FAQ: How To Write a Non-fiction Proposal

For some reason this week I found myself explaining how to write a non-fiction proposal to a few different writers. One of the first things I always explain is that no two proposals are alike, like snowflakes. Though I’ve always been doubtful about that. I think the chances are pretty high that at least two [...]

Intensive Care

Why is everyone so needy today, or do I have the worst case of PMS known to mankind? Speaking of PMS, there’s a feature in today’s NYT about a young (like 19) year old woman who put together an anthology about girls getting their first period. It’s called My Little Red Book, I think. I [...]

I’d Like To Thank My Pencil

I hate to admit to watching Barbara Walters, but her interview with Mickey Rourke provided all the Oscar entertainment I needed. When asked what it would mean to win, Rourke replied, “Well, Barbara, you can’t eat it, you can’t fuck it, and it can’t get you into heaven.” This is about as close to a [...]

Two Pounds

Taking a break from my publishing notes, I feel the need to comment on something I read in New York Magazine on the elliptical machine this morning. Apparently, all of Kate Moss’ friends thought she was pregnant! No, Kate assured them. She just put on a couple of pounds and they went to the right [...]

Polish

Instead of a lunch date, an editorial director and I went for a manicure. Indulgent? I like to think of it as multi-tasking. I promise you, once we picked our color (“Nasty” for me and “Tea Time” for her), we did not exchange notes on waxes and weaves. Rather, our conversation turned to the author [...]

Resume

Tomorrow we’re interviewing six candidates for an assistant position at the agency. Without even looking at their resumes, I can bet they’ve gone to good colleges, speak Swahili and know Quark. I’m telling you, these kids today are sharp. Why then do they want to work in publishing? Because they love literature? I repeat: why [...]

Pink

I’ve been trying to remain upbeat, but another week of firings — this time at HarperCollins — makes it impossible. Too many of my friends have lost their jobs and in the game of musical publishing chairs, too many chairs have been eliminated. More than a few people have said that I was smart to [...]

Where Did Our Love Go?

I heard from a new client today who remarked — it seemed somewhat wistfully — that we hadn’t emailed or talked for over a week.  I am familiar with this phase in the agent-author relationship. We go into the selling mode after many weeks, sometimes months, of working on a proposal together. During this time, [...]

Star Fuckers

Between us, my associate and I spotted: Nicole Kidman and Mr. Nicole Kidman on the treadmill at the Beverly Hills Hotel spa; Jason Schartzman at a funky breakfast place wearing cut-off sweats and showing off his hirsute legs. His girlfriend was an adorable red head and they were either in love or BFF’s. You know, [...]

Boulevard of Broken Dreams

I’m going to LA for a few days, you know, to do some business on the coast. LOL. Seriously, I’m taking some “meetings.” My clothes are all over my bed. My 11 year old daughter is laughing at me. I don’t know how to dress in NYC, let alone LA. I mean, of course, all [...]