An effective synopsis is one of the mightiest tools in the writer's toolbox and yet even experienced authors worry about how to create a great one. The key is for the author to mine the story from their book. Yes, he or she needs to relay the plot, including the ending. But that's only a…
Let’s go! To The London Book Fair
It's the week of the London Book Fair: let's all gather in a couple of big sheds and talk about books. Let's do business: let's trade, persuade, pitch, shell out. Let's get high on the last great book we read. Let's flog stuff: let's make money. Let us be lovers of literature! Let's spread good…
Thinking at Night: Writing into the silence
I'm writing this blog entry while you sleep. I wrote all my blog entries while you slept: I can say that with confidence because I've written them all in the depths of the night. The past few months I have been suffering from insomnia; sleeping sometimes four hours, often quite a bit less. It's sometimes…
Let’s All Fall in Love: Reading and romance
Tonight quite a few of my clients and I will be at The Romantic Novelists' Association Annual Awards, the RoNAs: several prizes will be awarded to authors of romantic novels published in 2014. The RNA are quite specific about what constitutes a romantic novel in the terms of entry of their annual competition: It is…
On the Way to Where You are Going: The writer’s patience
Thanks for your patience: a sentence I seem to use too often these days as my reading pile grows higher and my reading time ever shorter. It isn't fair, but the only thing most writers are given quickly is the news that success will come slowly. We agents have to practice patience too: it can…
Happy Accidents and Useful Collisions: The making of a bestseller
Even though publishers work hard and effectively to create success, if you ask any debut author to explain how their fantastic book became a hit they will always list "luck" alongside "my publishers did a great job". Why do these authors feel they were dependent on luck? I think perhaps they realise that they have…
A Million Dream Maps: The Market
One of the questions agents are often asked is what kind of books we're looking for. Most of the time we're waiting to be struck by lightning - for our heaving pile of submissions to offer up a script which shape-shifts from pumpkin into carriage as we turn its pages... which looks like all the…
Agent of the Year: Good agenting
We are supposed to be nominating each other, we publishing professionals: the closing date for the Bookseller Industry Awards is nearly upon us. If we think we can discern the Imprint of the Year, Rights Professional of the Year or one of many other Publishing Persons of the Year including, indeed, the Literary Agent of…
Here I am, in your house: Editorial Interference
When I am asked if I edit my authors' work, I say that I do, but that's not quite how it feels. Editing (in my imagination) is an organised, professional activity involving sharp pencils and methodical thinking. My clients' talented editors do inspired work with text to elevate every book to the very best form…
The Art of the Compliment Sandwich: Praise
It's tough out there, as all publishers will tell you. Fewer shops in which to sell books, fewer promotional slots to win, lots of other TV and gaming product to compete with. But the good news is that books can still sell and sell for sure, if you have the right book at the right…