Random House
Continues
LayoffsNEW YORK, NY/1/14/02—Random House has closed its Santa Monica publicity office, and has placed its executive director of publicity, Carol Schneider on a three-day work week. Also, Random House’s Suzanne Wickham-Beaird, who has worked for the company’s West Coast office for 18 years, is leaving after turning down the offer to move to New York City. Tom Perry, director of publicity, continues to report to Schneider.
At Crown about ten jobs were eliminated. The Crown layoffs apparently included respected editor, Betsy Rappoport. More layoffs are expected in the company’s sales force. In the children’s division, a small number of overall staff was laid off.
America’s largest trade book publisher employes 3000 people. In late December nine employees were laid off at three Random House imprints—Doubleday Broadway, Ballantine, and Bantam Dell.
CEO Peter Olsen said in an internal staff memo last month that the company is struggling to cope with the attacks on America, the war, the recession, and what he sees as a “prolonged downturn in the book marketplace”
Layoffs at such a major house signal tougher times in general for the publishing industry. Random House is owned by German-based media conglomerate, Bertelsmann, which plans to go public in the next few years. Little, Brown
to Move Editorial
Offices to New York
1/3/02—Little, Brown and Company will relocate its editorial and production departments from Boston to New York City, joining parent AOL Time Warner’s Book Group.
Both the children’s book division and Bulfinch Press will move to New York to be nearer advertising and sales departments, according to president and COO Maureen Egen.
Back-office functions such as customer service, fulfillment, business offices, and copyediting will remain in Boston, but telephone sales will move from New York to join Boston’s customer service department.
Little Brown’s children’s book division plans to increase the number of books it publishes, according to David Ford, vice president and publisher of LB children’s unit. But the outlook for Bulfinch Press is uncertain, since Publisher Carol Leslie is leaving and no replacement has been named.
Baker & Taylor Adds
Lightning Source
Fulfillment Services
LAVERGNE, TN & CHARLOTTE, NC/1/3/02—Baker & Taylor, one of the industry’s top full line distributors of books, video and music to libraries and retailers, announced it is adding Lightning Source Inc. to its offering of print-on-demand and order fulfillment services.
The new alliance is expected to benefit libraries and retail booksellers by expanding the product and service offerings of both companies.
Lightning Source Inc., a leader in providing digital solutions to the book industry, will provide Baker & Taylor full access to its digital library. Lightning Source will print and fulfill book orders for Baker & Taylor and its customers using Lightning’s one-at-a-time print-on-demand technology and fulfillment services.
Baker & Taylor will dramatically increase its already vast selection of titles with the addition of the thousands of titles available through Lightning Source’s digital library combined with those print-on-demand titles from its own Replica Books.
“Both Lightning Source and Baker & Taylor share the belief that customers should be able to acquire any of the titles they want, when they want them, wherever the title is needed,” said Baker & Taylor President & CEO Gary Rautenstrauch. “We see the addition of Lightning Source as further enhancing our valued customer partnerships.”
Ed Marino, President and CEO of Lightning Source Inc., said Lightning Source’s alliance with Baker & Taylor represents a “milestone” for the book industry.
“Lightning Source is a vital resource for the industry,” he said. “Lightning Source’s services, especially its unique one at a time POD technology, provide more book sales across the industry. This new alliance with Baker & Taylor dramatically increases that sales potential and enables libraries, publishers, and retailers to maximize profits while meeting changing customer demand.
“Lightning Source’s print-on-demand service recently printed its 3-millionth book, an indication of its strong acceptance among publishers,” Marino noted.
“Lightning Source’s digital library has something for everyone,” he said. “From classic trade and University Press to Professional, Technical, Reference and Spanish Language titles, our library has the selection the public is searching for.”
Baker & Taylor is a leading full-line distributor of books, videos and music products to Internet and traditional retailers and to library customers, providing value-added proprietary data products and customized management and outsourcing services. In business over 170 years, Baker & Taylor maintains one of the largest combined in-stock book, video and music inventories in the United States with approximately 385,000 titles in inventory and over 1.5 million available for order.
Lightning Source Inc., a subsidiary of Ingram Industries Inc., provides a comprehensive suite of digital fulfillment services. The company is revolutionizing the options available to the industry in the storage, management, and distribution of digital content. Lightning Source stores books and other information electronically and delivers them “on demand” in either traditional printed format or as e-books in response to orders from booksellers, librarians, and publishers. Lightning Source has printed more than 3,000,000 “on demand” books for more than 1,300 publishers around the world.
Historian Ambrose
Apologizes for Missing
Quotemarks in Book
NEW YORK/1/7/02—Celebrated historian Stephen Ambrose has apologized for copying phrases and sentences from another author’s work into his current bestseller, THE WILD BLUE.
Ambrose apologized after an article in The Weekly Standard magazine accused Ambrose of copying key phrases from WINGS OF MORNING by historian Thomas Childers. Ambrose’s publisher, Simon & Schuster, told The New York Times that future editions of THE WILD BLUE would provide proper attribution to Childers’ phrases.
Ambrose has become known as a valuable content resource not only for books, but for integrated media such as Viacom, which owns Simon & Schuster, and for AOL Time Warner, which just made one of Ambrose’s books, BAND OF BROTHERS, into the popular HBO miniseries.
In reporting the infringement, Forbes.com says that Ambrose also borrows phrases from the late Jay Monaghan’s Custer: THE LIFE OF GENERAL GEORGE ARMSTRONG CUSTER, released by Little, Brown & Co. in 1959. Though Ambrose footnotes the paragraphs containing these words and phrases and he cites Monaghan as a source, Forbes.com claims several phrases or passages are presented as his own when they reportedly came from Monaghan.
In a formal statement issued by Ambrose on January 6, he said that he had failed to put some words and sentences of Childers into quotation marks, that he was sorry for the omission and would put Childers’ words into quotation marks in all future editions of his book.
The 65-year-old Ambrose is author of about 20 books, including biographies of Dwight D. Eisenhower and Richard M.Nixon.
Seybold Seminar
to Examine Challenges
of Enterprise Publishing
LOS ANGELES/1/2/02—The dramatic changes occurring in the publishing industry all point in one direction: how to manage content and use customer data for more effective communications.
Seybold Seminars New York 2002, a Key3Media Group, Inc. (NYSE:KME) event, focuses on the technologies and work habits that enable all organizations to accomplish effective communication through a newly designed conference titled Enterprise Publishing. The weeklong event takes place Feb. 19-22 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City.
New York Times Co. chairman and publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr. will discuss “The Convergence of Media in the 21st Century” in a special keynote on Feb. 20.
“Convergence is no longer just the dream of the futurist, but a successful strategy for meeting the global demand for high-quality news and information,” said Sulzberger. “Coverage of Sept. 11 and its aftermath has been a defining moment in journalism. Within a very short period, we learned that the most compelling way to tell the full story of our nation’s war against terrorism is by having the The New York Times’ print, online and broadcast media work together, seamlessly, relentlessly and continuously.”
Seybold Seminars New York 2002 returns to New York City after three years in Boston. Focusing on segments of the publishing industry centered in New York, such as advertising, finance, magazine and book publishing, the conference and exposition offers industry insights and guidance on the most effective and cost-efficient uses of publishing technology.
“For many years the focus in our industry has been on the power of desktop technology,” said Gene Gable, president of Seybold Seminars and Publications. “But now we need to look beyond the desktop and see the power that comes when databases, content repositories and other enterprise resources are combined in an effective publishing workflow. This new revolution will dramatically improve the impact of all communications.”
The Seybold Enterprise Publishing Conference is divided into three technology and five industry tracks that will address different areas and needs of the publishing process. The Technology tracks assess current publishing technologies, case studies and the best ROI as applied to Cross-Media, Print, Web publishing and design. Industry experts and pundits will share their insight on how to tackle business needs, process changes and applications in focused advertising, corporate, book and magazine publishing tracks.
Supporting the Enterprise Publishing Conference is the Seybold Summit, a one-day strategic educational program focusing on cross-media authoring tools, digital rights management systems, and relevant business issues surrounding the integration of business systems and data for more effective communications. Rounding out Seybold Seminars New York 2002 educational programs are Hot Technology Days which focus on specific technologies and practices in the publishing industry and tutorials that are designed to provide practical training on Web, print and cross-media publishing tools; PDF; SEML; XML, design; color and digital imaging.
For more information about Seybold Seminars, visit www.seyboldseminars.com or contact Stacye Montez at stacye.montez@key3media.com. To register as media for the event contact Dervla O’Reilly at dervla.o’reilly@key3media.com.
Seybold Seminars is a leading brand educating the publishing, graphic arts, Web, entertainment and general business industries on how to implement technology for effective and profitable content creation, management and delivery.
Seybold Seminars New York 2002 is a Key3Media event. Key3Media Group, Inc. is a leading producer of information technology trade shows and conferences, serving more than 6,000 exhibiting companies and 1.5 million attendees through 60 events in 18 countries.
Sasquatch Signs
Publishers Group West
as Distributor
SEATTLE, WA/1/4/02—Seattle-based Sasquatch Books, specializing in books about California, the Pacific Northwest, and Alaska has signed Publishers Group West as its distributor in order to expand distribution beyond the West Coast. Publisher Chad Haight said that while the 15-year-old company will continue publishing outdoor, nature, wine and food and travel titles, it may also expand into other categories.
Tampa Bay
News Organizations
Announce Partnership
RICHMOND, VA. & NEW YORK/1/4/02—Media General and The New York Times Co. have formed a partnership in which several Tampa Bay news organizations will collaborate in the areas of content sharing, cross promotion and co-sponsored events.
WFLA-TV News Channel 8, TBO.com, The Tampa Tribune, Hernando Today, Highlands Today, Sunbelt Newspapers and the Suncoast News, all owned by Media General, will partner with the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, SNN-Channel 6 and heraldtribune.com, which are owned by The New York Times Co.
“This is a pioneering agreement,” said Diane McFarlin, publisher of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. “To the best of my knowledge, it’s the first and only example of two separate multimedia operations collaborating across three platforms – print, TV and online.”
The partnership will increase market coverage and diversify the demographics of both Tampa Bay area organizations. In addition it will broaden the multimedia range of the companies, which both are operating in fully converged capacities.
“Now viewers and readers can turn to one source for their news, advertising and entertainment, knowing they will find the most complete and comprehensive coverage in the Bay area,” said Tampa Tribune Publisher Steve Weaver.
Media General newspapers already reach 1,063,000 readers in the Tampa Bay DMA each week, more than any other media company in the Tampa Bay area. The partnership with the Sarasota Herald-Tribune adds 258,000 readers.
WFLA-TV News Channel 8, an NBC affiliate, is rated the No. 1 television station in Florida. It has a 19 percent share of the available 6 p.m. viewer audience with an 8.1 percent rating. During a month’s time the combined reach of the new multimedia partnership will be 91 percent of all adults in the Tampa Bay DMA.
“Through our combined resources the partners will be able to provide better and stronger journalism to their readers, viewers and online users, while continuing to provide new examples of innovation and leadership for the news industry,” said WFLA-TV News Channel 8 News Director Forrest Carr.
“We believe readers and viewers will be the beneficiaries of our combined journalistic strength. They’ll see more and better stories about their communities in print, on television and online,” said Janet Weaver, executive editor of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
According to Kirk Read, general manager Tampa Bay Online (TBO.com), “We gain the benefit of each other’s strong brand of local journalism, community relationships and multimedia experiences. The true beneficiary, however, will be our collective customer. We look forward to sharing the multimedia resources through a variety of community news and information channels.”
The timing of the collaboration is considered strategic as a result of increased demand for news and information. According to Eric S. Land, president and general manager of WFLA-TV News Channel 8, “The partnership will create a unique opportunity for viewers, readers and users to have, at their fingertips, the `best of the best’ in local journalism at a time when interest in local news is at an all-time high.”
The New York Times Co. (NYSE:NYT), a leading media company with 2000 revenues of $3.5 billion, publishes The New York Times, The Boston Globe and 16 other newspapers; owns eight network-affiliated television stations and two New York radio stations; and has more than 40 Web sites, including NYTimes.com and Boston.com. In 2001 the company was ranked No. 1 in the publishing industry in Fortune’s list of America’s Most Admired Companies. In October 2000 the company was ranked No. 1 in the publishing industry in Fortune’s survey of the Global Most Admired Companies. The company’s core purpose is to enhance society by creating, collecting and distributing high-quality news, information and entertainment.
Media General is an independent communications company situated primarily in the Southeast with interests in newspapers, television stations, interactive media and diversified information services. The company’s publishing assets include The Tampa Tribune, the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the Winston-Salem Journal and 22 other daily newspapers in Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, Alabama and South Carolina, as well as nearly 100 other periodicals and a 20 percent interest in The Denver Post. Media General’s 26 network-affiliated television stations reach more than 30 percent of the television households in the Southeast, and nearly 8 percent of those in the United States. The company’s extensive interactive media offerings include more than 50 online enterprises. Media General also has a 33 percent interest in SP Newsprint Co., which operates news mills in Dublin, Ga., and Newberg, Ore.
Eisner Letter
Addresses Disney
Shareholders
1/3/02—Walt Disney Company CEO Michael D. Eisner, commenting to shareholders on the state of the industry after the September 11 attacks, struck a positive note in the company’s annual report mailed in late December.
Eisner said, “Just as America will overcome, so too will American business, driven by our ingenuity and creative know-how. The challenges may be great. But so are the opportunities . . . opportunities that abound across this nation and, more and more so, around the world.”
Pointing out that The Walt Disney Co. Foundation/DisneyHand: Survivor Relief Fund collected more than $700,000 from cast members, and that the company itself had given $5 million to the World Trade Center cleanup and relief efforts, Eisner said, “You should simply know that, along with so many other Americans, the cast members of The Walt Disney Co. made a difference.”
Looking forward, he discussed the challenges Disney currently faces, and outlined what he sees as the many opportunities for “solid and dependable growth.”
“The first area of challenge is at our parks. Disney theme parks are among the most distinctive and valuable venues in the travel and entertainment industries. This was certainly evident this past weekend when I spent the day at the Disneyland Resort in California to view the Christmas decorations at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel, to ride the “new” Haunted Mansion with its holiday Nightmare Before Christmas theming, and to shop at Downtown Disney. For good reason, most families share the vacation priorities of Barry Bonds, who, after setting the new major league homerun record, proclaimed, ‘I’m going to Disney World!’ He then continued:
“But it’s one thing to want to go to Walt Disney World or Disneyland and another thing to get there. We are now officially in a recession and people have less disposable income for travel. However, when the economy does come back, and as confidence in America’s safety continues to grow, there is every reason to believe that the performance at our parks will be stronger than ever. This has been the pattern of every recession in the past. America and Americans always bounce back. And when they do, demand for Disney theme parks only increases. Time and again, we have found that people hardly ever actually cancel their Disney vacations . . . they only defer them until the time is right.
