The Writer's Ally™

Helping You Put Your Best Word Forward

    Are you ready to publish? Get your free checklist and practical, helpful content monthly.

    EFA Webinar- How to Write a Winning Book Proposal – Sept 2015

    If you joined me and the Editorial Freelancers Association on September 30, 2015, then you now know “How to Write a Winning Book Proposal.”

    It has long been the case that nonfiction writers, instead of penning a complete manuscript, could sell their ideas based solely on well-developed book proposals. An extended marketing pitch, the book proposal is a unique document that any writer of nonfiction must master. During my presentation I shared how editors and agents evaluate potential acquisitions and what your proposal must contain to get the coveted attention of these publishing professionals. I explained what goes into a contract-winning book proposal, where to find important information, and how to evaluate your own material to ensure you’re presenting your project—and yourself—in the best possible light.

    I would like to thank Education Coordinator Jennifer Maybin for the invite. I’ll be running this webinar for the EFA again on December 3 at 7pm. You can register online or contact Jennifer at Education@the-efa.org.

    MWA St. Mary’s County Chapter Meeting – Pitching, Querying, and Proposing – September 2015

    Every late September/early October I travel down to Historic St. Mary’s City with my husband to help populate the site’s Grand Militia Muster, a wonderful 17th century event that draws a nice crowd and usually some great weather. I look forward to the trip because of the beautiful setting and an opportunity to camp, but this year I was able to make an even longer weekend out of it and do one more fun thing than usual! While in southern Maryland, I presented at the Maryland Writer’s Association St. Mary’s County Chapter meeting September 28, 2015 at 7PM, at the Leonardtown Library. I gave my frequently requested talk, “Pitching, Querying, and Proposing: How Authors Go from Shy to Sold.”

    Though self-publishing is always an option, my talk focused on how writers generally approach the submission process. The participants found out who really decides what gets published, how to approach them without getting the proverbial door slammed in your face, and what these gatekeepers expect from you besides your very best work. They also got tips that made their pitches, queries, and proposals more effective for best results.

    When I approached Ally about speaking to the St. Mary’s County Chapter of the Maryland Writers’ Association, she responded promptly, positively, and enthusiastically. In addition, she kindly and willingly accommodated my request to change topics about a month prior to her scheduled talk. Her talk was informative and engaging. As secretary of our chapter, I would happily book her for another talk. —Wendy Kibler, Secretary, MWA St. Mary’s

    I want to thank Wendy Kibler for inviting me, and chapter President Linda Stewart and the rest of MWA St. Mary’s for having me.

    For more information on local chapters, meetings, and membership, please visit the Maryland Writer’s Association website at: http://marylandwriters.org/

    Pitching, Querying, and Proposing at MWA St. Mary’s County Chapter – September 2015

    As an active member of the Maryland Writer’s Association, I am thrilled to present at the St. Mary’s County Chapter meeting in September. On September 28th, 2015 at 7PM, please join us at the Leonardtown Library for my frequently requested talk, “Pitching, Querying, and Proposing: How Authors Go from Shy to Sold.”

    You’ve experienced the satisfaction of working hard to learn a craft and producing a quality piece of writing—but now what? If you ever want anyone to read your work outside of your immediate circle of family and friends, you’ll need to get published. Though self-publishing is always an option, this talk focuses on how writers generally approach the submission process. Find out who really decides what gets published, how to approach them without getting the proverbial door slammed in your face, and what these gatekeepers expect from you besides your very best work. You’ll also get tips that will make your pitches, queries, and proposals more effective for best results.

    During my presentation, you will gain:

    • insider knowledge of the publishing world
    • advice for writing your most effective proposal
    • skills that will help you navigate the many professional “gatekeepers” in traditional publishing

    I strongly encourage writers to join their local chapter of the MWA or other writer’s association. I want to thank Wendy Kibler and the St. Mary’s County Chapter of the MWA for inviting me to present, and I look forward to seeing you there. Chapter meetings are free for members and first-time visitors. Returning visitors will be asked to pay a $5 fee.

    For more information on local chapters, meetings, and membership, please visit the Maryland Writer’s Association website at: http://marylandwriters.org/

    How to Tell if an Agent is Good

    So you’ve done your research and made a list of agents to whom you plan to submit your query letter or book proposal. Unless an agent/agency has a very high-profile, chances are you may not have heard of the pros on your list. How can you know if a specific agent is any good?

    Do Your Homework…Again

    There are several reliable resources out there designed to help you vet that agent who just sent you a glowing letter of appreciation.

    I always say start with the Better Business Bureau. Few agencies are members, so you may not find much, but it’s free and will take you just a few minutes to search their database. Note: For an effective search, you’ll want to use the city and state or postal code of the business’ location, not your own.

    Next, check out Preditors and Editors’ list of Agents and Attorneys. This is not a comprehensive list, so don’t expect to find everyone here. However, if your prospective agent is listed, you can check P&E’s rating and find out if they are “Not Recommended,” usually a sign that something is amiss. P&E has a rating system (you can read more about how they determine ratings here) and they also collect complaints that may indicate a scam or an otherwise undesirable agency, so this is a good place to start checking up on any agency you are considering.

    Last but not least, peruse the membership database for the Association of Author’s Representatives. AAR is a professional organization with a published “canon” or code of ethics, so you can feel confident that any agent who is a member is at least not a scammer or unscrupulous. Their membership criteria helps make sure that any agents listed with them meet a baseline of professionalism and experience as well—for example, prospective members must demonstrate at least ten reportable sales over an eighteen month period.

