Someone wrote to say, “I’ve been thinking of changing agents. I’m not convinced my current agent is a good match for me. What wisdom would you have for me?”

I’ve been doing this a long time, and I’ve occasionally had authors approach me to talk about the possibility of dropping their agent. It usually goes something like, “I’m just not happy with my current agent, and I’m thinking of switching…”

For a long time I struggled with how best to respond to those words. I have a policy against actively poaching other authors, but I have a business to run, so it’s not like I can refuse to answer the phone when a good author calls me to talk about his or her situation. However, I’ve learned to always start the conversation with the same sentence: “Have you talked this through with your current agent?” I mean, it would seem like a reasonable expectation that an author who is unhappy would go to his or her agent, express the dissatisfaction, and try to seek some sort of resolution. If there’s a communication problem, or some unanswered question, it seems like two people who have invested in each other would talk it out. (In other words, we’d all act like adults.) 

“Lack of communication” is the #1 problem between authors and agents. So having regular communication can alleviate a lot of the problem. But that doesn’t always happen, especially when there’s some disappointment in the job being done. People seem afraid of conflict, and would often prefer to flee the situation than to have a potentially difficult discussion. I can understand that reasoning, but I can’t really respect it. You see, the majority of people will claim they’re leaving an agent because there’s some sort of problem with the work being done. But my experience has taught me the real reason most authors leave an agent is because “the agent hasn’t sold my book.” (It’s sometimes “we don’t seem to communicate,” and it is occasionally “my agent is incompetent,” but often it gets back to the lack of a sale.) I’m not saying that’s completely illegitimate — certainly a main piece of your agent’s job is to sell your work, and if the agent can’t sell it, you may eventually face the realization that this isn’t the agent for you. You might need somebody who takes a fresh look at work, or tweaks it another way, or has a different set of relationships. Still, I’d encourage you to think through that decision carefully before dropping your agent. Because if you move to another agent, you have to start the entire agent/author process over again. Things aren’t going to necessarily move any faster. You have to find someone, get to know him or her, ask questions, make sure the individual is a fit. Then you’ve got to share your proposal with him or her, let the agent work with you to get it so it feels right, then allow time for the agent to get it into the hands of acquisition editors. Oh… and here’s big news: If one agent has shown your proposal to a house and they’ve turned it down, chances are remote that house is going to be interested in taking another look just because somebody else is representing it. 

So just changing from one agent to another may not be the solution. This is why I’m always surprised to hear that some authors who have been in the industry a relatively short amount of time have burned through four or five agents. An educated guess would be that some authors might have been better off to stay with one of those agents, rather than bounce around between various people.

And, of course, that will mean putting in time on the front end, not rushing into a decision, and making sure you find an agent who is a good fit for you and your work. One of the basic principles of working with other people applies to hiring an agent: The best time to fire a person is when you don’t hire him. Too many authors say “yes!” to the first agent who expresses interest in their work, then discover a year later the agent isn’t all that great. Suddenly they’re staring at a wasted year that might have been more productive had the author moved a bit more deliberately at the start of things.

Most of the good agents (and I’ll go on record here as saying there are a LOT of agents, but perhaps a shorter list of GOOD ones…um, IMHO) have invested something in an author. The agent has helped the author come up with idea, maybe helped shape it, or might have even spent time reading and commenting on the writing in order to help the author improve. Perhaps the agent has put a lot of time and energy into life coaching or career training or marketing assistance. All of those things are significant parts of the author/agent relationship. So yes, you need to remember that it hurts to invest a lot in an author, help develop their ideas, establish a relationship, then have the author cut things off because he or she feels you “haven’t sold it fast enough for me.”

Something happened to me recently that you may find instructive. An author called me to talk about her unhappiness with her agent. I encouraged her to express that dissatisfaction directly to her agent — I even suggested some wording she might use to get the conversation started: “You know, we’ve been working together for quite some time now, and it feels like we’re out of touch…” The author called her agent, the two of them talked the situation through, and all is well again. (Yeah…I’m a hero. Sorry — my telling you how wonderful I am is not the point of my story.) Would I have been happy representing that author? Absolutely. Great writer; great person. But in my view, it seemed like it was only fair for her current agent to hear and respond to the author’s complaints. For me to jump on board, agree that her current agent is a bonehead, and try to talk her into joining my agency would lack class and abrogate a professional ethic.

Look, I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my career, but stealing authors from another agent isn’t one of them. I got bugged recently when I saw a literary agent contacting authors who were represented (and who the agent KNEW were represented) to try and convince them to switch. It’s one thing for me to answer the phone when an author calls me; it’s another thing entirely to go cold-calling to try and talk people into dumping their current agent in order to switch to me. That’s not ethical. It can also get that agent into potential legal trouble if there is any tortious interference (that is, convincing someone to get out of a legally binding agreement). 

All this isn’t idle speculation on my part. I recently ran into one person sending solicitation letters out to authors: “Come work with me — I’ll make you a star.” That sort of thing. I had that happen with a very big author several years ago. The author had a bestselling book, and we had a legitimate six-figure offer from a very good publishing house. Then a Hollywood agent showed up making huge claims. “Chip isn’t doing enough!” he claimed. “I could get WAY more money!” He talked a great game — Movies! TV shows! Bestseller lists! HUGE deals!!! I asked the author to check and see if that Hollywood agent had ever (EVER!) done a book deal. Nope; it turns out he hadn’t — but that didn’t stop the author from firing me and signing with Mr. Hollywood. The result? No movie. No TV show. No bestseller list. No huge deal. In fact, after more than a year, the agent signed that author with THE VERY SAME PUBLISHER I’d had an offer from, and it was for THE VERY SAME AMOUNT as the offer I’d received. No kidding. (Yes, I thought about going to court. And no, it isn’t worth it. Life’s too short to spend your money on jerks and lawyers.) 

All this has probably come about because there’s this image people have about how easy it is to be an agent. “I’ll just sign up some authors, send them out, and soon we’ll be doing deals and making money!” That goes to show how stupid some people are (especially in today’s publishing economy). I don’t know what career is actually easy (I made my living as a writer, editor, publisher, and pastor before becoming an agent, and NONE of those jobs were easy), but I can certainly assure you that making a living as an agent isn’t on the “easy” list. I’m not complaining; just stating the facts. So before you sign with the woman who used to work at a bookstore but doesn’t know any editors, or the guy who used to be a marketing specialist but has never read and edited words, you might want to ask some hard questions: How long have you been agenting? How many books have you contracted for your authors? What were their titles? What have you represented in my genre? What’s your approach to giving editorial and career guidance? Where did you get your training? Are you a member of AAR? 

