| rs in their quest to get published can fall victim to | | | | script doctoring profession to pay the rent while they |
| scams. Here's a few tips to help you avoid the traps. | | | | are “between films.” |
| Online Matching Services and Email Blast Programs | | | | Asking another person to re-write your work is |
| These services, for a fee, put your query letter, | | | | problematic. Who knows your story better than you |
| synopsis and first chapter online. Acquisition editors | | | | do? It is extremely difficult to evaluate how talented |
| and literary agents then have the opportunity to | | | | these editors are, to determine if they are really |
| peruse the offerings. You have to ask yourself if you | | | | going to improve your work. |
| truly believe that the average literary agent, who | | | | Fees for these services can range from several |
| receives 1100 unsolicited queries a year, has the time | | | | hundred dollars to five or ten thousand dollars. |
| to look at these websites. | | | | Remember that all manuscripts need editing. And that |
| The reverse, or maybe it’s the inverse, are | | | | one of the publisher’s jobs is to work with |
| services that have databases of agents and | | | | the writer on getting the manuscript ready to publish. |
| publishers. You specify the genre of your book and | | | | Another option is a critique service; this is usually less |
| up pops agents/publishers who have said they are | | | | expensive. They provide a report of their view of |
| interested in your genre. Sometimes the agents | | | | what is good and bad about the work, and perhaps |
| publishers have provided their acquisition specs and | | | | its market potential. They are, at best, just one |
| sometimes the owner of the database has just input | | | | person’s opinion. If the critique service |
| the information from other sources. | | | | isn’t a publisher, how do they know what will |
| Finally there are services who will email blast your | | | | sell and what won’t. |
| query letter to agents/publishers. If the participants | | | | Marketing Services |
| have agreed to receive the query letters there is a | | | | There are many companies who provide legitimate |
| higher probability you will be successful. But, again you | | | | services to authors in marketing and promoting their |
| have to wonder, with all the unpublished manuscripts | | | | titles. Just because a company requires a fee |
| out there looking for a publishing home, why would | | | | doesn’t mean it’s a scam. |
| an agent/publisher feel it necessary to sign up for | | | | Having said that, if your book is not offered with |
| these types of services. | | | | industry standard terms, bookstores are highly |
| Book Doctors…but are they quacks? | | | | unlikely to stock it, no matter what the marketing |
| The beginning author wonders: 1) Do I really have | | | | efforts are. Your book must be returnable to the |
| talent? 2) Is my book ready to be marketed, or | | | | publisher through the major wholesalers. It must be |
| does it need additional work? | | | | offered with 90 days for payment. It must be |
| One option is to hire an editing service, sometimes | | | | offered with at least a 40% discount from the retail |
| called a book doctor. This is not simply a copy editor | | | | price. These terms must be offered from the |
| who checks for grammar, sentence structure, and | | | | publisher not the author – unless of course |
| spelling. A book doctor looks at the plot, characters, | | | | the author is the publisher. Keep in mind that the |
| dialogue, continuity and flow. | | | | author must own the ISBN, International Standard |
| It almost seems like more people making a living | | | | Book Number to be considered the publisher. |
| selling editing services—book doctors, script | | | | When a marketing company is unconcerned that the |
| doctors—than writers earning a living. In | | | | terms are not industry standard you should be |
| screenwriting, it has become an epidemic. Producers | | | | concerned. |
| who run out of money have even taken up the | | | | |