The Career Novelist: A Literary Agent Offers Strategies for Success [Paperback]

Yes, he mentions the 'I can do better than they can' syndrome. And of course one should not belittle someone else in an introduction to an agent. But sheesh, to use the above two as any comparison to Updike or Block or John D. MacDonald...well you have to worry about his instintive ability to see good writing.

And it's truly scary if this is what the 'agent' world has been reduced to. His 'successful agent' firm only manages to read FORTY manuscripts a year? Are they stupid? Are they lazy? Are they elitist? He certainly comes across as so. And it's an obvious marketing tool for his potential authors to come running to him. The one good thing is that if you're truly interested in writing and get Writer's Digest, you can safely cross of the name of his firm if you think your stuff is any good. I certainly hope that most agent firms don't limit themselves to READING 40 manuscripts a year. I could do that in a month. Just me. One person. If he was honest and said that he is the only person that actually READS anything, then that's another story. But he brags about his 6th Ave. address and office space. We're supposed to be impressed.

I read the book. Sure, I guess it had some good obvious common sense things. But they're all things that are required to make a success of anyone in the business world also. What's the point of an agent if he/she wants YOU to do the advertising/promotion writing for him/her? What's the point of an agent actually adding (after brow-beating so many submiitters of his little pet peeves) a statement like 'if any of your books have ever been on a top 10 list then please don't forget to mention it!'.

Basically, this book is everything that you should NOT look for in an agent. This guy is marketing his services, by writing a book (actually, it appears that he's baited a number of people into buying his stuff'). He never mentions his actual name for the '14 novels under an pseudonym', but it's unfortunately obvious that he's trying the 'late-night TV Don Lafavre or whatever his name is' method of making money and attracting established authors. And his love of Dean Koontz (as he uses him in his prototypical perfect one-page email or letter to an agent), makes one worry that his ability to read talent is less than extraordinary.

The first 50 pages basically state that the best way to get his attention is to have already written a bestseller, or have an established author (like Dean Koontz) have read your stuff and recommended it.

Do yourselves a favor. It's hard enough getting published today. But Faulkner, Salinger, or Bukowski (man, I'd love to be a fly on the wall to see this person's reaction to a Bukowski 'summary'), and any number of other authors would never even get their manuscript read by this person. FORTY manuscripts a YEAR? Why bother sending this guy anything? He gives the psychotherapy reasons for all the idiosyncracies of the aspiring authors who are foolish enough to send his 'firm' anything, but he doesn't bother explaining his own need for a psychotherapist, for why he really doesn't want to do any work; ideally wants a former 'bestselling author' or author that's been 'recommended by a current bestselling author' as all his submissions. After all, if his company only actually reads 40 manuscripts a year of 5000 submitted, then I can only guess he get's a 100% satisfaction ratio of former bestsellers who have been abandoned by other publishers, or authors who have managed to harass current authors with a rep to recommend their stuff.

Do NOT read this book folks. If you want to know what he says, I can encapsulate it for ya: Being an author is a business. That's it. What he doesn't say is that finding a good agent can make this travail easier if you're good. Trust me on this or not. I've written a couple of reviews here on Amazon. I tell it like I think it is. If I had an employee that acted like this agent, I'd fire him.

And no. I've never been published. I've written 2 manuscripts, of different genres (which is a mistake for branding and I agree), but have never submitted one yet. I'm doing research first. The day I am, I know that it won't be via this person, nor any of his advice. Read my one line synopsis above. That's all he basically says in 160 pages or so. I've never been so disappointed in a book. It's almost weird reading a person who has no ability but obviously a connection to the publishing world. Alas, that is still really the best way and the way most authors get published. He actually SAYS to get a publisher before an agent! Ack.

Yes, he mentions the 'I can do better than they can' syndrome. And of course one should not belittle someone else in an introduction to an agent. But sheesh, to use the above two as any comparison to Updike or Block or John D. MacDonald...well you have to worry about his instintive ability to see good writing.

And it's truly scary if this is what the 'agent' world has been reduced to. His 'successful agent' firm only manages to read FORTY manuscripts a year? Are they stupid? Are they lazy? Are they elitist? He certainly comes across as so. And it's an obvious marketing tool for his potential authors to come running to him. The one good thing is that if you're truly interested in writing and get Writer's Digest, you can safely cross of the name of his firm if you think your stuff is any good. I certainly hope that most agent firms don't limit themselves to READING 40 manuscripts a year. I could do that in a month. Just me. One person. If he was honest and said that he is the only person that actually READS anything, then that's another story. But he brags about his 6th Ave. address and office space. We're supposed to be impressed.

I read the book. Sure, I guess it had some good obvious common sense things. But they're all things that are required to make a success of anyone in the business world also. What's the point of an agent if he/she wants YOU to do the advertising/promotion writing for him/her? What's the point of an agent actually adding (after brow-beating so many submiitters of his little pet peeves) a statement like 'if any of your books have ever been on a top 10 list then please don't forget to mention it!'.

Basically, this book is everything that you should NOT look for in an agent. This guy is marketing his services, by writing a book (actually, it appears that he's baited a number of people into buying his stuff'). He never mentions his actual name for the '14 novels under an pseudonym', but it's unfortunately obvious that he's trying the 'late-night TV Don Lafavre or whatever his name is' method of making money and attracting established authors. And his love of Dean Koontz (as he uses him in his prototypical perfect one-page email or letter to an agent), makes one worry that his ability to read talent is less than extraordinary.

The first 50 pages basically state that the best way to get his attention is to have already written a bestseller, or have an established author (like Dean Koontz) have read your stuff and recommended it.

Do yourselves a favor. It's hard enough getting published today. But Faulkner, Salinger, and any number of other authors would never even get their manuscript read by this person. FORTY manuscripts a YEAR? Why bother sending this guy anything? He gives the psychotherapy reasons for all the idiosyncracies of the aspiring authors who are foolish enough to send his 'firm' anything, but he doesn't bother explaining his own need for a psychotherapist, for why he really doesn't want to do any work; ideally wants a former 'bestselling author' or author that's been 'recommended by a current bestselling author' as all his submissions. After all, if his company only actually reads 40 manuscripts a year of 5000 submitted, then I can only guess he get's a 100% satisfaction ratio of former bestsellers who have been abandoned by other publishers, or authors who have managed to harass current authors with a rep to recommend their stuff.

Do NOT read this book folks. If you want to know what he says, I can encapsulate it for ya: Being an author is a business. That's it. What he doesn't say is that finding a good agent can make this travail easier if you're good. Trust me on this or not. I've written a couple of reviews here on Amazon. I tell it like I think it is. If I had an employee that acted like this agent, I'd fire him.

And no. I've never been published. The day I am, I know that it won't be via this person, nor any of his advice. Read my one line synopsis above. That's all he basically says in 160 pages or so. I've never been so disappointed in a book. It's almost weird reading a person who has no ability but obviously a connection to the publishing world. Alas, that is still really the best way and the way most authors get published. He actually SAYS to get a publisher before an agent! Ack.