Click here to read THE WIZARD OF MACATAWA
An Interview with Hollywood Literary Manager and Film and Television Producer Dr. Kenneth Atchity
iStudioi Interview
Dr. Ken Atchity, Chairman of Atchity Entertainment International, Inc. (AEI), is a self-defined "story merchant,” with more than forty years experience in the publishing world, and over fifteen years in the entertainment industry. He is a writer, producer, teacher, and literary manager, responsible for launching dozens of books and films.
Ken looks for great storytellers in order to turn them into bestselling authors and screenwriters, utilizing AEI’s The Writer’s Lifeline, Inc., which consults with authors in need of a bridge to the professional world, and Finish Line Brand Launch Management, a new division of AEI, which partners with business-minded authors to reach maximum markets in all media.
Known for his “outside the box” thinking, Ken has produced nearly thirty films for his clients and has sold numerous books in all categories, including 15 bestsellers.
Ken’s films include Joe Somebody (starring Tim Allen; Fox), Life or Something Like It (starring Angelina Jolie; Fox), The Amityville Horror (NBC), Shadow of Obsession (NBC), The Madam's Family: The Truth About The Canal Street Brothel (CBS), Gospel Hill (Fox), and Hittin’ the Bricks.
Films in development include Ripley’s Believe-It-Or-Not! starring Jim Carrey, with Chris Columbus (“Narnia”) directing (Paramount), Demon Keeper, with Sam Fell (“Flushed Away”) directing (Fox), and 3 Men Seeking Monsters, with Mark Steven Johnson (“Ghost Rider”) directing (Universal).
Additionally, AEI produces reality shows in partnership with Renegade (“Blind Date”), and has several shows in development for its brand clients. AEI has associate managers in 29 countries, and nearly every state in the U.S.
Ken actively works with his authors to help them maximize revenue from their book royalties and film revenues. Based on his experience with launching Noire, Ripley’s, Demon Keeper, The Thrillionaires, and Dracula: The Un-Dead, Ken now provides brand franchising partnership services for selective clients. These services permit the integration, evaluation, and launch of brands in all media to build ongoing multiple pillars of revenue.
In addition, Ken’s years of experience as a writer, editor, professor, manager, and producer have allowed him to form a wide network of international relationships and contacts, creating the most productive and positive team approach for his clients.
Ken completed his undergraduate work at Georgetown University (A.B., English/Classics; Winner Virgilian Medal), and his graduate work at Yale (M. Phil., Theater History; Ph.D. Comparative Literature). Ken is a regular at Mark Victor Hansen’s Mega Book Marketing University, and speaks at writers conferences throughout the world.
We caught up with Ken in Los Angeles and had an opportunity to speak with him about his fascinating career.
iStudioi: What brought you into the world of literary management?
KJA: When I left the academic world to produce movies, I realized that managing stories and storytellers was my strength. When I discovered literary management, I had found the promised land and my mission: to bring talented writers across the river to their professional destiny.
iStudioi: What types of literary projects do you find most commercially appealing?
KJA: I have a broad range of tastes and a passionate love for all kinds of commercial stories. My number one criterion is excellence and the other number one criterion is the market. A great story with a market—that’s what I look for.
iStudioi: What is that makes a great story?
KJA: A great story is a story that moves the reader—to delight, to action, to thought. It has strong characters and a strong beginning, middle, and end.
iStudioi: How can you tell whether a story is best as a book or film?
KJA: Ideally a great story can be both. Then it’s just a question of where to begin the marketing process.
iStudioi: What to you tell your emerging manuscript and screenwriters as they begin to prepare that next great book or film project?
KJA: Talk to us first to make sure you don’t waste a year or more of your life on something that has no current market.
iStudioi: Are some books better for self-publishing?
KJA: That depends on a number of factors, starting with the author’s (a) financial resources and (b) ability to connect with the book’s market. If both (a) and (b) are high, then self-publishing (through an established imprint that services entrepreneurial writers) may very well be more lucrative. If (a) and/or (b) are on the low end of the spectrum, then self-publishing is not the best way to go. Aside from that generalization, find a consultant like our Writer’s Lifeline company, who can advise you professionally.
iStudioi: Is there a rule for determining whether a film project is more appropriate for a studio as opposed to being produced as an "Indie."
KJA: If a story is original, it’s probably not for a major studio. Because of their corporate ownership and the immense cost of their films, studios in the last few years have gone to acquiring stories that have underlying property value—such as Broadway plays, high visibility novels, well-known comic books, etc. The exception is a screenplay that has a major director and/or star firmly attached. All else, in today’s filmmaking world, has become “Indie.”
iStudioi: Tell us how you envision your representation in the world of literary management.
KJA: We keep an open mind, and an eye on rapidly changing events to allow us to protect our clients’ interests. Amid the turmoil of the changing channels of delivery, one thing remains constant in the story marketplace: the worldwide demand for great stories and important information, which makes creating and owning intellectual property an even more stable opportunity than owning and developing real estate. We feel that the important thing for authors is to pursue the right strategy, so the tactics will fall into place to make it all happen.
PUBLISHER PUBLISHES GUIDE TO SELF-PUBLISHING
Highly recommended:
The Economical Guide to Self-Publishing by Linda F. Radke receives a 5 star review!
5.0 out of 5 stars For anyone aspiring to publish their own work, April 13, 2009
By Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA)
Even in the present economic climate that has compelled the major publishing houses to cut back the numbers of titles they produce, it has never been easier to publish a book -- or sell one. In "The Economical Guide To Self-Publishing: How To Produce And Market Your Book On A Budget", Linda F. Radke draws upon her more than 24 years of experience and expertise as a publisher whose Five Star Publications has produced award-winning and commercially successful books that were traditionally published, self-published, and published through limited partnerships. The result is a compendium of solid, practical, step-by-step information that takes the aspiring author from manuscript to published book, and then on to the tasks of marketing, promotion, publicity, and sales. "The Economical Guide To Self-Publishing" covers such issues as transforming a manuscript into a typeset book; recruiting illustrators and editors; obtaining copyrights, ISBN numbers, and bar codes; getting printing bids; publishing as a home business; developing mailing lists; even handling interviews. Of special note is what "The Economical Guide To Self-Publishing" offers by way of strategies and tactics for effectively marketing a book on a limited budget. Enhanced with an appendix listing useful publications and associations for the self-published author, "The Economical Guide To Self-Publishing" is highly recommended reading and an invaluable resource and 'do-it-yourself' reference for anyone aspiring to publish their own work.
Buy The Economical Guide to Self-Publishing on Five Star Publications
Buy The Economical Guide to Self-Publishing on Amazon
TRULY EXCELLENT WRITING (TEW): Aubade By Vincent Atchity
Youth was my sprightly joy,
all that I could and would be,
my kingdom on its way.
At forty-three, while cashiers
still require proof before
selling me their ten dollar wines,
I find myself in the
quickened interstices,
letting go of could and would.
Here is our companionable
morning coffee, later I'll pause
for a sight of the bridge at the
rim of the mountain-held bay.
I'll ride my bike alongside bobbing
coots and mirror-winged crows
edges flashing white with light.
The bulk of the day will be a service
to humility, absorbed in a crotchety
machinery of function. All this inner
music silenced to a hum.
Five o'clock will whistle me back to you.
I'll fly downhill into the setting sun
toward the shoreline. The light on the water
will be an orange silver shimmering,
a defiance of representation, an evocation
of the painters who've taken the best measure of time
and tried to keep it.
