The bedroom is a place of Zen for every individual in a family home. It is a place where one can just be himself and let go of the worries and stress of the outside world. Aside from activities that you commonly hold in your room, the furniture that you equip it with will accentuate its overall feel and beauty.
This is the case if you are living in Miami, Florida. The homes in the city can only be described as elegant, as it is convenient. The beauty of the neighborhood is reflected by the luxurious homes that dots the area -- not only on the outside, but on the inside as well.
Miami Bedroom Furniture -- Style And Design
If you take a look around Miami, Florida; you might notice that the city is selling modern bedroom furnishing that incorporates different themes and styles that will suit an individual's taste. Aside from the beauty that it can give to your room, Miami bedroom furniture addresses the concern of the individual in terms of convenience and comfort.
Let's first discuss the concept of modern bedroom furniture and how it can add beauty to a room. For starters, you can purchase styles that fit the age that you want your room to exude, such as Victorian, contemporary or modern, archaic, vintage, or just plain futuristic. There are practically hundreds of styles to choose from with assorted colors, materials used, design, and so on. Pick a concept that will fit your bedroom preference perfectly.
Convenience Of Use
Another method to pick out modern bedroom furniture for your Miami home is to choose one according to your use for it. For example, some Miami homes do not have that much space for a family's comfort.
In fact, many of these residential units in Miami lack the necessary space for bulky furniture, much less for every individual in a single household. To address this concern, creative minds have come up with methods of incorporating different features in bedroom furniture, or assimilating it perfectly into the architectural designs of your home to maximize space; once such example is the combination of a platform bed and an entertainment system.
Furniture developers have come up with a way to incorporate an entertainment system into a modern platform bed. The screen can be integrated into the foot area of the platform bed, or uses contraptions to slide it under. Other designs use a flat screen television unit in place of a headboard, like having a movie theater in the convenience of your own bed.
Some platform beds are incorporated into walls and ceiling to free much needed space in a family bedroom. Ceiling-type platform beds use an elevator-like design where the bed can be pulled down from the ceiling, either manually or through a push of a button, if needed and pushed back up if not. The same concept also applies with wall-type beds.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Literary Fiction - Is it in Danger of Dying Out?
If Ernest Hemingway were alive today and publishing his first novel at the infancy of the 21st century, would anyone care? I’d have to say, probably not. This is of course, unfortunate. Whether you like his work or consider it overly macho and sexist, there is one undeniable fact: Hemingway redefined the way early 20th century American literature was written. In his simple, yet amazingly realistic style, he was able to relate more to the common man, rather than appealing to ultra-elite society as the countless Victorian authors did before him. Not to say he was the first to write about average everyday people, but it was the way he wrote his fiction that made the average everyday people want to read it. By scrapping the pretentious Victorian-style narrative and sticking to the actual guts of the story, his novels became the everyman’s novels, and this is what made him an international superstar in his day.
But today this would not be enough to get old Ernie that kind of attention. In fact, it may not even be enough to get him published. Today it takes a brand-able or franchise-able idea that has the potential to branch out into spin-off products and mega-movie deals to garner that kind of worldwide attention from a novel. Examples include The Da Vinci Code and the Harry Potter series. They have that mega-million dollar potential that drives authors to the top of the bestseller lists for months at a time. But why is it that the bestseller lists are so often dominated by genre novels? What happened to the literary novels that used to rule the book world?
I don’t want to offend anyone here, but I would like to take one moment to explain the difference between “literary” fiction and “genre” fiction (genre meaning Mystery, Sci-Fi, Romance, etc.) Many people actually have no idea that there is a difference. In fact, when someone asked me once what genre I wrote in, I said, “I don’t write in a genre. I write literary fiction.” They laughed and said, “Isn’t all fiction literary?” Well maybe they were confusing the word “literary” with “literature,” but at any rate I will now explain the difference for those of you who don’t know. I do want to say upfront that I am in no way putting down genre fiction, since it too has its merits and value. And many times genre fiction may even take on some aspects of literary, and vice versa. However, the focus here is on whether or not literary fiction has completely fallen off the general public’s proverbial radar screen . . . So, I continue.