Everybody has to start somewhere — in fact, we have twice promoted my assistants into the role of literary agent, since both learned the process and worked in the industry. But you want to be wary of agents who don’t have any training and don’t have a system to receive that training. They won’t know what they’re doing, and a bad agent can damage your career. You also want to be careful of people who claim to be agents but who are also trying to sell you other services (they won’t even let you be a member of AAR if you’re trying to sell your authors editorial, management, and other services). And, in my opinion, you want to be careful of anyone who claims they’re going to fast-track you to Hollywood. I’ve been doing this a long time, and in my experience that is almost always a load of BS. 

Are there some bad agents out there? Sure. I know of some people who don’t have enough industry knowledge to be agents. I know a couple so-called agents who don’t seem to be able to recognize good writing, or who I don’t think I’d take career advice from. But there are also good agents, who will take care of your career and give you wise counsel as they walk through the process with you. If you’re got somebody representing you who doesn’t know what they’re doing, or who doesn’t have any publishing relationships, or who you’ve completely lost confidence in, then maybe you need to consider your options. But I’m suggesting you be wary before you dump an agent who might have really helped you, just so you can work with Mr Hollywood or Miss Promise. Talk through your concerns with your current agent, and be honest — let him or her have a chance to respond before you make a big career change. Sometimes all that’s needed is to clarify expectations. 

Look, I’ve been married more than 30 years, and believe me, I still mess up. I sometimes fail to recognize there’s a problem. (“Um…is something bugging you?”) I sometimes say and do thoughtless things. If I can’t get it through my thick skull while living in the same house with the woman, then you can pretty well expect I’ll be hopeless when it comes time to try and guess what is wrong with an author I see once a year and exchange emails with every couple of weeks.

Now if all that sounds like I’m preaching patience, I am. And maybe it’s a mixed message, since if you’re with a crummy agent, I’d understand why you would want to move. But my main point would be to appreciate relationships. There are several authors on the writing loops who have admitted to having not appreciated the success they had when they were younger. I can think of a couple authors who had great success early in their careers, but admitted they grew impatient, didn’t appreciate everything that was done for them, and now wish they could go back and make things right. It’s a lesson that’s easy to forget in our what-have-you-done-for-me-lately culture.

Someone sent me this question: “What role do agents have in today’s changing market? And I know you do a lot of work in the religious publishing scene — do agents work in that area as well?”

Yes, I do a lot of work in the Christian market. Not exclusively — I work in both the general market as well as the CBA (Christian Booksellers Association). So yes, there are agents who both areas, though not many. The role of agents is changing, just as the role of publisher is changing. Most publishers, including most religious publishers, simply do the bulk of their business through agents. That is to say, most books are represented by a literary agent. Publishing houses rely on agents to do the initial weeding, so that the proposals being considered by acquisitions editors have already been vetted in some way. That’s a change that has come over the past ten or fifteen years — the dross has already been skimmed away. Publishers also expect agents to know contracts, to help make sure the author makes his or her deadline, and to keep the author on track with all the pieces that come with creating a book. 

Authors should expect agents to know the bookselling market and have the relationships in place to get a proposal seen by the right people at publishing houses – something many beginning writers lack. Every author expects his or her agent to understand (and explain) publishing contracts, so the agent can protect you from making a bad decision – an important but often overlooked point, since the document you sign is a legal agreement that will govern the terms of your writing as long as it’s in print. And a good agent will know current publishing economics, so that he or she can negotiate a contract on your behalf that is in line with current market standards. The book world is constantly changing, so staying on top of trends and knowing who is doing what is important. 

Most importantly, an agent can offer you direction and advice to help you shape your writing career, and I can think of very few other sources to whom a writer can turn for that type of help. (While I love publishers, I don’t think they make great career counselors. A publishing house is concerned, first and foremost, with the success of the publishing house, not the long-term success of any individual author.) Therefore, in many ways the agent becomes the go-between, working with both authors and publishers to identify good ideas, foster great writing, negotiate a deal that works for both sides, and ensure the long-term future of the author. That said, remember that your agent works for you, not for the publisher. Your agent ought to be singing your praises, assisting you in the process, and looking out for your best interests.

There’s been a lot of discussion about the role of literary agents recently — the rise of self-publishing has convinced some folks that an agent is unnecessary. But when anyone has a bestselling ebook, what’s the first thing they do? Find a good agent. Why? Because there is a benefit in finding wise, experienced counsel. And when you have some success, and there’s a lot at stake, you need that assistance more than ever. In fact, I’d argue that with the rise of mico-publishers and the sheer volume of opportunities these days, a good agent who can offer solid career advice is more important than it has ever been. (And yes, I’m totally biased. I’ve been in the industry for 30 years, and have been agenting for full-time for 15. I have my own convictions about this.)  

Back to your question, there are a few Christian publishers who still take a fairly paternalistic attitude toward authors, and seem to resent the intrusion of agents into their small, controlled world. But the fact is every profession moves toward more specialization, and therefore needs people who are experts in the details. For example, selling a home used to be a fairly easy transaction to undertake. You turned over some cash, you signed an agreement, and the deal was done. That’s still the basic premise of a home sale today, but with various commissions, layers of government, and everybody from insurance offices to title companies trying to get a piece of the deal, it’s become considerably more complex. When my wife and I refinanced our home recently, we spent nearly two hours in an office, signing our names to a two-inch stack of documents. You can still sell a home on your own in this country – it’s just considerably harder than it used to be, and it’s going to take some significant learning on your part to make sure it all gets done properly. The same is true with a book deal. You can learn a lot of the process, and invest in the relationships you’re going to need, but you should know going in that you’re facing a steep learning curve.

As we move toward more and more digital books, the contracts have been reshaped — it’s important to work with someone who knows those documents and has your best interests at stake. And in a world where any schmuck can get his book published by simply posting it online, working with someone who knows a bit about marketing and sales is vital. Many authors are relying on their agents as de facto business managers, so knowing what you need in your life and business, then finding someone who can assist you in those areas, is essential, in my view.

