How to Get Published

by John Bowers

If you’re a writer, you were probably a reader first. Odds are you read all the time because you’re in love with the printed word. You’re so in love with it that reading it isn’t enough…you need to write it too.

So you’ve read hundreds of novels, maybe even thousands. But how many of them do you remember? How many can you name? How many can you cite, years after you read them, and tell me something about the plot? Probably not very many. And it’s the same with me.

We’ve all read books that entertained us for a few hours, but a week later we really couldn’t remember them. We moved on to the next novel, and the next, and each one briefly did its job-to entertain us-but then we forgot all about it. I’ve come across used books that look interesting and sometimes I’ll start to read one, only to discover after a few chapters that I’ve already read it-years ago! In an age of mass-market paperbacks only a very few rise to the level of “memorable”, but when we do find one we recognize pretty quickly that…this one is special. (more…)

by Anne Hawkins, Literary Agent
John Hawkins & Associates, Inc.

Rejecting authors’ projects is one of the least pleasant aspects of my job. It’s no fun to feel that I’ve ruined someone’s day, even though I always try to be gentle and courteous. How much nicer it is to call or e-mail and say, “I love what I’ve read. Please send more.”

Of course, the most common reason for rejection is a perceived lack of quality, a natural reaction to a misbegotten query letter or sloppy sample pages. Sometimes, however, I have to turn down projects that are actually quite good. Subjective judgment plays a large role in that sort of decision, but so do other business considerations. Let’s take a look at some of the factors that influence an agent’s choice of books for representation. (more…)