The main difference between genre and literary fiction is one thing: conflict. Conflict is that all-important element in fiction, so important that without it you have no story to tell. Conflict is the problem the characters must solve, the obstacle they must overcome, the foe they must defeat, etc. And, there are two types of conflict: External and Internal. External is the type of conflict utilized by genre writers. For example, in a murder mystery the conflict would be the murder that the detective is trying to solve. In science fiction it might be that the alien hoards have just landed in Jersey and the Air Force is faced with destroying them. Whatever it is, in genre, the conflict is always external, i.e. aliens are an external force the Air Force pilots must defeat, the murder is an external problem the detective must solve. So the conflict depends more on these external forces, rather than the characters.
In literary fiction, the conflict is much different, it’s internal, which means it is character driven. It focuses less on the external forces the characters must overcome, and more on the internal forces the characters must face within themselves. For example, it may be a story about a man who has cheated on his wife and his conflict is whether or not he should tell her. Or (and this is where the mixing of genre and literary comes in) the alien hoards have landed in Jersey, once again, and the Air Force pilots must decide if they believe it morally correct to blow them to kingdom come. That’s the beauty of literary fiction, there is a much deeper revealing of the characters in that it explores what we as human beings would do in these situations, rather than what an idealized character may do. Like us all, they are not purely black or white. They are instead gray characters, sharing both good and bad qualities. This is what literary fiction does; it explores the true nature of, well, human nature.
So, is literary fiction falling through the cracks of mainstream society? If so it’s not because it isn’t being written. On the contrary, there are plenty of contemporary literary writers in America today who are all worth the accolades and awards they have received. But have you ever heard of Marilynne Robinson or Jeffrey Eugenides, two fairly recent and award winning literary novelists? You may have, but how about Richard Bausch? He was once called “one of our greatest short story writers” whose literary stories “deserve inclusion among the best American stories of the past 20 years.” It could be said that Bausch is near the top of the modern literary strata as far as talent goes, but have you ever heard of him? Is his name as recognizable as Dan Brown or J.K. Rowling? Indeed, not. So why is that? In 2004, genre fiction made up about 75% of all fiction sold, while “general fiction” made up about 25% (this is according to Romance Writers of America, Inc., who of course noted that the genre of Romance had the largest share at over 33%).
In general, sales for all books have been declining in recent years. This may be attributed to many factors, one in particular I like to call, the MTV factor. I mean, why waste your time reading a book about twenty-year-olds having sex in a hot tub when you can watch it on cable television, right? MTV, however, is not the cause of this problem, but just another symptom of what has been coined by the talking head as, “the dumbing down of America.” If this phenomenon exists it is something we must all live with, but is it the reason less literary novels are being read today? After all, it doesn’t take a genius to enjoy literary fiction. I enjoy literary fiction, and I am certainly no genius. So could it be the publishers? Are they to blame for the slow demise of this once sought-after art form? Well, they certainly contribute to it, since a book about a teenage wizard does mean a bigger profit margin than say, a novel about a dieing preacher writing an account of his life for his seven-year-old son (Gilead, Marilynne Robinson). But whether or not the mega-conglomerate publishers bare the bulk of the responsibility for the impending death of literary fiction is unclear. What does seem to be painfully clear is, whatever the reason, literary fiction is no longer craved and devoured by the masses as it once was. In fact, most Americans will only read literary fiction in grade school. But what turns out to be an even scarier statistic is that after high school, the majority of them will never pick up a book, of any kind, for the rest of their natural lives; a sad sign that we are doomed as a literary society. So I suppose in the end, we should be happy that those that do read are
But today this would not be enough to get old Ernie that kind of attention. In fact, it may not even be enough to get him published. Today it takes a brand-able or franchise-able idea that has the potential to branch out into spin-off products and mega-movie deals to garner that kind of worldwide attention from a novel. Examples include The Da Vinci Code and the Harry Potter series. They have that mega-million dollar potential that drives authors to the top of the bestseller lists for months at a time. But why is it that the bestseller lists are so often dominated by genre novels? What happened to the literary novels that used to rule the book world?
I don’t want to offend anyone here, but I would like to take one moment to explain the difference between “literary” fiction and “genre” fiction (genre meaning Mystery, Sci-Fi, Romance, etc.) Many people actually have no idea that there is a difference. In fact, when someone asked me once what genre I wrote in, I said, “I don’t write in a genre. I write literary fiction.” They laughed and said, “Isn’t all fiction literary?” Well maybe they were confusing the word “literary” with “literature,” but at any rate I will now explain the difference for those of you who don’t know. I do want to say upfront that I am in no way putting down genre fiction, since it too has its merits and value. And many times genre fiction may even take on some aspects of literary, and vice versa. However, the focus here is on whether or not literary fiction has completely fallen off the general public’s proverbial radar screen . . . So, I continue.