We'll have our wine and we'll toast the antioxidant properties.
We'll inhabit the evening as fully as moons
before our faces ever wane.
You'll push up against me on the sofa.
I'll feel your warmth here
in my kingdom come.
all that I could and would be,
my kingdom on its way.
At forty-three, while cashiers
still require proof before
selling me their ten dollar wines,
I find myself in the
quickened interstices,
letting go of could and would.
Here is our companionable
morning coffee, later I'll pause
for a sight of the bridge at the
rim of the mountain-held bay.
I'll ride my bike alongside bobbing
coots and mirror-winged crows
edges flashing white with light.
The bulk of the day will be a service
to humility, absorbed in a crotchety
machinery of function. All this inner
music silenced to a hum.
Five o'clock will whistle me back to you.
I'll fly downhill into the setting sun
toward the shoreline. The light on the water
will be an orange silver shimmering,
a defiance of representation, an evocation
of the painters who've taken the best measure of time
and tried to keep it.
We'll have our wine and we'll toast the antioxidant properties.
We'll inhabit the evening as fully as moons
before our faces ever wane.
You'll push up against me on the sofa.
I'll feel your warmth here
in my kingdom come.
AEI CLIENT DENNIS PALUMBO PUTS HOLLYWOOD ON THE COUCH
Dennis PalumboPosted April 1, 2009 | 07:44 PM (EST)
Huffington Post Blog
Hollywood on the Couch: Part 2
Every once in a while, a writer patient will come into my therapy office and announce, "Well, I heard the other day on the radio that we're all crazy."
"Who's crazy?" I ask.
"Us. Writers. Artists in general. This shrink was on some talk show on NPR, and he said it's been proven that we're all manic-depressives."
"I'm confused. Do you mean that because you're a writer you're manic-depressive, or does being manic-depressive cause you to be a writer?"
"He said it could be one or the other, but it could be both. What do you think?"
"I think I'm going to sit out the next NPR pledge drive."
Apparently, it's still fashionable: the notion that the creative impulse---given the emotional difficulties that often seem to accompany it---is merely the product of a psychological disorder. In case you haven't heard, the current favorite diagnosis for artists, particularly writers, is bipolar disorder---a condition that used to be called manic depression.
A number of well-known books have made this argument, from Kay Redfield's Touched By Fire to Alice Flaherty's more recent The Midnight Disease. But the idea that writers are of a single and highly neurotic personality type goes all the way back to---who else?---Freud. In the 1950's, a guy named Edmund Bergler (credited, by the way, with inventing the term "writer's block") wrote many books on the subject. His explanation for the reason that writers write? "Psychic masochism."
(A psychoanalyst friend of mine not only objects to Bergler's theories, but laments how often he got them into print. As my friend puts it, "Unfortunately, the only person who wrote constantly about writer's block, but appears never to have suffered from it, is Edmund Bergler.")
Obviously, the idea that the artistic impulse is inevitably the product of a psychological condition is
not new. After all, history is filled with examples of the tormented artist stricken by melancholy,
going on drunken binges, cutting off an ear, and generally behaving---as we therapists like to say---inappropriately. But to infer that some kind of "craziness" underlies creative endeavor, or, even worse, that the impulse to create is itself an indicator of some condition, is just plain wrong.
First, to whatever extent a therapist believes in the validity of diagnostic labels like "bipolar," one thing is clear: Labels exist for the convenience of the labeler. How helpful they are to the artistic person is debatable. (I recall hearing a radio interview with a family therapist who claimed that 98% of Americans were co-dependent. I found this as helpful as saying that 98% of Americans walk around on two feet. Ascribing a label to an entire group renders the label superfluous.)
Second, claiming that the creative impulse comes from any one source---whether mania, psychosis, or the moon---is both ludicrous and potentially harmful. Ludicrous because it's over-simplified and inconsistent with the lived experience of countless artists. Potentially harmful because it undervalues the mysterious, indefinable aspects of the creative act.
I'm reminded of a quote by H.L. Mencken, who said, "There is always an easy solution to every human problem---neat, plausible, and wrong." The tendency to see an artist's emotional (or even creative) struggles solely in terms of their being a problem---and thus potentially solvable---betrays a profound narrowness in scope, imagination, and appreciation for the hidden ways of the artistic heart.
The point is, yes, perhaps Van Gogh did suffer from symptoms that we might today label as bipolar. But what is also true---and certainly more important---is that he was incredibly talented. Both facts can co-exist, without one necessarily causing the other.
As always, I'm struck by our desire to take that which defies explanation and try to reduce it to some kind of rational terms. Whether residing in the rules of all the "how-to" books on writing currently in
print, or emerging from the latest analytic theories, or championed in studies from the academic community, we seem to need to "make sense" of creativity, to isolate its source in some concrete, quantifiable way.
And we always fail. Its magic continues to elude us. Thank God.
The novelist John Fowles put it best: "For what good science tries to eliminate, good art seeks to provoke---mystery, which is lethal to the one, and vital to the other."
I WILL APPEAR AT RICK FRISHMAN’S AUTHORS 101 MAY 28, PRIOR TO BEA
Author101 University is coming May 28, 2009 to NYC
Space is limited and this event will sell out, register early to insure your attendance!
Join Mark Victor Hansen, Rick Frishman, Brendon Burchard, David Hancock, Alex Carroll, Marie Forleo, John Willig, Jill Lublin and more... (read more below to see why you won't want to miss what they have to share with you)
Are you curious about what publishers like Adams Media, Harper Collins, Wiley, Random House,and Simon & Schuster are looking for? What is the best way to get your manuscript read when you're an unpublished author? Want to know the biggest mistakes to avoid when writing book proposals? You'll be engaged as these top pros share their expertise, reveal the inner workings of the publishing industry, and discuss various approaches to common marketing and publishing challenges. We've scheduled Author101 University just before Book Expo to make it easy for those of you who will be attending both events.
Additional bonus after hours cocktail party where you'll have the opportunity to network with speakers from the day, industry experts and other attendees.
Only 100 seats - This is a small intimate event and will sell out quickly
SPACE IS LIMITED - ONLY $299
VIP PASS $149 INCLUDES PREFFERED SEATING, SPECIAL ACCESS TO AGENTS AND PUBLISHERS, FREE DRINKS AT THE EVENING COCKTAIL PARTY, AND AUTHOR 101 2008 14 CD SERIES - A $200 VALUE
Click Here to Register Now!
or... Register Yourself and bring a Friend for FREE!
Register yourself and a friend and save!!
Only $299 plus a $50 reservation deposit refunded at the event.
Special Limited BONUS
For a limited time, use the code luckybird to SAVE an additional $100!
Some of the key topics that will be covered include:
- How to write and present your book proposal to an agent so that your book can be sold to a publisher
- What are publishers looking for in a a new book? What separates"yes" from "no," and what you can do to get the best advance
- What do you need to do to make your book a best seller
- How to create "hooks" for yourself and your business that will make you virtually irresistible to every media outlet and make coverage for yourself a virtual certainty
- How to get rich and become famous by being a guest on radio shows - without spending a dime on advertising
- How to create promotional materials (media kits, etc.) that will have the media running to you for your opinion every time a story in your area pops up
- How to promote yourself using low cost means on-line to catapult your sales and exposure into the stratosphere
- How to quickly and easily create an automated process to capture leads and sales and upsell and cross-sell these people with a minimum of effort
How to create "hooks" for yourself and your business that will make you virtually irresistible to every media outlet and make coverage for yourself a virtual certainty.
