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.

  • Preparation Is Key

    08 Feb 2009

    Publisher, journalist and blogger Jane Smith gives her advice on the importance of preparation before submitting to agents or publishers. I've worked in publishing for years, on both sides of the editorial desk, and during that time I've seen many changes. The arrival of personal computers has made manuscript preparation so much easier; the internet has transformed both the way and the amount that we communicate. The end of the UK's net book agreement, over a decade ago now, has caused huge changes in how books are sold and has played its part in transforming our high streets as booksellin...Read more

  • The Theory of Evaluation

    01 Feb 2009

    Writer Sophie McCook ,who runs a service that offers workshops and manuscript services for writers, looks at the process of assessing scripts and how writers can best prepare submissions. Most writers will know that feeling of waiting; between posting unsolicited work to an agent and waiting for the response. This time-lag, where three months can seems like three years, is how long it takes many agencies to form an opinion of your writing. If you have submitted to a number of carefully chosen agents, you might find that practice varies. Some will simply return your manuscript to you u...Read more

  • The books of 2009

    25 Jan 2009

    Ten editors predict which books they think will prosper in 2009. Publishers are always on the lookout for strong narratives, entertaining stories, books that excite us - but that's more true than ever this year. I think it's clear that celebrity books will continue to thrive in the second half of this year, as they have done for many years - with television stars leading the way. We're certainly looking for celebrity-led books but I'm also looking for music autobiographies. I suspect that readers will be thinking twice about paying out for a hardback unless they feel particularly passiona...Read more

  • Publishing Trends

    21 Jan 2009

    Andrew Lownie looks at some recent articles on publishing trends. The daily e mail newsletters Book2book and Publishers Lunch, which provide a range of insights into the current publishing scene, have several articles of interest. Motoko Rich in the New York Times writes on ‘The New Austerity in Publishing’ noting cut backs in American corporate junkets , such as sales conferences, foreign book fairs, and publishing lunches: Book sales have deteriorated since the beginning of October, falling about 7 % compared with the same period the previous year, according to Nielsen Books...Read more

  • A Week in the Life of a Literary Agency

    20 Jan 2009

    Andrew Lownie describes part of his working week in a new 'A Week in the Life of a Literary Agency'. A number of readers have asked if I would write another article about a ‘typical’ week in the agency which I’m happy to do. The first working week of the New Year is less typical than most – no lunches or launches - but a diary of the week’s activities will give some idea of what an agent does. No week is the same but I hope this diary will be helpful in showing the amazing variety of submissions. If there is interest, I can produce such a blog monthly. Mond...Read more

  • What an Author Can Learn from the Music Industry

    11 Dec 2008

    Jeff Rivera in the second of his articles giving tips to authors shows how much can be learnt from other media industries and the importance of authors becoming what he calls author-preneurs. Although sales have declined in the music industry for quite some time, believe it or not the music industry is way ahead in terms of a survival strategy than the book industry. Right now, many of the "powers that be" in the book industry are like record executives who were stuck in the CD days when digital technology became available or worse yet 8-track or vinyl album days. Any change ...Read more