London book fair

[Seriestwo]

Is the London book fair a good use of time and money if you are new, know nothing about publishing but have a draft of a non-fiction book?

some of their talks look useful. Is it a good place to try and find an agent if you haven’t got one?

I think it's very much an industry event - agents and publishers talking to each other, rather than looking for talent.

Thanks, I saw the talks that were in and some looked useful. I’d need to pay to stay in town if I went so it wouldn’t be a cheap 3 days.

I have a daydream of just wandering around the place and someone spots my talent and snaps my proposal up on the spot. I’m like Adrian Mole, just waiting for my genius to be commissioned.

So I’ve been a couple of times (fiction writer). The atmosphere is good etc. and there’s an author area, but for me I don’t think it’s worth it apart from networking with other authors. Not sure what it’s like for non-fiction writers but it’s very much an industry event with deals being made etc. If you want to talk to specific publishing companies and they’re exhibiting it might be worth it, but it’s primarily sales people there trying to sell rights/foreign rights etc rather than meeting writers

Thanks, that’s really helpful. I wad
hoping it would be like the Edinburgh Fringe with a big mix of industry/artists.

I’ll stick to sending emails and try to get an agent.

You’d be better going off to a literary festival like York or Winchester where you can book appointments with agents, book doctors, etc.

As an unknown author without an agent or contract, definitely not useful. As a pp said, you’d be better off attending a literary festival with a specialist non-fiction agent pitch.

I asked my agent if it would be useful to attend for me as an author. She ummed and ahhed and then said no. It's far more of an industry professional thing rather than about books per se.

When is it?

11-13 march
www.londonbookfair.co.uk/en-gb/lp/register-for-london-book-fair.html

Thanks everyone, that’s very helpful.

I have done a lot of research into publishing and have concluded it is a dark art. It is very hard to work out how to find an agent that you can work with and what they’ll do for you in return, what you can reasonably expect from a publisher and what they’ll magic words are to find either to even have a chat with.

so, thank you.

the book fairs don’t have 1:1 listed on their events pages but I found this https://jerichowriters.com/creative-writing-courses/path-to-publication/

15 hundred quid. Bloody hell. I’m not saying that’s not value for money, I’m just saying “bloody hell”

Well, it comes down to whether you’ve written something an agent thinks s/he can sell, and then whether an editor thinks s/he can sell it.

I’m not saying it’s necessarily easy to get an agent, because it isn’t, but there’s no ‘dark art’ involved.

Just look at agents who represent the type of book you have written, whose list is open for submissions, and query them with a good pitch letter and whatever number of words/synopsis etc they specify. Send out in batches and keep a note of rejections. If someone asks for the full MS, email everyone who hasn’t yet replied. That’s how I got my agent (fiction).

But it sounds as if you’re putting the cart before the horse a bit, depending on your draft …? I realise non-fiction has some differences to selling novels, and can be commissioned on the strength of a proposal and sample chapter, but you’ll still need get that chapter, proposal as good as possible before starting to query.

It's really not a dark art. It's just very very very hard to get into in the form of being published - mostly because everyone and their dog thinks they can write a book, so the entry requirements are pretty stiff.

You don't need an agent, many publishers will take unsolicited (unagented) manuscripts, but an agent stands between you and the publishing world and will get your manuscript seen. They also work with you to get your book as good as it possibly can be before submission, but getting an agent can also be very very hard. But I always say that the difference between published and unpublished authors is that the published authors were just the unpublished ones that didn't give up...

The bit I’m stuck with is knowing what the agents want. Google “how to write a book proposal” and you get thousands of results and templates all of which seem to contradict each other.

I’ve got a decent draft of the intro and 2 chapters, including drawings. I’ve got breakdowns of each chapter and comparable books, marketing plan, bio, synopsis and a blurb. It’s well over 25k words, and that’s where the dark art bit is - sending enough so they get the gist but not so much that they can’t be bothered.

my preferred agent (she represents similar authors) said she wanted everything in one email - so I sent the lot and am now wondering if I should have asked for advice before approaching her. I didn’t know you could get “book doctors”, it seems the answers are all out there but I’m not finding it when I search. Definitely a “me” issue.

i suspect most of it boils down to confidence!

Persistence is key, yes.

the concept is good, there is a gap in the market, I know my field and it’s of interest to lots of people. So it’s worth persisting

Well, if you sent exactly what your preferred agent said she wanted (and yes, it would always be as attachments to a single email, regardless: I know my agent first read my pitch and sample chapters on her iPad on a flight — the slushpile is now entirely virtual!), then there’s no issue, surely? Some agents will read the synopsis first, some will start off by looking at your sample and only read your synopsis if the quality of your writing attracts them.

Though I wouldn’t pin my hopes on just one. I’d send out in batches.

Yes, I’ve maybe been naive thinking I’d be best giving this agent first refusal. She says on the site that if you don’t hear within 8 weeks it’s a no, maybe I’ll leave it a month and start querying other agents.

I'm a published author and I agree with everyone else re the book fair. If you want to dm me I'd be happy to offer advice depending on the genre I might have further advice.

Most agents want you to have the complete first draft under your belt before you approach them - I say most, it might be different with the one that you have been in conversation with. I’m going to submit at the end of this year to an agent I have followed ever since I met her in York about 15 years ago (real life has tended to get in the way of me writing - but no more!) Just a bit of advice that might be helpful. Also I’ve been to both York and Winchester in the past - so, so hopeful, really highly recommend attending a literary festival and booking a few appointments. I know exactly how to go about things now. Good luck!

Non-fiction can be different, in that sometime agents can sell a book on the strength of a proposal and sample chapters, rather than, as with fiction, needing a full, polished MS ready to go before querying.

Yes that’s true about the genre, though it’s also about whether you can actually write a whole book if you are a first timer.

If you haven't already OP, I'd advise you to set up a blog/YouTube channel for your subject to show to an agent/publisher and so they can establish that there is a market for and interest in your subject.You'll also be able to use this media to drive prospective purchasers to your book, and agents are always keen to know that you've got the marketing angle covered.

Well, you're not not giving her first refusal if you also send it to other people. If someone else expresses an interest, you email her and say you've had interest elsewhere and are letting her know as a courtesy, in case she hasn't got round to reading your proposal yet.

Excellent advice.