Dear, Readers,

Thanks so much for visiting us at How to Publish a Book. We are grateful for your interest and support. We've been receiving a lot of questions lately about literary agents, and about whether to self publish or find a traditional publisher. This week's interview with author T.R. Ragan shines a light on this subject and on a new trend in publishing.

T.R. fought for many, many years to get a foot in the door in traditional publishing as a Romance author. She did everything every guide book and established writer suggests you do to get noticed and get published. Still, no one recognized her talent nor gave her a chance. It is beyond words how frustrating this must have been for T.R., and even more frustrating is the realization that T.R. is not alone. Thousands of writers probably like yourself reading this blog have the talent and the drive to publish your book, yet no one in traditional publishing is willing to take the time to nurture you and guide you through the process.

This is why we began How to Publish a Book.

T.R.'s story is one of total success through perseverance. As you'll see in our interview, after traditional publishing stonewalled her for more than a decade, she made the decision to self publish. Subsequently, she sold more than 200,000 copies of her books.

If you're reading this blog and you feel like no one has ever helped you, no one has ever taken the time to offer you guidance, no one has ever said to you "You are a brilliant writer, and you deserve to make a lot of money from your books," then you have come to the right place.

We welcome you, and we appreciate your support and interest in our humble site. If you have questions or comments, please don't hesitate to drop us a line. We'd love to hear from you. Enjoy the interview.

Stacey 

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T.R. RAGAN

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: You have an amazing personal story on your website theresaragan.com regarding how you got started as a writer. Many of our visitors at howtopublishabook.org ask this very question. For those folks, how did you get started as a writer?

T.R. RAGAN: Hi Stacey, thanks for inviting me here today. Nineteen years ago, on a leave of absence from work and pregnant with my fourth and last child, I read my first romance novel and I was blown away. For two hours, I had been taken to an exciting world filled with romance and adventure. I had always loved to write poems and in a journal, but the minute I finished reading that book, I knew that I wanted to write my own story in hopes of providing a few hours of escapism for women just like me.

I grabbed a notepad and started writing down ideas. I had no idea what I was doing when I began my journey. I spent a lot of time at the library since Google didn't exist (that I know of) and I didn't have a computer. I began to read like crazy, trying to analyze what other authors had done. I filled up a huge binder with endless notes. Nora Roberts has been quoted as saying, "You can fix a bad page, but you can't fix a blank page." I love that saying. Five years later, I had completed my first novel, Return of the Rose.

After receiving my first rejection, I joined Romance Writers of America and was thrilled to discover there were so many people out there like me--people whose heads were filled with scenes and characters. I learned more in that first year with RWA than I had learned in five years on my own. I joined critique groups and I attended conferences all over the U.S. I entered contests and I eventually signed with two agents. I worked with a few editors, too. I finaled six times in RWA's Golden Heart Competition. I wrote every day, but I still couldn't make a sale to a NY Publisher. In March, 2011, I decided to self-publish and I haven't looked back since.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: Your novel ABDUCTED is doing extraordinarily well on the Kindle eBook platform. What is the story about and what are the steps you took to first get the word out about it?

T.R. RAGAN: As of today, I have sold 200,000 books in one year. Abducted is responsible for more than half of those sales. Thrillers are hot right now. I hit the right genre at the right time. Opportunity + good timing = Luck. Writing for 19 years didn't hurt either.

Abducted is about Lizzy Gardner, a young woman who was abducted at the age of 17, after being dropped off by her boyfriend. After spending months with a ruthless killer, she manages to escape. 14 years later, Lizzy is a private investigator known as "the one who got away." When Lizzy isn't talking to her therapist or chasing after insurance frauds, she volunteers at high schools and teaches young girls to defend themselves. Her world is turned upside down for the second time when a young girl is taken from her home in the middle of the night.  Lizzy's old boyfriend, Jared Shayne, is now an FBI agent and he needs her help. The kidnapper has left Lizzy a personalized message. He's back and this time he means business.

I wrote Abducted at a time when I was frustrated with not selling to New York. I had worked hard to learn my craft. I was doing everything I was supposed to be doing, but luck wasn't on my side. I put aside my romance novels and decided that a few characters were going to pay with their lives. Writing the book was therapeutic for me. The process helped me rediscover my love for writing. I let it all hang out. I wasn't writing Abducted for an editor or an agent. I was writing it for me.