The main difference between genre and literary fiction is one thing: conflict. Conflict is that all-important element in fiction, so important that without it you have no story to tell. Conflict is the problem the characters must solve, the obstacle they must overcome, the foe they must defeat, etc. And, there are two types of conflict: External and Internal. External is the type of conflict utilized by genre writers. For example, in a murder mystery the conflict would be the murder that the detective is trying to solve. In science fiction it might be that the alien hoards have just landed in Jersey and the Air Force is faced with destroying them. Whatever it is, in genre, the conflict is always external, i.e. aliens are an external force the Air Force pilots must defeat, the murder is an external problem the detective must solve. So the conflict depends more on these external forces, rather than the characters.
In literary fiction, the conflict is much different, it’s internal, which means it is character driven. It focuses less on the external forces the characters must overcome, and more on the internal forces the characters must face within themselves. For example, it may be a story about a man who has cheated on his wife and his conflict is whether or not he should tell her. Or (and this is where the mixing of genre and literary comes in) the alien hoards have landed in Jersey, once again, and the Air Force pilots must decide if they believe it morally correct to blow them to kingdom come. That’s the beauty of literary fiction, there is a much deeper revealing of the characters in that it explores what we as human beings would do in these situations, rather than what an idealized character may do. Like us all, they are not purely black or white. They are instead gray characters, sharing both good and bad qualities. This is what literary fiction does; it explores the true nature of, well, human nature.
So, is literary fiction falling through the cracks of mainstream society? If so it’s not because it isn’t being written. On the contrary, there are plenty of contemporary literary writers in America today who are all worth the accolades and awards they have received. But have you ever heard of Marilynne Robinson or Jeffrey Eugenides, two fairly recent and award winning literary novelists? You may have, but how about Richard Bausch? He was once called “one of our greatest short story writers” whose literary stories “deserve inclusion among the best American stories of the past 20 years.” It could be said that Bausch is near the top of the modern literary strata as far as talent goes, but have you ever heard of him? Is his name as recognizable as Dan Brown or J.K. Rowling? Indeed, not. So why is that? In 2004, genre fiction made up about 75% of all fiction sold, while “general fiction” made up about 25% (this is according to Romance Writers of America, Inc., who of course noted that the genre of Romance had the largest share at over 33%).
In general, sales for all books have been declining in recent years. This may be attributed to many factors, one in particular I like to call, the MTV factor. I mean, why waste your time reading a book about twenty-year-olds having sex in a hot tub when you can watch it on cable television, right? MTV, however, is not the cause of this problem, but just another symptom of what has been coined by the talking head as, “the dumbing down of America.” If this phenomenon exists it is something we must all live with, but is it the reason less literary novels are being read today? After all, it doesn’t take a genius to enjoy literary fiction. I enjoy literary fiction, and I am certainly no genius. So could it be the publishers? Are they to blame for the slow demise of this once sought-after art form? Well, they certainly contribute to it, since a book about a teenage wizard does mean a bigger profit margin than say, a novel about a dieing preacher writing an account of his life for his seven-year-old son (Gilead, Marilynne Robinson). But whether or not the mega-conglomerate publishers bare the bulk of the responsibility for the impending death of literary fiction is unclear. What does seem to be painfully clear is, whatever the reason, literary fiction is no longer craved and devoured by the masses as it once was. In fact, most Americans will only read literary fiction in grade school. But what turns out to be an even scarier statistic is that after high school, the majority of them will never pick up a book, of any kind, for the rest of their natural lives; a sad sign that we are doomed as a literary society. So I suppose in the end, we should be happy that those that do read are
Where to Look for a Literary Agent
Why spend time and money looking for a literary agent if your agent isn’t going to be able to help you get your book published for a good advance and with a good publisher? This article will explain the biggest mistake beginning writers make when it comes to literary agents: not knowing where to look for an agent.
WHERE SHOULD YOUR LITERARY AGENT HAVE AN OFFICE?