How to get rich and become famous... being a guest on radio show,,, without spending a dime on advertising.
How to create promotional materials (media kits, etc.) that will have the media running to you for your opinion every time a story in your area pops up
How to promote yourself using low cost means on-line to catapult your sales and exposure into the stratosphere.
How to quickly and easily create an automated process to capture leads and sales and up sell and cross-sell these people with a minimum of effort.
How make any book you write or publish an Amazon best-seller with a system that has been PROVEN to work
If you'd like to learn the secrets of getting your book published or how to turn your book or publishing business into a money machine, this course is for you. Keep reading to find out more.
You'll get more out of this $399 seminar than any event this year offered at any price in the publishing industry. Check out our guarantee below!
SPACE IS LIMITED - ONLY $299
VIP PASS $149 INCLUDES PREFFERED SEATING, SPECIAL ACCESS TO AGENTS AND PUBLISHERS, FREE DRINKS AT THE EVENING COCKTAIL PARTY, AND AUTHOR 101 2008 14 CD SERIES - A $200 VALUE
Click Here to Register Now!
or... Register Yourself and bring a Friend for FREE!
Register yourself and a friend and save!!
Only $299 plus a $50 reservation deposit refunded at the event.
Special Limited BONUS
For a limited time, use the code luckybird to SAVE an additional $100!
Money Back Guarantee - If after you've attended this event, you feel that you haven't received value worth many times your registration fee, just ask for and receive a full refund. We know from past experience that the information you will receive is this good. But don't take our word for it, take a look at just of few of the many testimonials we've received from our previous events.
Who is eligible to Attend...
Anyone who wants to increase their revenues as an author or publisher. exposure in the media. If you're an author, speaker, consultant or publisher, this event is tailor-made for you. If you're not one of these and have a product or service to promote you'll be equally well-served.
This power packed, cash generating bonanza of a seminar will blast your sales through the stratosphere. Remember our money back guarantee - If at any time, for the rest of your life, you don't think this seminar is worth at least 10 times what you paid for it, you get your money back … no questions asked.
Why you should Attend
It's simple... If you're an author or publisher who wants to be successful, there's no other place to be, for so low an entrance fee, to get access to these presenters and the information they'll be sharing with you.
If you're a new or established author, this event is for you. (EVEN IF YOU"RE JUST THINKING ABOUT WRITING A BOOK - THIE EVENT WILL TEACH YOU MORE THAN YOU THOUGHT POSSIBLE ABOUT PUBLISHING.)
If you're a publisher, this event is for you. Not only will you learn new information to further the reach and exposure of your books, you'll also be in a large group of authors who are motivated to succeed...
Think about it this way - WHAT COULD YOU LOSE IF YOU DON"T GO TO THIS EVENT?
Click Here to Register Now!
or... Register Yourself and bring a Friend for FREE!
Register yourself and a friend and save!!
Only $299 plus a $50 reservation deposit refunded at the event.
Special Limited BONUS
For a limited time, use the code luckybird to SAVE an additional $100!
Meet Your Presenters...
Mark Victor Hansen, Master of Ceremony and Mega-Best Selling Author
Worldwide name recognition. International speaking engagements. A constant shower of accolades from celebrities and millions of fans worldwide. The resources to lead a life dev
oted to philanthropy and goodwill. It's the fairy-tale life of a wildly successful best-selling author, Mark Victor Hansen - and he'll show you how to achieve, starting from scratch, just like he did.Just 20 years ago, Mark was bankrupt from a failed business. With no money and even fewer resources, he found the determination and energy to create the king of all publishing empires most people only dream about. As an unknown speaker and author, his first book, Stand Up, Speak Out & Win, sold 20,000 copies in just 12 months. And his first best-selling series, Chicken Soup for the Soul, has now sold more than 100 million copies in 39 languages worldwide.
He, along with his co-author Jack Canfield, have also licensed more than 100 audio books, derivative products and retail merchandise items in just the past decade alone.
His tremendous success is due to one of the publishing industry's most unique business models - combining powerful book marketing strategies, lucrative licensing systems, popular seminar programs and a speaking calendar that's virtually unrivaled anywhere in the information industry.
Now, in this fascinating and powerfully inspiring opening session, Mark gives you the formula and inspiration to accomplish all he has and more. You'll get an insider look at the nuts and bolts of launching a successful career as an author. Also, you'll hear from other authors who have followed - and profited from - Mark's advice. Mark will expand your vision of how large of a worldwide information empire you could build ? starting with your very first book.
Rick Frishman, Public Relations Expert and Best Selling Author
Rick is a sought after lecturer on publishing and public relations and is a member of PRSA and the National Speakers Association. Rick is the co-author of GUERRILLA MARKETING FOR WRITERS: 100 Weapons for Selling Your Work with Jay Conrad Levinson and literary agent Michael Larsen (Writers Digest Books), as well as co-author of GUERRILLA PUBLICITY: Hundreds of Sure-Fire Tactics to Get Maximum Sales for Minimum Dollars.
Rick is also the co-author of National Bestseller NETWORKING MAGIC and his latest books, "Bestselling Book Proposals" and "Bestselling Secrets from Top Agents," part of the Author101 Series.
Rick will reveal ...
- Why publicity is 100 times better than advertising.
- Working with a PR firm for maximum effectiveness if that's the route you choose to go.
- Creating a line of back-end products to maximize your income as a publisher on a limited budget.
- The 6 words every author wants to hear, but very few do...
- How to become an author in 5 easy steps and in less than 90 days.
- Getting on Oprah: how do you do it and when you should go after it.
- Real life stories about the "legends" in the business and what you can learn from them.
- Understanding the differences between retainers and "pay for placement" PR and why it's important to you.
- What does a publicity department do for you at a publishing firm and what that means for you.
- Designing a press release that will generate results and get the media to pick up the phone and call you.
- How to get published in the traditional manner and not get taken advantage of...
- Tips and techniques to generating "back of the room sales" to maximize your revenue at speaking engagements.
- How agents work, what they do and why you need to get them on your side.
- Understanding the pluses and minuses of radio, TV and other media sources.
- How to create a press kit that will get you noticed and get you coverage.
- Maximize your effectiveness when you're in front of the media to increase your chances for success.
- When to use radio infomercials and how to maximize your book sales using them.
Rick has also appeared on hundreds of radio shows and more than a dozen TV shows nationwide including OPRAH and Bloomberg TV. He has also been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Associated Press, Selling Power Magazine, New York Post and scores of publications.
He is the co-author of ten books, including national best-sellers GUERRILLA PUBLICITY and NETWORKING MAGIC. Along with media personality Robyn Freedman Spizman, Rick also co-wrote the popular four-book series AUTHOR 101™ and recently they teamed up for their highly acclaimed book entitled WHERE'S YOUR WOW? 16 Ways To Make Your Competitors Wish They Were You! (McGraw Hill, March, 2008).
Rick is Publisher at Morgan James Publishing in New York. In 2008 "MJ" published over 150 books. Morgan James only publishes non fiction books and looks for authors with a platform who believe in giving back. Morgan James gives a portion of every book sold to Habitat for Humanity.
Rick continues to work with many of the top editors, agents and publishers in America including Simon and Schuster, Random House, Harper Collins, Pocket Books, Penguin Putnam, and Hyperion Books.
