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Posts Tagged ‘agent’
Monday, September 6th, 2010
 Patience means the capacity to endure waiting, delay, or provocation without becoming angry or upset (Roget’s New Millennium Thesaurus).
Patience is required at many different levels on the Writer’s Journey both with yourself and with others.
Why is patience such an important quality for writers?
First of all, writing a book for publication is a long term business.
Despite the fact that there are always exceptions to the rule, there are very few books that are written and picked up by an agent or publisher straight away. The norm is for the process to take time.
The stage where patience is most required, and one of the most important for all writers seeking commercial publication, is finding the right people to work with – agent and/or publisher.
The reason that it takes so long for publishing professionals to respond to your approach is that they genuinely do have an extremely long list of other tasks on their ‘To Do’ list. And this is before they even get to assessing new projects from new authors!
Add this to fact that they are almost always in meetings and inundated with material to read, and you’ll begin to get the picture.
Ironically, once a decision is finally made, from that point onwards everything suddenly switches to tight deadlines where everything needs to be completed ‘yesterday’.
With self-publishing, the long term nature of successful publishing takes into account the whole life cycle of the book. In this situation you need patience to nurture your book to success long beyond the launch.
It requires patience to cultivate mutually rewarding working relationships with people who will help to sell, market and promote your book. It also takes patience to build up a strong relationship with your readers that is likely to be rewarded by them buying your next book too.
Life has a way of taking the time required for projects to come to fruition – whatever that may be – rather than an arbitrary timeframe you may have decided you want to impose.
Usually, there is a bigger picture at work – if only you could see it then and there.
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Tags: agent, author, book, marketing, publication, publisher, readers, writer, Writing
Posted in Creativity, Publishing, Writing | No Comments »
Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010
I hope you’re having a good week so far as we head into the new month of August.
This is just a quick courtesy reminder that today, Tuesday 3 August is the registration deadline for the Writer’s Journey Raise the Bar Individual Coaching Program.
If you haven’t yet had a chance to check it out, you can read all about it, watch a short video and access the audio recording of the Preview Call by clicking here …
This individual coaching program has been created for writers at any stage of the writing journey to benefit from professional feedback, guidance, structure and support.
My commitment to you is that I will meet you exactly where you are on your writer’s journey and guide you to raise the bar to the next level – whatever that is for you – so that you make solid progress and experience tangible results.
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Tags: agent, author, book, book proposal, creative process, mindset, platform, publication, publish, readers, writer, Writing
Posted in Announcements, Book Proposals, Creativity, Publishing, Writing, marketing | No Comments »
Tuesday, July 20th, 2010
Raising the Bar on the Writer’s Journey means knowing what you already have in place, understanding precisely what you need to do next, and applying yourself consciously and creatively to consistent action! Raising the bar is an integral part of the journey to successful published authorship and needs to be applied at every stage along the way.
Join me on Tuesday 27 July at 8pm (BST/3pm EST) for a FREE Preview Call* to present the Raise the Bar Individual Coaching Program and learn the secrets of successfully raising the bar on your writer’s journey.
Click here to register …
I’ll also be sharing with you the details of the * 4 month * Raise the Bar Individual Coaching Program for just * 10 writers * starting in September (registration closes Tues 3 August). The Raise the Bar Individual Coaching Program has been created for writers at any stage of the writing journey to benefit from professional feedback, guidance, structure and support.
Read about the Raise the Bar Individual Coaching Program here …
If you’re ready to learn more about raising the bar on your writer’s journey, why not join me for an inspiring and interactive Preview call on Tuesday 27 July at 8pm (BST/3pm EST).
Click here to register …
If you can’t make the live call, no problem. Register anyway and we’ll send you access to the audio recording so that you can listen any time.
Enjoy the journey!