A literary agent in New York City has the best chance of landing you a good publishing deal with a good publisher who will pay a decent advance. Sure, there are agents in other cities, and many of them are wonderful. But New York City is the publishing capital of the world. There are more bookstores and publishers here than anywhere. When I was in high school I used to travel from the Bronx into Manhattan by subway just to visit the great bookstores: Brentano’s, Scribner’s, the Strand, and Barnes and Noble.
Now that I’m a published writer, I still travel to New York for its bookstores, but these days I also visit my literary agents.
The reason that there are so many literary agents in New York City is simple. They want to be close to the action. They need to be able to have lunch with editors. It’s at lunch that many deals are made and many friendships and business associations are forged.
WHAT DOES A LITERARY AGENT DO AT LUNCH BESIDES EAT?
The primary purpose of a publisher’s lunch is not to eat. That is incidental to business. The primary purpose is to discuss books, writers, editors, agents, and book proposals. The first thing an editor and a literary agent will do is exchange business cards. Then they’ll order drinks (non-alcoholic usually) and they’ll talk about the latest projects they’re working on. The editor will ask about the various new writers the agent is representing.
After ordering the meal, they’ll have another opportunity to talk business. This time they may focus on a specific project the literary agent is trying to sell. Editors are eager to hear new ideas from agents they trust.
Once the food arrives, the literary agent is likely to become a little more relaxed and casual, but business is not far from her mind. She’ll probably ask the editor what she’s working on and try to get a sense of what the editor wants to see in terms of new manuscripts. A literary agent can then communicate these interests to the writers she represents during the course of the next few weeks or months.
Looking for a literary agent in New York City should be at the top of the list of priorities of any beginning writer. The simple fact of the matter is that New York literary agents have the contacts that could turn a publisher’s lunch into a book contract for you.
WHERE SHOULD YOUR LITERARY AGENT HAVE AN OFFICE?
A literary agent in New York City has the best chance of landing you a good publishing deal with a good publisher who will pay a decent advance. Sure, there are agents in other cities, and many of them are wonderful. But New York City is the publishing capital of the world. There are more bookstores and publishers here than anywhere. When I was in high school I used to travel from the Bronx into Manhattan by subway just to visit the great bookstores: Brentano’s, Scribner’s, the Strand, and Barnes and Noble.
Now that I’m a published writer, I still travel to New York for its bookstores, but these days I also visit my literary agents.
The reason that there are so many literary agents in New York City is simple. They want to be close to the action. They need to be able to have lunch with editors. It’s at lunch that many deals are made and many friendships and business associations are forged.
WHAT DOES A LITERARY AGENT DO AT LUNCH BESIDES EAT?
The primary purpose of a publisher’s lunch is not to eat. That is incidental to business. The primary purpose is to discuss books, writers, editors, agents, and book proposals. The first thing an editor and a literary agent will do is exchange business cards. Then they’ll order drinks (non-alcoholic usually) and they’ll talk about the latest projects they’re working on. The editor will ask about the various new writers the agent is representing.
After ordering the meal, they’ll have another opportunity to talk business. This time they may focus on a specific project the literary agent is trying to sell. Editors are eager to hear new ideas from agents they trust.
Once the food arrives, the literary agent is likely to become a little more relaxed and casual, but business is not far from her mind. She’ll probably ask the editor what she’s working on and try to get a sense of what the editor wants to see in terms of new manuscripts. A literary agent can then communicate these interests to the writers she represents during the course of the next few weeks or months.
Looking for a literary agent in New York City should be at the top of the list of priorities of any beginning writer. The simple fact of the matter is that New York literary agents have the contacts that could turn a publisher’s lunch into a book contract for you.
Why Use A Direct Marketing List Broker?
There are thousands of different lists in the marketplace today. There are business lists and consumer lists.
There are postal, phone, and opt-in email lists. There are hundreds of different companies who manage, compile, and represent these lists. How would you know where to start? How would you know where to look? How would you know what to pay? How would you know how much time it should take? How would you know if you are being realistic with your timeline and budget? A List Broker can answer all of these questions for you, and will typically only charge you for the actual list.
For consumer lists, there are hundreds of different criteria that you can utilize when searching for a list. How would know what criteria to use? How would you know which list company to turn to based on your criteria? How would you know what a reasonable price is that you should be paying for these criteria? A List Broker can help you to determine which criteria will deliver the quantity of records you are seeking and the optimal outcome.