Brendon Burchard, How to Explode Your Business Through Nonprofit & Corporate Partnerships
Brendon Burchard is the author of the life-changing book from HarperCollins entitled Life's Golden Ticket. He is also an in-demand life coach, leadership speaker and business consultant who is revolutionizing the way entrepreneurs do business by teaching them how to partner with nonprofits and major corporations.
By creating and leveraging innovative nonprofit and corporate partnerships, Brendon has sold three major books, quadrupled his speaking engagements, doubled his product sales, launched a half-million-dollar seminar series, tripled his client list, won corporate sponsorships, and appeared on ABC World News, CBS, NPR, Oprah & Friends and over 65 major radio stations across the country. His sponsors and promotional partners have included Wachovia, Sony Pictures, Wal-Mart, Coca-Cola, Kiwanis, Junior Achievement and other major Fortune 500 companies and global nonprofit organizations. And now he's doing to teach YOU his secret partnership strategies for selling your books, growing your business and giving back in ways you've never even imagined.
"How to Explode Your Business through Nonprofit and Corporate Partnerships"
Brendon's presentations are known for two things: energy and content. Be prepared toss out your old business model as you learn:
- Why nonprofit and corporate partnerships are the most important and effective marketing strategy for building your platform, brand and business
- How to position yourself so that nonprofits and major corporations will spend thousands of dollars on promoting YOU to their members, customers and communities
- How to identify "perfect-fit" nonprofit and corporate partnerships and how to write the perfect partnership proposal to stand out and win the deal fast
- How to incorporate your partnership platforms in marketing materials, loan requests, book proposals, sponsorship requests or any document that can build your business
- What you MUST do to win partnerships and sponsorships and the four things you must NEVER say to a potential partner
- How to leverage your platform to quadruple your sponsorships, speaking engagements, product sales, press appearances, and event attendees
- How to build extraordinary wealth and give back to your community through your partnerships and sponsorships
David Hancock, Founder of Morgan James Publishing
David L. Hancock, Morgan James founder, was named a Finalist in the Best Chairman category in The 2006 American Business Awards. Hailed as “the business world’s own Oscars” by the New York Post, The American Business Awards are the only national, all-encompassing business awards program honoring great performances in the workplace.
David was selected for Fast Company Magazine's Fast 50 for 2006 for his leading creative thinking, significant accomplishments and stands to have a significant impact on the next 10 years. He has revolutionized book publishing - from the author's standpoint. His Entrepreneurial Publishing™ model enriches authors as well as his company.
Actively working with his authors to help them not only maximize revenue from their book royalties, but also build new business and increase their revenue substantially through follow-on sales to their readers.
One of David's core values is having strong and mutually beneficial relationships. "We've spent years developing many of the key business relationships that allows us to get our books in bookstores and the widespread Web coverage we've been able to achieve. We intend to stay constant in our pursuit of positive relationships with people in all facets of our business, and we see that as a strategic advantage."
David is the Founder of The Entrepreneurial Author University and Founder of The Ethan Awards, the only international, all-encompassing entrepreneurial author awards for business authors. David has also authored too many books to list them all here but they include The Entrepreneurial Author, Guerrilla Marketing for Mortgage Brokers, and The Secrets of Master Marketing.
Alex Carroll, Best Selling Author, Radio Interview Expert
Bestselling author Alex Carroll is one of the world's leading experts on radio publicity. The numbers speak for themselves. He has done more than ONE THOUSAND radio interviews, captured well over $4,000,000.00 in free radio airtime, and generated $1,291,000.00 in orders directly from listeners … all without spending a DIME on advertising and rarely leaving the comfort of his own home.
Here's what you'll learn from radio publicity expert and best-selling author Alex Carroll … veteran of 1,031 radio interviews and $1,291,000.00 in direct-to-consumer book sales
- How he often makes TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS A MINUTE on the radio … and how you can too
- The secret responsible for selling 60 Million copies of one book.
- 4 Ways to get radio interviews and why only one of them is really effective
- 3 keys to landing interviews on the Super Stations (ones with HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS and EVEN MILLIONS of listeners)
- How to get booked as a guest even if your topic is boring
- 7 reasons why radio publicity is better than TV, hands down
- Why a station's wattage and market rankings are TOTALLY MEANINGLESS
- Getting credentials to get you on the air, even if you're a nobody
- How to create a press kit that will make producers BEG to have you as a guest on their show
- How to get the radio station's receptionist to work for you, FREE
- 3 secrets to getting invited back as a repeat guest over and over again. VIRTUALLY NO ONE DOES THIS
- The 2 best days of the week to do interviews and why
- A simple gimmick that costs LESS THAN A NICKEL, that can TRIPLE your responses OVERNIGHT
Can you save people money? Save them time? Make them rich? Tell them an amazing story? Make them laugh? Teach them something new? Get them arguing about a controversial topic? Enrich their lives?
If so, you can tap into the ever-flowing fountain of free radio publicity. Sell your book, seminar,website … anything! And what's even better … you can do radio interviews from any phone, anytime, anywhere.
Alex will also share
- The ONE SECRET that will get you more radio interviews than ANYTHING ELSE. It's SO SIMPLE and yet SO FEW people do it.
- How to use OTHER PEOPLE'S PUBLICITY to get YOU booked as the guest
- A very simple trick to get the host to ask you the questions you want to talk about. It works MORE THAN 95% of the time.
- A clever way to get the radio host to keep promoting you, WEEKS AFTER YOU'RE GONE
- The secret to getting your interview scheduled in a PRIME DRIVE TIME slot
- Two reasons why taped interviews should be AVOIDED AT ALL COSTS
- The one thing hosts want from guests MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE. It's not what you might think
- Three subtle, BUT ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL keys that send listeners SCRAMBLING FOR THEIR PHONES at the end of your interview
- How to get huge amounts of PERMANENT FREE ADVERTISING on a radio station's website
He'll show you exactly how to extract a mother lode from the radio publicity gold mine. It doesn't matter whether you're an author, speaker, businessperson, activist, politician or promoter … YOU TOO CAN GENERATE A FORTUNE in radio publicity.
Sharpen your pencils … Alex Carroll will give you SO MUCH valuable information IT WILL MAKE YOUR HEAD SPIN.
Marie Forleo, “How To Use S&M to Turn Your Book Into a Bestselling, Money Making Machine That Reaches Millions!”
Marie is one of the most diversely successful female entrepreneurs today. As a best-selling author, speaker, online-entrepreneur, Nike Athlete & Master Trainer, and dancer/ choreographer, Marie has defied conventional wisdom and achieved phenomenal success across multiple industries. She is the Fox News online relationship expert as well as the author of the bestselling Make Every Man Want You: How To Be So Irresistible You’ll Barely Keep From Dating Yourself! published by McGraw-Hill and currently translated into five languages.
She’s appeared in The New York Times, Shape Magazine, on The Rachel Ray Show, ABC’s 20/20, CNN.com, Forbes.com, HSN and has done countless interviews on radio and TV. Her newest programs, under the brand Rich, Happy & Hot™ are designed to give entrepreneurs the tools, inspiration and kick-in the pants needed to turn their passions into profit and use their creativity to change the world... all while enhancing their relationships and personal well-being.
Through her dynamic training products and coaching programs, Marie educates and inspires with a rare mix of humor, wisdom, and razor-sharp insight. She is well known for her down to earth, tell-it-like-it-is style. With a cult-like following, Marie is on mission to help you experience the freedom, fun and fulfillment that’s possible through creativity and unbridled entrepreneurship.