“For prudent managers, it is not enough simply to wait for an economic and emotional recovery. So, we have been actively adjusting the operations of our parks to optimize bottom-line performance. We have also taken advantage of our broadcast holdings to promote the parks on the ABC network and our local television stations, and we have marketed price promotions, especially for local guests. Most important, we continue to offer an extraordinary entertainment experience. At Walt Disney World, in the fall, we began the 100 Years of Magic celebration, which honors the 100 th anniversary of the birth of Walt Disney. As I write this, I am at Disney World, and we are showing the press and the travel industry the new parades in each of the four theme parks and the new attractions. 100 Years of Magic is an exciting entertainment event, and it reminds all of us inside and outside Disney of the company’s roots and the decades-long appeal of what we do.
“Our Broadcasting business also faces challenges that were partly caused by the overall economic environment. Because of the softness in the economy, advertising rates were down for all of the broadcast networks. ABC was the number-one rated network in primetime during a very healthy overall ad market in 2000. But, this year, it has suffered the one-two punch of a down economy and a drop in ratings. This is why we are heavily focused on developing shows that will help propel ABC back to the top. Of course, there is no formula for creating great content. But, it is what we must do to reap the considerable rewards of owning a broadcast network. Both Bob Iger and I grew up professionally at ABC. This is a business we understand, and one of our top priorities is to develop the kinds of programming that will underpin resurgent long-range success. It is important to keep in mind that ABC remains number one during daytime and is building on that lead, while our news division is building as well, and is getting closer to being able to claim number-one bragging rights.
“But primetime does present a problem, and we are determined to solve it. So here’s a little primer on the network television business. It takes decades to build a daytime schedule. Daytime is about loyalty and familiarity and quality. Consequently, we are in a rather secure and enviable position as ABC continues to lead solidly when the sun is up. Similarly, in news, it takes years and years to establish the kind of loyalty and trust among the viewing audience that ABC News enjoys. And then there is primetime. You can move from the number-three or number-four network to the number-one network in two years by having one new hit, say, every six months. When I was at ABC in the ‘70s, we went from last to first. NBC in the ‘80s had the same kind of success and pushed ABC out of the leadership role. Under Bob Iger in the ‘90s, ABC recaptured the lead. Now we have to do it again.
“The rules for network TV success have remained largely the same as long as there have been networks. But there is no question that the broader TV landscape has changed dramatically in the past two decades because of the advent of cable. In this regard, our company has a major advantage, since our broad range of cable programming services, including the recently added ABC Family, provide outlets both for original programs and for the multi-purposing of programs from our other networks. With ever-increasing consolidation among cable and satellite distributors in the U.S., the addition of ABC Family will further enhance our portfolio of programming services and allow us to reach all demographic groups with both broad-based and narrowly focused channels. Our last major acquisition, of course, was Cap Cities/ABC, which involved a remarkably seamless integration with Disney. Our acquisition of Fox Family in the U.S. and Fox Kids in Europe and Latin America will be even easier. These assets are completely complementary to our existing holdings, and they all go to Disney’s “sweet spot” of entertainment for children and families. For this reason, I anticipate a remarkably swift integration into the company, followed by rapid growth and increases in profitability.
“Looking at the rest of our company, a great number of steps have been taken to safeguard Disney during these anomalous days. During the year, we trimmed our workforce by approximately 4,000 positions, primarily through voluntary separations. Our Strategic Sourcing (i.e., buying stuff) initiative will save the company at least $200 million annually beginning this year through the implementation of more sensible purchasing policies. The Walt Disney Studios has cut its annual investment in live-action films by $600 million, in part by eliminating unproductive talent deals and streamlining the script development process.
“It’s not just in the Studios where we’re attacking costs. We have scaled back our Internet operations to core initiatives that we expect to achieve profitability by the end of this fiscal year. We have completed the several-year process of closing 51 Disney Stores that were achieving sub-par performance, with current plans to close about 50 more. We are continuing to review individual store performance and expect the number of North America stores to stabilize at a level of between 300 and 400.
“None of these cost-cutting efforts represents a one-time approach. Rather, they are part of what has become an ingrained culture of ever-increasing efficiency. It’s kind of like going on the treadmill and eating non-fat food. You never seem to get anywhere, but you stay healthier and more alive — and that is getting somewhere very important!
In addition to being lean and disciplined, we are mobilized on a number of fronts to seize and create a range of opportunities that we see across the country and around the world,” Eisner said.
The full report is available online at http://disney.go.com/corporate/investors/financials/annual.html
GENERAL NEWS Fitness Club
to Launch
Own Magazine
CHICAGO/1/3/02—Bally Total Fitness will launch a quarterly lifestyle health and fitness magazine this spring. The new publication, as yet unnamed, will be produced by RB Publishing, Inc., which publishes several custom magazines including Xerox’s successful DocuWorld.
Bally plans to print 400,000 copies for its first issue. Initially, the company will distribute to its own members via direct mail and in its Bally’s clubs, but later may consider other distribution channels.
Paul Toback, chief executive officer of Chicago-based Bally, said his company sees the magazine as both a revenue generator and a marketing tool.
Terms of the deal between Bally and RB, which will handle all advertising sales, editorial content and production, were not disclosed.
Bally has 400 facilities in 28 states under the Bally, Crunch Fitness, Pinnacle Fitness and Gorilla Sports names, among others.
Tech Magazine
Unveils
New Look
WASHINGTON/1/7/02—Post Newsweek Tech Media, a division of The Washington Post Co. (NYSE:WPO), announced that it introduced a new look with expanded content for its Washington Technology magazine. The new look debuted with the Jan. 7 issue.
“We’re really proud of the magazine’s new look,” said Steve LeSueur, editor of Washington Technology. “This is the result of months of talking extensively with readers, advertisers, and the other constituencies who rely on the news and analysis we have been providing for more than sixteen years.
“Our readers asked for more news about emerging technologies and the spending plans and priorities of their government customers,” added LeSueur. “So you are going to see a new section dedicated to emerging technologies and solutions as well as a new page in our already popular federal section that will take an in-depth look at a different federal agency in each issue.”
Other elements of the redesign include more focused coverage on the integrator community in a new section called “The IT Crowd” and increased coverage of relevant policies coming out of Congress and the White House.
Publisher Scott Lewis said that these changes will strengthen the unique position that Washington Technology holds in the market place.
“There are other magazines that cover the government technology market – from the perspective of government,” Lewis said. “But Washington Technology is the only magazine written for the private-sector government integrator. This is an audience with unique interests and concerns – for example, how contracts are awarded, or what technologies they can integrate into their offerings. General publications covering government or the business of technology don’t speak directly to our readers’ interests or needs.”
Lewis noted that increases in government spending and continued trends towards outsourcing make the government integrator audience more important than ever. “Our readers are the people who work with the government to implement technology solutions,” Lewis said. “We’ve always worked to give that audience the best news, information, and analysis in Washington Technology. With the levels of increased spending and outsourcing activity we’re seeing today, that’s more important that ever.”
Creative director Mark Wood spearheaded the design of the new Washington Technology look. “The idea was to get a cleaner feel for the magazine and find more ways to draw readers into each issue,” Wood said. “This is a publication that has worked well for readers and for advertisers for 16 years now – we didn’t want to do anything to take away from that. This is a design that is more approachable while still retaining the essential character that readers have come to love about Washington Technology.”
“This is another example of how committed Post Newsweek Tech Media is to the government technology market,” said David Greene, president of Post Newsweek Tech Media. “At a time when other publishers are folding their tents and closing publications, we’re launching new titles and spending money to make our existing publications better than ever.”
Post Newsweek Tech Media is a leading publisher, organizer of trade shows and conferences, and provider of online services in government and business technology.
From its headquarters in the nation’s technology capital, the company delivers smart content and smart solutions for the $45 billion federal government technology market and to high-tech businesses in the dynamic Washington metropolitan region.
Post Newsweek Tech Media in-print products include as Government Computer News, Washington Technology, Washington Techway, the IT Almanac, and the soon-to-be-published special editions of GCN Management. In-person events include FOSE, FOSE@IRMCO and more than 50 other conferences and events; and online products including gcn.com, washingtontechnology.com, fose.com and washtech.com, published in partnership with Washington Post Newsweek Interactive.
Barnes & Noble
Announces Plans
for N.C. Superstore
NEW YORK/1/7/02–Barnes & Noble Inc., the nation’s largest bookseller, announced it has signed a lease agreement to open a new superstore in Raleigh, N.C. The 34,000-square-foot store, expected to open in August, will be located in the Triangle Town Center Mall, which is currently under construction on Capitol Boulevard. Both the mall and the store will open in August.
“We are excited by the prospect of becoming a vital part of this dynamic community,” said Alan Kahn, chief operating officer of Barnes & Noble Inc. “Customers at the new Raleigh Barnes & Noble will have access to millions of books in every imaginable subject and a comprehensive range of CD, video and DVD titles. As a community institution, a significant percentage of the store’s books will reflect the local lifestyles and interests of Raleigh customers.”
The Raleigh Barnes & Noble Customer Service Counter enables customers to order books at the store and have the order completed through Barnes & Noble.com for delivery to their home, office or to a friend.
“Readers’ Advantage,” Barnes & Noble’s new membership loyalty program, will offer additional discounts and benefits at the new Raleigh Barnes & Noble. For a $25 annual fee, members will receive an additional 10 percent discount at the store and an additional 5 percent discount at Barnes & Noble.com. The program benefits also include invitations to members-only events.
The Raleigh Barnes & Noble will carry an extensive selection of children’s books in an area designed especially for kids. The store’s music department will offer more than 25,000 CD, video and DVD titles. Its Red Dot electronic music catalog, a touch-sensitive customer kiosk, features information on the actual location of CDs in the store. Listening stations will be available for customers to preview selected recordings. The store will also feature a Barnes & Noble Cafe, serving in a classic bistro setting Starbucks coffee, cappuccino, espresso; the full-leaf teas of The Republic of Tea; cold drinks; and a variety of reasonably priced gourmet sandwiches and desserts.
The Raleigh Barnes & Noble bookstore will develop an ongoing calendar of events, including poetry readings, book discussion groups, author signings, and children’s story-telling hours, often featuring special guests. These events are designed to respond to the specific interests of the Raleigh community.
About Barnes & Noble Inc.
Barnes & Noble Inc. (NYSE: BKS) operates 582 Barnes & Noble and 328 B. Dalton bookstores and GameStop (formerly Babbage’s), which is the nation’s largest operator of video game and entertainment software stores with 1,011 stores. Barnes & Noble stores stock an authoritative selection of book titles and provide access to more than one million titles. They offer books from more than 50,000 publisher imprints with an emphasis on small, independent publishers and university presses. Barnes & Noble is one of the world’s largest booksellers on the World Wide Web (www.bn.com) and the premiere bookseller on America Online’s (Keyword: bn) proprietary network. Barnes & Noble.com has the largest standing inventory of any online bookseller. Barnes & Noble also publishes books under its own imprint for exclusive sale through its retail stores and Web site.
Personal Ads Company
Acquires Clients
of Biggest Competitor
BOSTON/1/7/02—The People2People Group, owner of Tele-Publishing International (TPI) – the company that created the immensely successful and ubiquitous voice personals industry in 1989 – has announced that it will acquire the portfolio of clients of its largest competitor, NVS Interactive Media (NVS).
With this acquisition, TPI becomes the largest single provider of personals services to newspapers in the United States, and The People2People Group (P2P) further enhances its position as the global leader in the relationships industry.
This acquisition of several hundred newspaper accounts signals a consolidation that has long been expected in the highly competitive newspaper personals industry. The People2People Group (P2P), which operates People2People.com, AirDate and People2People Mobile in addition to TPI, is the world’s largest provider of relationships services to media companies and the only company that has taken advantage of the convergence in print, voice, cellular and web technologies into one universal, global database.
Hundreds of international daily and weekly newspapers, radio stations, telecom companies and web sites contribute members to P2P’s universal database of single people seeking relationships. P2P’s technology notifies users via SMS text messages, their home or cellular telephone or email that they have been matched to other singles, and the system then instantly processes the messages and responses between the users. P2P’s exclusive matching and notification service has forever changed the way single people meet each other as people can now use multiple technologies to meet new people.
“This acquisition is very exciting for us as it allows us to continue to expand our proprietary and very successful relationships products,” says Bradley M. Mindich, The People2People Group’s CEO. “We are the only company to integrate multiple media databases and combine them with the personalized, and powerful, marketing reach of the cell phone. This integrated approach not only provides all of our clients substantial increases in revenue and brand-recognition but, as a result, we are able to offer millions of people the most successful way to meet new people. This addition allows us to grow on both fronts and to continue to drive the future.”
P2P’s clients include Tribune Media, Hearst Publishing, News Corp., Clear Channel Broadcasting, Gannett, Associated, Grupo Correo, British Telecom and many others. The People2People Group is owned by the Phoenix Media/Communications Group, a 35-year-old multimedia corporation; owners of newspaper, magazine, broadcast, graphic services and printing divisions. Its flagship publication, the Boston Phoenix, was the first newspaper in the country to publish a section of personal advertisements, in the 1960s and the first newspaper to offer voice personals via 900 numbers in the 1980s.
AWARDS Post, Times Websites
Place in Finals
for EPpy Awards
NEW YORK/1/7/02—Editor & Publisher magazine has named the Washingtonpost.com and nytimes.com among top finalists for its 2002 EPpy Awards competition, picking up top honors in eight and six categories, respectively.
Winners of the seventh annual awards will be announced at the E&P 13th Annual Interactive Newspaper Conference and Trade Show in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 8.
The Topeka (Kan.) Capital-Journal’s Web site, CJOnline.com, was nominated in four categories.
The competition attracted nearly 300 entries. More than 30 independent judges from around the world will determine the winners. An EPpy for outstanding individual achievement will also be awarded.