Julia
(*Usual telephone call charges apply)
Tags: action, agent, author, book proposal, creative process, inspiration, mindset, platform, publish, publisher, readers, success, support, true voice, writer, Writing
Posted in Announcements, Authenticity, Book Proposals, Creativity, Publishing, Writing, marketing | No Comments »
Monday, April 19th, 2010
 As we head deeper into spring here in the UK, the glorious sunshine is bringing forth new life all around us. Swathes of brown trees and hedges are turning green as the young leaves emerge from every branch and stem. What has appeared through the winter to be a network of lifeless sticks is now the foundation of a whole new cycle of life.
I love the parallels of the creative process with nature. Every aspect of writing your book and achieving your vision of successful authorship can be aligned with the flow of nature to great effect.
Just like the leaves on the trees, right now is a wonderful time to breathe new life into your writing dreams and activities.
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Tags: agent, author, book proposal, creative process, publisher, Writing
Posted in Book Proposals, Creativity, Personal Reflections, Publishing, Writing | 2 Comments »
Monday, April 5th, 2010
 Here in the UK, the London Book Fair is coming up in just a few weeks time. It takes place from 19th to 21st April and is described as a “global marketplace for rights negotiation and the sale and distribution of content across print, audio, TV, film and digital channels”.
It is one of the main book fairs which take place each year for professionals in the book trade alongside Book Expo in New York, Frankfurt and the Bologna Children’s Book Fair. There are also many smaller yet worthwhile book fairs and exhibitions internationally.
Many authors wonder if it is worth attending these trade fairs and many commentators say that it isn’t.
My view is that it can be a valuable experience if you approach it with the right mindset. You also need to plan your visit well in advance and wear sensible shoes in the knowledge that you’ll be on your feet for most of the day!
It is important to be realistic when thinking through a book fair visit, especially if you have a vision of meeting agents and editors to present your book to them. Most publishing professionals will have filled their schedule of 30 minute meetings well in advance of the fair taking place.
Having said that, serendipity can, and does, occur at book fairs.
When I was attending these events as a publisher, I remember well the number of times an author just happened to turn up at our stand when I was in between meetings. On some of those occasions, I did engage in impromptu conversations about new projects, and although it was rare, some of those spontaneous approaches did lead to us to publish the book the author had presented.
So here are 3 tips to help you benefit from attending a book fair this year:
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Tags: agent, author, book proposal, publisher
Posted in Events, Publishing, Writing | No Comments »
Monday, April 5th, 2010
 How to Write the Ultimate Book Proposal
Online Masterclass Course
5 Weeks to Book Proposal Mastery
One time only for 2010 * 20% discount * till MONDAY 26 APRIL
Plus priority invitation to a FREE Q&A teleseminar for Masterclass Course owners only on
THURSDAY 29 APRIL
@ 7.30pm (BST/2.30pm EST)
Would you like to have a first-class book proposal which you can present confidently to agents and publishers to open the publishing door for you?
In this one-of-a-kind Online Masterclass Course for both fiction and non-fiction writers you will learn how to:
- Avoid the 3 classic, time-wasting mistakes that many writers make with their book proposals
- Understand how agents and publishers think, work and make decisions so that you can pitch your work appropriately
- Know exactly what to include in each section of the book proposal, and perhaps even more importantly, what to leave out!
- Write a striking covering letter to accompany your proposal or synopsis
- Decipher the different requirements of individual agents and publishers when it comes to submitting your material to them
- Approach agents and publishers confidently and professionally to make sure that your book stands out for all of the right reasons!
To find out how to write your ultimate book proposal with my professional guidance, and to order your How to Write the Ultimate Book Proposal Online Masterclass Course with your 20% discount (and to receive immediate access!) click here …
Tags: agent, book proposal, publisher
Posted in Book Proposals, Events | No Comments »
Monday, March 15th, 2010
 With many authors yet to embrace fully the platform-building potential of Twitter, are we already seeing the next wave of possibility for this microblogging site?
It seems that authors in Japan may be ahead of the game when it comes to creative usage of Twitter as a new trend emerges with authors actually writing books on Twitter.
