Ep 190: [Interview] Author & Literary Agent Jeff Herman
Today I\u2019m chatting with author and literary agent Jeff Herman. \n\nJeff\u2019s literary agency has ushered nearly one thousand books into print. He\u2019s the coauthor of the acclaimed Write the Perfect Book Proposal and is often featured as an expert in print and broadcast media.\n\nJeff provides insider insight that will give you hope that it\u2019s possible to see your words in print.\n\nWhen you get a chance, check out his resource: Jeff Herman\u2019s Guide to Book Publishers, Editors & Literary Agents, 28th edition.\n\nHere's a taste of what he passed along today:\n"The first myth is that just because you\u2019re in New York or the vicinity of New York you have a crucial advantage over someone from Indiana or Alaska. It\u2019s really not true. The walls that publishing creates obstruct everyone equally. It\u2019s not a matter of geography. It\u2019s just a matter of access."\n"Now, of course, with digital communications, which to a great extent has displaced hard copy and to a certain extent has even displaced telephones and in person communications, I think that has done a lot to equalize the playing field."\n"The rules are not really true. They\u2019re really preferences. The walls are porous, if that\u2019s the right word. These walls are not metal plated; it\u2019s more like Swiss cheese. And it\u2019s a big illusion that you can\u2019t get through these walls. The illusion is very useful for agents and editors. It works for us. But it doesn\u2019t work for you, the writer, and ultimately it doesn\u2019t work for the editors or agents because it does in effect lock out a lot of good people. But that\u2019s why we need to be very tenacious and not let the agents or the editors individually or collectively tell you that you are not publishable. Because they don\u2019t know. They think they know\u2014they may know what\u2019s right for them\u2014but nobody can speak for the industry as a whole."\n"What I enjoy is working with the writer to make them as good as they can be and helping them to achieve their goals. I like to see the results of our good work together. I like to see that the book gets acquired by a publisher, that it gets published, and that it sells copies, and all the benefits that accrue to the author. I really feel then that I\u2019m serving a purpose by helping the client and the publisher and the reader get all these beneficial results. And that\u2019s what I see as the dream situation where we\u2019re all working together as a well-oiled machine."\n\n\nJeff Herman is the author of Write the Perfect Book Proposal\xa0and\xa0Jeff Herman\u2019s Guide to Book Publishers, Editors & Literary Agents, 28th edition.\nResources:\n\n \tWebsite: jeffherman.com\n \tPublisher's Marketplace (Jeff mentioned the subscription you can get through them)\n \tJeff Herman's Guide to Book Publishers, Editors & Literary Agents, 28th Edition (affiliate link)\n \tWrite the Perfect Book Proposal: 10 That Sold and Why\xa0(Third Edition) (affiliate link)\n \tJennifer Dukes Lee interview\n \tAlison Hodgson interview\n \tShawn Smucker interview\n \tPatrice Gopo interview\n \tAnn's Patreon account\n \tAll podcast episodes\n\nYou can subscribe to this podcast using your podcast player or find it through\xa0Apple podcasts,\xa0Stitcher, or Spotify.