Finalists are:Best Overall U.S. Newspaper Online Service (daily circ. under 50,000) IslandPacket.com
OnlineAthens.com
Hannibal.net Best Overall U.S. Newspaper Online Service (daily circ. 50,000-99,999) ALASKA.com
CJOnline.com
SavannahNOW.comBest Overall U.S. Newspaper Online Service (daily circ. 100,000-250,000) projo.com
newsobserver.com
PittsburghLIVE.com Best Overall U.S. Newspaper Online Service (national or daily circ. over 250,000) latimes.com
washingtonpost.com
nytimes.com Best Overall U.S. Newspaper Online Service (Weekly, Community, Alternative & Free) EdWeek.com
Chronicle.com
elSentinel.com Best Overall Non-Newspaper Online News Service ABCNews.com
CNET News.com
CTVNEWS.com Best College Newspaper Online Service newsnet.byu.edu (Brigham Young University)
IDSnews.com (Indiana University)
star.niu.edu (Northern Illinois University) Best Promotion of a Newspaper Online Service washingtonpost.com
nytimes.com
boston.com’s @bat Insider Best News Section in a Newspaper Online Service washingtonpost.com
nytimes.com
Newsday.com Best Sports Section in a Newspaper Online Service CJOnline.com
ChicagoSports.com
RedRaiders.com (The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal) Best Business Section in a Newspaper Online Service USAToday.com
nytimes.com
washingtonpost.com Best Entertainment Section in a Newspaper Online Service washingtonpost.com
azcentral.com Metromix.com (Tribune Co.) Best Special Section in a Newspaper Online Service (News or Event) CJOnline.com
Boston.com
nytimes.com Best Special Section in a Newspaper Online Service (Enterprise) DallasNews.com
Sun-Sentinel.com
seattletimes.com Best Classified Section in a Newspaper Online Service washingtonpost.com
USAToday.com
Chronicle.com’s Career Network Best Community Publishing Effort of a Newspaper Online Service timesunion.com
Augusta.com
Jacksonville.com’s First Coast Community Best Design of a Newspaper Online Service nytimes.com
washingtonpost.com
USAToday.com Best Shopping Application in a Newspaper Online Service USAToday.com
DallasNews.com
AugustaArchives.com (The Augusta Chronicle)Best Use of Rich Media Hannibal.net
washingtonpost.com
CJOnline.com PEOPLE Hughes Leaves Consultant Post At HarperCollins
/1/7/02—Veteran publishing expert Larry Hughes has left his post as a consultant to HarperCollins, effective Dec. 31, 2001. He plans to devote more time to Hobson and Hughes, a company he founded to oversee the estate of Erle Stanley Gardner.
Hughes, who retired in 1990 as president of William Morrow and Avon, later came to HarperCollins in 1999, when the company acquired Morrow and Avon. HC CEO Jane Friedman attributes Hughes with helping to integrate Morrow into HC.
InfoWorld Names Murphy to Position of Associate Publisher
SAN MATEO, CA/1/7/02—InfoWorld Media Group, the leading knowledge source for technology experts within senior IT management through its integrated online, print, research and events channels, announced the appointment of John F. Murphy to the position of associate publisher, western region.
Murphy joins IDG’s InfoWorld Media Group following a track record of success at CMP Media LLC. Murphy will report directly to InfoWorld Media Group’s Executive Vice-President and Publisher, Thomas C. Rousseau, and will be responsible for all display advertising operations in the Western United States. Murphy joins the sales management group that includes Tom Grimshaw, Associate Publisher for the Eastern region, and Marc Calvanico, Associate Publisher, Sales Development.
“I’m very pleased to have John join our management team,” said Robert G. Magnuson, InfoWorld’s President and CEO. “Bringing on board an executive of John’s caliber will help round out a highly talented management team and contribute to InfoWorld Media Group’s success as the number one media source for senior IT technology experts.”
“John possesses a wealth of strategic expertise in the IT sector that will introduce a strong dimension to our sales operations,” stated Thomas C. Rousseau, InfoWorld Media Group’s Publisher. “I’m very enthusiastic about bringing him on board to drive InfoWorld’s mission to help our customers achieve success with powerful, integrated marketing programs.”
Murphy has more than 12 years of expertise with a track record in managing successful sales teams. Prior to joining the InfoWorld Media Group, he held senior management positions at CMP Media LLC, most recently as Western Regional Director for InformationWeek.
Only InfoWorld Media Group provides cutting-edge coverage and evaluations of IT products, technology and services for technology experts in senior IT management. InfoWorld reaches the most influential senior technology experts – who drive their enterprises’ technology purchases – through integrated online, print, research and events channels. InfoWorld also provides specialized IT coverage for the Chief Technology Officer, the senior-most company executives who possess deep technology expertise and experience.
InfoWorld Media Group’s coverage of key IT products and technologies is supported by original research done in InfoWorld’s $23 million, dedicated multi-platform, enterprise test center. Since 1978, InfoWorld has performed the industry’s most trusted testing of technology and products.
InfoWorld Media Group is a division of IDG, the world’s leading technology media, research and event company. IDG publishes more than 300 magazines and newspapers and offers online users the largest network of technology-specific sites around the world through IDG.net (www.idg.net), which comprises more than 300 targeted Web sites in 70 countries. IDG is also a leading producer of 168 computer-related expositions worldwide, and provides IT market analysis through 51 offices in 43 countries worldwide.
Gurgevich Promoted to Publisher of Recharger Magazine
CHATSWORTH, CA/1/3/02—Phyllis Gurgevich, General Manager of Recharger Magazine, has been promoted to Publisher of the monthly publication serving the office recycling industry.
Recharger is a publication of 101communications, an integrated business-to-business media company aimed at specialized targets in the information technology sector.
Gurgevich joined Recharger in 1995 managing both advertising sales and production and quickly assumed more responsibilities. Under her direction, the magazine’s total pages have grown by more than 30 percent in the past six years.
Gurgevich was also part of the management team that launched the Recharger World Expo, held annually in Las Vegas each fall since 1996. Under her leadership, the show has grown its attendance from 3,000 to 5,000, and doubled exhibitors from 120 to 240 companies this past year.
“It’s been exciting to be a part of the Recharger franchise and to help the magazine grow from a family operation to a more traditional publishing company,” said Gurgevich. “I think we’ve managed to balance the needs of our readers and customers with service to the industry, making it a win-win situation for all involved.”
In addition to managing Recharger, its website and conference, Gurgevich is responsible for Office Technology magazine, the monthly publication recently launched as a partnership between the Business Technology Association and 101communications. Office Technology has a circulation of 10,000 office imaging professionals and will produce a conference this summer targeting the vendors and users of office imaging products.
Before joining Recharger magazine, Gurgevich was responsible for advertising sales, distribution and marketing for What’s On in Las Vegas magazine. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Purdue University. She is a member of the Las Vegas chapter of Working in Communications, and a volunteer for The Nature Conservancy and a number of community theaters.
“Phyllis has done a phenomenal job growing and expanding Recharger during the past few years,” said Jeffrey S. Klein, President and Chief Operating Officer of 101communications. “The magazine and all of its extension products will continue to benefit from her knowledge of the office recycling industry, as well as her excellent managerial skills. We’re pleased to have someone of Phyllis’ caliber to lead this very important segment of 101.”
In an additional move, Julie Kerrane has been promoted to Managing Editor of Recharger. Kerrane, who joined the magazine in December 2000, has more than six years of experience as a writer, editor and graphic designer.
As Associate Editor, she was responsible for writing feature articles and company profiles, as well as the editing, layout and design of the magazine. Prior to joining Recharger, Kerrane wrote and edited software manuals and training guides for Financial Profiles, Inc. in Carlsbad, Calif. She is a graduate of the University of California, San Diego, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in communications and art media.
“The strength of Recharger is derived directly from having strong team members,” Gurgevich commented. “Julie is just that: a strong team player. Julie’s experience in both the imaging industry and in the publishing arena will fit nicely into our overall development plan.”
Founded in 1998, 101communications is an integrated media company in the business-to-business market aimed at the many specialized targets within the greater information technology community. 101’s portfolio includes magazines, conferences and extensive digital offerings in the U.S. and Europe in five areas: Software Development (Application Development Trends, Application Development Advisor, JavaSPEKTRUM, OBJEKTspektrum, SIGS/101 Conferences); Vertical Markets (Recharger Magazine, Recharger WorldExpo, Office Technology); Windows Certification (Microsoft Certified Professional Magazine, MCP TechMentor Conferences); Enterprise Technology (Enterprise Systems, The Data Warehousing Institute, IT Events); and Government and Education Technology (Federal Computer Week, E-Gov, Syllabus, Syllabus Conferences)
Buchholz Named President, CEO at ExploreLearning
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA/1/2/02—ExploreLearning, a provider of richly interactive online learning solutions for middle school, high school, and introductory college-level courses, announced the appointment of Theodore “Ted” Buchholz to the role of President & Chief Executive Officer.
Buchholz succeeds Carl Frischkorn, the company’s founding investor who has served as interim CEO since July and will continue, as Chairman of the Board, to work closely with Ted.
Prior to joining ExploreLearning, Buchholz was President and Chief Executive Officer of Harcourt College Publishers, a leading US educational publisher. While at Harcourt, he increased revenues dramatically and profits threefold. Harcourt was recently purchased by Thomson and Reed Elsevier plc in a US$4.4 billion transaction.
“I am delighted to join ExploreLearning,” said Buchholz. “ExploreLearning’s product offerings are among the most innovative and compelling in the marketplace. It has a first rate team of employees and an excellent business model. I am pleased to be able to contribute my experience to help ExploreLearning grow and increase its market presence.”
Before assuming his position as President and CEO of Harcourt College, Buchholz served in several other capacities including Senior Vice President & Publisher. Prior to joining Harcourt in 1986, Buchholz held management positions at Academic Press and Reston Publishing Co. He holds a B.A. in International Studies from the University of South Carolina and is the author of six computer books.
“ExploreLearning’s ability to attract an executive of Ted’s caliber is tremendous validation of the quality of our team and the promise of our approach to interactive online learning,” said Dave Shuster, ExploreLearning’s founder and Chief Education Officer. “Ted’s industry experience and management expertise will be invaluable as we continue to build our market presence and expand our product offerings. We are absolutely thrilled to have him on board.”
ExploreLearning is an online educational publisher developing award-winning tools and content for web-based learning. ExploreLearning has been recognized with Macromedia’s eLearning Innovation Award, two Webby Award nominations, and a Curriculum Administrator’s Diamond Award, as well as many other awards and accolades. The Company partners with leading publishers and e-learning companies to develop and deliver interactive online learning experiences for middle school, high school, and introductory college-level courses. ExploreLearning’s e-textbooks and e-supplements are richly embedded with unique multimedia simulations, fondly referred to as GIZMOs(TM). In addition to GIZMOs(TM), the e-textbooks feature fully integrated online assessment and progress-tracking functionality, and are customizable by the user.
FINANCIALS AOL Time
Warner Announces
Preliminary Results
NEW YORK/1/7/02—AOL Time Warner announced preliminary results for the full year 2001 and fourth quarter.
The company also provided financial guidance for 2002 based on expectations for its operating businesses and the consolidation of AOL Europe and the effects of its 2002 adoption of the new accounting standard FAS 142.
For the full year 2001, AOL Time Warner said it expects to post EBITDA growth of approximately 18 percent to just under $10 billion. Revenues for the full year are expected to grow approximately 5 percent to just over $38 billion. Free cash flow for 2001 will increase by more than 200 percent to approximately $3 billion. The company said that fourth quarter EBITDA is expected to grow approximately 14 percent to over $2.7 billion and that revenues will grow approximately 3 percent to $10.5 billion.
The 2001 results exclude certain one-time nonrecurring charges that are expected in the fourth quarter, including approximately $50 million of merger-related costs and approximately $1.5 to $1.8 billion of non-cash charges primarily related to the revaluation of certain equity investees and market declines in the company’s investment portfolio.
Chief Executive Officer Jerry Levin said: “In 2001, AOL Time Warner achieved important goals in all of its divisions despite a difficult economic environment that included the weakest advertising market in memory. The balance and strength of our diverse businesses helped us ride out the tough economy, led by robust subscriber growth across America Online, Time Inc., HBO and Time Warner Cable. Total AOL Time Warner subscribers now exceed 147 million worldwide. We also reduced costs substantially and financial discipline and productivity gains will continue to be major priorities in the years ahead.”
Levin continued: “The creative side of AOL Time Warner also flourished, adding great value to the company with an industry-leading portfolio of content, including `Harry Potter’ and `Lord Of the Rings,’ which represent powerful franchises that will pay dividends well into the future. And, America Online proved to be a unique and highly efficient vehicle to help launch and promote our movies, music, magazines, books and television programming throughout the company.”
Among the other 2001 accomplishments the company cited were:
AOL Membership, including impressive AOL member growth in the fourth quarter, when 1.9 million new members joined the service, for a total of 33.2 million at Dec. 31, 2001. On Dec. 26, the company posted its second-best day for subscriber growth ever, adding 63,700 new members. Broadband, including the essential completion of the company’s cable broadband and digital pipeline build-out and the introduction of multiple ISPs, including AOL, in its 20 largest cable markets, passing 15 million digital households. Starting this year, the system will carry an increasing variety of high-value services to consumers such as Video on Demand and Subscription Video on Demand.
During the year, the company added more than 1.5 million digital subscribers, for a year-end total of approximately 3.3 million. At the same time, the number of high-speed data subscribers more than doubled to approximately 1.9 million.
Box Office Results, which totaled $1.8 billion in domestic ticket sales for company releases in 2001, gaining the number-one position in the industry. Warner Bros. and New Line created hits and franchise movies such as “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring,” and “Rush Hour 2,” as well as “Ocean’s 11” and “Cats and Dogs.” Cross-Company Advertising, based on the success of the Global Marketing Solutions group, which signed more than $1 billion in cross-divisional advertising and marketing agreements. Key cross-company advertising agreements included Toyota, Burger King, Kraft, Kellogg’s, H&R Block, Motorola and Chrysler. E-Commerce Performance, with online purchases from AOL customers jumping more than 67 percent in 2001 to approximately $33 billion, led by a 72 percent increase in online shopping in the fourth quarter and approximately $7.2 billion in online shopping during the holiday season. Nearly 80 percent of members shopped online during the past six months, with over 90 percent planning additional purchases in the next six months.
AOL Europe
AOL Time Warner said it is acquiring Bertelsmann AG’s 49 percent interest in AOL Europe. Bertelsmann, which has funded AOL Europe since its creation, will transfer 80 percent of its current stake to AOL Time Warner on Jan. 31, in return for $5.3 billion in cash. AOL Time Warner will acquire the remaining 20 percent for $1.45 billion in cash in July.AOL Time Warner will begin consolidating AOL Europe financial results effective at the beginning of this year.
Since the company established the terms of its agreement with Bertelsmann in March 2000, AOL Europe has experienced significant growth, with membership in its AOL services climbing by 40 percent to 5.5 million in the past year alone. It is the only online service operating in the three largest European countries – Germany, France and the UK – with a single brand, business model and platform. AOL Europe’s services are number-one or -two in each of those countries, based on the number of subscribers and their usage is significantly higher per member than any other European online service. AOL Europe has substantial growth potential in those countries alone, where current household penetration ranges from under 30 percent to less than 40 percent.
