If you're like me, there might have even been a point when you acknowledge that you really do want others to read your story but you are also battling with the rising amount of dread at the realization that getting an agent and achieving publication will be ten times more difficult than writing the novel. One of my first steps was a dash down to the bookstore to buy Jeff Herman's Guide to Book Publishers, Editors, & Literary Agents.
First Impression...this book is HUGE!
Weighing is at close to two pounds and nearly 1100 pages - it is not something to be taken lightly...literally. The guide is divided into five sections covering differernt types of pulishers and editors as well as an in-depth look at literary agents. I will confess - I have not read it cover to cover. I'm not sure that it's intended to be that type of book. It's a guide which means I have poked around the variety of sections including a large portion on Advice for Writers to the extent that I believe my several spoonfuls have offered a well rounded taste of the entire soup.
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Why it's worth $29.99 USD
Jeff Herman has put his best effort forward to make this book more than just a monotonous journey of going from aspiring writer to published author. He interjects humor and asks many of the questions that we want to know. I have studied many of the profiles of the literary agents and I admit that after reading some of the answers to his questions, I have been able to discern what agents are not for me - even if they represent my genre. Perhaps when I'm desperate, I will send queries to these agents as well but in the meantime, I feel like my quest for an agent has been more productive.
As extensive as his questions and facts are, I still recommned firing up the search engine and letting your fingers do the work to verify that everything the agent or publisher claimed is still in play. Even though, Herman continues to publish new editions of the guide, there is nothing better than checking the 'real time' submission guidelines from an agency website. Think of Herman's guide as a compass that points you in the right direction but you still have to use your eyes and do the walking. The compass might say 'Go North' but if a mudslide has taken out the road last weekend, you might need to consider alternative routes.
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Why you might be disappointed
My main complaint is the formatting. The layout of paragraphs with bolded titles is not user friendly. When there are multiple agents listed under and agency - you might miss them because it's difficult to identify where one bio ends and another begins. The publishing section is a little easier to differentiate as he has added key symbols and dividing lines.
I also secretly wish he would give more meat to his query letter and synopsis examples. Even multiple examples would be beneficial. Herman interjects positive advice throughout the guide and offering examples of differing styles of queries would give you more of an idea of where you should be creative and where you stick to the rules.
A good portion of the guide is directed towards non-fiction which is great if you're writing that genre but if you're only interested in fiction - it will feel like you are sifting through a lot of information to get to the stuff you want/need.
Conclusion
Jeff Herman's Guide to Book Publishers, Editors, & Literary Agents is a great tool to add to your tool box. Use it to help you along your path towards publishing but realize that you might need more than one tool to get the job done. Would I spend the money again? Yes. It has helped me sift through agents in less time and with stronger confidence in my research.
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