With Marie you’ll discover:
- The most important “mindset shift” authors need to make in order to make money in publishing (miss this one and your bank account will suffer – guaranteed)
- Which online tools and strategies are ESSENTIAL to making your book a smashing and profitable success.
- The single biggest mistake most authors make that kill their ability to get publicity and profits!
- Surefire methods to turn readers into lifelong, raving fans that happily buy from you again and again!
- 3 essential things your book website MUST have in order to be marketing smart and media savvy! (Miss this and you’re leaving thousands of dollars on the table)
- Simple and fun social media strategies every author needs to know in today’s tech savvy world
- How to use simple and easy video to effortlessly attract tons of traffic, readers, clients and even media!
Jill Lublin, Best Selling Author and International Speaker
Praised as a modern-day Dale Carnegie for how to be influential, Jill Lublin authored the bestselling book Get Noticed…Get Referrals: Build Your Client Base and Your Business by Making a Name for Yourself (McGraw-Hill, June 2008). She is also the coauthor with Rick Frishman of two other national bestselling books, Networking Magic which rose to #1 on the Barnes and Noble charts for three weeks, and Guerrilla Publicity, the PR bible. Jill is the founder of GoodNews Media, Inc. and hosts the TV program, Messages of Hope, and the nationally syndicated radio show, Do the Dream. In addition she has created two audio programs, three DVD training videos, and a workbook.
Jill is a popular international speaker who teaches powerful publicity, networking, and how to be influential techniques. As the CEO of the strategic consulting firm, Promising Promotion, Jill has trained companies in innovative techniques to improve bottom line results. In the past twenty years, she has worked with ABC, NBC, CBS, and other national media, and knows what the media wants.
Jill has been featured in The New York Times, Women’s Day, Fortune Small Business, Inc, and Entrepreneur Magazine, and on ABC and NBC radio and TV national affiliates.
John Willig, President and Founder, Literary Services, Inc.
Celebrating his twenty-ninth year in publishing, John Willig has worked as an executive editor and marketing director for academic, professional and trade publishers. During that time, John worked closely with authors such as Henry Mintzberg, Philip Kotler and Jim Collins and acquired Mr. Collins' first book Beyond Entrepreneurship, the precursor to Built to Last and From Good to Great.
In 1991 John founded Literary Services Inc. to work exclusively with writers to maximize the potential of their book ideas and aspiring careers. Since then he has managed hundreds of projects in the business, personal growth and other non-fiction categories including the Wall Street Journal bestsellers More Than a Pink Cadillac and Survival of the Savvy.
He is a graduate of Brown University, member of the Author's Guild and participates at many industry events.
John Kremer, Book Publishing expert
John Kremer is an expert on book publishing and marketing. Besides being the owner of a publishing company (Open Horizons in Taos, New Mexico), he is the editor of the Book Marketing Tip of the Week newsletter.
As a book promotion expert, John is the author of a number of books on publishing and marketing, including 1001 Ways to Market Your Books: For Authors and Publishers (6th Edition), The Complete Direct Marketing Sourcebook, High Impact Marketing on a Low Impact Budget, and Celebrate Today. He has also designed the Do-It-Yourself Book Publicity Kit, Book Publishing Reports on CD-Rom, and Book Marketing Mini-Book series.
Lloyd Jassin, Attorney and Author
Lloyd J. Jassin is an attorney and author whose special focus is on publishing, entertainment and intellectual property law. He has been widely quoted in a variety of news media, including BBC Radio, Publishers Weekly, Poets and Writers, The New York Times, Washington Post and Los Angeles Times. He was admitted to the bar in 1991, after serving as Director of Publicity for the Simon & Schuster Reference Group / Prentice Hall. Before forming his own firm, he was an intellectual property associate with Cowan, Liebowitz & Latman, a distinguished intellectual property firm. Prior to that, he worked in television syndication and licensing with Viacom International. He earned his J.D. from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and is admitted to the NY and NJ bars. His pro bono activities include serving as Chair of the Executive Committee of The Center for Independent Publishing, and as counsel to The Independent Book Publishers Association. He is also a VP of the Media Coalition, and coauthor of The Copyright Permission & Libel Handbook (John Wiley & Sons).
Ken Atchity, Literary Agent
"Story merchant" Kenneth J. Atchity is founder of Atchity Entertainment International, Inc., which represents authors (fiction and nonfiction) in all media and produces their film and television projects; of The Writer's Lifeline, Inc., which consults with authors in need of a bridge to the professional world; and of Finish Line Brand-Launch Management, a new division ofAEI, which partners with business-minded authors to reach maximum markets in all media.
Known for "outside the box" thinking, Ken has produced nearly thirty films for his clients and has sold numerous books in all categories, including 15 bestsellers. AEI's most recent films include "Gospel Hill," "Hittin' the Bricks" (for AEI's client Noire), "The Madam's Family" (CBS), "Life or Something Like It," and "Joe Somebody." .Films in development include "Ripley's Believe-It-Or-Not!" starring Jim Carrey, Chris Columbus ("Narnia") directing (Paramount), "Demon Keeper," Sam Fell ("Flushed Away") directing (Fox), "3 Men Seeking Monsters," Mark Steven Johnson ("Ghost Rider") directing (Universal). AEI produces reality shows in partnership with Renegade ("Blind Date"), and has several shows in development for its brand clients. AEI has associate managers in 29 countries, and nearly every state in the U.S.
Ken's over forty years experience as a writer, editor, professor, manager, and producer have allowed him to form a wide network of international relationships contacts that allow him to create the most productive and positive team for his clients' works. "We keep an open mind, and an eye on rapidly changing events to allow us to protect our clients' interests. Amid the turmoil changing channels of delivery one thing remains constant in the story marketplace: the worldwide demand for great stories and important information, which makes creating and owning intellectual property an even more stable opportunity than owning and developing real estate. The important thing for authors is to pursue the right strategy, so the tactics will fall into place to make it all happen."
Marilyn Allen, Literary Agent
Marilyn Allen is a literary agent and partner in the Allen O'Shea Literary Agency. Prior to that she spent 25 years doing sales and marketing for various publishing houses. Her responsibility culminated in Associate Publisher and Senior Vice President of Marketing for Harper Collins. Prior to that, she had directed sales and marketing teams for Penguin Books, Simon & Schuster, and Avon Books.
Through the years she created many innovative marketing campaigns and managed a host of successful author brands including Dr. John Gray (Mars and Venus), Dr. Laura Schlessinger, Barry Sears (Zone), Dean Ornish, Star Trek, NBA, The Simpsons and worked with many best selling writers including Stephen King, Ken Follett, Mary Higgens Clark and Barbara Kingsolver. She spearheaded the nationwide Diet Coke/ book sample promotion and created out-of-the box campaigns with such non-traditional partners as Mattel, Atlantic Records, and PBS. She is an impassioned advocate for innovation in the marketing and selling of books.
Ms. Allen currently represents many authors including New York Times bestseller Regina Leeds, the work-from-home gurus Paul and Sarah Edwards, Julie Fast, Karon Karter, Liz Palika, Julie Jason and Kevin Boyd. She focuses in the areas of nonfiction; health, parenting, sports and business. She has taught publishing courses at NYU and for Gotham University. She frequently conducts publishing seminars and gives speeches at writing conferences.
SPACE IS LIMITED - ONLY $299
VIP PASS $149 INCLUDES PREFFERED SEATING, SPECIAL ACCESS TO AGENTS AND PUBLISHERS, FREE DRINKS AT THE EVENING COCKTAIL PARTY, AND AUTHOR 101 2008 14 CD SERIES - A $200 VALUE
Click Here to Register Now!
or... Register Yourself and bring a Friend for FREE!
