The More You Know

Sharon Goldinger

As the old saying goes, knowledge is power. And in the publishing industry, the more information you have, the better prepared you'll be to find new marketing opportunities, get a better deal with a publisher, and sell more books. Publishing industry knowledge is power no matter who your agent is or whether your publisher is a big or a small house--or even if you publish your book yourself.

So where do you get the latest information on what agents are looking for, interesting statistics about the publishing industry, and tips about what you can do to make you and your book more valuable and valued? The following websites, blogs, and newsletters should be a good start:

Publishers Lunch

http://lunch.publishersmarketplace.com/

Publishers Lunch provides a daily report on publishing news. You can sign up for free for the shorter version of the daily newsletter and weekly deal report.

Shelf Awareness

http://www.shelf-awareness.com/

Sign up for this free daily e-mail newsletter about book sales, new titles, and titles and authors getting buzz in the media--or just browse through the archives.

HARO (Help a Reporter Out)

http://www.helpareporter.com/

Sharing your expertise may land you that big media opportunity you've been looking for. Sign up for free to answer queries from journalists looking for sources.

Nathan Bransford

http://blog.nathanbransford.com/

Nathan Bransford is an author and ex-literary agent who blogs about writing and publishing and offers dozens of pages of advice on publishing essentials such as how to write a query letter or book proposal and how to find a literary agent.

Jane Friedman

http://blog.writersdigest.com/norules/

A former publisher and a contributing editor for Writer's Digest, Jane Friedman offers practical advice for writers and insights into the future of publishing in her blog and free newsletter.

Janet Reid

http://jetreidliterary.blogspot.com/

This literary agent's blog is entertaining and full of expert advice for writers.

Yes, it's a lot of information to read and to keep up with. And yes, this list only scratches the surface. But the more you know, the more value you will bring to your book and your writing future.

Sharon Goldinger is an editorial and publishing consultant. This article may be reprinted in its entirety.