How an Author’s Consultant Can Secure Your Book Contract

As a book publisher, I am frequently asked to find a literary agent for my author clients. While I know and work with a lot of agents and publishers, it’s not what I do. But every once in a while, I find someone who can really help my clients, and I have found that person. Her name is Debra Englander.

Debby has extensive editorial experience including reporting for Money, managing the Fortune Book Club and serving as managing editor at John Wiley for nearly 17 years. He currently works with authors creating winning book proposals, editing manuscripts, and creating content for print and online projects.

Debby’s editorial service is unique. She will listen to your book concept and then she will advise you on the next steps. She will tell you if the idea is a good one and if the big publishers are likely to be interested in it. If so, she’ll help you craft the perfect inquiry letter to a literary agent, or sometimes directly to a publisher. Englander, who has written countless successful client inquiry letters, emphasizes that first impressions are everything and that there are some common mistakes among aspiring writers that impact their prospects. “A query letter is an art form unto itself,” says Englander.

She adds: “I spend a lot of time talking to authors, agents, and publishers. I’m really a matchmaker between authors, agents, and publishers. Sometimes I’ll tell someone to self-publish if the book needs to get to market quickly. Sometimes I’ll tell someone someone that the book needs more work before I can submit it. I give practical advice based on many years in the book business. I don’t want authors, especially newbies, to waste time, money and effort and end up disappointed.”

As a book marketer who deals daily with the media, I learned a long time ago that a common mistake in writing cover letters for the media is making them too long. We live in the world of Twitter of 140 characters or less. This has trained people to be impatient and critical of wordy introductions. The same goes for inquiry letters to an agent. An inquiry letter should be no more than half a page. You have to know exactly what the agents want to hear, what they’re looking for. Tell them just that and end the letter right there! Keep it short, keep it sweet, and you’ll be one step closer to landing an agent.

Agents are in the business of selling books. They are not our best friends, they are not our therapists, and they are not our life coaches. The best agents focus on what they do best, which is generating enough buzz in a book and selling it for the highest possible price. When you get paid, they get paid. End of story.

That’s why I like the concept of a “matchmaking author” because he or she can put the best possible spin on your book with an irresistible query letter to get an agent to pay attention. You know how to write: The author coach knows how to sell your book.

Alternatively, if you’re a DIYer, check out my article “How to Get a Literary Agent” on my blog: www.Book-Publicist.com

The bottom line: Why reinvent the wheel? Sign up with a book consultant like Debby Englander by sending her a note at:[email protected]