AOL Germany has more than 2.5 million members, while AOL France has more than a million members and, in the UK, AOL is the leading ISP with more than 1.5 million members. Usage of AOL UK accounts for 16 percent of all consumer time spent online in that country, compared to just 1 percent for the next largest ISP, while usage of AOL France represents 20 percent of all time spent online versus 5 percent for the country’s largest ISP. Usage of AOL Germany averages five times greater than its chief competitor.
Levin added: “Looking ahead, we see our expansion in international markets as one of the major contributors to sustained strong performance. This is particularly true in Europe, with AOL Europe and IPC Media, the UK’s leading magazine publisher. By leveraging AOL Europe’s infrastructure, cross-company promotional abilities and other assets, AOL Europe can become the driver for company-wide growth in international consumer markets that AOL has become in the U.S.”
Expectations for 2002
For 2002, AOL Time Warner said its business plan assumes no recovery in the economy. In addition, the company will make substantial investments in its businesses to increase the market shares of its operations and ensure they are positioned to take full advantage of an upturn in the economy. Further, the company’s growth expectations for 2002 reflect the pro forma effects on fiscal 2001 of the AOL Europe and IPC acquisitions.
In light of these factors, AOL Time Warner expects revenue growth to be in the 5 percent to 8 percent range and EBITDA to increase in the 8 percent to 12 percent range. For the first quarter of 2002, the company said EBITDA and revenues will be essentially flat.
Levin concluded: “Looking at 2002, we have made conservative assumptions about the economic environment and the state of advertising. We’re giving high priority to investing in the development of new products and services, accelerating our international expansion, reinvesting in our core businesses and acquiring new businesses. We are determined to put this company in the strongest possible competitive position to take full advantage of the eventual renewed growth in the economy and the advertising market.”
Longer-Term Outlook
The company said that an economic upturn in 2002 could lead to EBITDA growth in the low-to-high teens in 2003 and beyond. The company said that, whatever the state of the economy, it will continue to outperform its competitors, due to its subscription relationships, the strength of its content and the disciplined management of its cost base.
The company will report its full financial results for 2001 on Jan. 30.
FAS 142
Effective Jan. 1, all calendar year companies will be required to adopt the new accounting standard “Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets” (“FAS 142”). FAS 142 eliminates amortization of goodwill and other intangible assets with indefinite lives, which is expected to reduce AOL Time Warner’s annual amortization by over $7 billion.
FAS 142 provides new measurement techniques for goodwill and other intangible assets resulting from business combinations. While its revaluation has not been completed, the company said it expects to record a one-time, non-cash charge in its income statement for the first quarter of 2002 in the $40-$60 billion range to reflect overall market declines since the AOL Time Warner merger was announced in January of 2000. This charge will reflect the cumulative effect of adopting the accounting change and does not affect the company’s operations.
AOL Time Warner (NYSE: AOL) is the world’s first Internet-powered media and communications company, whose industry-leading businesses include interactive services, cable systems, publishing, music, networks and filmed entertainment.
Penton Media
Reaffirms
Financial Estimates
CLEVELAND/1/7/02—Penton Media Inc. (NYSE:PME), a leading, global business-to-business media company with publishing, trade show and online media products serving 12 industry sectors, reaffirmed fourth-quarter and full-year 2001 guidance and provided 2002 financial performance estimates.
Penton said that it expects fourth-quarter 2001 revenues to be between $90 million and $95 million, with adjusted EBITDA between $10 million and $14 million. It expects 2001 revenues to be in the range of $370 million to $375 million and adjusted EBITDA to be between $38 million and $42 million.
In addition, the company anticipates that full-year 2002 revenues will be in the range of $320 million to $350 million and adjusted EBITDA will be between $50 million and $60 million.
“We are preparing for a continuation of difficult business conditions through much of 2002, with a modest recovery in the second half of the year,” said Thomas L. Kemp, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “While we are planning for a revenue decline compared against 2001, the cost reductions and portfolio restructuring we have implemented over the past several months should drive a very healthy profit recovery in 2002.
“We have moved aggressively to properly size the Company to the recessionary market conditions we’ve faced since mid-2001. We have great confidence that when the general economy and our customer markets recover, Penton should be poised for accelerated growth and a return to stronger profit and margin performance.”
Kemp added, “While we are focused on profit and margin improvement in 2002, we also will pursue a number of promising organic growth initiatives, including about 20 trade show launches and four magazines launches in growth segments such as wireless services and infrastructure; networking technologies and Web services; electronic design automation; home networking; and natural products. We expect these low-risk launches to generate approximately $15 million to $18 million in revenue and add about $3 million to $4 million in EBITDA for the year.”
Penton Media is a leading, global business-to-business media company that produces market-focused magazines, trade shows and conferences and online media. Penton’s integrated media portfolio serves the following industries: Internet/broadband; information technology; electronics; natural products; food/retail; manufacturing; design/engineering; supply chain; aviation; government/compliance; mechanical systems/construction; and leisure/hospitality.
BOOK/MOVIE DEALS
FBI Agent Who
Warned of Attacks
Subject of Book
NEW YORK/12/18/01—For many people, Sept. 11 was the day “the unimaginable” happened. But one FBI agent, John O’Neill, had repeatedly warned the United States government that such an attack was possible.
Ironically, O’Neill lost his own life on Sept. 11, just days after beginning a new job as Chief of Security for the World Trade Center. Veteran reporter Murray Weiss will reveal O’Neill’s tragic and dramatic story in a new nonfiction book scheduled for publication by ReganBooks in spring 2003.
As one of the FBI’s foremost counter-terrorism experts, John O’Neill played a leading role in almost every major investigation of terrorism against Americans in the past decade, from the Oklahoma City bombing to the attack on the USS Cole.
O’Neill was a dashing, larger-than-life character who irritated many members of U.S. and foreign governments with his aggressive, hands-on tactics and his insistent, repeated warnings about the possibility of an attack on U.S. soil.
“Again and again, O’Neill’s warnings were ignored, and on Sept. 11, he became a victim of the very thing he feared most. Readers will relate to John O’Neill because of his bravery in the face of evil and his conviction in the face of others’ doubt,” stated Judith Regan, President and Publisher of ReganBooks. “I am thrilled that this compelling story will be told by Murray Weiss, a ground-breaking journalist who knew John O’Neill well.”
Murray Weiss is an award-winning investigative and criminal justice reporter with the New York Post. He has been named Man of the Year by a variety of uniformed service organizations, including the Uniformed Firefighter’s Association and the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association. Weiss has broken numerous landmark stories in celebrated cases. Authorlink News, Success Stories,
And Recognition Authorlink Sales at a Glance
A Comprehensive Listing of Sold Titles
Major Publishers
Browse Authorlink
for Manuscripts
Statistical Update
DALLAS, TX/ 01/15/02—Literary agents and editors regularly surf Authorlink in search of good writers. Among major houses making requests and/or visiting the site, are: Random House, Knopf, St. Martin’s Press, Simon & Schuster, Penguin/Putham and many other smaller publishers. More than 700 writers are currently listed with us. Since tracking began, 1605 requests have been processed for requested manuscripts. Of the 342 editor or agent offers we’ve been able to track, 73 have lead to publication as a direct or indirect result of exposure on Authorlink. Additional sales and agent contracts are pending.
On average, about 55-65% of the listed writers have received requests by editors and agents, some receiving multiple requests. Of those who have received interest, about 20-30% are signed with agents and 15-20% have directly sold their works to publishers during this time, not including pending sales.
The site, which matches literary agents and editors with writers, has received praise from editors at Penguin UK, Avon, Berkley, Random House, Time-Warner, Bantam Doubleday Dell and other major publishers.
See “What People Are Saying About Authorlink”
Freni Sells Work
to California Press
73rd Authorlink Writer to Land Publisher
MARLBORO, MD/1/1/02—Authorlink writer Pamela S. Freni has become the 73rd author to sell her manuscript as a direct result of the popular online marketing service. Her book, SPACE FOR WOMEN will be released in mid-2002 by Seven Locks Press, Santa Ana, CA (www.sevenlockspress.com) and will be available at major bookstores and online booksellers.
Ms. Freni who lives in Upper Marlboro, MD (twenty miles east of Washington, DC), was listed with Authorlink for about two years and had several queries for the manuscript before Seven Locks offered her a contract. She is represented by the Stefanidis Agency which is active on Authorlink. Seven Locks made the direct request for Freni’s manuscript through the Authorlink service.
In announcing the sale, Freni called Authorlink “a fine and useful service.”
The 25-year-old Seven Locks Press publishes quality books covering a wide variety of contemporary topics that provoke thought, enlighten, and entertain. Its authors include political figures, icons of journalism, and recognized experts including Bill Moyers, Hedrick Smith, Congressman Cecil Heftel, Sir Eldon Griffiths, Jane Glenn Haas, and Alan Bock.
Ms. Freni’s book is about the heated space race between the US and Russia. After Russia sent the first man into space, the US was backed into a public relations corner that could only be answered by sending the first woman into space.
Thirteen enormously talented women tested and trained and were on the verge of being astronauts in 1960 when political pressure forced them off the stage. Even forty-one years later,they are talented and ambitious and some of them are still looking for a ride into space.
Pam began writing the book as a direct result of hearing of the thirteen women discussed in her book. “I was so incensed at how they’d been treated by NASA and others, I decided that the story should be told, so I naively began to write a book,” Pam said. “It’s amazing how much ignorance played a part in the process. I thought if you wrote a book, someone just published it.”
Freni’s favorite authors are Michener and Dava Sobel. They can tell a story that quickly fades from words to mind pictures. You don’t even realize you’re reading, just pictures passing over your mind’s eye.
Does she have any advice for newcomers trying to break into publishing?
“As a newcomer, I have read a thousand documents all reminding writers not to take any rejections personally and to persevere. It’s true. Also, never take ‘No’ for an answer if you believe in your writing.”
Asked why she thinks so many writers get rejected, and so few become published, and what elements of good writing would she guess are missing from an aspiring writer’s work, Pam had this to say:
“It doesn’t seem to be a single element so much as it is the ‘heart’ many of us miss adding into our books. We make word choices that either describe something or that grab the imagination and wrestle it to the ground. We can either say, ‘The fireman raised the flag,’ or we can say, ‘The fireman cradled the scarlet and white banner as he struggled to the top of a small smouldering mountain of debris where he defiantly raised it to the top of the mast of the remains of the World Trade Center.’ I think we have to be honest with our emotions and let them enter into our stories. That gives them heart and catches the eyes of the editors.”
Pam says she has learned her craft from, “Reading, reading, reading. Dissecting word usage from authors I enjoy. Reading every web page targeted at authors such as Authorlink.com. Listening to a really good editor who has worked on two manuscripts for me.
And what’s the funniest thing that ever happened to her on the way to getting published?
“After twenty-three rejections on Space for Women, I mentioned it to a friend from the office. She looked startled and asked if I would like an agent. She then handed me the phone number of an author friend of hers who recommended his agents to me. Thinking that it couldn’t be this easy, I contacted them and they became my agents. See it’s easy! I was so lucky and have felt from that day, that this book was destined to be published.”
Seven Locks Press has won a Benjamin Franklin Award and the Category Bestseller Award from Amazon.com. In the last few years Seven Locks Press selection of books has expanded to include a collection of coffee table books, gift books, celebrity bios, and new age titles. The company has introduced a line of juvenile titles and launching a line of fiction titles. Seven Locks Press is the publishing arm of Chapman University Press and a distributor for other small presses that rely on the marketing and publicity capabilities of Seven Locks Press. This year, Seven Locks Press will be publishing twenty-one new titles and will distribute nine titles for other publishers. In 2001, the publishing program will nearly double to forty new titles. James C. Riordan is publisher.
Joyce Lackey
Sells Book
to Gardenia Press
72nd Authorlink Writer to Land Publisher
A publisher contact made several years ago has finally paid of for Authorlink writer Joyce Lackey. The author who received a request for her novel as a result of her Authorlink listing for, The Ghosts of Buffalo Creek, has at last sold the work to Gardenia Press, a small publisher who plans to release the work in July 2002.
News Archives
71st Authorlink Writer
to Sell Manuscript
June1, 2001—Michael E. Bemis of Kennebunk, Maine, became the 71st author to sell his work as a direct result of listing his work on Authorlink.com.
His book, Safe & Sound, a nonfiction work about how to buy a safe, private, and quiet home, will be published by Hanrow Press of Rancho Santa Fe, California. The small press, founded in 1982, has specialized in law and safety engineering books until now. The publication date for Safe & Sound has not yet been determined. Michael’s work had been listed with Authorlink for about a year when Hanrow requested a look at the full manuscript. Authorlink interviewed the author about his success:
AUTHORLINK: When did you begin your writing career, and what prompted you to do so? Is there a special story behind your decision to become an author?
BEMIS: I started writing in earnest while serving as Sheriff of York County, Maine. When I left law enforcement full-time I was able to devote more time to my writing.
AUTHORLINK: Who was the greatest influence on your decision to write, and in what ways did they encourage you?
BEMIS: My mother who is a published author.
AUTHORLINK: How important has your agent been in guiding your career?
BEMIS: I briefly had an agent but due to personal hardship they were forced to close. I presently do not have an agent.
AUTHORLINK: How did Authorlink help?
BEMIS: Authorlink’s excellent service and support has consistently exceeded my expectations. Without Authorlink, Safe & Sound would not be poised for publication.
AUTHORLINK: Do you have any advice or insights for newcomers trying to break into publishing?
BEMIS: It sounds monotonous, but they should just keep trying.
AUTHORLINK: Do you perceive New York publishing to be a closed society or an open one?
BEMIS: I think it’s open to good writing and content that’s timely and unique.
AUTHORLINK: What are publishers looking for today?
BEMIS: What will sell and authors with a passion to sell it.
AUTHORLINK: How did you learn your craft? Through reading? Conferences? A university? Mentoring? A combination of these, or other means?
BEMIS: Nothing formal, just a lot of research, reading and writing.
70 th Authorlink Writer
to Land Publisher
April 15, 2001—Jan Letoha this month became the 70 th Authorlink writer to sign a publishing contract as a result of her listing on Authorlink.com. Her first book, Bury The Past , will be published by Port Town Publishing in August, 2002.