    Look to the Past to Predict the Future

    But of course, ensuring that an agent doesn’t have an Internet history riddled with words like “scam artist” and “liar” only tells you the professional in question is probably ethical. Membership in organizations with standards like the AAR ensures that the agent has solid experience, but it doesn’t tell you if he or she will be good for you and your book, specifically.

    One of the best ways to get a bead on whether or not an agent has experience that will help him or her sell your book is to look at a list of books the agent/agency has sold. You’ll often see book covers or titles listed on an agent’s website: Do you see books coming out fairly regularly, and recently, or are there huge gaps between their published clients? For example, if your prospective agent hasn’t had anything published in a few years, it might be a sign that his network has gone stale, or that she’s losing her grasp of what’s popular.

    Similarly, look at the publishers represented among the books listed. If you’re targeting agents, you should already know where your book fits in the marketplace and have some idea which publishers are putting out books comparable to yours. You want to see that your prospective agent has sold books to those publishers. And unless you’re writing for a narrow niche, you also want to see a nice variety of publishers across the client list. This indicates a stronger network of editor relationships, which is key to any agent’s success.

    Since it can take a year or more for a book to make its way from acquisition to print, ask any agent who has offered to represent you a list of recent projects sold and to which publishers. I recommend that you ask how large the advances were, but be aware they may not give that info out and it’s not a red flag if they don’t. It just never hurts to ask!

    One of my favorite resources for “people in the know” is Publisher’s Marketplace. Their membership is only $25 per month and you can cancel at any time, so when you’re actively submitting your work this is a very worthwhile investment. Besides a great industry newsletter, the real gold here is their searchable database of over 75,000 book deals. Here you will find details on books that were sold, by which agents and to which publishers, and for how much. There’s a key they use, not numbers, so you won’t see the exact amount of the advance paid for any given book but you will still get a good idea. For example “a nice deal” equals an amount in a certain range, “a very nice deal” is a little higher, and so on. This is an excellent way to check on a specific agent’s recent track record and also to find agents who represent books like yours or who sell often to the publishers you’ve identified as good targets for your work.

    Don’t Forget Your Old Pal, Google

    Besides these trusted resources, don’t forget about your basic online search. First, type in the agent’s or agency’s name(s) and see what comes up. If there’s been a scandal, it’s sure to pop up. Then do a more specific Internet search for terms like “[Agency Name] AND book deal” “[Agency Name] AND bestseller” or “[Agency Name] AND [Comparable Author’s Name].” You may find news items about earlier book deals such as in interviews with clients of the agent discussing their book’s journey, interviews with the agent, even industry listings about sales.

    —-

    I know it’s very exciting to have someone, anyone, offer to represent your work, but the partnership between author and agent is a crucial piece of your writing career. The last thing you want is to be tied up in contract with someone who doesn’t actually know what they’re doing, or worse, to get bilked out of hundreds of dollars by a fraudulent company.

    Remember, a successful writer is an educated writer!

    Ally Machate Book EditorFounder of The Writer’s Ally, Ally E. Machate is a bestselling book collaborator, award-winning editor, and expert publishing consultant who loves using her insider knowledge and experience with the publishing industry to lead serious authors toward success. She and her team live to help make great books happen, whether that means showing a writer how to improve a manuscript, get an agent, or self-publish; or coaching an author on growing her platform to sell more books. Since 1999, she has supported hundreds of authors on their publishing journey and takes pride in serving as their books’ best ally.

    Harrison Demchick Presents to the Harford Writer’s Group—July 3, 2014

    In July, TWA editor Harrison Demchick visited the Harford Writer’s Group in Bel Air, Maryland to share his experience with conflict and tension in literature. The Harford Writer’s Group is a group of local writers who come together once a month to support, encourage, and critique their work. Karin Harrison, author of The Wrath of the North Star, invited Harrison to give his presentation of “It’s the End of the World as We Know It and I Feel Fine: Why Character, Consequence, and Reaction are Necessary for Conflict and Tension.”

    Harrison’s presentation demonstrated how and why to use conflict, tension, and reaction to their advantage in storytelling. Stressing the importance of showing versus telling, Harrison showed the audience how to disrupt a character’s goals with obstacles and consequences in order to absorb and maintain the reader’s attention.

    Members of the Harford Writer’s Group reviewed Harrison’s talk very favorably, of course!

    Harrison was warm, friendly, thorough, and engaging. I thoroughly enjoyed his talk.—Joanne Galantino, author of Fair Claire Hare

    He showed the audience as well as ‘told,’ providing a good example for writing the same.—Karen Leppert, author of ReGUARDing Grace

    The entire talk was excellent. The information was well-presented, succinct, and relevant to our writing careers. You really know your stuff. —Mary Eck, Edgewood, MD

    Harrison and I would like to thank Karin Harrison (with a last name like that it seemed a perfect match, no?) and all of the members of the Harford Writer’s Group for inviting Harrison to attend the July 3rd meeting. He had a terrific time meeting everyone, and we’re always thrilled to have the opportunity to help more writers!

    Let’s Connect!

    Latest Articles

    Read More Articles

    Free Offer!

    Sign up and get our free guide to ensure your book's success!

    SIGN UP