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.

  • The Power of a Press Release

    11 Mar 2008

    Freelance publicist Guy Adams explains the importance of a good press release. At first glance it might, perhaps, seem entirely fitting that it was on ‘leap year’s day’ this year, that my negotiations to place an unknown, first time author, from a small, independent publishers on the Today Programme on Radio 4, received their successful outcome. That morning, John Humphrys interviewed Ken Wharton, whose book, A Long Long War: Voices from the British Army in Northern Ireland 1969-98, is to be published by Helion in April. Surely, particularly when the words ‘unknown&...Read more

  • The eBook Prophecy

    17 Feb 2008

    Laurence Gardner argues that authors deserve a higher share of e book royalties. Author of such bestsellers as Bloodline of the Holy Grail and Lost Secrets of the Lost Ark, he is now writing The Evolution of God and Revelation of the Devil. A recent Publishers Weekly article has forecast that 2008 will be a record year for eBook sales and that the Internet will drive 21st-century publishing enterprises. It claims that, by the year-end, nearly every straight-text title published with commercial intent will be available in electronic format. Book-sized electronic devices such as Kindle, So...Read more

  • Using The Internet To Catch The Attention of Potential Readers

    29 Jan 2008

    Andrew Crofts, one of Britain’s leading ghost writers and supposedly the inspiration behind Robert Harris’s novel The Ghost, argues that authors should utilise electronic media to sell and promote themselves. His books include The Freelance Writers’ Handbook: How To Make Money and Enjoy Your Life , Writing Handbooks: Ghostwriting, as well as Sold, The Little Prisoner, Betrayed and Shattered. His website is www.andrewcrofts.com. If you are about to publish a novel what can you do to catch people’s attention when there are thousands of competitors coming out in the...Read more

  • Marketing Authors for the Long Haul

    08 Jan 2008

    Long-term marketing -- and turning authors into recognisable brands -- beats two-week, hit-or-miss promo blasts by publishers hands down, argues crime author Jimmy Lee Shreeve (www.jimmyleeshreeve.com). There's currently a heated debate going on about the marketing of books. Advertising experts say book publishers are poor at promotion and should look at turning their authors into brands like any other product in the marketplace. Currently, publishers tend to do a big publicity and promotional blast on publication, which might last all of two weeks. And then leave it at that; the book will...Read more

  • The Branding Debate

    05 Jan 2008

    Laurence Gardner contributes his thoughts to the Branding Debate. The original 'It's the Brand Stupid' article makes the point that “Publishers rightly contend that their marketing is hamstrung by a 21st century industry structured around retailers not writers”. Personally, I do not believe that the industry should be structured around either; it should rightly be structured around the customer requirements of book-buyers and readers. Authors with track records, supportive fan bases and operative websites are in constant ground-level contact with their existing readers and ot...Read more

  • How Brands Hatch

    03 Jan 2008

    Christopher Lloyd argues for greater long term investment in authors by publishers and more imaginative and varied marketing initiatives. Publishing Houses have a problem with their marketing. At least that’s the distinct impression given by a discussion raging on freelance arts journalist Danuta Kean’s website: “I don’t think most publishers understand the importance of marketing,” writes one correspondent, “It’s like having a bus driven by blind people and wondering why this bus fails to pick up passengers, all the while marvelling at the fact t...Read more