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.

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  • Blogging Jul 29 2010 | 2 comments
    Blogging Drawing on his own experience, Nicholas Storey shows how blogging can substantially increase book sales. Reading David Craig’s promotion of Google AdWords, in his article dated 22nd June 2010, prompted me to suggest an article about my own recent experience with a free internet-based advertising vehicle to which AdWords can be applied. But first some background. In 2006, I sent Andrew Lownie the script for the book that became History of Men’s Fashion: What The Well Dressed Man Is Wearing (Pen & Sword Books, 2008). By early 2007 he had sold it. From the time of his enthusiastic rece...
  • Another Agency Week Jul 12 2010 | 4 comments
    Another-agency-week Andrew Lownie looks back on a recent 'typical' week. MONDAY Overnight submissions include: a biography of a minor Tudor courtier – no profile and too small; a memoir of driving around the world; a coffee table book "All the Kings Men" about 125 of the worlds very best Elvis Tribute Artists ; a “gothic Victorian novel” ; Pyramids of Britain arguing that Stonehedge etc were inspired by Ancient Egypt; a road trip following the despatch from the Battle of Trafalgar in a 55-year-old Austin A30 from Cornwall to London; Chinese Medicine Secrets : lose weight and boost energy naturally...
  • Using Google Adwords to sell more books Jun 22 2010 | 3 comments
    Using-google-adwords-to-sell-more-books David Craig explains how Google Adwords can help sales and publicity. With so many books being published and with so few having a decent PR budget, it can be a struggle keeping sales of your books going after they’ve disappeared off the shelves of Waterstones and WH Smith. Of course, the best way to push up sales is to appear on TV and radio, write articles and give talks. These can both increase book sales and even earn you a bit of money. But once these promotional opportunities have dried up, you need other ways of reminding potential book-buyers of your books. One way is to use Googl...
  • Insider Tips on Pitching to Publishers Apr 27 2010 | 3 comments
    Insider-tips-on-pitching-to-publishers Publisher Mark Booth gives his insider editorial tips on how writers can best present themselves to agents and publishers. The talk was originally given at this year's London Book Fair in a seminar sponsored by the Daily Mail. I sometimes hear colleagues in the business say that if a script is any good it will eventually get published. Personally I see no reason to believe that’s true. There would have to be some providential order in the universe, some very powerful and benevolent god of publishing. No, I believe that when you try to get a book published, the odds are stacked again...
  • Marketing Tips Apr 09 2010 | 4 comments
    Marketing-tips Jenny Woolf (www.jabberwock.co.uk), whose The Mystery of Lewis Carroll, has just been published in the UK and US, passes on some marketing tips for authors. The Mystery of Lewis Carroll has had some wonderful publicity. Much of the credit for that is due to the publicists who have worked on it, but I've learned a few things from the experience too. So I've written my thoughts down, and whether you are self-published or published by a company, I hope there will be something here for you. TIE-INS or "HOOKS" It helps enormously if your book publication coincides with a news story...
  • An Agency Week Mar 20 2010 | 4 comments
    Andrew-lownie Andrew Lownie continues his occasional blog about his working week. MONDAY Phone message left at 6.30am for author in Yorkshire to appear on a breakfast radio show. Pick it up when I come into the office at 7.30am and ring him. Incredibly he makes the show. E mail slush pile includes: “The Fable of Christ – Irrefutable demonstration that Jesus never existed”, “ a practical and not quite traditional guide for the last stage of the Hatha Yoga practice: "Samadhi"", the story of a drug-addicted Polish teenager, an erotic political thriller, “a true story of a bagel that made my wif...