The Fantasy Authors Handbook Interview Xxii Mark Gottlieb

THE FANTASY AUTHOR’S HANDBOOK INTERVIEW XXII: MARK GOTTLIEB Literary agent Mark Gottlieb began his publishing career whereas still at Emerson College, where he helped set up Wilde Press. After a stint at Berkley Books, Mark went to the Trident Media Group, Publishers Marketplace’s primary ranked literary company, first in foreign rights then audio rights, and now as a literary agent. Mark has himself ranked number one amongst Literary Agents in Overall Deals, and other classes, as he continues to construct a client record of his own. Literary Agent Mark Gottlieb Philip Athans: Please outline “fantasy” in 25 words or much less. Mark Gottlieb: Fantasy fiction is a extremely imaginative, improbable universe, usually drawing upon magic or the supernatural, with many roots within the oral storytelling custom. Athans: Please define “science fiction” in 25 words or less. Gottlieb: Science fiction is usually comprised of imagined futures, applied sciences, societal changes, typically with intellectual and sensible thinking as a basis for in formation. Athans: For a while now we’ve been hearing concerning the in regards to the indie/self-publishing “revolution” and the demise of conventional publishing. Has the previous been overstated or is it certainly occurring? And do you assume we truly are seeing the demise of the normal publishing model? Gottlieb: Don’t imagine the hype. You can’t believe everything you see and read. I remain a firm believer in that irrespective of how far expertise takes us, there’s always a necessity for the human component, and I’m not speaking about a “ghost within the machine.” It isn't any lie that an author receives a bigger share of royalties in the digital area in self-publishing, however there’s still a standard misconception. In self-publishing, authors promote in smaller numbers than a literary agent and publisher may do for an creator. Authors that self-publish are primarily in the digital format, somewhat than being within the different income tributaries of majo r trade publishing. Overall it’s better to diversify one’s publishing portfolio with a significant trade publisher, providing varied publishing formats, online and bodily retailers, etc. One day I see traditional publishers having a good greater presence in the digital sphere for books in terms of placement amongst on-line retailers in shopping for co-op deals, key site-placement, and extra, precisely the way in which music and movie companies originated subscription providers and digital access. Print won’t turn into a thing of the past but maybe a nostalgia, very like the way during which music aficionados appreciate vinyl records. Like the LP, the hardcover guide is a expertise that has been perfected and is good to the expertise of reading. Regardless, readers will at all times go for their preferred format, whether or not that be print, audio, or eBook. Athans: What is the one most important factor that a great agent can do to assist an author start or preserve a profitab le career as a working professional? Gottlieb: Remaining inside the spirit of constant reinvention is necessary. The fascinating thing is that there actually isn't any common day in the life of a literary agent, or at least there shouldn’t be, for when a literary agent’s days start to stagnate and look the identical, then that individual’s profession and the careers of their shopper(s) is in bother. Every day that I walk into the workplace, I consider ways to attempt to reinvent myself in a method to make myself competitive, while improving the careers of the authors I work with in inventive and innovative ways. Every day should not be about drudgeryâ€"life is an adventure. Athans: You most likely learn lots of query letters. Besides the fundamentals just like the creator’s contact data and the title of his or her book, is there one factor you assume every query letter absolutely will need to have, and conversely, what have you ever seen that’s an absolute question letter no-no? Gottlieb: The single most essential thing a great question letter ought to exhibit is nice writing within the letter itself. That’s everyone’s first impression of how good the manuscript could be. The largest no-no in query letter writing is querying a literary agent with an unfinished manuscript since fiction can solely be sold on a full manuscript to publishers. Athans: What is the most common mistake that aspiring authors make in their writing? Gottlieb: For the purposes of this article being about SFF, I will say that in fantasy, I see the error of under- or over-worldbuilding; whereas in science fiction, I see either an entire and utter lack of hard scientific evidence, or other times the overuse of hard science to the purpose of boredom. Athans: What is the most common mistake that inexperienced authors make in their professional lives? Gottlieb: The commonest mistake I see amongst inexperienced authors in their careers is taking the very first supply of literary re presentation they’re introduced with. Most aspiring authors are happy just to have that. Instead, they should take time to think about their choice in researching how a given literary agent or literary agency ranks on a web site like Publishers Marketplace. Athans: Can authors cross genres? If your first printed novel is an epic fantasy can your second be a recent romance? Gottlieb: I see no purpose why an writer couldn’t write across genres if they'll do it successfully. Obviously it’s higher to replicate success wherever attainable. If the primary publication inside a given genre was successful, I’d usually recommend that an creator proceed within that style. If the primary publication in a specific style weren’t successful, then I’d recommend that the creator discover one other style and a penname. Speaking of pennames, I wouldn’t suggest that a children’s book author write erotica and publish each forms of work under the same name. Athans: Tell us about a couple of books you’ve represented that are available now and that you simply’re notably enthusiastic about. Gottlieb: For the needs of this article being about science fiction and fantasy, I will share some recent SFF deals I’ve accomplished the place the books are presently on sale: World Fantasy Award Nominee Christopher Brown’s Tropic of Kansas, on the front traces of a revolution whose fuse they're about to light, a fugitive brother and sister are harboring explosive government secrets; pitched as a novel of political dissent akin to the Americana of The Road, the courageous new company world of Jennifer Government, or a publish-9/11 Man in the High Castle; the story of strange individuals looking for to refresh democracy in a mirror America dominated by a telegenic dictator of a businessman. Deborah A. Wolf’s The Dragon’s Legacy, pitched within the custom of Guy Gavriel Kay’s The Sarantine Mosaic and the darker folkloric tales of Arabian Nights: set in a desert world of sand and honey, the series balances and contrasts the grim with the wondrous, the heartbreaking with the humorous, and takes an unflinching take a look at actual-world points such as the plight of indigenous peoples in a world mad for energy. Social media @XplodingUnicorn chief James Breakwell’s Only Dead on the Inside: A Parent’s Guide for Surviving Zombies, pitched as styled in the custom of Max Brooks’s The Zombie Survival Guide and The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbooks, offering practical recommendation on the way to elevate pleased, wholesome children in the midst of the zombie apocalypse, by joining the genres of parenting recommendation books and undead survival manuals in an unholy union that's both unwell-advised and long overdueâ€"the narrator, an inept father of four young daughters, makes use of twisted logic, graphs with dubious data, and web comics that seem like they have been drawn by a toddler to teach households the way to survive undead hordes. Athans: Are you at present open to new shoppers, and in that case, what genres/classes are you most thinking about and what’s the easiest way for authors to contact you? Gottlieb: I am open to receiving new purchasers for consideration and am open to most each style. The finest method for potential authors to contact me is thru our website’s submissions/contact us web page at /contact-us. Athans: And I’m sure you’ll be listening to from more than one Fantasy Author’s Handbook reader/authorâ€"thanks, Mark! â€"Philip Athans About Philip Athans