compile an author bio, phrase a book summary, organize a sample chapter, and more. With a clean manuscript in your hand and BE YOUR OWN LITERARY AGENT in your pocket, publishing success is virtually assured.‚Ä¢ Includes a glossary of publishing terms, a list of publishers most likely to read and accept a first-time author'¬?s book, and a handy manuscript submission record.‚Ä¢ The new edition covers how to get published on the Internet and protect electronic rights, and includes new copyright terms for authors.‚Ä¢ Original edition sold over 20,000 copies.

How to Be Your Own Literary Agent takes the mystery out of book publishing for any writer, published or not. Richard Curtis -- a top literary agent for more than thirty years -- provides a comprehensive practical overview of the publishing process, from submissions to contract negotiations to subsidiary rights to marketing, publicity, and beyond. He also gives away trade secrets and invaluable wisdom -- candid advice that can be found nowhere else. Now completely revised and expanded, How to Be Your Own Literary Agent is essential reading for all writers. * Big publishers, small publishers, self-publishers, e-publishers: how to keep up in a rapidly changing business * The new breed of busy literary editors: how to find them and know what they're looking for * What the electronic revolution means to you, and how to take advantage of it * How to know your "publishing" rights and negotiate effectively * How to have a say in your book's design, jacket, and promotion * How book chains and superstores have altered publishing -- and what that means for you

This book takes you step-by-step through the fascinating business of literary representation, covering everything from setting up your business, finding and working with writers, locating the best publishers, working with editor, and making the sale, to negotiating contracts. It reveals the many intriguing inside secrets about getting published. You will learn: • How to identify marketable manuscripts • How to turn good manuscripts into potential bestsellers • How to create persuasive query letters and convincing book proposals • Where to find and how to approach the right publishers • How to develop lasting business relationships with editors • The secrets of avoiding rejection • How to make unpublished authors book like professional writers • How to get the most money from publishers A valuable resource for those considering careers as literary agents, as well as writers who want to be their own agents. Writers don’t need agents if they know how to approach publishers, properly prepare and send submissions, and deal with editors—all of which are covered in this book. You will learn how to present yourself as a professional and get the same respect given to successful authors and agents.

Written by a top literary agent who gives writers an insider's view of how to find and work with an agent throughout the process of getting published. Includes: -- How to know that you're ready for an agent -- 7 ways to find an agent -- Writing a cover letter that grabs attention -- What to do with an agent once you've got one -- What you can expect and what you'd better not hope for -- Making sure this is the right agent for you -- Congratulations, now you have an agent AND an editor -- How to avoid the 7 worst pitfalls for aspiring writers -- And much, much more. In today's highly competitive publishing industry, literary agents are more important than ever. Whether you write fiction or non-fiction, reference or children's books, here is everything you need to know about using an agent to launch and sustain your literary career.a

HOW TO BE YOUR OWN LITERARY AGENT is the most practical and thorough guide to book publishing for writers. Richard Curtis, a top literary agent for more than twenty-five years, provides a comprehensive overview of the publishing process, from submissions to contract negotiations to subsidiary rights to marketing and beyond. In this completely revised and expanded edition, Curtis takes into account the enormous changes in the publishing world over the past ten years. Included are new sections on what the electronic revolution means to you, and how to take advantage of it; the new breed of literary agents: how to find them and interest them in your work; how you can have a say in your book's design, cover art, jacket copy, and promotion; what author and agent organizations can do for you; how book chains and the superstores affect your chances of getting published; and why the American Booksellers Association convention is important to you. No other book provides such detailed and accessible information. For novices and veteran writers alike, HOW TO BE YOUR OWN LITERARY AGENT takes the mystery out of getting the best deal possible and ensuring happy publication.

In their youth, Manni and Franzi, together with their brothers, Ziggy and Sebastian, captured Germany's collective imagination as the Flying Magical Loerber Brothers -- one of the most popular vaudeville acts of the old Weimar days. The ensuing years have, however, found the Jewish brothers estranged and ensconced in various occupations as the war is drawing near its end and a German surrender is imminent. Manni is traveling through the Ruhr Valley with Albert Speer, who is intent on subverting Hitler's apocalyptic plan to destroy the German industrial heartland before the Allies arrive; Franzi has become inextricably attached to Heinrich Himmler's entourage as astrologer and masseur; and Ziggy and Sebastian have each been employed in pursuits that threaten to compromise irrevocably their own safety and ideologies. Now, with the Russian noose tightening around Berlin and the remnants of the Nazi government fleeing north to Flensburg, the Loerber brothers are unexpectedly reunited. As Himmler and Speer vie to become the next Führer, deluded into believing they can strike a bargain with Eisenhower and escape their criminal fates, the Loerbers must employ all their talents -- and whatever magic they possess -- to rescue themselves and one another. Deftly written and darkly funny, Germania is an astounding adventure tale -- with subplots involving a hidden cache of Nazi gold, Hitler's miracle U-boats, and Speer's secret plan to live out his days hunting walrus in Greenland -- and a remarkably imaginative novel from a gifted new writing talent.

“Destined to become a staple reference book for writers and those interested in publishing careers.” —Publishers Weekly Writers talk about their work in many ways: as an art, as a calling, as a lifestyle. Too often missing from these conversations is the fact that writing is also a business. Those who want to make a full- or part-time job out of writing are going to have a more positive and productive career if they understand the basic business principles underlying the industry. This book offers the business education writers need but so rarely receive. It is meant for early-career writers looking to develop a realistic set of expectations about making money from their work. or for working writers who want a better understanding of the industry. Writers will gain a comprehensive picture of how the publishing world works—from queries and agents to blogging and advertising—and will learn how they can best position themselves for success over the long term. Jane Friedman has more than two decades of experience in the publishing industry, with an emphasis on digital media strategy for authors and publishers. She is encouraging without sugarcoating, blending years of research with practical advice that will help writers market themselves and maximize their writing-related income—and leave them empowered, confident, and ready to turn their craft into a career. “Friedman’s 20-plus years in the industry, launching and managing the social media presence of Writer’s Digest, along with her expertise in business strategies for authors and publishers, combine to create an invaluable compendium of practical advice.” —Library Journal (starred review)