Okay, so I’ve already turned this into a pro-agent screed. Sorry. Let me offer some additional thoughts: First, I freely admit there are good agents and bad agents. Not every author is a fit with every agent. Sometimes, even two talented and friendly people will be terrible business partners. So don’t be quick to sign with an agent. Check him or her out, asking questions like, “who do you represent?” and “who have you done deals with?” and “what do you do well?” Different agents, like different authors, will have unique strengths. If you need an agent who can offer a strong editorial eye, don’t sign with one who is strong on marketing but knows nothing about words. If you need someone to handle all your business arrangements, don’t assume you’ll be happy with an agent whose strength is editing and discussing ideas. Think carefully about what your expectations are in an agent before signing any sort of representation agreement.

Second, remember that anybody can call themselves an agent these days, and I sometimes run into people calling themselves agents who don’t know words, don’t have strong publishing relationships, and don’t know how to shape a writer’s career. Don’t sign with someone who charges fees for reading or for simply meeting — that’s a blatant violation of AAR guidelines. Be wary of agents who are also running editorial companies or are trying to sell you other services (agents earn their money from publishers, not off their authors). Though you’ll be tempted to sign with the first agent who expresses an interest in your work, be willing to take the long view. Your career matters, and nothing has the potential to shape your career more than the people you hang out with. 

I hope all this ranting helps. If you have a question about writing or publishing, send it along and we’ll offer some perspective. And if you have a good or bad agent story, I’d LOVE to have you share it in the “comments” section! 

A guest post from Holly Lorincz, assistant to Chip MacGregor

Recently, I was forced given the opportunity to learn to master the art of uploading ebooks onto Smashwords and Amazon for this persistent Scottish agent I know. After extracting multiple promises that haggis or blood pudding would never be served at staff parties, I agreed.

I can’t approach the simplest assignment without first reading at least seventeen reference books (the heftier the better), and yet, after all that research and putting my own book up for esale, I’ve really only learned one thing about self-publishing: marketing your ebook is a full time job. Selling it successfully? There’s magic involved and a lot of patient plodding, and messing around with algorithms. I know, I know, I shouldn’t use that word algorithm, since it just screams ‘first period math class.’ Sorry. Unless you’re going to hire a publicist, get used to it. Also, if I’m being totally honest, you may want to bypass the whole formatting and uploading issue, hire a professional, if you have a life away from your computer.

Still here? Okay then. The following is a list of random ebook publishing and marketing tips that I’ve picked up from books, other self-publishers, and my own stumble down the publishing path. Some of it will be common sense and common practice, so just view it as a reminder.

1. Remember those early beta-readers you sought out as you were finishing your book? Remember that one that drove you crazy, the one that only commented on dangling participles, improperly used pronouns and linguistic improbabilities?  If you haven’t burned that bridge, find that grammarian and ask him or her to read your book one last time, tasked with catching typos, specifically homonyms and homophones. (Because, you know, spell check silently chuckles when you use the phrase “his voice was a horse whisper.”)

2. Decide if you are going to use KDP Select (Kindle Direct Publishing Select requires you publish only with Amazon) or if you want to publish in other venues, such as KDP or Smashwords, which distributes to most other distributors like Barnes & Noble and Sony. There are benefits to each choice. However, even if you choose to distribute only on Amazon, I recommend you initially format your manuscript using the Smashwords Style Guide process, as it gives you a much cleaner ebook (you will not thank me while trudging through the laborious frustrating process, but you will when you’re done).

3. There are (at least) three books you should read before you begin formatting your text:  Smashwords Style Guide: How To Format Your Ebook by Mark Coker (available as a free document on Kindle); Publish on Amazon Kindle with Kindle Direct Publishing (free document on Kindle); and Publishing E-Books for Dummies by Ali Luke. Thankfully, I bought this last book in print form, since I ended up formatting my manuscript while using my computer, my Kindle and the Dummies book at the same time. The first two documents offer specific, step by step instructions. Dummies is an overview of the multiple methods of self-publishing ebooks and contains problem solving strategies that are not in the first two documents. Dummies also has helpful sections on building your own author’s website and driving buyers to your ebook.   

4. Write your acknowledgements page, copyright page, book’s hook, short description, and author bio days before you put your book online. You need to give yourself time to go back and edit. And that hook has to be good. Look at samples from the top 100 Kindle sellers, what are they saying? Speaking of hooks and descriptions, try inserting a top Amazon or Google key word search term for your book’s genre within the first sentence or two . . . but do it smoothly. Good luck. If you do manage this trick, you will be driving readers who are looking for subjects like “vampires in love” or “dinosaur fossils” to your title. Hopefully that is what your book is about.

5. Your cover and title. You will hear this over and over again, because it’s true: nothing is more important than your cover and title. The imagery needs to somehow imply the genre, tone and subject matter of your manuscript. When I was getting ready to put my first book online, I searched through internet stock photos for two days before I finally realized I was going to have to do my own photo shoot. Luckily, I know photographers and graphic designers. Then I needed to consider the title, make sure it was prominent and properly represented the text. Readers get edgy when they think they’re buying a romance entitled something like Love’s First Kiss only to discover the two people snuggling sweetly on the cover turn out to be demons seeking to ravage a futuristic dystopian society. Again, go into Kindle’s top 100 best sellers and assess their covers and the titles. Look especially close at your genre. Great titles have meaning AND they incorporate top key word search terms. That’s a coup if you can pull that off. In his book, Making a Killing on Kindle, Michael Alvear uses a Charlaine Harris title as a good example of this: Living Dead in Dallas. You know the book falls into the zombie category, and it includes “living dead,” which is a top key word search in Google. For that matter, Alvear’s title is apropos to this discussion; are you unclear at all on what his book is about?

By the way, if you’ve already epublished, it’s not too late to reconsider your title or your cover. You can edit or resubmit, or you can hire a service to make the corrections for you.

6. Once your book is online, pay attention to not just your sales; also look at your Amazon ranking. The higher you go in the ranks, the more Amazon does to market your title, like adding your book into the “customers also bought” thread under other books in your category. According to Alvear, there are a number of ways to bump up your ranking just by paying attention to what he calls the ecosystem within Amazon. Namely, chase reviews from family, friends and book bloggers; get people to purchase top selling titles in your genre at the same time they purchase your book online (if this happens often enough, Amazon will start to link the two titles); review other books online and somehow, subtly, refer back to your own book while praising that author (if you can’t do this without coming across as smarmy, I don’t recommend it).