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Only $299 plus a $50 reservation deposit refunded at the event.
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[CLICK HERE TO GO TO AUTHOR101 SITE]
2009 NEW YORK BOOK FESTIVAL RETURNS TO ALGONQUIN HOTEL
The 2009 New York Book Festival will again hold its annual awards celebrating books worthy of further recognition from the world's publishing capital on Friday, June 5 at the Algonquin Hotel in Manhattan.
Entrants to the festival competition are eligible to attend the awards ceremony.
The 2009 New York Book Festival will consider large publisher, self-published and independent publisher non-fiction, fiction, children's books, teenage, how-to, audio/spoken word, comics/zines, e-books, poetry, wild card (anything goes!), unpublished stories, science fiction, horror, photography/art, romance and biography/autobiography works.
A panel of judges will determine the winners based on the following criteria:
1) The story-telling ability of the author.
2) The potential of the work to win wider recognition.
Entries can be in English, German, Portuguese, Spanish, French or Italian and must be published on or after January 1, 2001. Our grand prize for the 2009 New York Book Festival Author of the Year is $1500 and a flight to New York for the awards and our day festival on June 5-6, 2009.
TO ENTER: Click on the "ENTER THE COMPETITION" link at www.newyorkbookfestival.com and follow the directions to get an entry form. Forms may also be faxed/e-mailed to you by e-mailing us at NewYorkBookFest@aol.com. Applications must be accompanied by a non-refundable entry fee via check, money order, credit card payment or PayPal online payment of $50 in U.S. dollars for each submission. Multiple submissions are permitted but each entry must be accompanied by a separate form and entry fee.
The 2009 New York Book Festival is produced by JM Northern Media LLC, producers of the Hollywood Book Festival, DIY Convention, Beach Book Festival and New England Book Festival, and is sponsored by the Larimar St. Croix Writers Colony, eDivvy, Westside Websites and Shopanista.
FIRST POSTER FOR THE BRAM STOKER FILM FESTIVAL, WHOSE PRESIDENT IS AEI CLIENT DACRE STOKER
Click on image to bring up larger in a new window
AEI CLIENT & VENTURE PARTNER JOHN REID DECIPHERING DOLPHIN SPEAK WITH HIS SOUND-DISPLAYING CYMASCOPE
Brit's Communicating With Dolphins Claim
A real-life Doctor Dolittle says he has come up with an invention that will allow us to talk to dolphins. Catherine Jacob has been to find out if it could work.
VIEW VIDEO: Dolphin language: audio engineer John Stuart Reid claims invention can translate sounds
Device For Humans To Speak To Dolphins
8:58am UK, Tuesday April 07, 2009
Catherine Jacob, Environment correspondent
Dolphins' secret underwater language has intrigued generations of scientists, but no one has come close to cracking the code to understanding their mysterious sounds - until now.
Specta, a one-day-old bottlenose dolphin
Humans could soon be realising Dr Doolittle's dream of talking to the animals
A British acoustics engineer claims he may be close to deciphering the clicks and whistles that make up "dolphin speak".
In a lab in his Cumbrian cottage, John Stuart Reid showed me his Cymascope, a new invention which transforms sounds into pictures.
He explained the principle behind it using sand, a brass plate and a violin bow.
"You see what happens when we bring the bow down the side of the plate," he said.
"It's almost like magic because we can see now the imprint the sound has made on the surface of the plate, through the sand.
"It's literally the pattern of sound. That's the shape the sound would be if we could see it.
"That's exactly
the principle of the Cymascope. Instead of using a brass plate, we're using the surface of water."John Stuart Reid and wife Annaleise in their laboratory where they developed a device to turn dolphin sounds into graphics
John Stewart Reid and wife Annaliese
John has been working with Florida-based cetacean researcher Jack Kassewitz, who collects the dolphin and whale sounds in the field and sends them back to the UK.
He then showed me the Cymascope in action, using a pre-recorded whale sound, and explained how the process works.
"Inside the business end of the Cymascope there is a very small area of water. A light ring illuminates the water and then a video camera points down onto the water's surface," he said.
"So what we're going to do is excite the water by introducing the whale song, then look what happens on the TV monitor when we play that lovely song. What you see is the image of the sound.
"We have to start with very simple sounds. So Jack Kassewitz will be working with dolphins in future to capture sounds, while the dolphin is imaging simple objects.
Waves from the Cymascope device that changes dolphin sounds into graphics
Waves from the Cymascope device
"For example, he'll use something as simple as a ball, or something they'd normally see like a sea urchin. And it enables us to actually see that sound pattern on a Cymascope and to label that particular pattern as the dolphin word for ball, or for sea urchin."
However, some acoustics and dolphin communication experts told Sky News Online they're sceptical about how much of a breakthrough the Cymascope represents, as so much research in this field is being carried out already.
Among them is dolphin communication expert Dr Nick Tregenza from the Institute of Marine Studies at Plymouth University.
He told Sky News Online: "They have produced a device that gives a visual image of a dolphin sound; several methods already exist of doing that.
"That is not new, and it looks as though their device creates an image that contains a lot of resonances from the device.
"The images are pretty, but unfortunately they may be garbling the original sound and losing valuable information."
The Cymascope team's ultimate aim is to build up a library of sound pictures which they eventually hope may allow them to speak to dolphins. However, even they admit, this is still some years off.
More on Susan Boyle
Watch her YouTube Video
Unknown and Underestimated, Contestant Wows on TV and Web
By Mary Jordan
Washington Post Foreign Service
Thursday, April 16, 2009
LONDON, April 15 -- Before YouTube, Twitter and Simon Cowell, Susan Boyle's angelic voice might never have been heard outside of parties and church services in her tiny Scottish village.
But now, thanks to a digital flash flood in the media age, the 47-year-old unemployed woman who claims to have never been kissed is suddenly a global sensation.
Last weekend, the frizzy-haired, squarely built Boyle walked onto the stage of "Britain's Got Talent" to barely suppressed snickers from the audience and skeptical eye rolls from Cowell, the unfailingly caustic judge on both "American Idol" and the British TV show.
The audience laughed mercilessly as Boyle did a saucy hip wiggle and said she'd like a chance to prove she could be as good as Elaine Paige, a legendary singer often called the first lady of British musical theater.
Those present were clearly prepared to howl.
Then Boyle opened her mouth. And within the first few bars of "I Dreamed a Dream," from the hit musical "Les Miserables," the audience was standing and applauding. The judges pronounced themselves shocked and impressed with Boyle's soaring vocals, and millions watching knew they had just seen a rare gem of a moment on live television.
"Without a doubt this is the biggest surprise in three years of this show," said one judge, Piers Morgan.
"Everyone was laughing at you -- no one is laughing now. Susan Boyle is not just a good singer, she's a fantastic singer. Someone whose stunning range, tone and delivery is worthy of comparison to anyone," Morgan said.
Somewhere out there in the couch-potato universe, American actress Demi Moore and her husband, Ashton Kutcher, were watching. And they, naturally, Twitter.
Within minutes Kutcher flagged the performance in a tweet, saying, "This just made my night." Moore told the couple's huge digital following that Boyle's voice "made me teary."
Between the huge television audience and the endorsement of the Hollywood Twitterati, Boyle went viral on YouTube. More than 9 million people have watched her on the site.
