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Literary Agent

Interviews

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There are tons of books out there -- titles on every topic under the sun. What do their authors have in common? Most of them need a literary agent to help market their ideas -- an agent like Beverley Slopen.

"We publish a diverse list of internationally published authors, from anthropology to fiction to history to true crime and self-help. I represent a general list of fiction and non-fiction books, and that diversity keeps the work interesting."

In addition to working as an agent, Slopen also writes about the book publishing industry in journals such as Publishers Weekly. She also wrote a column called BookWorld, which ran in a major paper for 15 years.

It's good that Slopen chose to write about the book publishing industry because it can be a confusing world. Literary agents aren't required to have any formal training, so authors can be seduced into using agents who have no experience or who are looking for a quick buck. These frauds are called business card agents, and they do a disservice to reputable agents.

"You can't let those kinds of people get you down," says Wendy Keller, a literary agent in Pasadena, California.

Keller says that through hard work, literary agents can make a good, honest living. "The problem is most people don't really understand what we do.

"The glamorized version is that we sit around all day reading Shakespeare," says Keller. "The reality is, we sell, sell, sell, in a highly competitive dog-eat-dog world."

Keller represents self-help books, cookbooks, computer and consumer references and other adult non-fiction titles. It's what interests her. "You should never try to sell something you don't believe in. You can pick up how to judge books, but you need to read what's being published in areas that interest you."

Keller enjoys being able to help get books out the door. "The very idea that I help develop and disseminate ideas is intriguing. The most difficult thing is keeping up with the changing role of publishing in the spectrum of the media."

Ric Bollinger is also concerned about the changing nature of the publishing industry, but would encourage others to try the trade. "To anyone interested in reading and sales, I'd recommend this job. But they have to realize that they'd most likely begin as an apprentice, possibly for no compensation."

But once an agent has paid his dues, the rewards can be great. "We're constantly reading good books, and it's thrilling to sell a first-time author's work."

Bollinger represents all types of books, but looks especially hard for manuscripts that have motion picture potential. He's also looking for those that could become mass-produced paperbacks with foreign rights potential. He represents books that have national and international appeal.

New York City is still known as the center of the publishing universe, but that's beginning to change. Literary agents can work from anywhere, so they no longer have to live in a traditional American publishing center. "It's a great business and fortunately, one no longer must reside in New York to be a part of it," says Bollinger.