Before releasing Abducted in May, 2011, I worked hard for three months on getting my name out there. I did interviews like this one and I blogged wherever and whenever I could. I did a search on the internet for romance reviewers and every morning I would send out a request for a review. Many reviewers never responded, which was fine. I was able to get reviews from the reviewers who were interested in reading my book(s). Once I began to make some money, I began to advertise on The Romance Reviews, Eye on Romance, Digital Book Today, Frugal Ereader and the place that I give a lot of credit for getting my name out there is Pixel of Ink. In April 2011 Pixel of Ink mentioned A Knight in Central Park and my book went soaring into the Top 100 List at Amazon.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: What are the blogs and websites that you've noticed directly impact eBook sales?

T.R. RAGAN: I have a friend who has not spent one dime on advertising and she is selling amazing amounts of books. But she is doing interviews and she has posted on many blogs, including her own. For some, writing a post for a blog is a time consuming endeavor. For people like me, who never run out of things to talk about, it's easier. For an author with little money, I would suggest blogging wherever he/she can. If you have time, do a blog tour. I did one and I enjoyed connecting with readers, but blog tours can be time consuming and the best promotion is writing your next book.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: What advice would you give to an aspiring writer who has a novel and doesn't know what steps to publish it?

T.R. RAGAN: Go to my LINK PAGE on my website. I list the steps I went through to self-publish. I would tell any author who wants to self publish that they should join IRI, Indie Romance Ink run by Cate Rowan and Carly Carson. There are more than 800 authors who are listening, learning, and more importantly, sharing information. Every member is friendly and willing to help. It's an incredible place to learn about self-publishing.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: What are you currently working on and where would you like to be in one year as an author?

T.R. RAGAN: I am currently revising a romantic comedy, Having My Baby. The book needed a lot more work than I had first envisioned. When I am finished with that, I plan to write the third book in my Lizzy Gardner series. This will complete my first series! I have many goals and, at some point, I would love to hit the USA Today or NY Times bestsellers list. So many wonderful and exciting things have happened to me in the last year, I can't imagine it get any better than this. More than anything, I want to inspire other writers to believe in themselves and to never give up. When it comes to self-publishing, there is a lot to learn. Just take it one step at a time. Writers don't need to learn it all in one week. Always make sure you are enjoying the process. Have fun!

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: Thanks so much for speaking with us, T.R.! 

Dear, Readers,

Thanks so much for visiting How to Publish a Book. This week we are continuing our series with some of the bestselling eBook authors in the world. If you have questions, feel free to contact us. We always love hearing from readers and visitors to our site. Thanks so much, and enjoy the interview.

Stacey

 

MARTIN CROSBIE

Martin Crosbie's My Temporary Life was first published in late December 2011, and became one of the hottest books in the world in early 2012. During a free promotion it skyrocketed to #1 overall in the Amazon Kindle Free category as over 50,000 readers downloaded it. The following week when the promotion ended it reached #9 on the overall Amazon Kindle paid charts, #1 in Romance/Suspense and #1 in Mystery/Thrillers. It was an Amazon Mover and Shaker, and also reached #7 in IndieReaders rankings of top independently published novels of the week. In a very short time almost 70,000 people have now picked up My Temporary Life, and further awards and 5 Star Reviews are pouring in.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: Your novel My Temporary Life is doing extraordinarily well as an eBook on the Amazon Kindle platform. What is your story about?

MARTIN CROSBIE: Thank you! My Temporary Life is the story of Malcolm. Malcolm has a dysfunctional childhood that sees him shuffled between a neglectful promiscuous mother in Canada and a remote quiet father in Scotland. Bullied at school in Scotland and ridiculed and embarassed in Canada, he escapes to a boarding school and hides from the world.

As an adult, he meets Heather, a beautiful young woman who has also had a severely dysfuntional childhood. Heather has a secret that she shares with Malcolm, and then the adventure begins. I'm sorry but to tell more would spoil it so I'll leave it there for now. I can tell you that it has been described as a romance/suspense/coming of age novel.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: What advice would you give to aspiring writers who have a book and don't know how to proceed in the sometimes mysterious world of book publishing?

MARTIN CROSBIE: My book was rejected over 100 times by agents and publishers, yet readers kept telling me that it was a good book. I was almost ready to give up when I decided to self-publish through Amazon. I released it just before Christmas last year and sold a few hundred eBooks, a lot of them to friends and family of course.

Then, I decided to take part in Amazon's free promotion. I gave the eBook away for free for a 3 day period in order to get the word out there.

It worked! Last Saturday it lingered around the #2 or #3 spot all day and then on Sunday it got to #1 and stayed there all day. Over 51,000 folks downloaded the eBook. 

The true test began once the free promotion was over. Throughout the week, the book steadily climbed in Amazon's overall rankings, and hit #9. Currently it still sits at #2 in 2 of their romance/suspense subcategories and at #24 overall. People want to read the book and Amazon has a fantastic system that will help you get your work out to readers. I highly recommend it. 

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: What are the blogs and review sites that best contribute to eBook sales?

MARTIN CROSBIE: There are so many good sites out there. I networked on Facebook through writers groups, I tweeted, and I used Amazon's tools to get the word out there.

I heard it said that Facebook isn't a great vehicle to promote anymore, I disagree with that. I believe that it was Facebook, and the various groups that I posted in, that pushed me to #1 last Sunday.

Join groups on Facebook that will promote your work, post on the Kindleboards, and join in discussions on Amazon. It's the only way to get the word out there.

When I was climbing on the overall paid charts I was overtaking such big name authors as Stephen King, and Sophie Kinsella, and books like The Help and even Twilight at one point. The buzz was incredible. I had so many people tweeting and Facebooking and emailing their contacts, and that's what helped spread the word and get My Temporary Life out to folks.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: What are the steps you've taken to launch this book so successfully? 

MARTIN CROSBIE: I have a website www.martincrosbie.com where I blog and update my readers with the most recent news on My Temporary Life. And, to be honest, I posted everywhere, and I mean everywhere.

Anywhere that I could think of that might be a way to get the word out there, I did it. Those included online newspaper ads that were free, guesting on other writers blogs, doing an online radio interview, and again, networking on Facebook and chat boards.

It is incredibly time-consuming, and I'd much rather be writing but it really does pay off, and it's free. You don't have to pay for an ad, you just put the time into building relationships with the real people who are going to be buying your books.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: What are you currently working on?

MARTIN CROSBIE: I have two projects that I'm working on. One is a romance/thriller that is unlike My Temporary Life and the other is a sequel to My Temporary Life.

There is much more to tell with Malcolm and Hardly and Heather, and young Emily too. The last book ended in the early nineties, and this one picks up several years later. I have had so many emails and requests asking to know what heppened to them that I couldn't not do it, and there is more to tell, much, much more.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: Thanks so much for speaking with us, Martin.

 

Dear, Readers,

Thanks so much for visiting How to Publish a Book. For most of 2010 and 2011, we developed a series of interviews for this site with literary agents. For those who are entirely new to publishing, literary agents work on behalf of writers to sell the rights to their work to publishers. Check out the link over on the left New Literary Agents for our archived interviews with these folks.

The reason we start by mentioning this is that we are embarking on a new interview series for How to Publish a Book with successful eBook authors. Specifically what we've done is go directly to the Kindle Top 100 bestseller list and contact a handful of authors who are the very, very top. Our first interview with a phenomenally successful eBook (primarily) author is below.

We'll continue to do literary agent interviews, but we just wanted to announce officially that we have this new series with authors coming in the weeks and months ahead.

As always, if you have comments or questions don't hesitate to contact us. We appreciate and love hearing from readers.

Stacey

 

ARWEN ELYS DAYTON

Arwen Elys Dayton is the author of Resurrection, the #1 Kindle Bestseller in Science Fiction in the US and the UK.

Arwen began her career as a teenage staff writer at a foundation that produced Peabody Award-winning educational shows for PBS. Soon afterward, she began writing screenplays and novels, including Sovereign's Hold and Resurrection. She spends months doing research for her stories (including climbing into the Great Pyramid at Giza with nothing but a flashlight while developing Resurrection) and enjoys creating complete worlds inhabited by characters who charm, frustrate or inspire.

Arwen lives with her Internet mogul husband and their three children in the hills near Santa Monica, California. You can follow her on Twitter @arwenelysdayton

 

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: Your novel RESURRECTION is doing phenomenally well on the Kindle eBook platform. What is the story about and how did you sell it to Amazon's 47N imprint?