6. Make sure you take advantage of the author’s page on Amazon.  Amazon’s Author Central allows you to post a bio, pictures, links to your websites, blogs, videos, articles, podcasts . . . this is available when a reader is perusing your title information, trying to determine if they want to buy your book. Sell yourself and you might sell your book. Consider offering freebies for these browsers, like bookmarks or mugs or previous books you’ve written. Who doesn’t like free stuff?

I’ve just grazed the surface of what you can do to market your book. I haven’t even mentioned social media, like Facebook and Goodreads and Bookshelf and blog tours . . . 

THE POWER OF A PERSONAL MEETING

I haven’t traveled much in the last six months, but I’ve just returned from a three-day conference. Though I fully registered for it, I only attended two conference events, but my time there was incredibly valuable and enriching regardless.

Aside from the three-hour-thaw-by-the-pool-mini-sabbatical I scheduled for myself on Friday afternoon before boarding the plane home, I spent every waking hour while there in pre-arranged meetings with editors and authors. In the end, when responding to questions about how my trip went, I heard myself say “I really enjoyed connecting with everyone!” And I today, I added several items to my task list newly motivated by an urge to help each of these people succeed in their roles.

Sure, when I requested time together, I had a project in mind. But as usual, I found that holding “my” agenda a bit loosely, and taking the position of investigator vs. sales person always returned a rewarding and gratifying encounter that will begin, or enrich, a long-term relationship.

There’s so much more to personal meetings than just “putting a face to a name.” When I meet an editor or other prospective associate in person, the encounter requires real listening. I’ve learned that more often than not, my “canned” speech goes out the window in favor of personal dialogue once an editor or prospective author and I start talking about whether what’s working well for them and how/if what they’re hoping to publish next aligns with the project(s) I’m interested in.

A side perk of meeting in person is that, unlike with email, I must also practice the art of keeping the conversation going in both directions. I’ll admit, I’m still working on controlling my tendency to be so terribly interruptive – an inexcusable habit that I still give into when I’m especially enthused about something.

As anonymous, and bottom-line, and impersonal as this business can sometimes feel, in the end it’s still about relationships. Part of our culture as an agency is that we tend to do business with people we like and trust. And we want to always like and trust the people with whom we do business.

Cultivating that culture requires time. And there’s no substitution for personal meetings.

There is no arguing that the chance to build rapport with someone while face to face just can’t be matched to a Facetime or Skype session, email exchange, or even a phone call. In my view, those are tools best used to further a relationship, not establish one.

As conference season approaches, take every opportunity you can to spend some personal time with editors, agents, other authors. You’ll find lots of information about how to craft the perfect pitch, how to nail your hook, or deliver the premise of your book in 30 seconds, but I’d like to encourage you to think beyond what people have to offer you. Challenge yourself to avoid coming to the encounter thrusting your well-rehearsed pitch into first position on the agenda. Instead, as you can, take some time to find out who these people are, what they like, what motivates them, how they cultivate their taste, and if your particular project might help them succeed.

I think you’ll find that approach far more gratifying in the end. I always do.

Sandra Bishop

If you could only ask one question of an editor (not related to your project) what would it be?

Amanda Luedeke is a literary agent with MacGregor Literary. Every Thursday, she posts about growing your author platform. You can follow her on Twitter @amandaluedeke or join her Facebook group to stay current with her wheelings and dealings as an agent. Her author marketing book, The Extroverted Writer, is available from Amazon andBarnes & Noble.

Last night was our GET PUBLISHED teleseminar with Michael Hyatt. What a great time, talking business and answering questions! It was a blast.

We weren’t able to get to some of the submitted questions, so I’ve gone ahead and answered them below. Would love your thoughts on what was discussed during the teleseminar, or what is talked about below.

And don’t forget! We have a special opportunity for friends (that’s you!) of MacGregor Literary. 

Michael Hyatt, former CEO and Chairman of Thomas Nelson Publishers (one of the largest publishers in the world), has recently released a comprehensive solution for authors called GET PUBLISHED. It’s a 21 session audio program, accessible online, that distills Michael’s 30+ years of publishing knowledge into a step-by-step guide to help authors get published and launch a successful career, even perhaps a bestseller!

Michael is offering a special limited time discount on GET PUBLISHED. Not only can you save significantly on the program, you’ll also get access to several bonuses worth over $150. Bonuses include items such as Michael’s popular “How to Write a Winning Book Proposal” ebook and more.

For details and to take advantage of this special offer, go to http://michaelhyatt.com/getpublishedoffer

(Note: This discount offer is only available through April 17).

Okay, on to those questions!

Brooke asks: What makes an agent take a chance on a first-time author?

When we fall in love with a fiction author’s story idea and writing, or when we see the potential of the book idea, writing, AND platform of a nonfiction author.

Mark asks: What do you think about publishing a “book” as a series of blog postings over time, or self-publishing a free e-book, rather than through traditional publishers?  If the purpose is to gain readers/audience, what is the best way to collect that information?  And then what do you do with it (esp in terms of monetization)?

I think this can be a great idea of done right (great cover, professionally edited, targeted to a focused audience). If you publish through an epublishing site, you should keep track of your sales numbers, and in terms of monetizing it, you’ll be able to set a price for your items, which will make the whole thing a bit more worth your while.

Terri asks: What are the most effective ways to attract your audience to a blog or website? I’ve previously produced blogs and ended up spending too much time on the content compared to the number of views received.  Also, what recommendations do you have on balancing the time demands of building platform vs. completing works in progress?

First, it takes time to grow a readership. I don’t know how long you pursued your blog, but it’s going to take 1-2 years or more to build a solid following. There are many ways to grow a readership (I have a whole section on this in my book), but the easiest is to find other blogs that hit the same readership as your own and spend time there leaving comments and interacting with others. You can also do giveaways, include the right SEO, and attend blogging conferences where you can team up with other bloggers and present a unified front. Really, the ideas go on and on.

If you’re serious about growing your blog, you should spend half your time writing and the other half going out and getting your readers. Depending on how long it takes you to craft a blog post, this could be tricky. But if it takes you an hour to write a post, you may want to spend an afternoon knocking a bunch out and then 30 or 45 minutes every day, going out and interacting with your potential audience.

Melissa asks: We see many big name authors supplementing their income by self-publishing titles themselves along with their traditional books, at what point do you think authors should consider this route? Do you think it will harm their career or enhance it?

I think this is a great idea if they do it right and are willing to pay for a great cover, great edit, etc. Too many authors dial it in. It needs to be professionally done, but then they also need to realize that in order for the book to be a success, they need to promote it like crazy—no one is going to stumble upon the book on a store shelf. And of course they also need to make sure that epublishing won’t violate any contracts they have with publishers.