Bookmakers say she is now favored to win the popular TV talent contest and perform at a Royal Command Performance attended by members of the British royal family.
As Boyle left the stage after knocking the world's socks off, Cowell told her she could return to her village "with your head held high."
She has indeed gone back to Blackburn, her home about 20 miles from Edinburgh in West Lothian, Scotland, where children are now clapping as she walks into stores and television crews from around the world have begun rolling into town.
As details of her life emerge, Boyle's story only becomes more unlikely. The youngest of nine children, she lives alone with her cat, Pebbles. She spent years taking care of her mother, who recently died, and she lives in a government-subsidized home.
She always wanted to sing in front of a large audience, but mostly she just sings in church.
On Easter Sunday, the day after her television debut, Boyle -- dubbed "The Woman Who Shut Up Simon Cowell" in one headline -- received a standing ovation when she went to Mass.
"We let out a wee bit of a cheer for her. We are quite proud of her," Boyle's parish priest, the Rev. Ryszard Holuka, said in a telephone interview.
He added that Boyle is a "quiet soul."
"At gatherings and anniversary parties, she'd stand up and give a song," he said. "She never flaunted her voice; this is the first time it's been publicly recognized."
Charles Earley, a neighbor who has known Boyle for 20 years, said it's a stunning turnaround for a "shy, solitary person who is suddenly somebody."
In a news release Tuesday titled "Susan Boyle Goes Global," Tom Kerr, a civic leader in West Lothian, said "tributes from across the globe are flooding in" to Blackburn, a village of 5,000 that is now "firmly on the map."
All the adulation has come with a tinge of guilt. On Internet sites where Boyle's story has been endlessly churned over, much of the discussion centers on how people initially expected nothing from Boyle because of her decidedly unglamorous looks.
Many have said it was a poor reflection on both the live audience and others watching that they were surprised when a "frumpy woman" turned out to have the "voice of an angel."
Boyle herself has noted the issue but seems to be unfazed.
In a British newspaper interview, she said she entered the contest at the behest of her late mother, who urged her to "take the risk."
She said it was "a bit of a shock" to see herself on television, and she thought she looked too fat -- "like a garage."
"Modern society is too quick to judge people on their appearances," she said. "There is not much you can do about it; it is the way they think; it is the way they are. But maybe this could teach them a lesson, or set an example."
Special correspondent Karla Adam contributed to this report.
THE MISSING ROSE
After its Phenomenal Global Entry, THE MISSING ROSE
Continues to Build Readership Worldwide
Successfully representing contemporary Turkish Literature in the international arena, Serdar Ozkan’s debut novel, The Missing Rose, has so far been published in 26 languages in over 30 countries worldwide, making Serdar Ozkan the 3rd most translated novelist in the history of Turkish Literature.
Entering bestseller lists as the No.1 bestselling foreign fiction in various countries, The Missing Rose has remained on bestseller lists for weeks. Often compared and likened to all-time favorites The Little Prince, The Alchemist and The Seagull Jonathan Livingston, The Missing Rose has received great acclaim from readers all over the world as well as the world media:
“Turks’ Little Prince charms the whole world”
Helsinki Sanomat - FINLAND
“The Missing Rose is one of the most beautiful stories I have ever read in my life! A magnificent story, what this novel does is so magnificent. It addresses everyone. One would say that this book has the power to unite us."
Christine Michaud, TVA Television – CANADA
“If you like books such as The Alchemist or The Little Prince -a bit of mysticism, a bit of fairy-tale- you will love The Missing Rose.”
Time Out
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Go to The Missing Rose website.
Guest Post: For Authors
AEI Recommends
[via Linda Radke]
Have an author? Have a script? Need a publisher? Now what? A partnership publishing agreement with Five Star Publications may be just what the word doctor ordered!
A partnership with Five Star lets your clients see results now, leading them through every step of the publishing process with unsurpassed professionalism and industry expertise. We also offer award-winning marketing services, unparalleled client support and a full-range of contract options to accommodate every budget.
Got a good script? We can help. Visit www.FiveStarPublications.com today!
BOOK WRITERS: WHAT’S A GOOD AGENT OR REPRESENTATIVE?
“What's a good agent?" is a difficult question to answer. Authors’ representatives work strictly on commission and are, as a result, mainly interested in highly commercial "properties." Authors’ representatives often help new writers, but most deal only with writers they regard as solid commercial prospects or extraordinary literary talents. Most representatives nowadays ask writers to query before sending the manuscript. This doesn't mean they won't read your work; it means they don't want to read subject matter that doesn’t fit in with their own marketing. Since they work on speculation and commission, they have to deal with several (or many) writers at a time, and are more inclined to devote their energies to promoting a potential best-seller. They're usually interested in working with an author who produces continuously. Someone who writes two short stories a year will not be worth taking on. Authors’ representatives may urge new writers to handle their own submissions of short stories, poetry, and children’s books. And authors’ representatives may or may not help you sell articles.
Some reputable agents now charge reading fees, deductible from future commission (AEI does not). Authors’ representatives receive a commission on everything they sell for you, ranging from 10 to 15 percent, and will nearly always negotiate a contract that will more than justify their commission.
A literary manager like AEI performs the same marketing functions as an agent, but also serves as a producer when your work is filmed.
Other tips about authors’ representatives:
Although it’s not as true today as it once was, many new writers were published for the first time through their own marketing efforts, not through a representative's. Finding someone who believes in your work as much as you do-enough to go out there and sell it-is rare indeed.
Many writers swear by their reps. Many swear only at them.
Few agree about them. If you don't feel the need for someone to stand between you and the publisher, you don't need an agent or manager. If you decide to use an attorney, make sure the attorney has had direct experience with publishing contracts. A literary attorney can negotiate the contract for you as well as an agent or manager.
One way of getting a representative is to make the sale yourself, then call the manager or agent to represent you in the contract negotiation. Few reps will turn down this opportunity, even at a reduced commission, and you've automatically become "represented." Agents or literary managers are especially useful for working out package deals which include screenplays, TV
scripts, and foreign rights. Large publishers often prefer to deal through reps (though a few still deal directly with the authors), and most major U.S. publishers will deal only through reps. Jeff Herman’s The Writer’s Guide to Agents & Publishers [click here to order] offers extended discussion of authors’ representatives and rights.
[excerpt from A Writer’s Time, Chapter 6, “Publishing in Time”]
© Kenneth Atchity 1986, 1995, 1999
Buy A Writer's Time on Amazon
Some reputable agents now charge reading fees, deductible from future commission (AEI does not). Authors’ representatives receive a commission on everything they sell for you, ranging from 10 to 15 percent, and will nearly always negotiate a contract that will more than justify their commission.
A literary manager like AEI performs the same marketing functions as an agent, but also serves as a producer when your work is filmed.
Other tips about authors’ representatives:
- Where the representative lives is not important. How often the representative goes to New York, and how many New York publishers the representative deals with, is important. It’s difficult to be an effective authors’ representative without regular personal contact with the New York publishing scene. Don’t be afraid to call the publishers direct for a reference to the representative you’re considering—or to ask a prospective rep to give you editing and publishing references you can call.
- Independent representatives may be more open to new clients than large agencies or management companies, and may work harder for them.
- Don’t be afraid to ask a representative for credentials and track record. The best criteria for choosing a representative are the representative’s previous sales. If a candidate won’t share his or her list of clients, don’t deal with that representative.
