Some of the biggest questions for authors who want to traditionally publish is, Will I find an agent to represent my book? What does a literary agent do? And if I want one, how do I best position myself for success? That’s why we decided to sit down with our friend Lucinda Halpern, founder and … Read more
“Do you think my memoir can get published?” A client recently posed this question at the top of the hour we had scheduled for a book consultation. If I’m honest, it’s a question I sort of dread. It asks for a black-or-white answer to a question that’s decidedly gray. When this kind of question lands on … Read more
When I started KN Literary, I used to write, edit and coach most of our clients. But as we’ve grown, so have my responsibilities. There was a point about two years ago when I had to stop taking on long-term editorial and writing projects. Why? Because I spent most of my time on projects being … Read more
So. You’ve put the finishing touches on your book proposal. You’ve taken your idea, fleshed it out into an outline, and concisely explained who will read it, what they’ll get from doing so, when they’ll need your book, where they’ll find it, and why you’re the best person to deliver the goods. This is a … Read more
Today, we diverge from our regularly scheduled program to bring you a math lesson. Groan. I know. But if you’ve spent any time working on a book proposal, you know that one piece of information prospective agents and publishers want to know requires you to do some futuristic math. Even though you haven’t written the … Read more
Hook you say? What’s a hook? That, my would-be author friend, is the question I am answering in this video! A “hook” is the one- or two-sentence description of what your book is about. And it’s the first thing you want to present to agents, editors and readers. The more high-concept and narrowly tailored your … Read more
If you are thinking of writing a book–but don’t yet know what a “platform” is–then this video is just for you! Author platform is THE buzzword in the book biz these days, and “What’s your platform?” is the first question an agent or editor is going to ask you when you tell them about your … Read more
Lately I’ve been working closely with a client on a book proposal for a self-help book. A proposal, if you’re unfamiliar, is a marketing document used to sell your book. It includes everything a publisher will need to know about you and the book in order to acquire your project for their company—or not. One … Read more
This past weekend I had the pleasure of speaking at the Hay House Writer’s Workshop in Chicago with Reid Tracy and Nancy Levin. The headliner for the weekend was Mike Dooley, creator of “Notes from the Universe,” a daily email I’ve been loyally reading for several years. It was pure entertainment to hear him recount … Read more
Back when I was an editor in NYC, I read a lot of book proposals. Good ones, bad ones. Boring ones. Exciting ones. Proposals for memoirs, self-help books, how-to guides, business advice, diet manuals…you name it, it came across my desk. In my dozen-or-so years as an acquiring editor, I probably read over a thousand … Read more
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