Port Town Publishing (PTP) is a small publishing house located in Superior, Wisconsin. The company was founded in 1999 by Jean Hackensmith, a struggling romance author who got tired of getting rejection letters from the New York publishers. PTP publishes about 4-5 novels per year, including original romance, science fiction, fantasy, mystery, and horror.
Bury The Past was listed on Authorlink for 22 months. During that time, Jan also signed with an agent through Authorlink, but the agent closed her agency due to illness.
Jan has also listed her second book, Fire On The Moon, with Authorlink. It’s another spooky, romantic suspense story.
How did Jan feel when she heard that her book would be published?
“Like a genie popped out of a bottle and granted me three wishes! It’s the best feeling in the world!”
Jan began writing about ten years ago. “I read a time travel/historical romance and thought, ‘If this author can get away with such a fantastic story, maybe my ideas aren’t so crazy after all.’ So I started writing Bury The Past. Writing fiction was a lot harder than I thought it’d be, though. Getting the hang of writing dialogue was really tough.
Before listing her work with Authorlink, Jan had tried the traditional methods of marketing — sending out query letters and sample chapters. “I had another agent a few years back,” Jan said. “A word of advice — if an agent asks for money up front, look out! Maybe I’m just jinxed when it comes to agents. Anyway, I’m convinced that Bury The Past would be sitting in a shoe box on my closet shelf if I hadn’t discovered Authorlink.”
When Jan is working on a book, she’s a person obsessed — or possessed. She’ll write 10 – 12 hours a day, especially during the summer.
In the real world, Jan teaches Psychology and U.S. History at a South Georgia high school.
What advice would she give to writers who want to be published?
“Research the requirements for different types of novels. It seems that publishers want to see key elements in a book that will appeal to their specific type of market. Read a book on editing manuscripts so you can delete what publishers don’t want to see. List your book on Authorlink — it’s the only thing that worked for me! Then develop a huge store of patience and persistence and don’t think you’re home free once you sign a contract. That’s when the real work starts!”
Joy Jasper Sells Work
to St. Martin’s Press
67th Authorlink Sale
2/26/01—Joy Waldron Jasper this month became the 67th Authorlink writer to sell a manuscript as a direct result of contacts made through Authorlink. Jasper found her New York agent— Sam Fleishman of Literary Artists Representatives — via Authorlink, and he subsequently sold one of her works to St. Martin’s Press.
The new book, “The USS Arizona: The Ship, the Men, the Attack!,” will be in bookstores November 1, 2001, in time for Veteran’s Day (November 11) and the 60th anniversary of Pearl Harbor Day (December 7, 2001)
“After meeting my agent through Authorlink, we signed a contract in December 2000 to represent my novel. Then we signed a second contract in January to represent my nonfiction book,” Jasper explained. “As is often the case, the nonfiction sold first. St. Martin’s Press bought it in February 2001, and has moved at an impressive speed to release it in less than a year, so as to offer it to readers at the 60th anniversary of Pearl Harbor Day — a mere nine months later, which is stunning in the world of publishing! Kudos to my wonderful editor, Mac Talley at St. Martin’s Press, and to my amazing agent, Sam Fleishman.”
Joy became an Authorlink writer in October, 2000. The fictional work that originally attracted her agent is titled “Betrayal at Pearl Harbor.” While that novel hasn’t yet sold (as of press time), the nonfiction book on Pearl Harbor was rapidly sold through the agent who connected with Jasper through Authorlink.
The USS Arizona book is the story of life aboard the USS Arizona in peacetime, and the survival stories of 10 men who lived through the attack. As a journalist and a diver, Joy first visited the USS Arizona underwater in 1983, covering the story of the photo documentation and scientific illustration of the gallant battleship, the greatest casualty of the Pearl Harbor attack. She was so enthralled with the story, she searched out survivors and began interviewing them, crisscrossing the country for several years to hear their stories. Hearing their emotional tales, she was fascinated by the tremendous bond and affection they felt for their ship, and she felt it was a story that needed to be told.
“I’m a writer who prefers to write every day, in the morning when I’m fresh, and for a period of three to four hours,” Jasper said of her working habits. ” If I’m on a splendid roll, I might write for longer, but I like to achieve 10 pages a day that I’ll keep. It never hurts to stop in the middle — of an idea, a sentence, a chapter. I like returning the next day to something unfinished so that I’m inspired to jump in again. I don’t think there’s any one way to write, but I think it’s important to find your own best period of the day and the length of time that makes sense for you. Writing books is my top priority, and I write full time.”
For the record, Joy’s children are grown, and she lives in New England with her husband and a garden full of perennials
“I’ve completed my second novel in a series of underwater thrillers (the first — working title, Betrayal at Pearl Harbor, which is listed on Authorlink — is under review at several major houses at this time),” Joy said.
I’m currently working on another nonfiction book on the Lewis and Clark expedition, and another historical biography is in the outline stage.
“I want to thank Authorlink for providing me a forum for my work, she added. “I was encouraged by having been selected for the Authorlink web site, and once I had a page there (http://www.authorlink.com/001051th.html), I had confidence to approach agents. I sent a number of Authorlink-listed agents an email, condensing my query to three paragraphs and asking them to look for more information on my page. I got positive responses from eight out of ten queries I sent. Of those eight, I was extremely fortunate to find a superb agent to represent me, and who got a sale within a month at a major press.
“Thanks to all at Authorlink. And I want to say to my fellow writers: ‘”Keep writing, and don’t lose heart! If it happened to me, it can happen to you.'”
Authorlink Writer
Chopra Finds
Publisher for Work
68th Authorlink Sale
4/1/01—Dr. Prem Chopra, author of the new age nonfiction book, “If I Had Known,” has sold his work to Hanrow Press in Rancho Santa Fe, California. The small press, founded in 1982, has specialized in law and safety engineering books until now. Chopra’s book is their first venture into trade books.
Dr. Chopra has been listed with Authorlink since October 2000. He signed a contract with Hanrow Press early this year. He became the 68th author to sell his work through Authorlink in the last 36 months.
Jan Wallace Becomes
69thAuthorlink Writer
to Sign With Publisher
69th Authorlink Sale
4/1/01—Jan Wallace became the 69th writer to sign a publishing contract through Authorlink in the past 36 months in late March. Ms. Wallace, a first-time author, signed a deal with PortTown Publishing for her book, Where Roses Grow Wild. The publisher is a small Wisconsin house that releases about four books per year.
Ms. Wallace had two manuscripts listed on Authorlink between 1999 and 2000. In January 2000, Authorlink received a request from WMG Promotions, a literary agency, requesting the manuscript. She signed a contract with WMG the very next month, and shortly thereafter WMG sold the work to PortTown.
Port Town senior editor Jean Hackensmith wrote to Agents Cary and Sherry Wolf that she found the manuscript to be “funny, romantic and tragic.” She said she had tears streaming down her face in the end.
Jan Wallace credits the editor with giving each writer a lot of attention to make sure the manuscript is everything it should be for the reader.
“It’s an unbelievable feeling knowing someone reads your manuscript and it really has an effect on them positive effect at that, that you make them feel for the characters themselves, because that’s what it’s all about-believing in the story.”
“Authorlink has made it possible for writers to link up with the correct agents and publishers, and gives agents a chance to review works by various writers,” Jan explained.
I started along time ago writing, as child I would write stories and put on plays in the basement of my parents’ home. I’ve always told stories, then one day said, lets see if anyone would like to publish any of the stories. Friends have read them and said they were good, but, hey, these are friends after all.
Jan once worked for The University of Georgia Extension Service in the Fort Valley, Georgia office. Today she is a fulltime writer.
“I start a manuscript and work each day 6 to 8 hours,” she said. “It usually takes 3 months to finish a draft, then another three months to get the bugs out. I edit, fix mistakes and read it over and over, proofing each page until it is correct.
“I can see why books cost what they do and why some people just give up, it is not an easy job to do it over and over, no ones manuscript is correct the first go around, you realize when you re-read it the feeling might not be there so you have to correct it put heart where there was none.”
Jan is married to her childhood sweetheart, and they have four children. Twenty-six years ago they bought an old historic house with 17 rooms in Marshallville, Georgia, restored it and live there today with their family and many dogs, cats, doves, ducks, chickens and rabbits.
“My advise to other writers is: don’t quit dreaming about what you believe in, you have to believe in yourself, before anyone else will, and then you go from there, keep writing don’t give up. “Write from your heart, and let it be about something you know. If you venture into another area you don’t know the reader will know it too, and you’ve lost. So stay with what you feel and understand most about life. “It’ll work for you.
“I am especially thankful for my agents,” Jan said. “They have worked late into the mornings trying to find a suitable publisher. They work with writers because they love the written word.”
Wins Series Contract
With Berkley Publishing
Kat Goldring, among new writers listed on Authorlink, has signed a three-book contract with Berkley Publishing Group for her cozy mystery series, Crow’s Feet and Lemon Drops, to be released in September 2001. Kim Waltemyer is the Berkley editor who made the acquisition, and Carol McCleary of Wilshire Literary Agency, made the sale for four figures.
McCleary had represented the series 5 1/2 years before the first book sold.
“I already had an agent when Authorlink was kind enough to list me in some of their first presentations,” said Kat. “Ours was a mutual endeavor as Authorlink was just starting up and I had just finished a revision with the first novel under the wings of the DFW Writers’ Workshop. Just as an aside, that DFW Writers’ Workshop stands for that and never has meant “Dallas Ft. Worth” as some like to say. In fact one of the founding members with whom I was lucky enough to work with and helped name the group told me it really meant, Damn Fine Writers.
“I believe the fact that AUTHORLINK listed me was one of the reasons my agent did not give up on presenting my work to top notch publishers. I have a few magazine articles and short stories published but my best and most extensive showcase was writing and illustrating with my original drawings a newspaper column for a year titled ‘THE MEDICINE PATH.’
“AUTHORLINK has been wonderful. My agent and I have always been grateful for the professional format available on the site for presenting my work. We came very close to making a sale through the site with China, and may yet sell the foreign rights with help through AUTHORLINK.
Kat Goldring works full time as a high school foreign language department head and Spanish teacher. She spends an hour to hour and a half per day in editing and rewriting the novels and outlines for the first three in the WILLI GALLAGHER MYSTERY SERIES. During holidays and summer time (8 weeks) that time increases to 3-4 hours a day. This doesn’t include the hours for research, marketing, the time to work with other writers on shared projects, and commitments to two writing groups.
“Not only do I work the 40-hour drill and the writing tight-wire,” Kat explains, “but I also sing and play the guitar in two groups: SISTERS OF THE WIND includes a fellow writer, Shirley McKee. We two do mostly classic/golden country western and cowboy/girl programs for local clubs, groups, schools, city gatherings and such. The HIGH MILEAGE country western band, some seven members strong, includes three law officers, performs for trail drives and city functions.
How does it feel to have a published contract?
“I go back and forth between elation of having a fantastic adventure and panic attacks,” says Kat. “I am so thankful for all the wonderful folks, including AUTHORLINK, who have crossed my path at the right time, and have helped me make a lifelong dream come true. WAKAN TANKA (Great Spirit), of course, I thank for all lessons learned and all paths. This is one of those paths strewn with bluebonnets, soft moss and warm cuddly critters. The panic part has to do with getting to those book signings. I’m directional dyslexic and panic when traveling to new places. So . . . maybe that’s the next adventure and lesson!”
Kat Goldring currently is working on the next two novels in the WILLI GALLAGHER SERIES: SNOW SNAKE and SWEET CHARIOT. She also have a second series, the DELTA PAIGE SERIES, and has finished the first book in that series, COOPER STREET GIRLS.
Authorlink asked the author: How helpful was DFW Writers’ Workshop?
“I would not have cleared out the flaws in my manuscript. The members helped me to develop a selling novel. I would not have met my agent, Carol McCleary, if DFW Writers’ Workshop had not had her as a guest. I would not have had the opportunity to meet my editor, KIM WALTEMYER with BERKLEY PUBLISHING. I interviewed with her during her visit with DFWWW. Although I’ve served as an officer and hosted many dinners as well as parties at my own country home for the members, editors and agents, I still owe DFWWW a great deal.”
Writers Earn
Top Recognition
Dallas and Atlanta/2/15/01— Jerry Lee Davis, author of Twin City (AUTHORLINK PRESS), and Ginnie Bivona, author of Ida Mae Tutweiler and the Traveling Tea Party (AUTHORLINK PRESS), have recently earned top recognition in two different markets.
Jerry Lee Davis of Atlanta has been nominated for the First Novel Award in the 37th annual Georgia Author of the Year Awards, sponsored by the Georgia Writers’ Association. Ginnie Bivona’s Ida Mae Tutweiler recently climbed to number one on the Dallas Morning News Bestseller List for paperback fiction. Ginnie lives in Dallas.
The Georgia Awards ceremony, hosted by Mercer University Press, will be held at a dinner March 17 at Mercer University in Macon,Georgia.
Among a number of recent review of Ginnie Bivona’s book was an article by Don Johnson on Read-a-Bargain.com.Johnson called Bivona’s Ida Mae “A wonderful,character-driven story that produces open memories we thought we’d forgotten. . . . I expected a typical ‘woman’s’ book but found a story of human beings for human beings. Man or woman your time won’t be wasted on this one.”
Writer Signs
Publishing Contract
Charlene Tess has become the 66th author to find a publisher as a direct result of Authorlink. Port Town Publishing, a small Wisconsin publisher, will release Ms. Tess’s THE VAN WINKLE BRIDE as a trade paperback romance in June 2001. The book, originally listed on Authorlink as THE VAN WINKLE CONNECTION, is Ms. Tess’s first published work.
“The senior romance editor of Port Town Publishing saw my posting on the Authorlink website and thought my novel sounded intriguing and suitable for her list for 2001,” Charlene explained. “She contacted Authorlink Editor Doris Booth, who contacted me. Doris Booth forwarded an e- mail to me from Port Town Publishing. I sent the publisher a copy of my manuscript by snail mail. The editor read it and said she could not put it down. She offered me a contract by e-mail and then sent me a written contract by snail mail.”
Charlene listed her novel on Authorlink on April 10, 2000, and sold it on November 25.
“My husband and I met Doris Booth at a SouthWest Writers Conference and decided to advertise our editing business on Authorlink. Two of my novels had won first place at Southwest Writers Conference Contests, and I had been trying to get them published by the old-fashioned way: query, partial, full manuscript, SASE, wait, wait, wait method. Authorlink sounded like an attractive, modern way to market my novels. And it worked! I am delighted with the results,” Charlene said.
“I have been writing as long as I can remember and have published essays, feature articles, short stories, and a nonfiction book, but this will be my first published novel.
