Secret Agent Man

If you have a book-length manuscript sitting around, waiting for someone to marvel at its genius, then you're probably on the look out for a way to sell that bad boy and watch it take form as a perfect-bound, illustrated cover (with your name on it), bio and all, bundle of joy.

There are certain "publishers" that will offer to print your book (for a nominal fee) and claim they will work to see it off into the world. Sometimes they will be "agents," sometimes they will just provide you with an "editor." Either way, you want to avoid companies that ask you to pay them to sell your book. That's not how it's supposed to work! Sure, getting a legitimate agent is no easy feat, but it sure as hell beats going broke when your "publisher" forces you to buy thousands of copies of your own books because, oh wait, they don't even have a bookstore presence.

WordHustler (see earlier post) recently conducted an interview with Dunow, Carlson, and Lerner literary agent Erin Hosier, and in it she comments on what she looks for in an unsolicited submission. While her preferences may not be universal, I think she has some good suggestions: keep your query letter short, smart, and informative, and never send your full manuscript until they respond to your query.

To learn more, check out A Delicate Balance: An Interview with Literary Agent Erin Hosier.

Internships for Emerging Writers, Editors, and Publishers

I've been working on a list of editorial internships since I was...oh...18 and thought I might try my hand at a summer internship. Somehow that never came to fruition, however I see no reason my list should go to waste. Below are some of my top picks with links to more information. If you're specifically interested in small presses, check out the small press database from Poets & Writers (also linked to on my left sidebar). Also, bookjobs.com has a great list of internships as well as a book jobs search engine, mostly in larger publishing houses (and dominantly in NYC). I think the best way to find an internship is by figuring out who publishes your favorite authors and researching from there. Here are four presses I think highly of and would recommend looking into their internships:

Copper Canyon Press

Graywolf Press

Red Hen Press

Seven Stories Press

Most publishing and editorial internships are unfortunately unpaid, especially if, like me, you're more interested in the small independent presses. Some will offer a stipend or housing, but be prepared to work "for free." The benefit to the small publishers, magazines, and presses is that you'll ultimately have more responsibility and a wider range of tasks; the downside is you'll probably be waiting tables at night (especially if you're opting for an internship in NYC). Here's one writer's take on the promise and peril of being an intern. I personally like to think of it as an old-fashioned apprenticeship: trading hard work for knowledge of a trade.