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Showing posts with label book publisher. Show all posts
Showing posts with label book publisher. Show all posts

Sunday, January 9, 2011

JumpStart Your Publishing Dreams

W. Terry Whalin Author
When I hosted W. Terry Whalin on my radio show for authors it was as if I was having a nice chat, over coffee, with an old friend. You see, I've known Terry for years. Not "known" him in the sense of the real world, but known him in the sense of the Internet World: I-know-him-because-I-follow-him. Terry wrote what I consider a famous ebook on writing a book proposal. I purchased and downloaded mine long ago before eBooks were even in vogue. He now has an excellent book, "Book Proposals that Sell". Book proposals can open up the seemingly sky-high, iron gates of the publishing world if one knows how to do so correctly...and Terry does. [Busy acquisitions editors don't have the time to read a manuscript but they will read a well crafted proposal!]

So, where does Terry get his level of expertise? From being a former literary agent and an acquisitions editor for a major publishing house. He has been published in over 50 magazines and written more than 60 books.

Yes, the "e" in word Expert is extra large in Terry's case. What I really enjoyed about the conversation was the way Terry was happy to share his knowledge and level of expertise so willingly. Most accomplished authors are happy with the knowledge that they've touched lives no matter how minimally. You know the adadage, it was worth writing the book if even one person's life is changed. Terry has touched the lives of countless people, with his work and now with his ability to help other authors. Terry is now a publisher at Intermedia Publishing Group, where for a fee he will help an author see their dreams fulfilled. I'm not a fan of most pay-as-you-go print on demands and this group is far from that type of venture. You see, Terry brings real printing and publishing experience to his company and you will see that the authors who use Intermedia Publishing are very happy with this arrangement.

Terry gives busy authors, many who are professionals real help. He realizes that authors are often experts in their jobs and the idea of a book is often as a vehicle to open up speaking engagements. That is where having an expert in the field is so important.

The Internet has opened up a world of information to the reader and while I enjoy the speed at which I can obtain real information, I am always cautious as to the source of the information. You can be sure that people like W. Terry Whalin have the publishing clout and experience that new authors need. Be sure to obtain recommendations from people who have used the service you are considering.

Let me tell you something else about Terry. He is a true professional in every sense of the word. You could say Terry and I are competitors if you are in that outside, cut-throat world of publishing. While I am an Author Consultant, I'm honest enough to know my services are not a fit for someone wanting their book printed and published using a service, such as Terry's. I consider Terry a colleague and will definitely recommend people to use his one-stop-shop services at Intermedia.

When we exchanged books before the radio interview I found he had given me a wonderful book review (Information in a Nutshell: Writing and Publishing) on Amazon. (I'm great at telling other people to ask for these reviews, but often fall short asking for them myself!) Terry is such a kindly gentleman, he did so without me asking. You can read it here.

I am pleased to call Terry a friend and I am sure you will soon find he is your friend once you read his book, follow him via his social media profiles and get to know him better. 

You can find W. Terry Whalin:


Website
Facebook
Twitter

Read my review of his book here

Sunday, March 7, 2010

An Agent...Deep Undercover Just for You!

For those of us with a love for the Spy novels, the word "agent" evokes a mysterious, shadowy, deep-deep, undercover character, who is bigger than life, takes chances and will work tirelessly for a good cause. Other than the "shadowy character" part, a literary agent does much of the same thing for an author with a good piece of Literature.

An agent is a intermediate between the publisher and you. This is a person you will come to know, trust and rely upon for their understanding of the market and what distinct publishers are looking to buy.  An agent has the experience you may lack and can help you obtain a better contractual deal than you might have obtained on your own.

Your Agent will...

  • Believe in Your Work
  • Find the perfect publisher
  • Work tirelessly for you
  • Encouragement to you
  • Obtains the best contract with you in mind
  • Works hard for their percentage anything for ten to fifteen percent
  • Is the mediator between you and your publisher and will help you solve problems
I will be interviewing Literary Agent, Elizabeth Pomada from Larsen Pomada Literary Agency

Be sure to join us for the live event Monday at 3:30 ET...or listen to the archives of the show here: