Some people view corporate publishing as a fortress, surrounded by gatekeepers, moats and even a crocodile or two. But the fact is people just like you get offered publishing contracts every day. How does it happen? Jody Rein, currently an agent and consultant, and formerly an executive editor with Bantam/Doubleday/Dell and Morrow/Avon in New York, explains the process. Hint #1: The more you know about getting published, the better your chances of getting published! Topics include:
- The surprising number and kinds of traditional publishers, from Big Five to Hybrid
- Will your nonfiction idea appeal to a publisher? Three questions to ask yourself before submitting anything to anyone.
- The process of finding a publisher, step by step, including:
- Query letters (what they are, when to write, where to send)
- Proposals (ditto)
- Where to find an agent
- How to submit to agents
- How agents submit nonfiction to publishers
- How publishers decide what to publish
- The sale!
About the Speaker:
Formerly an executive editor with imprints of the Big Five publishers in New York, Jody runs the boutique literary agency Jody Rein Books, and the “all things publishing” consulting company, Author Planet.org. Jody’s literary agency specializes in commercial and narrative nonfiction. Bestsellers she has represented include The Big Year by Pulitzer Prize winner Mark Obmascik, which became a Fox Studios movie starring Owen Wilson, You Can Draw in 30 Days by PBS personality Mark Kistler, and Skeletons on the Zahara by historian Dean H. King.
Jody’s consulting company, AuthorPlanet.org, provides editorial and marketing services for writers, helping to create platforms, proposals, websites and career plans. Jody is a member of the Association of Authors’ Representatives and the Authors Guild, and is popular speaker at universities and conferences nationwide. She is the co-author of the forthcoming book How to Write a Book Proposal, Fifth Edition which will be published by Writer’s Digest Books in 2017.