Why do i need
a literary agent?
A good agent will do a number of things
for you: she will help shape your book idea into a more
commercial product; she will give you access to publishers
that you would not have on your own; she will negotiate
your book deal and contract terms in your favor; she
will act as your advocate and deal directly with the
publisher on any problems or disputes that arise during
the lifetime of the book. And she will help guide your
long-term writing career.
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What kinds of books does
the Gail Ross Literary Agency represent?
It may sound old fashioned, but we
still believe books can change lives. And we hold this
belief when critiquing every new project that comes
into our office.
Our clients fall into two categories:
experts and writers. Sometimes the two overlap. For
example, we represent many journalists who are experts
in one particular subject, as well as a few doctors
who are leading researching in their field but who also
happen to be strong writers.
Most of our clients write non-fiction
on topics ranging from current events, politics, history
and biography, religion, spirituality, health and science,
and memoir. We do handle the occasional commercial fiction
project, but never genre fiction such as sci-fi / fantasy
or romance.
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Do you ever sign on first-time
authors?
Yes! In fact more than half of our
clients are first-time authors. But many of these clients
either have some form of writing experience or have
risen to the top of their professions.
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What do you look for in a new
client?
We look for any number of things:
an original voice, an unparalleled expertise or take
on a subject, a timely topic that publishers can't refuse.
It also helps if the client's biography makes him or
her uniquely suited to write the book. Are you the only
person out there who is qualified or experienced enough
to write your book?
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What advice do you have for
an aspiring writer?
Do your homework! Read book reviews.
Spend time in a bookstore. Figure out where your book
would fit on the bookshelves. Find ways to differentiate
your idea from the competition and ask yourself what
separates your profile as a new author and your book
topic.
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What are your guidelines for
submissions?
Please refer to the submissions
section for details.
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Is there a difference between
a New York agency
and a DC agency?
No. We travel to NYC regularly and
have strong relationships with editors at every major
publishing house. Keep in mind your relationship with
your agent will likely last longer and be more important
than any relationship with an editor or publisher. You
want an agent you can trust and feel comfortable with
and you want to make sure that regardless of where your
agent is based, he or she is selling books on a regular
basis to credible publishers.
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