The Business of Writing

Professional Advice on Proposals, Publishers, Contracts, and More for the Aspiring Writer

By: Jennifer Lyons - editor

Narrated by: Tara Sands

In this highly useful guide, international literary agent Jennifer Lyons leads more than 30 expert contributors in demystifying the business side of writing for aspiring authors.Whether you’re unclear on what to expect from your first book deal or just a little puzzled by your editor’s whims, The Business of Writing is the book for you. In it, Lyons empowers aspiring and experienced writers with everything they need to know about the business of selling books, from publicity to the legal and financial aspects of the trade. A senior agent for 17 years before opening her own literary agency, Lyons has taught numerous courses on the business of writing at Sarah Lawrence College, and has visited both undergraduate and graduate writing programs to share her expert knowledge.

This enjoyable guide brings Jennifer’s in-depth tutorials to the broader public, balancing accessible, bulleted information for writers on the critical stages of acquiring and maintaining representation with interviews with professionals in the field.

Interviewees include a Harper's magazine editor, a contracts manager, and other publishing professionals that you can expect to encounter as you advance in your career. Covering everything from how to write the perfect query letter to deconstructing the terminology of a publishing contract, this indispensable handbook to the writer's trade will give you a thorough introduction to the nuts and bolts of publishing.

©2012 Jennifer Lyons (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

For writers -- to read and reread.

This is a book of interviews with (or essays by) lots of people involved in the business of writing: literary agents, publishers, editors, writers, writing teachers. This is what makes this book so valuable -- the variety of subjects (agenting, editing, contracts and taxing, publishing with big houses, small press publishing, self publishing, fiction, non-fiction, young adults books, picture books, graphic novels, poetry -- you name it, it's covered here) and the stress on nuts and bolts of writing business and its practical issues(though along the way you can gain lots of motivation as well). I was a bit disappointed at the beginning of the book because the first couple of sample queries and proposals were from already established writers with previously published books. This did not seem much of a challenge -- it seemed pretty obvious that a proposal or a query coming from a writer with such pedigree was bound to be successful. But interviews with writers about making a breakthrough and publishing their first books followed in due course, as well as interviews with agents, editors and publishers that had more too say about publishing your first novel. It is a very useful book full of valuable information and advice -- the book to read and reread if you are interested in the subject.

Made it 2 hours with nothing useful or practical

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

Any useful and practical advice would have helped.
Not having a series of resumes and author biographies would have helped tremendously; that is essentially all the book is, a compilation of interviews of the writer's career with no attempt to apply their personal experience to help other writers. It would be nice if every other sentence was not I, I, I. It really makes the writer seem extremely ego-centric. It seems the writer was motivated to brag and the careers of those who provide advice was not very impressive anyways.

How could the performance have been better?

The performer's tone and voice matches the writing -- self absorbed.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

disappointment.

Any additional comments?

I am still listening as I write this and I can honestly say I still have not heard anything that can be considered a tip, let alone a useful tip.

This is not a book it is a lengthy advertisement which actually makes me not want to read any of the people mentioned.