Scribblers’ Retreat Writers’ Conference would like to invite you to come and explore the possibilites.

We are -extraordinary- like no other conference you have ever heard of. We have four conferences a year at the beautiful Sea Palms Resort, St. Simons Island, Georgia, ten sessions per conference, Opening Night Ceremonies, Evening with the Author and “Challenges” where attendees can win helicopter and kayak tours.

We bring “those who have made it” to “those who want to”. We need agents, like yourself, who will come to nuture, encourage and even make a few clients.

Please let us know which conference you are able to attend and we will promote YOU! You may reach us at 1-800-996-2904 or at the above e-mail address.

We are looking forward to hearing your thoughts and ideas.

Jeanie Pantelakis

Thanks so much for your comments and I’m sorry for the delay in responding. The recession is definitely affecting the publishing industry. Publishers are looking at a weak holiday retail season, and many are scaling back their lists. You may have heard about HMH putting a freeze on acquisitions until January.

It’s true that an author with a successful book will have an easier time selling their next book, and some authors, either because of demanding deadlines or other reasons will sometimes produce sequels that are worse than their debuts, instead of better as they should be. The fact is that most books fail to make money, so publishers depend on bankable names to support all the other titles that may or may not take off.

I think it’s best not to get too hung up on this and to focus on yourself and your own writing. You can’t control what other authors are doing, but you can write the best novel you can and try to get it published.

Emmanuelle

Emmanuelle sounds like an agent who loves her work.

Is the recession affecting the publishing industry? It seems harder to get the attention of an editor/agent these days than it did a few years ago.

I know this industry is subjective, however, lately, after reading a few NY Times Best Sellers, I have to wonder what it is agents/editors really want? Is it that after someone has a name for themselves they can pretty well write anything and it will sell?

I’ve read unknown authors and even unpublished work that is fabulous and these writers cannot get an agent or editor to read past a partial. I’ve also been reading best sellers that had it been their first novel, I doubt they would have gotten published.

It is very frustrating at times.

Without naming names. There is one book in particular that is selling like hot cakes, has a movie deal and is so badly written. It didn’t even read as if a copy line editor touched this book, and yet, it is a best seller.

There are more than a few books like this, and I’m wondering how does it get by an agent’s desk let alone an editor, when there are grammar mistakes, weak plots and cardboard characters?

Thanks again for the opportunity to participate in this blog.