Writer's Guide to Book Editors, Publishers, and Literary Agents, 1999-2000 (with CD-ROM) : Who They Are! What They Want! And How to Win Them Over! [Paperback]

Jeff Herman (Author)

Book Description

Series: Writer's Guide | Publication Date: July 8, 1998

Over the years, Writer's Guide to Book Editors, Publishers, and Literary Agents has helped thousands of writers just like you get their books published. With the best and most up-to-date listings of key book publishing insiders, Writer's Guide gets you past the reject piles and into the hands of the right people. Nowhere else will you find the detail, the insight, the depth. Nowhere else will you find the solid inside information.

This deluxe edition includes a CD-ROM that contains the entire database of agents and publishers along with systems for tracking submissions, expenses, titles, and copyrights. In addition, direct links to Web sites mentioned in the book and an additional 50 links to writing-related sites give you immediate access to the people you need to know. It also includes over 30 utilities for writers like the Thinking Man's Thesaurus, WinZip, and Grammar Slammer.

Writer's Guide is your key to book publishing success. It gets you inside. It gets you noticed. Your talent will do the rest.


"Beats the pants off Writer's Market."

—Michael Werner, coauthor of Databases for Businesses and Using Lotus 1-2-3



"This guide started my book publishing career."

—Marcos McPeek Villatoro, author of A Fire in the Earth, They Say That I Am Two, and Walking to La Milpa



"The finest lead source that I've ever seen. A must buy for every writer, published or not!"

—Derek Savage, author of The Second Coming and The Dancer



"Invaluable information, from query letter to book proposal. This book has made my dreams come true."

—Eileen Oster, author of The Healing Mind



"This book got my foot in the door."

—Wynn Goldsmith, writer



"A masterpiece. I have never found so much practical information in this type of book before."

—Walter Lambert, author of Healing the Trauma of Divorce



"As a writer and literary agent, this book has been invaluable."

—Mary N. Oluonye, O-Squared Literary Agency



"Jeff Herman has crammed a generous helping of information and advice into this invaluable book."

—Paul Nathan, Publishers Weekly



"Writer's Guide has eclipsed both Literary Market Place and Writer's Market as a source of projects for our agency. At least a third of our sales last year came as a result of this book."

—Michael Snell, Michael Snell Literary Agency


About the Author

/Jeff Herman is founder of The Jeff Herman Literary Agency, one of New York's leading agencies for writers. He has sold hundreds of titles and represents dozens of top authors.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

So you've got this idea for a book, but you don't know where to begin to look for a publisher. With information on more than 400 publishers in the United States and Canada, the Writer's Guide to Book Editors, Publishers, and Literary Agents, 1999-2000 is the perfect place to start your search. Though the alphabetic listing of publishers is somewhat daunting, the index (with its select range of general topics) can narrow down your list. Once you've compiled a list of publishers interested in your topic, you can turn to the in-depth, individual entries to learn more. These profiles include information on the houses' recent successes, its imprints, and its staff--including the names of the people to whom you can send query letters.

The book also contains a list of over 200 top literary agents (the author, Jeff Herman, is a successful agent who has sold nearly 350 titles) and what they're willing to represent, along with essays on the necessity of finding the one who best suits you. Other essays on the merits of different types of publishers, how to write query letters, and how to develop a proposal package round out the book. Perhaps the finest feature of this work, however, is its honest, straightforward tone. While the book remains upbeat, there's no sugarcoating of the truth--that only a small percentage of good writers get published. While offering no guarantees, the Writer's Guide to Book Editors, Publishers, and Literary Agents, 1999-2000 will certainly help you in your search to find the one for you. --C.B. Delaney

Review

The Book Author's Bible

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Product Details

• Paperback: 984 pages
• Publisher: Prima Lifestyles; Books & CD-ROM (PC) edition (July 8, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 076151354X
• ISBN-13: 978-0761513544
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.8 x 2.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,063,668 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Many of the agents are considered suspect, December 20, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Writer's Guide to Book Editors, Publishers, and Literary Agents, 2000-2001: Who They Are! What They Want! And How to Win Them Over! (Paperback)

Herman claims he included AAR members and a few other "good literary agents." Not all that many of those he lists are AAR members. Many are not listed in the comprehensive listing at the Preditors and Editors literary agent site. More than ten of those he lists have earned a "not recommended" ranking from the Preditors and Editors site because they charge fees or allegedly engage in other unsavory practices. Although there are enough good agents listed in the book to make the non-CD-rom version of the book worth the money, be sure to check the listings against the P&E list and the list of the Association of Author's Representatives (which is also available online). And remember: the listings that seem too good to be true -- those that say they're really open to unpublished authors and really want to see books that can be made into movies, etc. -- are too good to be true.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I did it, so can you., January 11, 2001

By 

Bonnie Ramthun (Erie, CO United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Writer's Guide to Book Editors, Publishers, and Literary Agents, 2001-2002: Who They Are! What They Want! And How to Win Them Over (Paperback)

I'm the author of two novels (Ground Zero and Earthquake Games, publisher G.P. Putnam, order them today!) and I sold my first novel using the information from Mr. Herman's book. I sold my novel unagented after many years and countless rejections. How? The same way any novelist gets published; a darned good book and a steely resolve not to give up, ever.

Do you think the corporate book world is cold, unfeeling, and unwilling to take a risk? Of course it is. But all the same every editor is desperate to find the next Clancy. You must convince them that you are a worthwhile investment. It is possible, so don't give up. And best of luck!

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning -- & it really works!, July 28, 2000

By 

Erich Hoyt (North Berwick, Scotland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Writer's Guide to Book Editors, Publishers, and Literary Agents, 2001-2002: Who They Are! What They Want! And How to Win Them Over (Paperback)

I've used this book year after year to sell my own book proposals. Three of my published books, including two auctions for books, have resulted directly from Jeff Herman's suggestions of key editors. It also has loads of helpful advice for shaping the book proposal. I can't recommend this book enough to prospective or successful authors. Thanks Jeff.

- Erich Hoyt (author of The Earth Dwellers, Insect Lives, Orca: The Whale Called Killer, and other books)