How do I become ... a literary agent

A keen business mind and real commitment to the publishing industry are vital for a job that is all about selling – shy and retiring types need not apply Gordon Wise has been a literary agent at Curtis Brown for 10 years, and has a wide range of clients, from celebrities like Miranda Hart to novelists such as Armistead Maupin. He is also vice-president of the Association of Authors’ Agents. But becoming an agent wasn’t part of his original career plan and he reached this point via a varied and winding path through the world of books.Wise studied History and English at Edinburgh university, both, he says, “heavy reading” subjects. But his real introduction to books as business came when, as an undergraduate, he won a place on a scholarship programme at the University of Pennsylvania. “I was allowed to work under my visa and I got a part-time job as a bookseller at Barnes & Noble, which had a big downtown bookstore,” he says. The job gave him an insight into publishing and sparked a vocation that would lead him to his current career. “What I enjoyed about publishing was that it is the place where business and creativity meet; you would be working with these wonderfully creative people – the writers – but trying to turn what they have created into something of commercial value.”If you are made an offer straight away, ask for a better offer. If you don't ask, you will never know Related: Small publishers are benefiting from changes in the industry Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2015-07-01 00:00:00 UTC ]

Other news stories related to: "How do I become ... a literary agent"

Makinson confident as publishers face digital "flux"

Written By: Philip Jones Publication Date: Wed, 22/06/2011 - 10:10 Publishers will play a bigger and more complicated role, but only if the link between the author and reader is "reconfigured", was among the conclusions from a panel of chief executives at Publishers Launch London. John... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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For B&N E-books Outsell Physical Books Three to One

Barnes & Noble on Tuesday said it sold three times as many digital books through its website compared to physical books during the fourth fiscal quarter. Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2011-06-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Nook Gets a Nudge From Consumer Reports

Barnes & Noble's newest Nook has fewer features than its predecessor, as well as many other rivals. That's great, says Consumer Reports, which has crowned the new $139 device its favorite ebook reader. It's the first time the magazine has put an e-reader made by anyone other than Amazon at... Continue reading at AllThingsD

[ AllThingsD | 2011-06-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Kobo, Nook Newcomers vs. Kindle: Chart

Barnes & Noble and Kobo are getting into the e-reader game with a new breed of touchscreen ebook readers, set for release in June Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2011-05-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon.com lowers price of 3G Kindle with ads

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Wed, 25/05/2011 - 09:23 Amazon.com has created a 3G version of its cheapest Kindle after it become the companys bestselling e-reader. The internet retailing giant announced that it was selling Kindle 3G with Special Offers in "response to customer... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Liberty Says Nook Inspired B&N Bid

Liberty Media Corp. executives laid out their rationale for their surprise bid for Barnes & Noble Inc., touting the potential of the bookseller's Nook e-reader and the vast network of retail stores it can use to promote it. Continue reading at AllThingsD

[ AllThingsD | 2011-05-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Liberty Media Bids for Barnes & Noble [Voices]

Barnes & Noble Inc. said that Liberty Media Corp. has offered to buy the bookseller in a deal valuing it at about $1 billion. Barnes & Noble shares were up 20 percent in after-hours trading Thursday on the news, matching the $17-a-share offer price from John Malone's media empire. Continue reading at AllThingsD

[ AllThingsD | 2011-05-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Liberty Media Bids for Barnes & Noble

[ AllThingsD | 2011-05-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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B&N Puts Focus on Digital

Barnes & Noble Inc. is expected to debut a new e-reader on Tuesday, marking the latest chapter in the bookseller's battle with Apple Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. to dominate the fast-growing digital book sales business. Continue reading at AllThingsD

[ AllThingsD | 2011-05-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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B&N Puts Focus on Digital [Voices]

[ AllThingsD | 2011-05-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Liberty Media makes offer for Barnes & Noble

Written By: Philip Jones Publication Date: Fri, 20/05/2011 - 10:11 US bookseller Barnes & Noble has received an offer for the company from Liberty Media, a private investment group. The deal values the business at about $1bn, but Liberty said it expected to spend $500m on the acquisition... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Barnes & Noble Updates NOOK for Android OS

Barnes & Noble is giving publishers another option to distribute digital periodicals, announcing Friday that its 140 newsstand brands will be available to Android-powered tablet devices. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-05-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Waterstone's plans ebook push for post-HMV era

Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Tue, 10/05/2011 - 15:49 Waterstone's could soon bring e-reading front of store in its physical bookshops in a manner similar to Barnes & Noble with its Nook in the US, according to e-commerce manager Alex Ingrams. Speaking to delegates at the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Barnes & Noble Plans New E-Book Reader [Voices]

Barnes & Noble Inc. will unveil a new electronic book reader later this month, the bookseller told analysts and investors on Wednesday, according to a federal filing released after the close of trading. Continue reading at AllThingsD

[ AllThingsD | 2011-05-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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E-Book Boom Boosts Simon & Schuster [MediaMemo]

All of those Amazon Kindle sales -- and, presumably, sales of competitive ebook readers from Barnes & Noble and Apple -- have made an impact at publisher Simon & Schuster. The CBS unit says Q1 digital sales doubled over the previous year, and now represent 18 percent of the company's the... Continue reading at AllThingsD

[ AllThingsD | 2011-05-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Small Publishers and Marketing Services

American Business Medias annual meeting this year took a single theme approach, focusing on the opportunity for b-to-b publishers to offer marketing services. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-05-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Sandra Boynton Demonstrates App, Signs Books--and a Few Nooks

Monday nights Sandra Boynton book event at the Barnes & Noble on Manhattans Upper East Side looked like a pretty normal book signing--normal for Boynton, the bestselling childrens book author, anyway. Toddlers and slightly older kids, some dressed in pajamas, crammed into the event space,... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-05-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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NOOK Color Reader Looks to Become Tablet Competitor

Barnes & Noble Inc. is stepping up their e-reader offering, upping the NOOK Color experience to rival those of tablet computers like the iPad and Motorola Xoom. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-04-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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With Update, Barnes & Noble's Nook Color Gets More Tablet-Like [Mobilized]

A free update is bringing the ability to install various paid and free Android apps, though only those that Barnes & Noble approves. The new software also offers improved browsing, the Froyo version of Android and support for video content within books. Even with the update, the Nook Color... Continue reading at AllThingsD

[ AllThingsD | 2011-04-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The New York State of Bookselling

Independent booksellers may have dreaded Borders's arrival in New York City in 1996, but it was Barnes & Noble that tried to keep its longtime rival out by leasing every available 40,000-sq.-ft. space on its home turf. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-04-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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