Anne asks: Please comment on how the rapid changes in publishing, stimulated by e-publishing, have affected quality, increased competition, and whether this necessitates amp-ing it up with a paid edit before submission.

There’s a lot more competition all around, but I don’t think paying an editor to clean up your manuscript is the solution. I think hunkering down and truly learning the craft and taking time with your ms is where it’s at. Too many authors want to write only one or two drafts and then be done. The business requires more than that these days…especially if you’re a debut author.

C asks: I’ve had five commercially-published romance novels and I can’t seem to get another contract. Would you recommend my self-publishing some e-books (romance novellas)?

Absolutely. You don’t want to lose your current readership, and you need to make money. If your agent supports it, I think this is a great option. But don’t do it flippantly. Be serious about it, because if your sales are strong enough this could help you get back in with a traditional house.

Jeremy asks: I’ve been looking for an agent for my first ms via the query method with no success.  I have been thinking about going to a conference, but the cost is quite high.  Is there any other way to acquire an agent for the Christian Market?  Are conferences worth the expense?

Conferences are absolutely worth the expense, and there are so many that there’s probably one relatively close to you. It’s only at a conference that I can truly feel comfortable with the authors who are pitching me, and I’m much more likely to sign someone after meeting them at a conference than if I were to simply read a query from them. It’s that face-to-face aspect that changes everything.

Greg asks: It seems that literary agents are very busy and as a first time author how do we get their attention?

Try to attend a conference or see if we’re active on Twitter and other social media sites. But still…conferences are where it’s at.

Jane asks: I heard a popular author say that you don’t have to be a GREAT writer, just persistent. Do you agree or disagree?

If we’re talking about having a traditional publishing career, then I disagree. Editors have a lot on their plate, and more and more they’re looking for projects that require minimal edits. There will always be exceptions to the rule, but overall, a GREAT manuscript has much more potential than a so-so manuscript written by a persistent author.

*Note: MacGregor Literary is not profiting from this reccomendation nor is this an affiliate link. We only recoomend GET PUBLISHED because we truly believe in it’s impact as a resource for authors and because of the vast knowledge that Michael Hyatt provides.

Amanda Luedeke is a literary agent with MacGregor Literary. Every Thursday, she posts about growing your author platform. You can follow her on Twitter @amandaluedeke or join her Facebook group to stay current with her wheelings and dealings as an agent. Her author marketing book, The Extroverted Writer, is available from Amazon andBarnes & Noble.

I received a question the other week on the danger of posting ideas, content, and other deliciously stealable things online.

Then this week, I fielded a few emails from authors who are seeing their books available for free on some pretty sketchy sites.

So, BECAUSE I’m a big fan of ebooks, and BECAUSE I’ve encouraged writers to throw their content online and therefore subject it to the all of the content pirates that lurk about, I figured I should say a few things about this very unfortunate…yet inevitable…problem.

1. There is no way to fully prevent others from stealing your work. Especially if you publish anything digitally. Amazon brags about their DRM anti-piracy thing-a-majig, but it’s really a bunch of fluff. There’s zero way for us to adequately patrol and safeguard digital content.

2. There will always be people looking to get things for free. There will always be people who abuse creative content. The good news is these people aren’t as prevalent in the book industry as they are in, say, the music industry. Piracy FOREVER changed music. We aren’t seeing it doing much to change publishing, because while it exists, it’s not as prevalent, and the music industry paved the way for lots of anti-piracy legislation that has helped minimize the problem.

3. There is always a chance someone will steal your book idea. And this doesn’t just happen online. Go to a writer’s conference or critique group or MFA program and tell your idea to the wrong person and BAM. It’s stolen.

4. There is always a chance someone will steal your words. I mean goodness…plagiarism has been a problem long before the Internet. That’s why in high school we all had to learn how to cite things properly. A few years ago, there was a major novel with a major publisher that was pulled because of plagiarism allegations–and the novels being stolen from were all published print books…not ebooks. Plagiarism happens regardless of the medium.

Okay, so what can you take from all of this? 

1. Realize that piracy isn’t the end of the world. So, you find your book on a weird foreign website and they’re giving it away for free? Keep calm and demand they take the book down. Chances are the people who read free books aren’t going to buy them anyway–I mean these aren’t your current fans you’re going to be losing. These are people looking for a literal steal. So keep calm, do what needs to be done, and move on.

2. Recognize that any time you communicate an idea or a first chapter or a chunk of text, you’re running the risk of it being stolen. Be smart with how you share your work. If you’re communicating a book idea, make sure that it’s not going to take you the next five years to crank the thing out! For my novel that’s currently being shopped, I told only a handful of close friends my idea. Once I had it written, I told a few more. And now that it’s on submission, I’m open to telling the world.

3. Know the alternative…Okay, so you panic and take down your blog and lock up your manuscripts and require agents and editors to sign a release form before they look (this has happened before…we NEVER sign). What are you left with? You’re left with a story idea that’s never going to see the light of day. You’re left with meaningful blog posts and online content and short stories that will never help or entertain others. Understand that while there is risk in putting your stuff out there, THE REWARD IS FAR GREATER.

What questions do you have about book and idea piracy? 

I’ve been trying to catch up on questions people sent in about writing and publishing. For example, one writer wants to know, “Do I need both a website AND a blog? Or will just a website do?”

That’s like asking, “Do I need to wear black to the meeting, or is color okay?” Depends on the meeting. For an author, it depends on your book and your audience. If you’re an author covering a current topic, you probably need to have a blog where you’re sharing cutting-edge information. If you’re a novelist who just wants readers to get to know you, maybe a basic website is enough. Think of the purpose of each — a site is to introduce you and share basic information; a blog is to interact with others. So there’s a lesson here: The growth of the web offers you the chance to market your self and your book without having to rely on the old notions of “platform” — you don’t have to have a syndicated radio show, host a television talk show, or have a huge speaking schedule. Relying on social media can help you build a platform by creating a big network of online friends.

I’d love to hear from some authors on this topic… Do you have a blog as well as a website? Which has proven most helpful to you in promoting your books?

Another author wrote this: “Is it important for an author to be involved in Facebook and Twitter? I HATE Twitter!

Yeah, I know what you mean. I’ve rolled my eyes too many time at tweets from people telling me “We had fish for dinner!” and “Petey got a new haircut.” What you’re trying to do with social media is to expand your network of friends, so you want your interactions to be informative, interesting, and, probably, thought-provoking. But let’s face it, we talk with friends about dinners and haircuts. So just acknowledge the dumb stuff comes with the territory. A better way to think about Twitter is that you’re trying to discover people who share your interests, so that you can get to know them, interact with them, and, eventually, talk with them about your book. That’s why I always say to authors they need to offer strong content on their blogs. I don’t care if you want to tell me about your new shoes, but eventually share something of value on the topic. Remember, the purpose of effective marketing is not just to “let people know I have a book out,” but to move people to action and get them to buy your book. 

 I had several writers ask, “Are book trailers helpful for nonfiction, or just for fiction titles?”

I would think they’d be helpful for fiction or nonfiction, if they were done well. [Finally! A short answer!] My problem: Many are awful.

And that leads to this question, which also came in various versions from several people: “I keep hearing about book trailers as marketing tools. I’ve watched a few, but most have been so corny they did NOT encourage me to read the book. In your opinion, how successful are book trailers for marketing books?”

To be honest, the majority of book trailers I’ve seen are boring and amateurish. They are usually based on “image” advertising rather than “decision” advertising — that is, they are trying to help establish a brand, rather than urging readers to buy a copy of the book. That’s an expensive way to market, and it relies on repeated exposures, which most authors aren’t going to get. In my view, too many book trailers are put together by people who watch too much TV, so they look like mini-TV commercials, and I’d rather chew an entire roll of tin foil than watch more dopey TV commercials. So I haven’t been a fan. BUT I think the concept is sound, if the creators would put together something that touched my emotions and moved me to a decision. A good trailer either needs to give me a reason to purchase a book right now (“You need to lose ten pounds — this book will help you do that in the next sixty days”), or it needs to be funny or heartbreaking or reminiscent or memorable in some way, so that it gets onto YouTube and goes viral. If everybody is watching it and enjoying the story, then you’d have a book trailer that actually helped your title. Again, having a clear plan for what you want to accomplish with your trailer is key. And in my experience, most book trailers don’t work because they will never be seen by readers. 

Finally, I had an experienced author send me this: “A new study says that books from traditional publishers declined by 3% last year, while self-published digital titles jumped something like 132%. Are books going the way of music, with the creators demanding speedier turnaround times, more control, and more per-unit profits?”

Yeah, I think we all know that’s exactly the direction we’re heading (though I believe the digital numbers have been up artificially high because most authors have suddenly discovered how to use ebook technology). Why are we going that way? Because there’s so much more money to be made self-publishing. Look at the numbers — a $22 hardcover will make the author a bit more than two bucks per book through a regular, royalty-paying publisher. But that same $22 hardcover that is self-published and sold as print-on-demand book directly from the author will earn him somewhere between ten and fifteen dollars per book, and the ebook that sells for ten bucks will earn the author seven dollars. That’s a big difference… but only to an author who has a sales channel.  If you can’t actually market and sell your book, you make nothing with either system. (Remember, a few years ago Stephen King tried direct-selling a novel by emailing it chapter-by-chapter to subscribers. It didn’t do much, but King was probably just ahead of his time.) The idea of creating your own book and selling it directly to consumers is enticing to authors looking to make more money. The problem is that many authors don’t know how to  market, or don’t have a big enough following to actually sell enough copies of the book for it to make big money. So the distribution offered by traditional publishers, as well as the marketing and sales know-how they bring to the process, will continue to make a difference for writers. Are we seeing some authors self-publish and make real money? Sure we are, and I’m all for it. But check the numbers — for every author who self-publishes and makes a good chunk of change, there’s a huge pool of other authors who self-pubbed and made nothing. 

I’m not at all suggesting authors should therefore stay away from self-publishing. In fact, I think authors need to consider having a combination of self-publshed and traditionally-published titles in order to make a living. I’m just not buying into the whole “you can self-publish your books and make a million dollar” line of bull that’s being pushed by some people on the web. They sound like Amway salesmen of the 80′s — “Just sign up, then sign up your friends, then they’ll sign up more friends, and soon the money will be rolling in…” The age of multi-level marketing came and went, and it became clear there was no miracle to making money — good salespeople who had good products frequently made money, while the vast majority who participated did not. We’re in the same spot with ebooks right now.

But I posted this question because the author linked book publishing to the music industry, and that offers a cautionary tale. Everyone became their own music producer, prices fell, the technology changed, a bunch of valuable property was given away for nothing, and soon the only people making a living at music were the mega-stars who could count on going on tour and selling a lot of expensive tickets. Book publishers have watched that and tried to learn lessons from the failures of the music industry… Lessons such as “quality still matters” and “use freebies to draw in readers but don’t give away all your content” and “stay up on technology” and “learn to engage readers personally: and maintain a plan for marketing and selling products so that you make money.”  That’s where the future is taking us.

A writer got in touch and asked, “Since it seems like anyone can get a book published today through self-publishers, how do I make sure my book gets the needed exposure?”

As I’ve noted several times on this blog, the key principle for anybody doing marketing of their own book is simple: Figure out where your potential readers are going, then go stand in front of them. If you’re doing a book on lowering cholesterol, research to find out what websites people with high cholesterol are visiting, what blogs they’re reading, what magazines and e-zines they’re checking out, what the most popular sites for information sharing are. That’s the first step. The second is to get yourself involved with those venues. That will get you started on marketing. (And be sure to read Amanda’s Thursday blog posts, which are filled with good, practical ideas to help you move forward in your marketing abilities.) 

Now you have the tools you need to create a plan. You’ve got a list of the places people who are interested in your topic are going online, and you’ve got a list of ways you can try and get involved in those sites (by writing articles, doing reviews, creating an interview, offering a chapter of your book, etc). The next step is to start the hard work of getting your words out there.

On a related note, someone wrote these words: “You have frequently told authors to find out where the potential readers are, then go get in front of them. How can an author find the target audience for his book?”

Research, my friend. It will take time, but start checking out key words and topics. Find other books and sites that cover similar material and check them out. Start doing reviews on Amazon and GoodReads. Get involved with Pinterest and Flickr. Create online bookmarks. Join Facebook and Twitter. Begin researching your topic and you’ll soon discover interesting sites, as well as finding yourself steered toward other places people go. This takes time — there’s no hurry-up formula for getting this information. But the key is to have multiple venues for finding new friends, and see the whole process as “participation,” not just “promotion.” 