“Presently, I am working on a rewrite of a romance novel that my sister and I co-wrote, and I am about one-third of the way through a mainstream novel entitled The Greatest Gift. It is the story of the unshakable bond between a mother and daughter in spite of tragic circumstances that shatter their lives.”
Charlene says her best advice when it comes to becoming published is “to be like the old Timex watch slogan: ‘Take a licking, but keep on ticking.’ In other words, keep trying. And don’t forget to try new ideas if the old ones aren’t working for you.”
Wins Series Contract
With Berkley Publishing
Kat Goldring, among new writers listed on Authorlink, has signed a three-book contract with Berkley Publishing Group for her cozy mystery series, Crow’s Feet and Lemon Drops, to be released in September 2001. Kim Waltemyer is the Berkley editor who made the acquisition, and Carol McCleary of Wilshire Literary Agency, made the sale for four figures.
McCleary had represented the series 5 1/2 years before the first book sold.
“I already had an agent when Authorlink was kind enough to list me in some of their first presentations,” said Kat. “Ours was a mutual endeavor as Authorlink was just starting up and I had just finished a revision with the first novel under the wings of the DFW Writers’ Workshop. Just as an aside, that DFW Writers’ Workshop stands for that and never has meant “Dallas Ft. Worth” as some like to say. In fact one of the founding members with whom I was lucky enough to work with and helped name the group told me it really meant, Damn Fine Writers.
“I believe the fact that AUTHORLINK listed me was one of the reasons my agent did not give up on presenting my work to top notch publishers. I have a few magazine articles and short stories published but my best and most extensive showcase was writing and illustrating with my original drawings a newspaper column for a year titled ‘THE MEDICINE PATH.’
“AUTHORLINK has been wonderful. My agent and I have always been grateful for the professional format available on the site for presenting my work. We came very close to making a sale through the site with China, and may yet sell the foreign rights with help through AUTHORLINK.
Kat Goldring works full time as a high school foreign language department head and Spanish teacher. She spends an hour to hour and a half per day in editing and rewriting the novels and outlines for the first three in the WILLI GALLAGHER MYSTERY SERIES. During holidays and summer time (8 weeks) that time increases to 3-4 hours a day. This doesn’t include the hours for research, marketing, the time to work with other writers on shared projects, and commitments to two writing groups.
“Not only do I work the 40-hour drill and the writing tight-wire,” Kat explains, “but I also sing and play the guitar in two groups: SISTERS OF THE WIND includes a fellow writer, Shirley McKee. We two do mostly classic/golden country western and cowboy/girl programs for local clubs, groups, schools, city gatherings and such. The HIGH MILEAGE country western band, some seven members strong, includes three law officers, performs for trail drives and city functions.
How does it feel to have a published contract?
“I go back and forth between elation of having a fantastic adventure and panic attacks,” says Kat. “I am so thankful for all the wonderful folks, including AUTHORLINK, who have crossed my path at the right time, and have helped me make a lifelong dream come true. WAKAN TANKA (Great Spirit), of course, I thank for all lessons learned and all paths. This is one of those paths strewn with bluebonnets, soft moss and warm cuddly critters. The panic part has to do with getting to those book signings. I’m directional dyslexic and panic when traveling to new places. So . . . maybe that’s the next adventure and lesson!”
Kat Goldring currently is working on the next two novels in the WILLI GALLAGHER SERIES: SNOW SNAKE and SWEET CHARIOT. She also have a second series, the DELTA PAIGE SERIES, and has finished the first book in that series, COOPER STREET GIRLS.
Authorlink asked the author: How helpful was DFW Writers’ Workshop?
“I would not have cleared out the flaws in my manuscript. The members helped me to develop a selling novel. I would not have met my agent, Carol McCleary, if DFW Writers’ Workshop had not had her as a guest. I would not have had the opportunity to meet my editor, KIM WALTEMYER with BERKLEY PUBLISHING. I interviewed with her during her visit with DFWWW. Although I’ve served as an officer and hosted many dinners as well as parties at my own country home for the members, editors and agents, I still owe DFWWW a great deal.”
to Contribute Kids’ Book
Column to Authorlink
Laguna Beach, CA/12/15/00—Barbara J. Odanaka, former LA Times sports reporter and columnist, will join Authorlink on January 1 2001 as a regular columnist. Her articles will provide writers with in-depth insights on writing and publishing children’s books, and will include interviews with children’s editors at major publishing houses.
Among upcoming topics for her column will be:
January 1: Rejection 101 February 1: A Crime to Rhyme? March 1: Every Story Tells A Picture April 1: Successful School Visits May 1: Beautiful Noise—Why “Quiet” Picture Books No Longer Make the Grade June 1: Five to Watch: A look at Upcoming Children’s Authors
From time to time, she will provide special reports on major children’s book conferences.
Ms. Odanaka left her career at the Times to write books for children. She is an active member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators.
Barb earned a BA in English from the University of Southern California. She lives with her husband and son in a California beach town, and is a founding member of the Skateboarding Moms Society. She can be reached at bodanaka@aol.com
Lands First Book
Deal With Scribner
NEW YORK,NY/10/1/00—Jimmy Gleacher, who has been listed as an Authorlink writer since October, 1999, has sold his first novel to prestigious Scribner, an imprint of Rawson Associates and part of Simon & Schuster.
Meredith Phelan of Linda Chester and Associates in New York found Jimmy’s novel, “Roll Again,” on one of her frequent searches of Authorlink, signed him on, and subsequently sold the work for five figures. The mainstream fictional work, to be released in 2002, is the 64th title to be sold either as a direct or indirect result of Authorlink.
Agent Wray
Signs Fifteen
Authorlink Writers
9/00—Pamela Wray, owner of the new and growing Pamela Wray Literary Agency, has agreed to represent 15 writers found over the last several months as a direct result of Authorlink.
Among the works now represented by Wray are several thrillers and young adult works. Ms Wray, an aggressive agent, already has sent works by the newest Authorlink ensigns out to key publishers.
In another case, Ms. Wray signed a children’s author who, while not officially listed on Authorlink, connected with Wray through the service. The work is a moral folk tale, similar to Uncle Remus.
“I was so excited about this book that he expressed it to me over night, and I have already spoken with numerous publishers, special merchandising and TV producers, ” said Wray. “I am going to put this book up for auction because there is so much interest.”
“The Authorlink website is the ultimate place for any editor, literary agent or publisher, and I am so thankful the staff’s hard work and diligence,” Ms. Wray said in a note to Authorlink.
Ms. Wray is among a number of agents who regularly surf the Authorlink site in search of good manuscripts.
61st Authorlink Writer
to Sell To Manuscript
New York House Pays Handsome Advance
New York, NY/5/26/00 —Authorlink writer Gary Clemente became the 61 st author to sell his work to a key New York publisher.
Lebhar-Friedman, New York has slated a 2002 publication date for ” Confessions of a G-Man: Inside the FBI, originally listed on Authorlink as The Marking of a Hoover. Clemente will be paid a $5,000 advance plus royalties for the work, half up front and half on delivery of the finished manuscript. Sale of the book is the direct result of Clemente’s listing on Authorlink.
“Confessions” will be an inside look at the FBI through the eyes of Clemente’s father, who was a career agent for 26 years. The book will deal with anecdotal stories and inside information about the Bureau, the war on Communism in the Fifties, the mob, and J. Edgar Hoover among other things.
How did he find Authorlink? A writer friend told him about it and spoke highly of the service.
Authorlink seemed to be up front about everything and didn’t present itself as a scheme to make money off of writers,” Gary said. “Doris Booth answered all of my questions promptly and professionally while the book was made available for review. I was pleased with how some of the particulars of the book was presented and listed on-line.”
How long were you listed on Authorlink before the sale Gary’s book was listed on Authorlink for about five months before Lebhar-Friedman Editor Frank Scatoni (formerly with Simon & Schuster) spotted the title and requested a proposal. This was all done through e-mail.
Gary, 48, has been writing full time and semi-professionally since he got out of college. He’s written in a number of different mediums along the way. He has several other projects in the working stage, including a collection of short stories; a humor book based on the newspaper column he writes weekly; and a suspense book in the same vein as Michael Creiton.
How does it feel to be a published author?
“My first and only published book was a children’s piece that came out in 1995, called ‘Cosmo Gets An Ear,’ about a little boy who gets his first hearing aid. Being published in book form is a wonderful feeling. It’s an achievement I’m the most proud of in my writing career.
And does he have any advice for new writers?
“Take it from somebody who has written all of his adult life and even some before as a kid — it’s got to be in your blood, because getting published is not the easiest thing to do. You write because you have to — it’s who you are and nobody’s going to make you stop. One thing that can be valuable is to learn how to distill and recognize exactly what it is on a gut level that attracts people to certain stories and why. There are usually one or two elements working that can make a successful story or book. Examine a well-made movie or book and practice how to recognize the “concept” that made it work. Other than that, as Winston Churchill said, ‘Never, never, never give up.'”
Pamela Wray
Literary Agency Signs
Four Authorlink Writers
5/00—Pamela Wray Literary Agency based in Alabama, has signed four Authorlink writers for representation.
They are Steven Rudd, Midnight Run; Jan Letoha, Bury the Past; J.E. Deegan, In Dark Covenant; Norman Davis, Stonecypher’s Gold.
Authorlink Author
Carolee Joy Takes
Rising Star Award
6/15/00—Carolee Joy, author of Wild Angel (Authorlink Press) won second place in the prestigious short contemporary category of the Rising Star 2000 Awards, a division of the Romance Writers of America.
The winners, including the Grand Prize winner, were offered free registration at the RWA national conference or equivalent cash. Winners were presented at the Sooner Area Romance Authors in Tulsa, Oklahoma May 20.
Contest Winner Earns
Publishing Contract
Los Angeles, CA/ 5/15/00 —Ekaterine Nikas (Katy) Terlinden, the 1998 Best of Show and mystery winner of the Authorlink New Author Awards Competition, has landed a publishing contract with Avid Press
( www.avidpress.com Her winning novel, Divided Child, will be released by Avid in Winter 2000 under her pen name, Ekaterine Nikas. It is the fifth time in two years an Authorlink contest winner has won a substantial publishing contract.
“Authorlink.com offered a wonderful contest that gave me an important boost to my career, got me access to editors and agents, and provided a very impressive reference for query letters,” said Terlinden.
Katy had been writing for about ten years before she heard about Authorlink on one of her writer lists. She advises new writers to “be persistent, be part of a network, enter contests (they are a great way to get agents and editors to look at your work), and keep your mind open to the possibilities offered by small presses and e-book publishers, especially if your book does not fit easily into the New York mold.”
Katy also says, “utilize the Internet to the fullest. I probably would not have made my sale without it. I think Authorlink is a great resource for writers and an excellent example of how new writers can use the Internet to break through the barriers to publication.
New Book Released
by Marlowe, New York
NEW YORK, NY/5/1/00—Beyond Anger: A Guide for Men, by Thomas J. Harbin, Ph.D, has just been released by New York Publisher Marlowe & Company’s Avalon imprint. Author Tom Harbin directly attributes the sale of his book to his listing on Authorlink.
Forensic Psychologist Harbin sold his nonfiction manuscript, originally titled STANCE OF ANGER, to established publisher, John Muir Publications as the result of a direct inquiry by the publisher in May, 1998. Muir was bought by Marlowe Books, a division of Avalon last year.
In his new book, Dr. Harbin helps men understand their anger by explaining what the specific symptoms of chronic anger are and by showing angry men how their actions negatively affect family, friends and co-workers.
Tom is one of nearly 60 Authorlink writers to sign a contract with a publisher since sales tracking began in early 1997.
Tom had been listed on the site for eight or nine months before receiving the request. Generously sharing the sales figures with other Authorlink writers, Tom said he was paid a $1,000 advance upon signing a contract, another $1500 upon delivery of the revised manuscript, and the final $1000 was paid when the book was released.
Tom began writing the manuscript about seven years ago, for use with angry men in his clinical practice. “The book sort of grew over the next couple of years and I guess I have been actively trying to sell it for about three years,” he said.
“At first, I naively sent it to editors who had done similar work. Then, I engaged a New York agent who had promoted books for a friend of mine. Honestly, I was about to put the manuscript away and forget about it or start the self-publishing journey. Then I became aware of Authorlink while absently surfing the net for agents.”
While not officially working on any new titles, he has started writing some short stories about the goings on in his rural North Carolina county, and he’s been keeping copious notes for a possible book about his role as a forensic psychologist.
When asked what he would advise first-time writers, he said I would not presume to offer anyone advice. I think that lucked out so far.
And how important was Authorlink to his begin published? My book would still be sitting on a dusty disk somewhere, without Authorlink, he concluded.
In little more than three years, nearly 300 writers have reported signing with agents as a direct result of Authorlink, and more than 1500 requests from editors and agents have been processed.
The author lives and practices in North Carolina.
Authorlink
Correspondent
Joins LA Times
Authorlink writer, Michelle Lovato, has been hired by the Los Angeles Times to cover special sections issues.
Regarded as one of the world’s most prestigious news organizations, the Los Angeles Times has a full circulation of 1.4 million copies per Sunday issue.
Lovato’s work will premier March 13.
With more than two years experience as an Authorlink California publishing correspondent, Lovato has covered several events, and can be found by searching archives.
Lovato is the owner/publisher of The Silver Lakes Gazzette, a weekly newspaper, and a columnist and reporter for The Inland Empire Business Journal, a Southern California regional business magazine.
Accompanying Lovato in her new post will be her husband, Vince, a 20- year veteran of journalism. Among Vince’s credits are previous LA Times bylines,
the sales of two short stories to Stephen Speilberg, two nominations for California Newspaper Publisher’s Association awards and was the recipient of a fellowship to Rice University in Houston Texas.
Lovato has 10 years experience as a political and business reporter
and specializes in feature stories. She writes a newspaper column entitled, Thank You, Lord and has won several awards for her short fiction.
Both Lovatos are pursuing careers in the publishing industry. Ms.Lovato will continue contributing articles to Authorlink.
Authorlink Author
Carolee Joy Ranks
as RWA Finalist
DALLAS/FORT WORTH, TX/ 3/13/000—WILD ANGEL (Authorlink Press, April 2000) by Carolee Joy has been named a finalist in the Golden Quill contest sponsored by the Desert Rose Chapter of Romance Writers of America. Other finalists include multi-published authors such as Vicki Lewis Thompson, one of Harlequin TemptationsTemptation’s biggest sellers.
In addition to WILD ANGEL, SECRET LEGACY, another novel by Ms. Joy, is also a finalist in the Golden Quill competition for Best Romantic Suspense and Best First Book.