For business lists, there are not as many criteria, however, there are many different types of business lists, and it is very easy to become confused if you are not supported by someone who knows what to look for. A List Broker has worked with many different business list companies, and can therefore determine, based on your criteria, which company(s) to turn to.
There are also different rules in place that govern how lists can be used, and there are different list companies that do and do not follow these rules. For instance, consumer phone numbers in the USA are tightly regulated under the Do Not Call legislation. Not only are there national regulations, each state has their own policies around calling consumers. It is very important to work with legitimate list companies who follow these rules.
The same approach is in place for email lists. This is why there are referred to as opt-in email lists because they are permission based. There are companies out there that will sell you an email list. We highly recommend that you do not work with these companies because the list is probably old and it is most definitely not permission based, and is therefore illegal. Please review the CAN-SPAM Act to learn more about email list policy.
How do you know which list is right for you? Unless you have worked with many of these vendors, and know what their quality is, you don't know which list is right for you. That is where a List Broker can really make a difference in the outcome of your direct marketing campaign. A Broker knows which companies to turn to depending on what your specific targeted needs are. A Broker can locate specific data for you depending on what your budget and time line is. A Broker knows which company to turn to depending on whether you are looking for a postal, phone, or opt-in email list.
A good Broker will provide you with choices. In other words, instead of being told that this is the data you need, they will provide you with several choices to review and will point out which one they believe will deliver the optimal results for your campaign. What is great for you is that you can choose the data that you think will work best for you.
A Broker will do all the research for you in order to ensure that the best data is located. Therefore, a List Broker will save you time, money, and aggravation in your acquisition of a Direct Marketing List. What are you waiting for? Let a List Broker support your targeted marketing needs now!
There are postal, phone, and opt-in email lists. There are hundreds of different companies who manage, compile, and represent these lists. How would you know where to start? How would you know where to look? How would you know what to pay? How would you know how much time it should take? How would you know if you are being realistic with your timeline and budget? A List Broker can answer all of these questions for you, and will typically only charge you for the actual list.
For consumer lists, there are hundreds of different criteria that you can utilize when searching for a list. How would know what criteria to use? How would you know which list company to turn to based on your criteria? How would you know what a reasonable price is that you should be paying for these criteria? A List Broker can help you to determine which criteria will deliver the quantity of records you are seeking and the optimal outcome.
For business lists, there are not as many criteria, however, there are many different types of business lists, and it is very easy to become confused if you are not supported by someone who knows what to look for. A List Broker has worked with many different business list companies, and can therefore determine, based on your criteria, which company(s) to turn to.
There are also different rules in place that govern how lists can be used, and there are different list companies that do and do not follow these rules. For instance, consumer phone numbers in the USA are tightly regulated under the Do Not Call legislation. Not only are there national regulations, each state has their own policies around calling consumers. It is very important to work with legitimate list companies who follow these rules.
The same approach is in place for email lists. This is why there are referred to as opt-in email lists because they are permission based. There are companies out there that will sell you an email list. We highly recommend that you do not work with these companies because the list is probably old and it is most definitely not permission based, and is therefore illegal. Please review the CAN-SPAM Act to learn more about email list policy.
How do you know which list is right for you? Unless you have worked with many of these vendors, and know what their quality is, you don't know which list is right for you. That is where a List Broker can really make a difference in the outcome of your direct marketing campaign. A Broker knows which companies to turn to depending on what your specific targeted needs are. A Broker can locate specific data for you depending on what your budget and time line is. A Broker knows which company to turn to depending on whether you are looking for a postal, phone, or opt-in email list.
A good Broker will provide you with choices. In other words, instead of being told that this is the data you need, they will provide you with several choices to review and will point out which one they believe will deliver the optimal results for your campaign. What is great for you is that you can choose the data that you think will work best for you.
A Broker will do all the research for you in order to ensure that the best data is located. Therefore, a List Broker will save you time, money, and aggravation in your acquisition of a Direct Marketing List. What are you waiting for? Let a List Broker support your targeted marketing needs now!
Why Use A Direct Marketing List Broker?
There are thousands of different lists in the marketplace today. There are business lists and consumer lists.
There are postal, phone, and opt-in email lists. There are hundreds of different companies who manage, compile, and represent these lists. How would you know where to start? How would you know where to look? How would you know what to pay? How would you know how much time it should take? How would you know if you are being realistic with your timeline and budget? A List Broker can answer all of these questions for you, and will typically only charge you for the actual list.