ARWEN ELYS DAYTON: Resurrection was originally acquired and published by New American Library, an imprint of Penguin/Putnam. Its sales were decent there and it "earned out" --  industry parlance meaning it was not a money loser for the publisher. (It's shocking how many books ARE money losers for publishers, so having a book that makes some money - even a little - is a very good thing.) However, that was that. The book had its short run, the publisher was happy to make a little profit on it, and there was no more push to market it. 

This was hard for me to take. First, of course, I believed in the book after all the work I'd put into it. Second, the reader response was very good. And third, the story wouldn't die. The book was optioned by Hollywood and I was hired to do a screen adaptation. The movie didn't end up happening, but I was still approached periodically by people who wanted to read a sequel or who wanted to turn it into a film.

I decided I would get the rights to the Resurrection back and self publish it. As I started asking around to find a good eBook marketing/PR person to help me with this, Amazon approached me about acquiring the novel themselves. They explained that they were turning themselves into a full publishing house, with acquisitions, editorial, etc. Basically, they were ready to go head to head with the old houses from New York, using their marketing might and knowledge of what their customers were reading. 

I might have been a little skeptical at first, but I quickly contacted several of their authors to ask about their experience with Amazon as a publisher. Everyone had glowing things to say, ESPECIALLY the authors who, like me, had been with "traditional" publishers before. Everyone mentioned how "author oriented" Amazon was. 

We struck a deal very quickly, and I have been nothing but impressed since. They care about their authors, and they can back that up with a real marketing push to sell their titles. I am incredibly lucky they acquired my book.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: You are well known for the thorough research you do in order to world build in your stories? For aspiring writers, how important is research for you and how does it contribute to the authenticity of your work?

ARWEN ELYS DAYTON: Research has always been a big part of my process. I find research inspiring. You will come across some small factual tidbit that will suddenly open up a whole area of creative thought. When I researched ancient Egypt for Resurrection, there were many of those "Aha!" moments, when I suddenly saw the potential to add something interesting to the story.

It's important, however, not to get weighed down by your research, when you're writing a work of fiction. It IS fiction, and the point is to make a credible setting, but primarily to tell an interesting story.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: Many aspiring writers are torn between self-publishing and going the traditional route by trying to find a literary agent. If you were speaking to a room of 30 aspiring writers, what advice would you give to the group regarding how to publish a book?

ARWEN ELYS DAYTON: This is a tough question and I'd say there is no one right answer. It IS important to make sure your manuscript is in absolutely top condition before you do anything with it. Because agents, publishers and the buying public all have so many options right now. 

So whether you choose to publish yourself or submit to agents, do not skimp on all the obvious upfront work of making your book amazing. This will take time, and you may irritate friends and family by forcing them to read and comment on multiple drafts, but it must be done.

If you decide to self publish, the online marketing tools available now are truly stunning. The Facebook marketing options alone allow anyone to reach a very targeted audience. Some of the other authors in the Amazon "stable" were originally self-published authors selling through the kindle store, whose books were selling really, really well. So it is possible to successfully self publish, and this can lead to bigger things. But this sort of success probably boils down to: a) a very good book and b) taking the time to understand and execute on a marketing plan.

If you decide to go the traditional route, there is lots of good advice already out there on writing a great query letter, having your first chapters in excellent shape, and so on. All of it holds true.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: What are you currently working on, and where do you see yourself in one year as a writer?

ARWEN ELYS DAYTON: I'm writing the first of a series of Young Adult novels with a slightly futuristic setting. I'm just about done with the first draft of the first one, so I'll see shortly how the story is turning out. The setting and characters are exciting to me, and I'm working hard to bring them to life for a YA audience.

A year from now, I would love to see the first one successfully released and have a target date for me to finish the two sequels. Deadlines are very valuable to a writer!

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: Do you have a specific story that illustrates how important perseverance has been to your writing and career?

ARWEN ELYS DAYTON: The story of Resurrection's re-release with Amazon is my best example of perseverance. I'm very happy with how it's turning out. :)

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: Thanks so much for speaking with us, Arwen!