When you consider that each ‘tweet’ is just 140 characters long, it must be quite a challenge to write a Twitter novel!
As most writers understand, it is often much harder to craft a powerful message or tell an enticing tale using a modest number of words. So the reduction to a handful of characters is taking the minimalist idea to the extreme.
Yet, according to freelance journalist Felicity Hughes* who writes a blog for the Japan Times, Japanese authors have begun writing Twitter books.
Perhaps even more intriguingly, this trend is being watched by publishers who are looking to the internet as a “testing ground for new talent”.
This is good news for authors who are hoping to attract the positive attention of agents and editors, many of whom are active on Twitter themselves.
In fact the first collection of Twitter novels, One Hundred and Forty Character Stories, was published by Discover towards the end of last year and includes 1,000 short “novels” from 10 professional writers.
Although this is clearly very early days, it is fascinating to see how creative both writers and publishers can be when it comes to taking stories to the marketplace.
So what can be learnt from their example?
In my view, this is an opportunity to remember that “less is often more” when it comes to writing, and that lesson is probably one which many of us benefit from being reminded of more than once.
What are your views on Twitter as a potential literary tool and how easy do you find it to write less to say more? Add your comments below …
* With thanx to The Bookseller and to Felicity Hughes for providing source information and for inspiring this commentary.
Tags: agent, author, book, platform, publisher, social networking
Posted in Creativity, Publishing, Writing | 2 Comments »
Friday, November 20th, 2009
 This is a question which is likely to apply to increasing numbers of writers as the publishing landscape continues to shift in response to new developments in technology and readers’ requirements.
Opportunities with print-on-demand open up possibilities for writers to go ahead and publish their own books even when their ultimate goal is securing a deal with a traditional publisher.
The most important point to realize is that it is not enough simply to print and publish your book and expect an agent or publisher to be impressed sufficiently by those actions alone.
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Tags: agent, author, media, platform, print-on-demand, professional, publisher, success, writer
Posted in Publishing, Writing | 6 Comments »
Friday, November 6th, 2009
 Book titles are extremely important so it is really worth making sure that you have the ‘right’ title for your book.
If you are looking for a traditional publishing deal, as I’m sure you appreciate, the first few minutes when agents and publishers are assessing your work are crucial.
So the more you can do to create a positive impact the better and having a strong title is one way of doing just that.
An engaging title is also likely to make a significant difference to how your book is perceived by your readers and in the marketplace generally.
Read the rest of this entry ›
Tags: agent, book, book proposal, publication, publisher, Publishing, reader
Posted in Book Proposals, Publishing | No Comments »
Friday, October 16th, 2009
The Writer’s Journey FREE Teleseminar Interview Series
 Julia McCutchen interviews Joanna Penn
on Tuesday 27 October 2009
at 8pm (UK time/3pm EST)
The publishing industry is in a state of major change which represents a double-edged sword for authors.
It is becoming increasingly challenging for new authors to inspire enough confidence in agents and publishers to take them on.
Simultaneously, doors are opening elsewhere for writers to take their work directly to their readers – without the requirement of such ‘intermediaries’.
Over the last few years, Joanna Penn has studied the various options available to authors which she summarises in her Publishing Quadrant blueprint.
By the end of the interview you will know:
- How the Publishing Quadrant works and which options could be right for your book
- What print-on-demand publishing is and how it can save you money and see you published all over the world
- How digital publishing and ebooks are changing the publishing world, and how you can create ebooks and see them on the iPhone and the Amazon Kindle
- How Web 2.0 tools can help you market and sell your books yourself
For more information and to register for the live call and audio, click here …
Tags: agent, author, book, ebook, print-on-demand, publisher, Publishing, web 2.0
Posted in Events, Publishing | No Comments »
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Patience means the capacity to endure waiting, delay, or provocation without becoming angry or upset (Roget’s New Millennium Thesaurus).
