Literary Agents has a subtitle that sums the book up well: "What They Do, How They Do It, and How to Find and Work with the Right One for You." Larsen is an experienced literary agent, one who lectures and presents seminars on writing, and, perhaps most important, is the author or coauthor of 11 books.
From his aptly titled "Forewarning" to this revised and expanded edition, Larson states, "Understanding the agenting process will help lessen the unavoidable anxieties that authors endure." He points out that every author-agent relationship is unique. What he's tried to do in this book is create an objective standard by which all writers can approach agents with some confidence in their knowledge of the system.
In Magazine Editors Talk to Writers, Judy Mandell has written a complementary text to her Book Editors Talk to Writers. Editors from 40 magazines -- from Family Circle to the Virginia Quarterly Review to Penthouse and Popular Science -- were interviewed to help writers understand how magazine editors think as much as how magazine publishing works. These decision-making editors respond with specifics to guide writers into their publications.
Mandell reports that most all writers' queries are read, but only those that distinguish themselves from among the masses of manuscripts break through the barrier of boredom. Mandell wants to help writers shatter that border. A thorough reading of her book will give the average writer an above-average edge.
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