For consumer lists, there are hundreds of different criteria that you can utilize when searching for a list. How would know what criteria to use? How would you know which list company to turn to based on your criteria? How would you know what a reasonable price is that you should be paying for these criteria? A List Broker can help you to determine which criteria will deliver the quantity of records you are seeking and the optimal outcome.
For business lists, there are not as many criteria, however, there are many different types of business lists, and it is very easy to become confused if you are not supported by someone who knows what to look for. A List Broker has worked with many different business list companies, and can therefore determine, based on your criteria, which company(s) to turn to.
There are also different rules in place that govern how lists can be used, and there are different list companies that do and do not follow these rules. For instance, consumer phone numbers in the USA are tightly regulated under the Do Not Call legislation. Not only are there national regulations, each state has their own policies around calling consumers. It is very important to work with legitimate list companies who follow these rules.
The same approach is in place for email lists. This is why there are referred to as opt-in email lists because they are permission based. There are companies out there that will sell you an email list. We highly recommend that you do not work with these companies because the list is probably old and it is most definitely not permission based, and is therefore illegal. Please review the CAN-SPAM Act to learn more about email list policy.
How do you know which list is right for you? Unless you have worked with many of these vendors, and know what their quality is, you don't know which list is right for you. That is where a List Broker can really make a difference in the outcome of your direct marketing campaign. A Broker knows which companies to turn to depending on what your specific targeted needs are. A Broker can locate specific data for you depending on what your budget and time line is. A Broker knows which company to turn to depending on whether you are looking for a postal, phone, or opt-in email list.
A good Broker will provide you with choices. In other words, instead of being told that this is the data you need, they will provide you with several choices to review and will point out which one they believe will deliver the optimal results for your campaign. What is great for you is that you can choose the data that you think will work best for you.
A Broker will do all the research for you in order to ensure that the best data is located. Therefore, a List Broker will save you time, money, and aggravation in your acquisition of a Direct Marketing List. What are you waiting for? Let a List Broker support your targeted marketing needs now!
There are postal, phone, and opt-in email lists. There are hundreds of different companies who manage, compile, and represent these lists. How would you know where to start? How would you know where to look? How would you know what to pay? How would you know how much time it should take? How would you know if you are being realistic with your timeline and budget? A List Broker can answer all of these questions for you, and will typically only charge you for the actual list.
For consumer lists, there are hundreds of different criteria that you can utilize when searching for a list. How would know what criteria to use? How would you know which list company to turn to based on your criteria? How would you know what a reasonable price is that you should be paying for these criteria? A List Broker can help you to determine which criteria will deliver the quantity of records you are seeking and the optimal outcome.
For business lists, there are not as many criteria, however, there are many different types of business lists, and it is very easy to become confused if you are not supported by someone who knows what to look for. A List Broker has worked with many different business list companies, and can therefore determine, based on your criteria, which company(s) to turn to.
There are also different rules in place that govern how lists can be used, and there are different list companies that do and do not follow these rules. For instance, consumer phone numbers in the USA are tightly regulated under the Do Not Call legislation. Not only are there national regulations, each state has their own policies around calling consumers. It is very important to work with legitimate list companies who follow these rules.
The same approach is in place for email lists. This is why there are referred to as opt-in email lists because they are permission based. There are companies out there that will sell you an email list. We highly recommend that you do not work with these companies because the list is probably old and it is most definitely not permission based, and is therefore illegal. Please review the CAN-SPAM Act to learn more about email list policy.
How do you know which list is right for you? Unless you have worked with many of these vendors, and know what their quality is, you don't know which list is right for you. That is where a List Broker can really make a difference in the outcome of your direct marketing campaign. A Broker knows which companies to turn to depending on what your specific targeted needs are. A Broker can locate specific data for you depending on what your budget and time line is. A Broker knows which company to turn to depending on whether you are looking for a postal, phone, or opt-in email list.
A good Broker will provide you with choices. In other words, instead of being told that this is the data you need, they will provide you with several choices to review and will point out which one they believe will deliver the optimal results for your campaign. What is great for you is that you can choose the data that you think will work best for you.
A Broker will do all the research for you in order to ensure that the best data is located. Therefore, a List Broker will save you time, money, and aggravation in your acquisition of a Direct Marketing List. What are you waiting for? Let a List Broker support your targeted marketing needs now!
When Do You Need an Agent for Your Book?
