Does my book really need an index? And I have to pay the indexer? Wait, isn’t that the publisher’s job? OK, well can I just put it together myself? I often hear questions like these from authors I work with. So I explain that an index is an indispensable tool for almost every non-fiction book. An … [Read more...]
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The Book Deal
Are publishers still acquiring books? The answer is YES
Reports about the demise of book publishing are once again premature. Traditional book acquisition is alive and well. This despite all the free-floating anxiety and doomsday scenarios about money drying up, massive cutbacks and publishing houses closing up shop. I know this from personal … [Read more...]
The unvarnished truth about self-publishing
"It's a contact sport." That's how one author summed up his experience in a refreshingly frank and illuminating first-person account of what it's really like to publish your own novel. A minefield with roads forked in every direction David Carnoy started out with a literary agent and high hopes … [Read more...]
Designing the perfect book cover: turf battles over art, fonts & money
Nothing in the publishing process seems to provoke more conflict than designing the book jacket. Every editor, designer, sales person and publicist in the company can have a different point of view, often causing intense turf battles, expensive start-overs, blown production schedules, and snarky … [Read more...]
Guts Ball: Editing Hunter Thompson, part two
The deadline for Fear & Loathing on the Campaign Trail was nearly upon us and we had reserved press time at a cheap printer in Reno to rush out the book in time for Nixon's second inauguration. (Look here for part one of this series.) Ruby red grapefruit and a Nagra tape recorder I was … [Read more...]
How a best-selling author builds his market: Q&A with Garth Stein
This hard-working writer has been on the road selling his novel The Art of Racing in the Rain since before it was a Starbucks pick for Spring 2008. I caught up with Garth during a recent stop in here in Berkeley for the 75th public reading of his New York Times best-seller. Earlier that day, he … [Read more...]
Why we paid this first-time author a six-figure advance for “Free Range Kids”
As parents, we always try our best to raise our children from the moment they are conceived. From seeking out Portland pregnancy help to parental counseling classes, we want to make sure the parenting we're doing is the right type. We all make mistakes and our children may do things in defiance as a … [Read more...]
How to negotiate a bigger book advance: 9 insider tips
The secret to getting more up-front money is persuading your publisher to project higher book sales. Every publisher I know has an internal "advance offer calculation" process, based on a formula for estimating first year sales, revenues, and royalties. The formula for book advances It's not a … [Read more...]
Are you better off with a NYC-based agent? Maybe
“There are definite advantages for me operating in Manhattan. I can visit editors at their offices and schmooze over lunch,” says top literary agent Nat Sobel. “It’s terrific. Two or three days a week, I’m talking to an editor about projects I’ve already sold them and are now in publication, or new … [Read more...]
Ask the Editor: The power of the opening sentence – 6 tips
Q : Why is the first line so important? A : Agents and acquiring editors will quit reading if your opening sentence doesn’t zing. Any writer seeking publication or the devoted attention of a reader browsing in a bookstore needs to craft that first sentence, revising, revising, revising, until … [Read more...]
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