 LAURIE MCLEAN

Laurie McLean joined Larsen-Pomada in 2005 following a 20-year stint as the CEO of a successful Silicon Valley public relations agency. Laurie was able to switch gears in 2002 to immerse herself in writing. She penned three manuscripts, and if that wasn't enough, decided that the life of a literary agent would be the perfect complement to her duties as a writer of fantasy and romance.

Laurie has been writing professionally since high school--first as a journalist, then as a public relations agent. She earned a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism from the State University of New York and a Master's Degree at Syracuse University's prestigious Newhouse School of Journalism.

Laurie specializes in adult genre fiction (romance, fantasy, science fiction, mystery, westerns, horror, etc.) plus middle-grade and young adult children's books. She does not handle non-fiction, or commercial, literary or women's fiction, nor does she handle children's picture books or graphic novels. She prefers to receive the first ten pages and a 2-page plot synopsis of a manuscript via email (no attachments, please) at query@agentsavant.com.

 

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: How did your background as a CEO of a public relations firm help prepare you for a career as a literary agent?

LAURIE MCLEAN: I learned and fine-tuned the skills I would need in any job as the CEO of my own multi-million dollar corporation. Time management, prioritization, negotiation, organization, the importance of being on time, workplace etiquette, contracts, sales, marketing, writing, persuasion, HR, accounting, being an inspiration to others, and a host of other business critical skills. I was CEO for 20 years and it was glorious! Plus, as a public relations agent I learned how to interpret features and benefits between buyers and sellers to effect a deal, the importance of honing your writing to cogently and efficiently get your point across, and how to take a deal from an inspiration to a contract. So when I became a literary agent all I needed on top of that were contacts in the book business. Elizabeth Pomada and Michael Larsen have nearly 40 years in the publishing business, so they provided the perfect match.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: How did the position at Larsen-Pomada come to you?

LAURIE MCLEAN: Actually I met Elizabeth and Michael at the second annual San Francisco Writers Conference. I was seeking an agent for my romance manuscripts and Elizabeth took me on as a client. I was so impressed by the conference I volunteered to create and manage their first writing contest (which is still going today as the Indie Publishing Contest). The more time I spent at the agency, the more similarities I saw between literary agenting and public relations agenting. So three months after meeting them I asked if they’d ever thought about bringing on an associate and they hired me on the spot.  Best decision I’ve ever made.  Well, besides marrying my husband!  :-)

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: As a writer yourself, do you find it easier to relate to what other writers go through?

LAURIE MCLEAN: Absolutely. I understand the personal nature of what an author does. The story, characters, everything comes from inside an author’s mind and heart. So when anyone—agent, editor, reviewer, reader—says something that could be considered negative, it hurts. Also, I didn’t understand the business of publishing when I first started as a writer, so I try really hard to help writers who have yet to make the transition to being published understand the harsh realities of the publishing industry—with a gentle hand. Of course once a writer becomes an author, a whole new set of uncertainties and knowledge points occur, and I help them through that learning curve as well.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: How do you balance advocating for your own writing in contrast to that of other writers?

LAURIE MCLEAN: Alas, I have not paid much attention to my own writing in the last couple of years as my submissions grew to nearly 2,000 per month, my client list topped 20 authors and the amount of writers conferences I speak at grew to 20+ per year. Plus I’ve spent thousands of hours the past few years learning about the emerging and exciting field of digital publishing and eBooks, so that also took away from my personal writing time. But I hope to get back to it in the coming years.  We’ll see.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: Where did your love of reading first take root?

LAURIE MCLEAN: I can’t remember a time I didn’t love to read. From listening to my mother read to us at bedtime, to holding A Wrinkle in Time in my own hands, to writing my own horror short story in third grade, my love affair with books grows ever stronger.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: What are you most interested in representing? What is the best way for prospective clients to contact you?

LAURIE MCLEAN: I am currently closed to new submissions unless I meet the writer at a conference or he/she is referred by someone I know in publishing (client, agent, editor, author).  I represent all adult genre fiction (romance, fantasy, science fiction, horror, thrillers, mysteries) as well as young adult and middle grade children’s books. I love it all. I read it all. Might I also suggest that we have two new agents at Larsen Pomada—Lindsey Clemons and Kat Salazar—who are actively building their lists and are eager to find new clients. Your readers might contact them if they write what Lindsey and Kat represent.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: What are your thoughts on Amazon emerging as a force in publishing and are their imprints like Thomas & Mercer, Montlake, and 47North very responsive to literary agents?