New Author
Ranks #12
on Amazon
ATLANTA,GA/3/10/00—A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO DAY TRADING ONLINE (Adams Media) by first-time author, has risen to #12 on Amazon.com’s top 100.
The book, agented by Deidre Knight of the Knight Agency (listed on Authorlink), was released only a week ago, and began its quick rise after the author appeared on CNBC Today.
American Self
Publishers’ Group
Honors Mitchell
SAN FRANCISCO, CA/ 3/1/00—Ed Mitchell, whose manuscript had been listed with Authorlink before he decided to self publish, has been awarded the National Publishers Freedom Award for Best new Fiction. The honor will be bestowed by the year-old American Self Publishers Association (ASPA) for Mitchell’s novel, GOLD RUSH 2000. Resource Library. The ASPA award will be given in a formal ceremony May 13 in San Francisco. In addition, the work was accepted by the National Steinbeck Center Resource Library.
Mitchell attributes part of his success to Authorlink for having seen “the quality in my book, and having had the courage to publicly declare that assessment.” Authorlink, while not a self publisher, helps writers market their work through promotion to editors and agents, and through listings of their work on its award-winning site, authorlink.com
Winner Signs Contract
With Major Publisher
Dallas, TX/1/1/00—Three winners of the Authorlink New Author Awards competition have landed major publishing contracts within the past 18 months. The latest Authorlink contestant to become published is Cynthia G. Alwyn (pen name), who placed among the top three in the 1999 Authorlink awards competition.
Carol Berg of Ft. Collins, CO, the 1999 Authorlink first-place, science fiction/fantasy winner for Song of the Beast, won a three-book contract with Roc (an imprint of Penguin Putnam). And June London, 1998 Authorlink mainstream winner signed a six-figure contract with Harper Collins for her novel, Bingo Queens and a second work-in-progress, tentatively titled Stray Bullets.
Ms. Alwyn won the 1999 competition for a book titled, Tail of the Serpent, but it was her newest work, Best Served Cold, that convinced New York Agent Anne Hawkins of John Hawkins & Associates, to become her agent. Hawkins subsequently sold the work to St. Martins Press for an undisclosed amount. The title will be released in the Winter of 2001.
“I have been surprised how fast things can happen,” said Cynthia. “I met Anne Hawkins, who is now my agent, at a conference in 1998. We kept in contact, and when I visited with her at the 1999 Authorlink Awards presentation in Georgia, we finalized our business partnership with my new book BEST SERVED COLD. A short time later, St. Martin’s bought the project. I’m thrilled and stunned at the same time. It didn’t feel real to me until I started getting mail from them.”
BEST SERVED COLD features protagonist Brenna Scott and her search dog, Feather, a black Bouvier Des Flandres. Together, they search for lost or missing people. In this book, Brenna and Feather race the clock to locate a child before the kidnapper makes good his threat to take the little girl’s life.
“I wasn’t sure the book would sell, but Anne believed in it and in me. Since I’d worked with a canine search and rescue team for nine years, I do have first-hand knowledge of how dogs and handlers work. Although the story is fiction, I believe my experience in this area helped sell the book,” said Cynthia.
Due to the commitment of her day job, Cynthia’s writing time is limited. “I usually write Thursday through Sunday and a solid eight hours a day while on vacation. I frequently work out plot points and tidbits about characters driving to and from work. Most days, I’ll sit in my car during lunch break (it’s the only quiet place at work) and make notes. Although I’ve started writing the next Brenna Scott book, it doesn’t yet have a title.”
The 2000 Authorlink New Author Awards Competition is now accepting entries for this year’s contest through March, 2000. Awards again will be presented at the annual Harriette Austin Writers Conference, University of Georgia, in July, 2000. Top prize is $500.
For details see: http://www.authorlink.com/contest_00.html
Authorlink Writers
Sign Publishing Deals
8/15/99—Three more writers have won publishing contracts as a direct result of their listings with Authorlink. All three are clients of Elisabet McHugh, McHugh Literary Agency, who discovered them on Authorlink several months ago. This brings to a total of 49 the number of books that have been sold through Authorlink during the past 2 1/2 years.
Chris Spicer has accepted an offer form McFarland & Co. for Frankly, My Dear. . .:The Life of Clark Gable.
Publication will be in 1001, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of Gable’s birth.
Neva Hacker, author of Missing Candy, and Charles Crone, author of The Palestinian Solution, have sold their work as e-books to Fictionworks, through Ms. McHugh.
43 rd Author to Find
Publisher Via Authorlink
7/1/99—Scrivenery Press will publish Authorlink writer E. A. Blair’s A Journey to the Interior, in November, 1999, making Blair the 43 rd author to find a publisher via Authorlink since sales tracking began in 1997. Thirty-one writers have been published as a result of Authorlink, with houses such as Berkley, Tor, John Wiley & Sons, Carol Publishing Group and others. Twelve more titles will be released in August, 1999 by Authorlink’s own imprint—Authorlink Press, bringing the total of successfully published authors to forty-three.
“I had tried sending material to about 50 agents, and though many were favorably impressed, all rejected the work, probably because their slice of an author’s first book might not have seemed profitable enough,” said E.A.
Blair, who holds a Masters Degree in Fine Arts has been writing since 1951. His day job for the past 30 years has been in publications for the aerospace industry. Some time back, he wrote and published a professional book, but turned to serious fiction only about ten years ago.
E.A. had been trying to sell his work through agents for five years, when he discovered Authorlink in May, 1998. He had been listed on the site for ten months when Scrivenery Press Publisher Ed Williams spotted his work on the web site. Scrdivenery, whose titles are distributed by Ingram Book Group, is actively building both its fiction and non-fiction lines.
Asked how it feels to be a published author, Blair said, “Vindicated. The related adjectives will come later.”
Blair’s contract did not include an advance, but does pay standard royalties.
“My impression of Scrivenery is that they are professional, intelligent and use advanced publishing technologies—as witnessed by the use of Authorlink and Ingram Book.
“Finding Authorlink was like a door to opportunity suddenly opening,” said Blair.
He advises the unpublished writer to “Write patiently, critically.”
He has a second title underway.
Novel Released
by Berkley Publishing
NEW YORK,NY/6/10/99— LOST RIVER, a novel by Authorlink writer, Pax Riddle, is now on bookstore shelves. Pax made the deal with Berkley Publishing Group (division of Penguin/Putnam) as part of the connections he made through Authorlink. The book is available via: http://www.lostriver.org/, barnesandnoble.com or amazon.com
Among Best Education
Resources on the Web
6/10/99—Authorlink has been selected as a featured site in StudyWeb
( http://www.studyweb.com/) as one of the best educational resources on the web.
StudyWeb is one of the Internet’s premier sites for educational resources for students and teachers. Since 1996 professional reviewers have scoured the Internet to select only the finest sites to be included in StudyWeb’s reviews. Each site in StudyWeb includes a detailed review describing it’s merits.
With Lightning to Offer
On-Demand Book Imprint
DALLAS, TX /5/1/99—Authorlink, the award-winning news/information and marketing site for the publishing industry, will launch its own book imprint, Authorlink Press, this summer. The move results in part from a new publishing partnership between Authorlink and Lightning Print, Inc, the print on demand subsidiary of Ingram Book, worlds largest book distributor.
Authorlink Press will carry the fine tradition of New York-style publishing into the digital age, said Authorlink President Doris Booth. We will serve as a market proving ground for the titles that truly deserve to be published and read—titles that eventually may find their way to larger houses, after we establish a solid track for them, said Ms. Booth.
Lower-cost digital and on-demand printing now enable Authorlink Press to publish books once considered economically too risky. The company will aggressively market the titles, establish sales records and then seek to turn them over to larger publishers.
The imprint will use the latest technology to publish digitally-downloadable books and trade paperbacks, printed on demand. Titles will be distributed through multiple on and off-line sales channels, including Ingram, which serves major booksellers such as Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.com.
Authorlink has also established an alliance with Peanut Press, to help supply electronic books for 2 million Palm Pilot and IBM WorkPad owners. Authorlink marketing ties also include alliances with the book review site, Bookbrowse.com (280, 000 page views annually), larger publishing houses, and other distribution and marketing resources.
Authorlink Press emphasizes aggressive, targeted marketing and distribution for every title it buys-a vital element often missing from tight production and promotional budgets at traditional publishers. The company’s own loyal audience of 170,000 book lovers provides one the ready audiences of book buyers.
Not only do our readers support fellow writers by buying and reading their work. They provide vital marketing feedback. At Authorlink the end consumer will tell us which books they like and why—not marketing reps, nor retail booksellers with special agendas, but the readers themselves, said Ms. Booth.
Admittedly, digital publishing furrows new ground for Authorlink Our imprint is a test of its own-measuring whether consumers will buy truly good titles through Internet sites, hand-held devices and on-demand, with books printed at the time of their order (one- off). Ms. Booth explained.
In 1999 Authorlink Press initially will release 12 fiction and non-fiction titles, both in digital and trade paperback (on demand), with 12 to 24 titles to follow next year. They will be promoted to targeted, vertical markets, and to horizontal mass audiences via the Internet and traditional channels.
The imprints digital books will be available on the Authorlink.com site and through Peanut Press
( http://www.peanutepress.com/) late this summer. Most titles-and all of the initial 12—will also be available in the Ingram title base and may be ordered through all Ingram ordering systems, accessible to Barnes & Noble, Barnesandnoble.com, Amazon.com and, other major booksellers and libraries.
Both first-time and seasoned authors will be included in the list. Categories include suspense/thrillers, mainstream commercial fiction, science fiction/fantasy, romance, and narrative and commercial nonfiction. No anthologies or short stores are considered, and length ranges from 70,000-80,000 words. The new house is not a subsidy or vanity publisher, and will pay standard publishing industry royalties.
Unsolicited manuscripts are NOT accepted at this time and will be automatically recycled. Prospective authors should, instead, consider submitting their work for possible listing in the site’s Author Showcase section.
Authorlink will continue to showcase listings of ready-to-publish manuscripts, and to market them worldwide to editors and agents, as it successfully has done for thee years. Authorlink has been rated among the top 25% of most useful sites on the web by Microsoft’s One Click Away E- zine.
Web site: http://www.authorlink.com/arch4_files/authorlink.htm
Among Writer’s Digest
Top 101 Sites For Writers
Writers Digest magazine has selected Authorlink as one of The 101 Best Web Sites for Writers. The 101 were culled from the Digest staffs lists of favorites, as well as from nominations made by about 1,500 visitors to writersdigest.com.
The 101 Best is the cover story of the May 1999 issue of Writers Digest. The list is also published in its entirety on the Writer’s Digest website, at http://www.writersdigest.com/101sites.
The list of recommended websites is just one of several recent additions to writersdigest.com.
Authorlink holds other distinguished industry awards, and including its ranking by Microsoft’s One Click Away E- zine among the top 25% of most useful sites on the web.
Sign With WriterBeck
Agency in Two Weeks
5/1/99—Four Authorlink writers will have signed with a single literary agent within the past two-weeks. Beck Roberts, owner of the Writerbeck Agency, has contracted Mackey Murdock and Andrea Giacomuzzi—both listed with Authorlink and found through the site. Two more writers were polishing their manuscripts, but were expected to sign with Ms.Roberts within days.
Beck Roberts represents 70% fiction and 30% nonfiction, and handles most categories except for erotica and cartoons. She has 30 years of experience as a published writer in both fiction and nonfiction and 20 years in related marketing fields. Ms. Roberts has been an agent for a little more than a year, and has already signed seven writers, including the new Authorlink people.
Her agency is based in South Carolina, where she moved with her husband and two children to have a simpler lifestyle than in Atlanta.
“Being a relatively new agent, I am more eager than some to work with the authors and their manuscripts, sending them out with strong cover letters to publishers. I am tireless in my efforts and truly get excited about seeing good works in print,” she said.
The agency has no sales at present but, as Ms. Roberts said, “Good things take time and I am confident in the authors’ work and my ability to promote it successfully.”
Editor’s Note, 5/11/99: This agent has retired due to a severe illness and will not be accepting other clients.
Sells WOLF’S TALE
To TOR Books
Agent Describes Publishing Recipe
By Sam Hughes
The Dickens Group Literary Agency
3/99—David Holland and his upcoming first novel MURCHESTON: THE WOLFS TALE (TOR Books) is a lesson to all who serve as functionaries in today’s literary marketplace. Success may well depend on an old recipe: a good writer, a persistent agent who is willing to nurture true talent, and an editor who takes his or her job to heart and who will fight for a book. In the case of David Holland, whose work has appeared on Authorlink the factors that traditionally made the publishing industry great came together after seven years of productive author/agent interaction.
The heroes of this story are Hollland, one of the finest writers our agency has seen, agent Bob Solinger, who recognized brilliant writing and spent seven years pounding on doors to sell Hollands work, and Karla Zounek, the TOR editor who fell under the spell of Hollands writing and worked one-on-one with him to produce a fine literary horror story with a distinctive Victorian setting and tone.
For agents and editors struggling against adverse forces in the current marketplace, it is important to recognize the Holland phenomenon. Services such as Authorlink — a sterling example of what Internet marketing can and should be are invaluable to everyone, especially to new writers. And the ultimate lesson for writers, agents and editors alike: eventually, good writing sells.
Writer’s Seven Year
Effort Pays Off,
Authorlink Plays Part
Louisville, KY/1/1/99—David Holland, a writer featured on the Authorlink site, since August, 1997, has sold his novel, THE WOLF’S TALE, with The Dickens Group as his agency. David has tried for seven years to become published, and at last found an agency that believed in his work and found the right publisher. More details of his success will be published here soon.
Becomes 25th Authorlink
Writer to Sell Work
2/15/99—Forensic Psychologist Tom Harbin has sold his nonfiction manuscript, STANCE OF ANGER: RECOGNIZING AND CHANGING THE PATTERNS OF MENS ANGER, to established publisher, John Muir Publications. Tom is the 25th Authorlink writer to sign a contract with a publisher Since sales tracking began in early 1997.
The title will be released in the spring of 2000, according to acquisitions editor Cassandra Conyers, who requested the manuscript directly from Authorlink in May, 1998. Tom had been listed on the site for eight or nine months before receiving the request.
Generously sharing the sales figures with other Authorlink writers, Tom said he was paid a $1,000 advance upon signing a contract, another $1500 upon delivery of the revised manuscript, and the final $1000 will be paid when the book is released. Authorlink assumes a royalty arrangement is also included in the contract.
Tom began writing STANCE about seven years ago, for use with angry men in his clinical practice. The book sort of grew over the next couple of years and I guess I have been actively trying to sell it for about three years.