Another writer sent in this interesting note: “Is teaching at a writers’ conference a good way to help market my book? I was just asked by a big conference to show up, teach two workshops, critique manuscripts, meet with a bunch of authors in one-on-ones, and help out as needed. It sounded like fun — BUT the invitation noted that I had to pay my own way, pay the conference fee to attend, and pay for my room and board. They’re offering me a stipend that will cover a portion of that expense, but I’d still owe them more than $400, plus my travel. Is that fair?”

I actually wrote to the person privately, to make sure she wasn’t pulling my leg. Sure enough, a writers’ conference sent her a note, inviting her to be on faculty but explaining that she’d actually have to pay hundreds of dollars to participate. Um… you have GOT to be kidding me. I think a writing conference is a great place to network and let everybody know about your new book. But if it costs you $500 and they’re going to wear you out as a faculty member, you might find a more useful venue for your five bills. Yeesh. 

Finally, someone asked me, “Should I seek endorsements before I send my manuscript to a publisher?”

If you can get some great endorsements for your manuscript, by all means do so. The fact that a bestselling author or a recognizable celebrity is saying nice things about your book can’t hurt. But remember that an endorsement has to be by someone recognizable — a celebrity, speaker, author, recognized expert, etc. It can’t be from some friend of yours nobody had heard of, or from your pastor, or your mom. Those types of endorsements scream “AMATEUR,” and make editors roll their eyes. 

[And an editorial note: After posting this, a longtime writing friend wrote me to say, "Please re-think your answer. I'm a bestselling author, and I get inundated with requests to spend time reading and responding to a project that may never get published. And it's possible the editor who is reading the proposal has never heard of me -- an embarrassing situation for the prospective author." My response: Fair enough. I'd say if you are not already relatively good friends with the bestselling author, then asking them to read and endorse your book may be unfair, even unwise. Perhaps you could say something such as, "If contracted, I could reasonably get endorsements from..." But if it's a mentor of yours, or someone you've been involved with for a long time, I'd still say it's worthwhile asking. They can always say no.]

We’re in the midst of catching up on a backlog of questions I thought I could respond to with short answers — so if you’ve got a question you’ve always wanted to ask an agent, sent it along and I”ll try to get to it.

I’ve been trying to answer a backlog of questions writers have sent my way, so we’re doing some short-answer blog posts for a while. For example, one person asked, “At what point in the process does an agent want to see a book proposal? After the book is completed?”

Most agents will look at a nonfiction book proposal before the book is completed, but after the author has figured out what he or she wants to say. That is, the author has figured out the question and the answer, and has tried to put some structure (in terms of an outline or table of contents) to the material. With a fiction proposal, most agents want to see a synopsis or overview, just to know what the basic story is, then the first ten to fifty pages, to see if the author can write. If the agent reads a portion and likes it, he or she will probably ask for the rest of the manuscript.

Someone else asked, “I’ve been told the internet has killed nonfiction… Is nonfiction really dead? It seems like most of the questions you get have to do with fiction.”

My wife was cooking an East Indian dish the other day, and needed a recipe. Where did she go? To a cookbook? Nope, she went online. I was looking for the answer to a port wine question yesterday. Did I look at one of my wine books? Nope, I went to the web. The internet has made basic information available on every topic to anyone with a computer. That puts the core of nonfiction at risk. I think this points to a major shift we’re seeing in publishing — away from much nonfiction in traditional print form. There will still be plenty of nonfiction that sees print (history, memoir, and much of the “literary” side of writing), but a lot of the how-to side is quickly shifting to an electronic format. People still love and buy nonfiction books, but only when they NEED to, or they see it as having literary quality,  or the material is not readily available in a digital format.

One author wanted to know, “Is it the agent’s job to tell the publisher they’re being too slow, or to withdraw a project from a house, or is that the author’s job?”

If the agent sent a project to a publishing house, it’s the agent’s responsibility to follow up on that project. That said, I don’t often tell a publisher they’re being “too slow.” Publishing is a slow business. I will often check on a project, to make sure it’s being reviewed and hasn’t fallen through the cracks, but I don’t often push them to make a decision. (Why? Because when pushed, the easiest answer is “no.”)

Another asked this: “If I regularly read an agent’s blog, should I mention that when I query them?”

I would. It establishes a connection.

A friend wrote to say, “You’ve often encouraged authors to promote themselves, yet you do a lot of inspirational books. How do you reconcile self-promotion with the Christian teachings on pride and being self-effacing?”

I was just asked this question on another website recently, so let me share the response I gave to them: “Promotion” and “pride” are two separate things. The church tells people to beware of pride — not to have too high an opinion of oneself, or to take all the credit for something, lord your success over others, or brag about how wonderful you are. When we do that, we lose our perspective as to where our talent comes from. But “promotion” is different than “pride.” It simply means we are encouraging or advancing something — and with a clear conscience, it’s promoting something we actually believe in. Move this out of the realm of books for a moment… If you were selling vacuum cleaners, would your faith keep you from advertising them? (“I can’t tell anyone about my vacuum cleaners — they’re really good, but it would look like I’m too proud of them.”) That’s crazy. If you work hard, have confidence in your work, and feel your product is helpful to others, should you feel awkward about telling others about it? I don’t think so. An author is creating art, so would we ask a singer not to sing in public, or a painter not hang her art in a gallery for fear others will notice their gifts? Of course not. Similarly, I think authors can promote the books they create in good conscience. Sure, that could cross over into the realm of an unhealthy, overweening arrogance — but any business where people are publicly successful holds that trap. So I think an individual take steps to make sure that doesn’t happen. I see nothing in my religious faith that tells me not to share the art I believe in with others.

One author sent this: “Will self-publishing my novel help me or hurt me when I approach a traditional publisher?”

Most likely, the answer is “neither.” Self-publishing probably won’t help you land a deal with a traditional publisher unless you sell a bajillion copies. Yeah, yeah… The Shack did exactly that, but that’s news because it’s so rare. For every Shack there are ten thousand other self-pubbed novels that did nothing. And then, if you sell a bajillion copies, you may not need that traditional publisher. But I certainly don’t think self-publishing will actually HURT you, unless your book is so horrendously bad that it becomes an insider joke.

I got this interesting question a couple weeks ago: “I wrote a story that is being produced as a play. A friend suggested I invite an agent to come see it. Is that common? Would it help me in any way?”