Not always. And agents can be challenging to obtain, sometimes almost as challenging as selling your book to a publisher.
You need an agent when you have a book for the general public that you want published by a large mainstream publisher.
The agent will have established relationships with the editors who obtain books for these big publishers. They will know which publishers are likely to be in the market for your kind of book. And they will know how much royalty advance your book will be likely to get.
They will also negotiate the complex terms of your book contract for you. This alone will be worth the 15% commission most charge.
You don't need an agent for a book that is for professional audiences or that will be published by smaller presses. These presses will not give you much of an advance and the contracts they offer will be pretty standard and boilerplate (and since there is not that much money involved in the book ultimately, negotiating that contract is less crucial).
There are also some "trade" publishers (industry jargon for publishers that sell books to the general public) that are small enough not to always require an agent to submit books to them. These are University Presses, and publishers like HCI (who published the Chicken Soup For the Soul Books), New Harbinger (who publish self-help books by psychotherapists mainly) and some others. But even with them, it might be worth your while to get an agent, as they will know what your book is worth and will help decipher and negotiate the complex boilerplate contracts publishers will offer.
How do you find and get an agent? That is a more complex topic and one I will take up in another article.
Hope this helps in getting your book written and published.
P.S. There is a rule of thumb we authors use with agents: The money always flows from agents and publishers to authors. If any agent asks you for money (usually reading fees), run the other way holding on to your wallet. Then search for a real agent.
You need an agent when you have a book for the general public that you want published by a large mainstream publisher.
The agent will have established relationships with the editors who obtain books for these big publishers. They will know which publishers are likely to be in the market for your kind of book. And they will know how much royalty advance your book will be likely to get.
They will also negotiate the complex terms of your book contract for you. This alone will be worth the 15% commission most charge.
You don't need an agent for a book that is for professional audiences or that will be published by smaller presses. These presses will not give you much of an advance and the contracts they offer will be pretty standard and boilerplate (and since there is not that much money involved in the book ultimately, negotiating that contract is less crucial).
There are also some "trade" publishers (industry jargon for publishers that sell books to the general public) that are small enough not to always require an agent to submit books to them. These are University Presses, and publishers like HCI (who published the Chicken Soup For the Soul Books), New Harbinger (who publish self-help books by psychotherapists mainly) and some others. But even with them, it might be worth your while to get an agent, as they will know what your book is worth and will help decipher and negotiate the complex boilerplate contracts publishers will offer.
How do you find and get an agent? That is a more complex topic and one I will take up in another article.
Hope this helps in getting your book written and published.
P.S. There is a rule of thumb we authors use with agents: The money always flows from agents and publishers to authors. If any agent asks you for money (usually reading fees), run the other way holding on to your wallet. Then search for a real agent.
Book Proposal Secrets for Writers
There are four things you need to keep in mind when writing your book proposal. Very few people will explain this to you, yet it’s well known in the industry. In a nutshell this is the secret: Your book proposal is going to be your calling card first to your literary agent, second to your acquiring editor, third to the sales department, and fourth to the marketing people. Knowing this little fact can help you write convincing book proposals that hook everyone all down the line - from agent to editor to those on the in-house team.
Of course the first person to read your book proposal is going to be your literary agent. If you don’t have a literary agent yet, your book proposal is going to be your introduction to this individual. Remember that agents look first and foremost for saleable ideas. If an idea can’t be sold, it won’t appeal to your agent. This is because your literary agent gets a commission only on material she sells. So the first thing you want to do is make sure that your idea is one that will appeal to a literary agent’s view of the publishing world. Can you imagine your book on the shelves of bookstores? You have to see it in your mind’s eye, and you have to make your agent see it - and believe it.
The second person who will read your book proposal - assuming it gets past the literary agent stage - is the acquiring editor. Although acquiring editors have somewhat similar concerns insofar as they also want something that will sell, they differ from literary agents in that they often have more literary or artistic aspirations. Editors are a funny breed of people. They go into the business of publishing with the ideal of becoming another Maxwell Perkins. But then they get barraged with little mundane matters that are the result of being in a highly competitive business, and before long they learn to deal with the commercial side of art. They know they have to answer to the higher-ups in the organization, the CEO, the sales force, and the marketing department. It’s your editor’s vision that will bring a book into a publishing house, but this is only one step in a process that will involve many other departments and people. Editors usually have two diverging interests which they must keep in balance.
