Writer's Market FAQ's: Fast answers about getting published and the business of writing [Paperback]

Peter Rubie (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2002

Writers question everything - authority, reality, status quo. But when they have questions about the craft, business and idiosyncrasies of writing there was no single source for fast answers - until now. Writer's Market FAQs provides all the information in one easy-to-use, comprehensive reference, covering topics like: Inspiration; Getting Published; E-Publishing; Protecting Your Work; Working with Agents and Editors; Nearly all writers want to be published - more easily, more often, or for more money. They also want inside information on how publishing works and how they can improve their chances of getting published. Peter Rubie's quick-reference, question-and-answer approach delivers the goods easily and rapidly.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

"There are a lot of books about writing," says Peter Rubie in Writer's Market FAQs, but few address "the metamorphosing business of publishing." Being a successful writer, Rubie advises, has as much to do with understanding marketing and sales and audience as it does with writing well. That's no surprise to anyone who's been in the business a day or two, but it might well shock the supernovice. Newly aspiring book authors have much to glean from Writer's Market FAQs, in which Rubie, an agent as well as an author, provides questions and answers to nearly 300 questions about publishing. Rubie divides his questions into 10 categories, including agents, editors, and other publishing people; marketing your work; how your manuscript becomes a book; reading the contract; and e-publishing and other routes. With terrific lay translations of typical contract terms and the Association of Authors' Representatives Code of Ethics. --Jane Steinberg

About the Author

Peter Rubie is the president of Peter Rubie Literary Agency, and the author of a number of fiction and nonfiction books, including How to Tell a Story. He is a publishing expert for AskMe.com. He lives in New York City.

Product Details

• Paperback: 271 pages
• Publisher: Writer's Digest Books; 1 edition (January 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582970718
• ISBN-13: 978-1582970714
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,149,504 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Facts for FAQs, July 1, 2002

By 

R. Tiedemann "Sunnye" (Bellevue, NE USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Writer's Market FAQ's: Fast answers about getting published and the business of writing (Paperback)

"Young" writers often make the mistake of believing that all they have to do to get published is learn the craft of writing and hone their talent, says Peter Rubie. "Alas," he adds, "technique is only a path, not an end." Then he goes on to say that the trick for new writers is to find what kind of books publishers want and who will publish the books he wants to write.

Rubie loves to answer questions and that's what this book does. It's quite comprehensive. There's no way I can give you a complete overview of the questions he answers but you'll get some idea from the subjects. In Chapter 1 he begins at the beginning: "How do I get started in the business of writing?" Notice the question is not about starting to write, it's about the business. Rubie has answers for questions like what to do when you're staring at a blank computer screen and whether or not writer's groups are useful so it's not all business.

Chapter 2 is about genres. In it he explains what they are, why they matter, how writers meet reader's expectations and more.

Chapter 3 covers agents, editors and "publishing people" with detailed information on subjects like researching agents and editors, what they do, reading fees, organizations, Code of Ethics, agreements, editorial departments, art departments, subsidiary rights ad infinitum.

Chapter 4 discusses marketing, from your idea to the bookstore. What to do about time sensitive material, trends, what to do with a great idea.

Chapter 5 describes developing ideas and creating book proposals. This leads off with "What should I write about?" and covers bad ideas, "reader's needs," exercises to develop ideas, writing different book proposals, structure, writing organizations, to name a few.

Chapter 6 gives you a good idea of how your book is developed from a manuscript from "what happens when I get an agent?" through subjects like what "well published" means and whether you need a lawyer. He talks about revisions, charts and illustrations, corrected manuscripts and finishing the book.

Chapter 7 has a lot of great information about how to read book contracts and what to do about them.

Chapter 8 discusses subrights and royalties pretty thoroughly and goes into sharing, selling foreign rights, returns and book scouts.

Chapter 9 is all about E-publishing and book packaging.

Chapter 10 covers writing and editing with discussions of things like rewriting, critiquing groups, structure in writing, "creative nonfiction," author's voice, dramatization and lots more.

Lest you have the impression that Rubie's book is just for newcomers, let me assure you that the information he offers is thorough enough and detailed enough to be useful to anyone no matter how seasoned. These are the questions writers ask, and Rubie has the answers.

Peter Rubie has been an editor and a literary agent as well as a book reviewer and author of fiction and nonfiction. He is the president of the Peter Rubie Literary Agency in New York City. In Writer's Market FAQs, Rubie serves up the world of publishing in the clear, cold light of fact.