It may not be common, but I don’t see how it could hurt (assuming the play is good, of course). My suggestion: contact the agent, introduce yourself, explain the situation, invite him or her, then leave two good tickets at the door. I’ve known authors who have done that.

And I had several versions of this question: “How difficult is it for an author to break into more than one genre?”

If you’re a genre writer in fiction (that is, you’re basically writing romances, or historicals, or mysteries, or westerns, or thrillers, etc), then each time you switch genres, you have to start over. If you’re a literary fiction writer, it’s a bit easier, since you don’t have a genre-specific readership. However, be aware that if you have a loyal following in one genre, your readers might view your move to another genre as breaking your promise (“You ALWAYS write legal thrillers! And now you’re writing boring novels about poor people painting their house?!”). As I’ve stated earlier, moving from fiction to nonfiction is exceedingly, abundantly difficult. Fiction readers won’t cross over to read your nonfiction, and the skills used in the genres are very different.

I’ve been going through a long list of questions people have sent in, trying to offer short answers (as compared to my usual loquacious responses). One person wrote this: “I’m interested in getting an agent. How do you know which agent will work hard for you? For that matter, how can an author know which agents the publishers view as legit?”

If you want to know about an agent, you can always start by asking around. Ask publishers and editors in confidence what they think. Go onto the agency website and check the agent out. Check with “Predators & Editors” and “Writer Beware” to see which agents are not considered legit. Look into “Agent Query” and the other agency-ranking organizations. Pick up a copy of Chuck Sambuccino’s Guide to Literary Agents so you can do some research into the agent. In my opinion, you should look for an agent that’s a member of the Association of Author Representatives (AAR), the professional organization for literary agents. To see if the agent will work hard for you, all you have to do is to see which authors are happy and which agents are doing deals — you can find information on the number of deals done by an agent in the “Dealmakers” section of Publishers Marketplace. A lot of people will just tell you to “talk with other authors,” but I find that less than helpful. First, most people don’t want to say bad things about an agent, or worry that saying something honest will lead to a lawsuit. Second, many authors don’t often know a good agent from a bad one — if their agent got them a deal, they’re happy. I know some authors who have a lousy literary agent, but they’re completely satisfied because they don’t have anything to judge it against.

First, make sure your novel is well done. Have some other writer friends read it, get feedback from some experienced writers, and if possible talk with an editor about your work. The #1 reason projects get rejected is because the book isn’t really done — it might be a good idea, but it’s basically 60% completed, and if you send that in you are sure to get rejected. Second, do some research on literary agents. Don’t do a mass sending to a bunch of agents — find out who represents the type of book you write, who among that list is taking new clients, then try to get some sort of introduction. Publishing, like all businesses in this country, is a relationship business. If you can meet and talk to an agent (perhaps at a conference, or simply through an introduction from a mutual friend) you’ll be much further down the path in the submission process. Third, research what makes a good query letter. I sometimes laugh when I see an author has spent two years writing a book, and two minutes banging out a query letter.

This came in from a writer a few weeks ago: “What word count should I shoot for with a light romance? I heard one agent say if a novel gets over 115,000 words, she gets nervous. Are some of the long bestselling novels exceptions? I’ve seen several very long bestsellers lately.”

The genre romance houses are basically asking for 55,000 words for contemporary novels, and 75,000 words for historical novels. If you move away from a genre house and begin talking to more of a general lines publisher, you’ll find this publishing economy demands more from writers — so novels are often in the 90,000 to 100,000 word range. But yes, I am VERY reluctant to take on someone who has written more than 120,000 words. The investment by the publisher is huge, it takes extra work, the production costs are higher, and the final price point will be higher… so publishers find it easier to reject a book like that. They have to fall in love with a longer novel to contract it. (Pointing to mega-bestsellers that are extra-long is an exercise in futility. Better to look at the norms, not the exceptions.)

I got this question in from an author I met at a conference: “I recently won a writing contest, then saw how many ‘winners’ there were… It felt like I had ‘bought’ the win with my entry fee. How do agents and publishers feel about writing contest winners?”

I realize the people managing contests want to have happy customers, so they name a lot of “winners.” But in my experience, agents and publishers still like to see authors who can tell them they won a national writing contest. There’s still a prestige associated with that.

Here’s a question I get frequently: “I have published a novel, but now want to do a nonfiction book. What advice would you have for me?”

A nonfiction book is a completely different animal than a novel. A novel basically offers entertainment — a nonfiction book offers a solution to a problem or an answer to a question. It requires a different writing style. Most nonfiction writers think in terms of “telling,” and most novelists in terms of “showing.” For a nonfiction book, you’ll need to think about scope and sequence, strong principles with clear solutions, and good, illustrative stories. Don’t expect your fiction readers will cross the aisle and read your nonfiction book — they won’t. If you’re just trying your hand at NF, my best advice would be to study the basics of writing again. It’s not easy to slide from fiction to nonfiction.

One young person said, “I have a work that has promise, but needs a good, literary editor. Are there any grants or programs available to help inspirational authors fine-tune a work?”

I am not aware of any grants, however joining an online writing group or a critique group might prove helpful. It gets your writing in front of other eyes, so that you gain from the perspectives of others. You could also consider taking some formal writing classes, to glean advice from good writing instructors, or trying to team up with one of the many successful writers who run a mentoring program.

Another writer sent this: “It seems like the information about ‘platforms’ is always geared to nonfiction authors. What steps would you suggest for a fiction writer to start building a platform?”

That will depend on your novel, of course. The core of marketing is to figure out where the readers who would be interested in your story are gathering, then go stand in front of them. So if you’re writing Amish fiction, it would be good to figure out where people who love Amish gather — what sites do they visit, what ‘zines to they read, what programs do they follow. Where do they go and take part in a community of other like-minded readers? You want to figure out how to get in front of those folks. I’ve said this before, but think of “platform” as a number — the number of people you can say read your words and have some sort of investment in you, so they’re strong possibilities to buy your book. If you have a blog, do articles in your local newspaper, write things in your church or denominational newsletter, contribute to an online e’zine, speak to groups, teach classes, and appear in the media, all of those activities have a number of potential readers associated with them. You build your platform by participating in those activities, getting your words in front of people, and making sure they know the words are from you. You do your best to capture that audience, so you can approach them with your novel when it releases.

Again, if you have a question you want to post to an agent, ask away — I’m trying to blow through a bunch of topics quickly, and I’m happy to respond.