On the one hand, they want literary quality and good writing; but on the other hand, they must bend to the commercial interests of getting a book to succeed in today’s marketplace where more books than ever are flooding bookstore shelves. Make sure that you put something into your proposal that goes beyond the crass and the commercial.
Your acquiring editor will latch onto that and shepherd the book through the process of getting it published. This is your chance to do some of your best work because an editor will respond to it.
The third person in the line of command is the sales manager. Do you realize that a sales force will go out into stores and try to talk book buyers at independents and the big chains into buying your book? In order to give them ammunition to do this, you’ve got to have some evidence in your proposal that indicates your book will sell. Who will buy your book? Why will they buy it? Explain all this in your book proposal and the sales manager will greenlight your idea.
The fourth person who has a say in your book proposal’s fate is the marketing manager. This is the person who will be getting the book into the hands of the press, on radio and TV (hopefully!), and into other media outlets. If you have a platform, if you lecture, if you give seminars - all of this is relevant and helpful because it will show the marketing and publicity department that they can get press interest in your book.
Once you understand that your book proposal must pass four tests, you’ll feel more confident about writing it. Each section of the book proposal will be important, but the marketing people will be most interested in the MARKETING and PROMOTION sections.
The sales force will be interested in the COMPETING BOOKS section. The acquiring editor will be most concerned with the OVERVIEW, the LIST OF CHAPTERS, and the SAMPLE CHAPTERS. And hopefully your literary agent will be able to take all this into consideration and coach you through the process of making sure each section is appropriately tailored for all the people who will read it down the line.
Of course the first person to read your book proposal is going to be your literary agent. If you don’t have a literary agent yet, your book proposal is going to be your introduction to this individual. Remember that agents look first and foremost for saleable ideas. If an idea can’t be sold, it won’t appeal to your agent. This is because your literary agent gets a commission only on material she sells. So the first thing you want to do is make sure that your idea is one that will appeal to a literary agent’s view of the publishing world. Can you imagine your book on the shelves of bookstores? You have to see it in your mind’s eye, and you have to make your agent see it - and believe it.
The second person who will read your book proposal - assuming it gets past the literary agent stage - is the acquiring editor. Although acquiring editors have somewhat similar concerns insofar as they also want something that will sell, they differ from literary agents in that they often have more literary or artistic aspirations. Editors are a funny breed of people. They go into the business of publishing with the ideal of becoming another Maxwell Perkins. But then they get barraged with little mundane matters that are the result of being in a highly competitive business, and before long they learn to deal with the commercial side of art. They know they have to answer to the higher-ups in the organization, the CEO, the sales force, and the marketing department. It’s your editor’s vision that will bring a book into a publishing house, but this is only one step in a process that will involve many other departments and people. Editors usually have two diverging interests which they must keep in balance.
On the one hand, they want literary quality and good writing; but on the other hand, they must bend to the commercial interests of getting a book to succeed in today’s marketplace where more books than ever are flooding bookstore shelves. Make sure that you put something into your proposal that goes beyond the crass and the commercial.
Your acquiring editor will latch onto that and shepherd the book through the process of getting it published. This is your chance to do some of your best work because an editor will respond to it.
The third person in the line of command is the sales manager. Do you realize that a sales force will go out into stores and try to talk book buyers at independents and the big chains into buying your book? In order to give them ammunition to do this, you’ve got to have some evidence in your proposal that indicates your book will sell. Who will buy your book? Why will they buy it? Explain all this in your book proposal and the sales manager will greenlight your idea.
The fourth person who has a say in your book proposal’s fate is the marketing manager. This is the person who will be getting the book into the hands of the press, on radio and TV (hopefully!), and into other media outlets. If you have a platform, if you lecture, if you give seminars - all of this is relevant and helpful because it will show the marketing and publicity department that they can get press interest in your book.
Once you understand that your book proposal must pass four tests, you’ll feel more confident about writing it. Each section of the book proposal will be important, but the marketing people will be most interested in the MARKETING and PROMOTION sections.
The sales force will be interested in the COMPETING BOOKS section. The acquiring editor will be most concerned with the OVERVIEW, the LIST OF CHAPTERS, and the SAMPLE CHAPTERS. And hopefully your literary agent will be able to take all this into consideration and coach you through the process of making sure each section is appropriately tailored for all the people who will read it down the line.
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