How To Be Your Own Literary Agent

Editorial Review:

HOW TO BE YOUR OWN LITERARY AGENT is the most practical and thorough guide to book publishing for writers. Richard Curtis, a top literary agent for more than twenty-five years, provides a comprehensive overview of the publishing process, from submissions to contract negotiations to subsidiary rights to marketing and beyond. In this completely revised and expanded edition, Curtis takes into account the enormous changes in the publishing world over the past ten years.
Included are new sections on what the electronic revolution means to you, and how to take advantage of it; the new breed of literary agents: how to find them and interest them in your work; how you can have a say in your book's design, cover art, jacket copy, and promotion; what author and agent organizations can do for you; how book chains and the superstores affect your chances of getting published; and why the American Booksellers Association convention is important to you. No other book provides such detailed and accessible information. For novices and veteran writers alike, HOW TO BE YOUR OWN LITERARY AGENT takes the mystery out of getting the best deal possible and ensuring happy publication.

Customer Reviews:

Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0

Ignore the doofuses below who didn't like it.:

Take it from me, a multiply-published author (three major books) with two of the best houses in New York: Curtis knows what he is talking about. The title of this book is ironic; he clearly believes that writers benefit greatly from agents. This book will teach you what you need to know before you hire one. Excellent work, and timeless advice.

Needs updating urgently!:

I found the book informative, but it lacks the current information--like the fact that publishers of fiction now want at least 70,000 word manuscripts before they will even look at it. Curtis's book is discouraging, I agree, but the fact is that it really seems to be like he depicts. If it were more up-to-date, I would've added two additional stars to my rating.

AVOID this book until you actually have a deal on the table:

This book has a lot of interesting info and "real world" statistics. Also useful information on what you can negotiate for in a book deal and what's standard and what isn't, etc. But all in all, it is totally discouraging. His first chapters are so depressing that you might never overcome having read them if you haven't finished your book yet. For example, he says that stats on unsolicited manuscripts sans agents are at least 5,000 a year per publishing house and he says it is simply not economical for them... more info

writers beware:

Don't buy this book if you're still trying to sell yours to a publisher. Though it does have invaluable information on how to negotiate a contract, it spends the first chapter or two telling you how hopeless your attempts at selling your own book without an agent are. More agent propaganda and self-aggrandizement.

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