LAURIE MCLEAN: Well, I think the Big Six traditional publishers are about to become the Big Seven, frankly. Unless Amazon buys one of them! I don’t see how Amazon is going to fail in its attempt to become a traditional publisher (in addition to its role as book distributor and eBook enabler). They have been courting literary agents fast and furious, and they are listening to what we’re saying about how we want their imprints to compensate authors. I hope they don’t topple the entire industry with predatory practices. That is a real fear. But I think they’re too smart to do that.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: What is the San Francisco Writers University?

LAURIE MCLEAN: Ah, a question close to my heart. San Francisco Writers Conference is the jewel in the crown of our non-profit writer-centric organization. But co-founder Michael Larsen wanted to reach out to every level of writer at every stage of his or her writing journey and at every price point. The only way to do that was with a robust online component. So we founded San Francisco Writers University (SFWritersU.com) in November 2010 and it’s been growing like crazy ever since. We’re close to 800 members now. It’s free to join, has many free or exceedingly cheap ($10) classes on craft, commerce and community, and is built on a social media engine that offers free blogs, email, critique groups and networking that emulates the feel of a real life university that focuses only on writers. I hope your readers will check it out. We’re adding real-life classes too, like our day-long eBooks Symposium and Self-Publishing Boot Camp, so we’re always improving the experience.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: At the end of the day, what do you enjoy most about working in publishing?

LAURIE MCLEAN: The variety, the challenges, the creativity, the people, and the satisfaction of seeing my efforts bear fruit.  Thanks for having me, Stacey.

Dear, Readers,

Thanks so much for visiting us at How to Publish a Book. As always, we are grateful for your interest and support, and we are dedicated to bringing you the very best literary agent interviews in publishing.

This week our spotlight literary agent is Elizabeth Kracht of Kimberly Cameron & Associates.

Let us know if you have any comments or feedback. We love hearing from visitors to our site. Enjoy the interview!

Stacey 

 

 

ELIZABETH KRACHT

Elizabeth Kracht joined Kimberley Cameron & Associates in the fall of 2010 to broaden her perspective on the publishing industry. She represents both literary and commercial fiction as well as nonfiction, and brings to the agency experience as a former acquisitions editor, freelance publicist and writer.

Elizabeth's career in publishing took root in Puerto Rico where she completed her BA in English and worked as a copyeditor for an English-language newspaper. When she returned to the mainland she found her "vein of gold" in book publishing. She thrives on working closely with authors and researching the potential market for new books.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: How does the experience of having lived in Puerto Rico inform your tastes as a literary agent?

ELIZABETH KRACHT: Puerto Rico informed my tastes as a literary agent in many ways. Living in Puerto Rico gave me a radically different perspective on life as I embraced a different culture. One of the reasons I went to Puerto Rico was to improve my writing. As an American living in Puerto Rico, I was pretty invisible, so I spent a lot of time paying attention to my surroundings, trying to understand the culture, politics, subcultures... I don't think I'd appreciate quirky characters quite as much if I hadn't met so many of them while living in Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico was a bittersweet experience for me, but I'll always feel connected to the island, especially the water on a calm day at Ocean Park beach. I would love to represent Puerto Rican or Hispanic authors. My experience in Puerto Rico also drives my general interest in multicultural settings and settings as characters.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: Tell us about your experience working as an acquisitions editor. Specifically, what are some of the practical skills that taught you that translate into your job as a literary agent?

ELIZABETH KRACHT: I bring many skills to my job as a literary agent from my experience as an acquisitions editor. Some of those skills are: evaluating the marketplace, identifying niche markets, negotiating contracts, developmental editing, focusing the market of a project, working closely with authors... Having worked as an acquisitions editor, I understand the perspective of the publisher, which I am able to use as I evaluate new projects. Working for a small publisher often gives a person experience in other departments as well. I also worked closely with marketing and publicity, giving me not only a well-rounded perspective of the industry, but also the ability to direct my clients on career development/self-promotion, which is important in today's publishing climate.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: You completed your BA in English. Did you ever consider teaching as a career path? What about publishing was particularly attractive?

