andrew lownie literary agency

Articles

Andrew Lownie uses his expert knowledge in the publishing field to maximise the potential of his clients and build up their careers. Here Andrew Lownie, and some of his clients and guest columnists, share advice on a variety of topics to writers. Elsewhere on the site you can find a Frequently Asked Questions list on literary agents, as well as advice for submitting work to agents.

  • Spreading the Word: Getting Your Book Into the Headlines

    17 Nov 2009

    Award-winning journalist, author and PR expert Jon Kirk provides insider tips about cost-effective book PR. If you're an author, publisher or agent, you'll appreciate the daunting prospect of publicising your work. Generating media exposure can be a thankless - and painfully expensive - task. Even the best titles fail to achieve the newspaper, magazine, TV and radio coverage they deserve. But it doesn't have to be this way. With the right information, it's possible to achieve coveted column inches on a regular basis, often without spending a penny. Follow the five steps below t...Read more

  • A Literary Agency Week

    15 Nov 2009

    By popular demand, Andrew Lownie begins a regular blog giving a flavour of his week. MONDAY 7.45 am start as usual, the advantages of working from home and look through the over night e mails. There’s the usual encouraging spam such as “Hello Dear, Don’t be Inadequate any more” and dozens of submissions from around the world including: a ‘fictional biography’; an “historical fantasy aimed at teenagers”; an expose of investment management in City; a first novel from Bulgaria; a “novel with romantic and supernatural elements”; a spy-based comedy aimed at 9-12 year olds; a memoir of f...Read more

  • Twitter and publishing: a chance to engage with readers

    13 Nov 2009

    Gary Smailes, co-owner of BubbleCow, a literary consultancy that helps writers to get published using only social media and on line promotion, shows just why publishers need to consider twitter as part of their overall social media strategy. Earlier this month Osprey Publishing (@OspreyBooks) ‘tweeted’ out their monthly commissioning meeting. As the editors wrangled over the books to accept and reject, an ‘impartial’ member of staff shared the ups and downs of the meeting. Books were introduced, a moment of twitter silence and then the decision announced. The result was a highly enter...Read more

  • Reflections on Married to a Bedouin

    05 Nov 2009

    Marguerite van Geldermalsen, whose memoir Married to a Bedouin has just been optioned for film, reflects on the writing of the book. Marrying my Bedouin husband in 1978 and settling into his cave in Petra opened a whole new world for me… and publishing my memoir about it 28 years later opened another. Back then I somehow imagined I might disappear into the ancient site, past the end of the dirt road, and nothing would be heard, or expected, of me again. But it wasn’t to be like that. Travellers passed through and told others, Queen Elizabeth came and we were presented to her (as I was ...Read more

  • Journalisted. Are You Listed?

    05 Nov 2009

    Author and freelance journalist Nick Pope explains the benefits of an important site for writers. Many of the Agency's authors - myself included - have written articles and features for a variety of national newspapers. If you fall into this category, the chances are that you already have an entry on Journalisted. But it's worth checking that you do have an entry and that your entry is comprehensive and up to date. Journalisted is a free resource, available to all via their website. Run by the Media Standards Trust (a registered charity), it's an independent, non-profit site, th...Read more

  • The Role of the Literary Consultancy

    05 Nov 2009

    Literary consultancies used to be few and far between and largely ignored by the literary world, but over the last five years a new bread of professional agencies have emerged bringing a new level of professionalism and expertise. These are mainly run by established writers and use the experience of a list of authors to help their clients make the best of their work. Here Cherry Mosteshar, who runs The Oxford Editors, talks about the role of the literary consultancy. What inspired you to start The Oxford Editors? Coming from a family of authors and journalists, I always had s...Read more