If You Could Ask an Agent.....

[Merry]

If you could ask a literary agent in an interview about anything related to writing and the publishing business at large...what would you ask? Go ahead, anything.... !thumbsup!

[wgjones3]

Will you read my manuscript????

[Merry]

Very good, Jones... :D

[Rebecca]

LOL, other than that! ;)

Bekka

[wgjones3]

How 'bout, can I have a contract with Westbow? Or Warner? Either one--I'm not picky. :D

[elbib]

What qualities catch your attention in new writers?

How would you describe the relationship between the writer and the agent?

What can the writer do to make your job easier?

***

Thanks - elbib

[wgjones3]

Okay, you want serious questions... how about some of these:

If you had to project right now based on the last few years, what is the 5-year landscape of the publishing industry?

Is the age of consolidation over and are there any indications that independent publishers will make a significant impact on the publishing landscape in the next few years?

As an agent, do you spend more time working as a champion to promote the projects you're passionate about into publication, or do you spend more time searching the slush pile looking for projects that fit the current market trends?

What are the earmarks of a project you would be passionate about championing?

What triggers do you look for in a query letter and/or proposal that tell you, "Wow, this is something I need to see more of?"

Can a bad query and/or proposal kill your interest in an otherwise publishable book?

The general analogy floating around has been that Christian publishing is about a decade behind Christian music in terms of quality. Do you see that as true? And, if you consider DC Talk's 1995 release of Jesus Freak to be the moment that Christian music arrived, what will be considered the moment for Christian fiction?

Thanks to titles such as Left Behind and The Purpose Driven Life, and arguably due to some numbers juggling as well, Christian publishing saw sales growth at time when the publishing industry as a whole was seeing a market loss. Is there still room for Christian publishing to grow? Or has it reached a saturation point within the overall industry?

What will it take for Christian literature to have an impact on society as a whole? By Christian literature, I'm referring to CBA fare.

Do you foresee the possibility of crossover sales successes in both CBA and ABA markets on a regular basis anytime in the near future?

Is Hollywood starting to take an interest in acquiring rights to proven Christian literary properties given the recent success of The Passion of the Christ?

Has the rise of mega-retailers like Borders and Barnes & Nobel helped or hurt the Christian publishing industry?

What steps can a writer take to prepare himself/herself to take that next-level step into publication?

What can a writer do to help enhance the chances of a sale (aside from writing a really good story)?

What is the partnership between agent and writer really like?

How can a writer make a name for themselves before getting that first book published?

Have you ever heard of Infuze Magazine (http://www.infuzemag.com) and if so, what do you think of it (and the writing contained therein)?

[Merry]

I thought you said these were serious questions...just kidding. Excellent work, Jones!

[Merry]

Okay, I know Jones covered almost every question anyone could ever wish to ask an agent in an interview...but...just in case....anyone else have questions? !thumbsup!

[paulchernoch]

I have read what a very few agents say about what they expect in a query letter. One part of the query (especially for non-fiction, but also for fiction) concerns your credentials. Obviously, if you have been published before, that is significant. If not (unless you consider two church newsletter articles and three letters to the editor printed in the local paper 'being published'), what kinds of things can you say about your background concerning your qualifications to write that will be helpful? All I could think of was my college degree. Any thoughts?

- Paul