Although it’s not as true today as it once was, many new writers were published for the first time through their own marketing efforts, not through a representative's. Finding someone who believes in your work as much as you do-enough to go out there and sell it-is rare indeed.
Many writers swear by their reps. Many swear only at them.
Few agree about them. If you don't feel the need for someone to stand between you and the publisher, you don't need an agent or manager. If you decide to use an attorney, make sure the attorney has had direct experience with publishing contracts. A literary attorney can negotiate the contract for you as well as an agent or manager.
One way of getting a representative is to make the sale yourself, then call the manager or agent to represent you in the contract negotiation. Few reps will turn down this opportunity, even at a reduced commission, and you've automatically become "represented." Agents or literary managers are especially useful for working out package deals which include screenplays, TV
scripts, and foreign rights. Large publishers often prefer to deal through reps (though a few still deal directly with the authors), and most major U.S. publishers will deal only through reps. Jeff Herman’s The Writer’s Guide to Agents & Publishers [click here to order] offers extended discussion of authors’ representatives and rights.
[excerpt from A Writer’s Time, Chapter 6, “Publishing in Time”]
© Kenneth Atchity 1986, 1995, 1999
Buy A Writer's Time on Amazon
2009 San Francisco Book Festival Deadline Looms
The 2009 San Francisco Book Festival's deadline is fast approaching, with regular registration ending on April 15.
The event will hold its awards ceremony on Friday, May 8 at the Hotel Rex for its annual program celebrating the best books of the Spring season.
The San Francisco Book Festival will consider non-fiction, fiction, biography/autobiography, children's books, compilations/anthologies, teenage, how-to, cookbooks, science fiction, audio/spoken word, history, wild card, gay, photography/art, poetry, unpublished, travel and spiritual works. There is no date of publication deadline.
Our grand prize for the 2009 San Francisco Book Festival winner is $1500 cash and a flight to San Francisco for our gala awards ceremony. The winning author will also have a choice of a free vendor table at our family of festivals day events, including events in New York and Hollywood.
Genre category winners will receive a combination of books, software, cash awards and free vendor tables at our New York or Hollywood Book Festivals.
Submitted works will be judged by a panel of industry experts using the following criteria:
1) General excellence and the author's passion for telling a good story.
2) The potential of the work to reach a wider audience.
ENTRIES: Please classify your book and enter it in the following categories. Multiple entries must be accompanied by a separate fee for each book.
- General Non-fiction
- General Fiction
- Children's books
- How-to
- Spiritual
- Photography/Art
- Gay
- Poetry
- History
- Teenage
- Biography/Autobiography
- Audio/spoken word
- Compilations/Anthologies
- Best Unpublished Short Story
- Cookbooks
- Science Fiction
- Wild Card
1) Author of the Year- Honors the outstanding book of the competition.
2) Book Design of the Year - Honors outstanding and innovative design.
3) Publisher of the Year- Honors the top publisher based on materials displaying
excellence in marketing and promotional materials, as determined by our judges.
FESTIVAL RULES: San Francisco Book Festival submissions cannot be returned. Each entry must contain the official entry form, including your e-mail address and contact telephone number. All shipping and handling costs must be borne by entrants.
NOTIFICATION AND DEADLINES: We will notify each entry of the receipt of their package via e-mail and will announce the winning entries on our web site (www.sanfranciscobookfestival.com). Because of the anticipated high volume of entries, we can only respond to e-mail inquiries.
Deadline submissions in each category must be postmarked by the close of business on April 25, 2009. Winners in each category will be notified by e-mail and on the web site. Please note that judges read and consider submissions on an ongoing basis, comparing early entries with later submissions at our meetings.
TO ENTER: Entry forms are available online at sanfranciscobookfestival.com or may be faxed/e-mailed to you. Please contact our office at 323-665-8080 for fax requests. Applications must be accompanied by a non-refundable entry fee of $50 in the form of a check, money order or PayPal online payment in U.S. dollars for each submission. Multiple submissions are permitted but each entry must be accompanied by a separate form and entry fee.
Entry fee checks should be made payable to JM Northern Media LLC. We're sorry, but entries must be mailed and cannot be delivered in person or by messenger services to the JM Northern Media offices.
Entry packages MUST include:
1) One copy of the book;
2) A copy of your official entry form or a reasonable facsimile;
3) The entry fee or receipt for online payment;
4) Any press/marketing materials you wish to send. Marketing is used as a tie-breaking
consideration by our judges.
Entries should be mailed to:
JM Northern Media LLC
attn: San Francisco Book Festival
7095 Hollywood Boulevard
Suite 864
Hollywood, CA 90028-0893
Phone: 323-665-8080
AWARDS: The San Francisco Book Festival selection committee reserves the right to determine the eligibility of any project.
The 2009 San Francisco Book Festival is part of the JM Northern Media family of festivals, which include the DIY Convention: Do It Yourself in Film, Music & Books, New York Book Festival and Hollywood Book Festival. The San Francisco Book Festival is sponsored by The Larimar St. Croix Writers Colony, The Hollywood Creative Directory; eDivvy, Shopanista and Westside Websites.
CONTACT:
SanFranciscoBKFest@sbcglobal.net
323-665-8080
How to Find an Agent
[excerpt from A Writer’s Time, Chapter 6, “Publishing in Time”]
BOOK WRITERS
HOW TO FIND AN AGENT
OR REPRESENTATIVE
….The first step in finding an authors’ representative is to write something that will interest the representative. The writing must be good or the subject-matter important before anyone will represent you. But, basically, you find a representative exactly as you find a publisher:
© Kenneth Atchity 1986, 1995, 1999
BOOK WRITERS
HOW TO FIND AN AGENT
OR REPRESENTATIVE
….The first step in finding an authors’ representative is to write something that will interest the representative. The writing must be good or the subject-matter important before anyone will represent you. But, basically, you find a representative exactly as you find a publisher:
- Write a one-page query, making clear what your book is about in one or two sentences. Be professional.
- Write a five- to ten-page synopsis, outlining your book chapter by chapter or event by event. Some editors don't like synopses with novels, but almost every representative and many editors will request one.
- Book titles should be clear and immediately intriguing but generally not based on catchy phrases or puns. A book may go through several title changes before its final title is established.
- If you have significant publishing credits, cover your publishing background in your letter. (If you don’t, your letter should be brief.) Whatever you do, don’t emphasize your lack of track record.
- Send the query, synopsis, and letter with the first chapter of your book to an agent or manager by name. A list of authors’ representatives can be found in Jeff Herman’s Writer’s Guide to Book Editor, Publishers and Literary Agents, as well as in LMP (Literary Market Place). [click here to purchase]
- You can send your presentation (query, synopsis, and letter) to as many authors’ representatives as you like. Agents and literary managers will understand that this is only a query that doesn’t oblige either of you. Mail—or email, depending on the representative’s preference--ten to fifteen presentations at a time, as you can afford it.
- Plan several mailings in advance in order to avoid rejection syndrome. If a representative expresses interest, call the representative and ask how this particular representative can help you.
© Kenneth Atchity 1986, 1995, 1999
"WINTER WARRIOR" CLARENCE JONES FEATURED IN OBAMA ISSUE OF TIME
From TIME: Clarence B. Jones
Scholar-in-residence, Stanford
Those of us who were very close advisers to Martin Luther King Jr. — I think it's reasonable to say that we didn't anticipate that there would be an African-American President elected in our lifetime. It says more about our country than it says about Barack.
Read the entire article and listen to TIME talks to Clarence B. Jones.
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