Bestselling Secrets from Top Agents: The Insider's Guide to What Agents and Publishers Really Want

As always, Rick Frishman and Robyn Freedman Spizman have the answers. They are concise and direct in the ways that they present the answers to the questions that potential authors don't know enough to ask. With all of their success and knowledge, Rick Frishman and Robyn Freedman Spizman don't forget the new boy on the block. I find it so refreshing to realize that the "big wigs" act on their profession to want to help new authors. I learned so much from this book and I recommend it to anyone who is thinking about becoming a published author.

I both enjoyed reading Author 101 and greatly benefited from this book. It's relevant for me to point out that I am at the journeyman level as an author of fiction . I have a lively interest in seeking representation of my work by literary agents. I have little experience in how one goes about selecting literary agents with the interest and competence to represent my work to the appropriate publishers. AUTHOR 101 serves me well in this regard. It is an authoritative guide in the selection of the "right" literary agent, how to establish contact, how to present one's work and how to engage the interest of literary agents. The authors not only provide expert guidance on these issues, the book is also a reference work and a practical manual. A series of appendices provide information on such subjects as resource directories as well as canons of ethics. AUTHOR 101 will be of value not only to authors who are relative newcomers to the always challenging undertaking to get their work published, but also to experienced authors who wish to avail themselves of this book as a comprehensive statement of the uses of literary agents in achieving publication.

In today's economic climate, if you want to publish books, almost every writer needs a literary agent. Frishman and Spizman have launched a series of how-to books with the brand name Author 101. Each book looks almost identical except for the color and the information between the covers. This book on agents is excellent. For many years, each of these authors have been involved in publishing yet they expand their experience and have interviewed many top agents. This book is perfect for anyone who wants to learn more about the publishing industry, how the agenting process works and how to locate the best agent for you and your writing. I particularly liked the chapter called Reports from the Trenches where agents subscribed a submission and what caught their attention. As George Greenfield of Creative Well wrote, "When you have absolute belief in a project, you must sometimes walk through walls of cool rejection before you feel the warm glow of success." Another well-done chapter captures the top 25 dislikes of agents. "Writers can turn off agents in lots of ways, such as when they lack commitment, submit inquiries without doing their homework, and are not willing to promote their books." This book makes a solid addition to the available information on agents.

Every aspiring author should read this book very carefully. It is highly informative and well articulated. The authors have obviously thought deeply about the subject, and they write with a gracious tone that lets you know of the challenges without making you feel put down. This book empowers you with the right perceptions and will help you immensely to give proper focus to your efforts. It will help you to avoid wasting much time and other resources on misguided hopes, and it is up-to-date, letting you know of current practices, for example, the great importance of having a platform. I have found it to be really useful. An excellent book!