ELIZABETH KRACHT: I have never considered a career in teaching; I'm not sure why. I've always been interested in publishing, but mostly from a writer's perspective. I figured the more I knew about the publishing industry, the better. When I began work as a copyeditor/proofreader for a newspaper, I realized I had skill working with other people's writing, and really enjoyed it; it was an epiphany of sorts. Written communication is probably the biggest and most important theme in my life, and publishing is the industry that gives me an opportunity to live my life's work. I also love being a part of helping people fulfill their dreams.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: What are you most eager to see?

ELIZABETH KRACHT: I'm open in terms of what I'm interested in and looking for. Of course, I'm looking for compelling, well-written projects. I love voice-driven works and strong settings. I would like to find a great piece of women's literary fiction. I never thought I would represent chicklit, but recently found a quick, fun read. I would like to find a memoir so compelling that author platform is a nonissue. I would love to represent a Native American author. I'm interested in helping disprove the notion that cat books don't sell. I would like to find an author like Carlos Castaneda, Dan Millman or Paulo Coelho (magical realism/spiritual quest). I would also like to see more nonfiction projects, maybe even a graphic novel. I'm very eclectic in my tastes, so I'm eager to see many different kinds of projects. Kimberley is eager to find a great horror manuscript, and we'd both like to represent some high-concept nonfiction.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: What types of books do you see too much of?

ELIZABETH KRACHT: I'm not sure we really see too much of any one type of book, but there are common qualities many manuscripts share that we see too much of. We see too many adverbs, clichés and gimmicky query letters. We also see word counts from debut authors that the current publishing climate doesn't support. We do see too many vampire and zombie manuscripts. In general, we see too much fantasy, since we don't represent fantasy.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: What is the best way for prospective clients to contact you?

ELIZABETH KRACHT: The best way to contact me is at a conference or by e-mail. Our submission guidelines can be found on our website at www.kimberleycameron.com. We do accept unsolicited manuscripts. We ask to see the first fifty pages of the manuscript and a one-page synopsis as a Word attachment or PDF, along with a query letter in the body of the e-mail. Also, be sure to look over the associate bios on the website in order to decide which associate is the best fit for your project.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: What are your thoughts on the recent impulse of some literary agencies becoming eBook publishers for their clients' books?

ELIZABETH KRACHT: I think this is something literary agencies have to consider as the publishing landscape changes; our clients require this of us. We recently published our first eBook at the request of one of our clients. This has been an experiment for the agency and our client. We are committed to maintaining our focus on the traditional publishing route, but as the definition of traditional publishing changes, we have to be prepared to change as well.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: What are your thoughts on agents withholding digital rights from publishers when negotiating print deals for their clients? (Mostly in the case of writers who have broken out as self-published eBook authors, and as such, already have an established following in that market.)

ELIZABETH KRACHT: This is a tricky question to answer. We would not consider representing an author who has already published an eBook unless they could show impressive sales and a following. If we did represent a writer who was in this position, it may be a requirement of the publisher that the original eBook be taken down and digital rights granted as part of the print deal. Publishers want digital rights.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: What advice do you have for aspiring writers regarding writers' conferences?

ELIZABETH KRACHT: Conferences are a great boon for writers of every caliber (I'm currently at the Surrey International Writers' Conference, getting ready for my next pitch session). I signed four clients from the last PNWA conference (and am still considering other works). Conferences are a great way to interact with agents and editors looking for new work; they are a place to get truly objective feedback from people who understand the industry from a commercial perspective. Writers can also find freelance editors in attendance, who can help tighten up that last pass before submitting to an agent. And there are also great teachers and speakers to help bolster confidence and improve writing skills. Conferences are a worthy investment. If finances are limited, a writer may want to be strategic about which conference(s) he or she chooses to attend. I'm a sucker for personal connection, and personal connection goes a long way in publishing.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: At the end of the day, what is the most enjoyable thing about working in publishing?

ELIZABETH KRACHT: The most enjoyable thing to me is working in a creative industry with a lot of history where I can apply all of myself. Working closely with writers is also enjoyable. I love it when a manuscript makes me see everyday things through a new lens. It's also a blessing to be able to work with someone like Kimberley and be part of an agency with a great legacy.

HOW TO PUBLISH A BOOK: Thanks so much for speaking with us, Elizabeth!

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