Publishers, editors, agents all have one thing in common, aside from their love of cocktail parties. It's an incredible taste and an ability to find and nurture authors.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
Agents are deal makers, and they're really, really good at making deals. But they're also exceptionally helpful after the deal is made - agents act as a good intermediary between authors and publishers whenever disagreements come up.
Agents and publishers only want one thing - good writing.
Having a literary agent makes a huge difference in submitting work. My agent has access and tremendous passion.
I never actually sought out an agent or a publishing house. A friend of mine named David Simmer got wind of what I was doing, and he sent one of my books to a literary lawyer in Los Angeles. He loved it, and he sent it to other people, including an agent, and he picked me up, and that's how 'Bird Box' got to where it is now.
Try to meet as many authors, agents, and editors as you can.
The professionals are going to be joined by the average Joe. Everybody's a publisher.
Acquiring an aggressive, honest, and communicative agent with actual relationships in real-live New York publishing houses is, in my opinion, the single most important move that a writer who aspires to be successful can make.
A very good editor is almost a collaborator.
Probably because I really love this bookmaking and storytelling world, I'd been thinking for years about the possibility of becoming a literary agent.
No agent/publisher is in a position to create across a spectrum of media and distribution what major publishers can accomplish for authors.