At first, I naively sent it to editors who had done similar work. Then, I engaged a New York agent who had promoted books for a friend of mine. Honestly, I was about to put the manuscript away and forget about it or start the self-publishing journey. Then I became aware of Authorlink while absently surfing the net for agents.
Tom said having his first work published feels daunting. Muir wants him to increase the book length by about 67% during revision, and he’s not a full-time author. He hopes he can get it done on time, especially since there are substantial penalties for being late.
While not officially working on any new titles, he has started writing some short stories about the goings on in his rural North Carolina county, and he’s been keeping copious notes for a possible book about his role as a forensic psychologist.
When asked what he would advise first-time writers, he said I would not presume to offer anyone advice. I think that lucked out so far.
And how important was Authorlink to his begin published? My book would still be sitting on a dusty disk somewhere, without Authorlink, he concluded.
John Muir Publications, established in 1969, will release 68 titles in 1999, and 75 in 2000. Main interests are in travel and alternative health.
In little more than two years, 215- plus writers have reported signing with agents as a direct result of Authorlink, and more than 960 requests from editors and agents have been processed.
Writer Cindy Appel
Lands Columnist Job
as Result of Authorlink
2/15/99—Cindy Appel, recently named Cyber Columnist of the Quarter at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, attributes her job as a Star Telegram Online Columnist directly to Authorlink and the 1998 Authorlink Electrify Your Writing seminar.
I found out how to become a cyber-columnist from the talk given at the Authorlink workshop last May by Star Telegram Online Marketing Director Bonnie Bradshaw. I became a weekly columnist by July of last year, said Cindy.
Her column, titled, Every Day IS Mothers Day can be found at www.star-telegram.com/homes/cappel/columns/momsday.htm. Cindy takes a semi-humorous look at the world through the eyes of being a full-time mom and struggling writer. She has even developed a loyal following of sorts, too, and takes suggestions from readers on future column topics.
I just thought that others who read Authorlink might like to know how helpful it can be to their writing careers, said Cindy.
Agent McHugh Signs
12 Authorlink Writers,
Sells to Key Publishers
12/1/98—Twelve Authorlink writers have signed contracts within the past couple of years with Literary Agent Elisabet Mchugh, all as a direct result of the Authorlink service. And McHugh has sold many of their works to major publishers.
One of these clients, Roland Jansen, whose first book Profits From Natural Resources was just published by John Wiley, is now working on a second investment book. Linda Swink, Eric Winkler, David Whale and Sam Sackett also sold their books through Ms. McHugh.
In recent months, this agent has added a number of other Authorlink writers, including: Steven Levi, David Dial, S.Alan Hepps, Terry Milton, Jim Norton, Rebecca Spalten, and Lewis Tracy. A thirteenth writer is about to be signed with her.
“Authorlink is providing a great service for agents and editors,” says Ms. McHugh, who works exclusively through the Internet and has clients in eight countries. “I’m impressed not only by the quality of the manuscripts that you have listed, but also the prompt service rendered by your staff when I request a manuscript. And I check out the new listings on your website on a regular basis.”
Authorlink Writer
Sells Nonfiction Title
to Lone Wolf Enterprises
12/1/98—Dale C. Maley, author of Road Map to Retirement: How to Quickly and Easily Develop a Financial Plan for Retirement, has sold his work to Roger Wolf’s Lone Wolf Enterprises, Ltd. ( http://www.lonewolfent.net/) as a direct result of Authorlink
The book will be released both in hardcover and online in the first quarter of 1999. Lone Wolf has more than 60 titles in print.
Maley will receive 15% of gross for printed book and 15% of gross for electronic book sales.
Maley discovered Authorlink when he picked up a paper flier at the Harriet Austin Writer’s Conference in Athens, Georgia last July, then followed up by visiting the site at http://www.authorlink.com/arch4_files/authorlink.htm. (Note: The second annual Authorlink New Author Awards Banquet will be held as part of the 1999 Harriet Austin Writer’s Conference in Athens, July 23-25, 1999).
Dale, who has been writing for about two years, said it took him only 15 months to find a publisher through Authorlink He first found an agent through Authorlink who tried, but failed to sell the title to a large publisher.
How does it feel to have his first work published? “Very exciting, it has been a long, arduous, and perilous journey from writing those first few words of the manuscript until getting it published, “ said Dale.
He advises new writers to “Make sure your book is either the best among all the competition or among the first few books published in a new subject area. Be diligent, patient, and believe in your yourself and your work.
Authorlink Helps
Writer Secure
International Agent
12/1/98—J.D. Wetterling, author of SON OF THUNDER, has sold his first work to domestic publisher, Rivilo Books, Felix C. Lowe, publisher. The title was schedule for release in November, 1998. While J.D. located a publisher on his own, it was Authorlink that helped him find his agent. The Stefanidis Agency based in Geneva, Switzerland, discovered J.D.s listing on the Authorlink site and requested a review of the manuscript. The writer agreed to let Stefanidis handle the foreign rights.
Wetterling , who has been writing for nine years, had tried to locate an editor and agent for the last eight years. He found Authorlink while surfing the net. He found the publisher networking through friends.
How does it feel to have his first work published? “Wonderful!” he exclaimed. Wetterling, whose day job is as a Stockbroker with Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, has two more novels in progress. He hopes to write all day, every day, for the rest of his days. Books and the Internet helped him more than anything else to improve his craft.
He advised new writers to “never give up.”
Authorlink Writers
Now Able to Track
Their Own Page Hits
12/1/98— Authorlink writers are now able to track the number of hits to their individual pages each month. We’re now adding individual counters to every page, so writers can determine the level of interest in their listed manuscripts. The counter, which resets at the first of each month, does not show who visited the page, but it gives the writer an idea of how interested editors, agents and general readers are in his or her topic and title.
The counter is now being added to every new writer’s page. Writers with existing listings can request an ID and password for the service by emailing: dbooth@authorlink.com
JLA Agency Signs
Four Authorlink Writers
In 60 Days, Praises Site
11/15/98—Jay Lace, owner of JLA Literary, reports that he has signed contracts to represent four Authorlink writers during the past 60 days.
They include: Michael Sedge, Author of the novel, The Oracle, and a nonfiction work, Fettuccini or the Frustrated Soul; Margaret Brennecke, author of the novel, Seeking Refuge; Miles Twaddell, author of the novel, Victory Day, and Charles Carron, author of the non-fiction work, The Suing Game.
JLA, a new agency actively looking to build a small roster of clients, found all four writers listed on Authorlink
“We are looking for original works with commercial appeal,” said Mr. Lace. “We have discovered that using Authorlink helps us separate the chaff from the wheat, and saves us hundreds of hours that would otherwise be wasted on unsuitable manuscripts.”
The agency adheres to the AAR’s guidelines, although it is not yet a registered member.
Wiley Releases
Authorlink Writer’s
First Book in November
11/1/98—Roland Jansen, who found an agent and publisher through Authorlink, has received the first copy of his new book, Profits in Natural Resources, from publisher John Wiley & Sons. The new release shipped to major bookstore chains in early November.
“It all started with Authorlink, ” Jansen said in a message to Authorlink this week. “The Internet works.”
Agent Signs
Three Authorlink
Writers Within Months
AUSTIN, TX/10/98—Brian G. Clark, Esq., owner of BGC Literary Management, has signed contracts to represent three Authorlink writers within less than two months.
BGC is an aggressive and highly professional new agency headquartered in Austin, TX.
Clark said he has signed Eric Scherer, author of THE OLYMPUS PROJECT; Ekaterine (Katy) Terlinden, who wrote THE DIVIDED CHILD, and Pete Murphy, author of SALAMANDERS. Ms. Terlinden was Best of Show (suspense/mystery/thriller) winner in the first annual Authorlink New Author Awards competition. (See the second annual Authorlink competition guidelines at http://www.authorlink.com/contest_99.html).
“The advent of literary agents came as publishing houses cut editorial staff, allowing agents to step in as the front line arbiters of taste and commercial viability,” said Clark. “Authorlink has become the new additional front line for the busy agent, a source for trusted pre-screened material to pursue at their convenience.”
Authorlink Finalists
Sign Publishing Contract
With Neighborhood Press
8/29/98—Marian Gibbons and Karin Welss, finalists in both the Romance and SF/Fantasy/Horror categories in the 1998 Authorlink New Author Awards Competition, have signed a publishing contract with Neighborhood Press for their historical romance novel, SWEETER THAN WINE. SWEETER THAN WINE is scheduled to be released in May, 1999, under the pseudonym of Michaela August.
In this novel WWI widow Alice Roye must fight to save her Sonoma winery from the threat of Prohibition. She falls in love with her new vintner, a European refugee, not knowing that he served as an enemy soldier during the war.
“We believe that entering our work in contests such as the one sponsored by Authorlink really opened some doors for us, ” said Karin Welss. “SWEETER THAN WINE is definitely a local history novel, highlighting a little-known aspect of Prohibition,” explains Welss when asked about how she and Gibbons chose the subject for their novel . “A lot of hard-working American winemakers and grape-growers lost their livelihoods when beer and wine were outlawed along with hard liquor, and California’s wine industry languished for the next fifty years.”
Gibbons adds, “It was a very emotional time, so soon after World War I and the deadly influenza epidemic. Although the concept of Prohibition was well-intentioned, its effect was devastating even before gangsters and bathtub gin became the popular symbols of its failure. Grape-growers didn’t know, right up to harvest in 1919, whether or not they could legally pick the best crop they’d ever seen. I found the research fascinating.”
How did they make the sale? After finishing the manuscript, Gibbons and Welss spent a year sending out query letters and partials. They also entered several writing contests, including the Authorlink contest. “The romance writing community is incredibly supportive of new writers,” Welss says, and Gibbons agrees: “We got a lot of help and encouragement from the published authors who judged two of the contests.” A major obstacle to overcome in selling SWEETER THAN WINE was its WWI-era setting. “It’s always difficult for new authors to break in,” remarks Gibbons, “and even more difficult when editors are convinced that no one wants to read historicals set in the early 20th century.” Their finalist status helped generate leads for possible publishers, as did their membership on several writing-related Internet listservs.
Welss remembers: “Someone on RWALINK (the Romance Writers of America members-only listserv) mentioned that Neighborhood Press was a fairly new publishing house open to romance submissions, and they spoke very highly of the Senior Editor, Rhea Griffiths. We queried Rhea via email, got a favorable response, and the rest is history.” Marian Gibbons and Karin Welss are working on separate solo projects at the moment, although they have several more co-authored novels in the planning stages, including a sequel to SWEETER THAN WINE.
Gibbons is currently writing a sequel to In a Mirror, Darkly, set amid the turmoil of Berkeley in the 60’s. Welss has another historical romance in progress, a tale of love and blackmail set in Restoration England.
About Neighborhood Press: Rhea Griffiths founded Neighborhood Press in 1995 with nothing but a desktop computer, an America Online account and the belief that “if she built it, they would come…” Now a rapidly growing small press, Neighborhood Press plans to publish twelve novels in 1999 as well as six issues of The Lovers Knot, a new magazine aimed at readers and writers of romance. Additional information about Marian Gibbons and Karin Welss, writing together as Michaela August, is available at the HREF=”http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Square/3524/”Michaela August Web Page.
Another Writer Wins
Publishing Contract
Via Authorlink
EquiLibrium Press Signs Mitchell
NEW YORK, NY & CULVER CITY, CA/ 8/98—Joyce Slayton Mitchell, author of more than 32 nonfiction books published by major houses such as Bantam, Dell, Simon & Schuster, and others, has sold another nonfiction work as a direct result of Authorlink
Ms. Mitchell’s newest manuscript, Pregnant in New Zealand: Mother and Daughter Letters from Afar, will be published in May, 1999 by EquiLibrium Press, Inc. of Culver City, California.
EquiLibrium Press Publisher Susan Goland requested the manuscript several months ago after seeing Mitchell’s listing on Authorlink This will be EquiLibrium’s first title as a new publisher, specializing in all aspects of health and wellness for women.
Pregnant in New Zealand is the story of a courageous and adventuresome young woman who finds an exotic life in the Pacific. This collection of New Zealand-to-Vermont letters is written in the first hours of pregnancy, leads to a dramatic 45-hour labor, and reveals the tensions of midwifery, and differences in generations, race and hemisphere.
Ms. Mitchell, who lives in New York, has successfully listed several works with Authorlink since late 1997. The newest book had been listed on the site for about 45 days or less, when Publisher Goland spotted it. The entire process, from listing to sale, took place within about three months.
Authorlink Winner
Signs Six-Figure
Deal at Harper Collins
7/98—June London, mainstream winner of the 1998 Authorlink New Author Awards Competition, has signed a six-figure contract with Harper Collins for her novel, Bingo Queens and a second work-in-progress, tentatively titled Stray Bullets.
The first title will be released in April, 1999, and the second manuscript will be completed in August, 1999. Both will be released under Harper Collins’ Cliff Street imprint.
Ms. London, whose real name is June Park, lives with her husband in a small Oklahoma town, similar to the setting for Bingo Queens, her first novel.
She met her agent, Robert Tabian of Robert Tabian Literary Agency , four years ago at an Oklahoma writers’ conference. He showed considerable interest in her story at the time, though only a few chapters had been completed.
June sent an earlier novel out to 20 agents, all of whom rejected her. In 1988, early in her career, she took lessons from well-known writing coach, Jack Bickam at the University of Oklahoma in 1988. “He was my mentor, one on one,” June said. She began winning various contests and published a few shorts stories. She also began teaching creative writing at local colleges. “The more I taught, the more I learned,” June told Authorlink.
When she finished Bingo Queens in February last year, she suddenly remembered the meeting with Tabian. A few weeks earlier, she had entered the Authorlink contest. On April 13, 1998 Authorlink notified her that she had won first place in the mainstream nonfiction category. About two weeks later, Tabian notified her that Harper Collins wanted to buy the work.
“While we weren’t responsible for making the direct connection with HarperCollins, “said Authorlink Editor Doris Booth. “we sure know how to spot the winners.”
Tabian is a former editor at Putnam and was with International Creative Management before opening his own agency. Among Tabin’s clients is 1993 Pulitzer Prize Winner Robert Olan Butler.
How does it feel to have her first two novels sold? “I don’t know,” says June. I suppose reality has yet to sink in.”
Asked when she first became interested in writing, Ms. Park, a native of London, England, said that as a child during World War II, she read books while sequestered in bomb shelters to calm her fears and remove her from reality.
For the past ten years she has devoted herself exclusively to her writing career.
Authorlink Author
Tim McGuire Tops
Ingram’s Hot List
DALLAS/FT. WORTH, TX/ 6/30/98—Tim McGuire’s newly-released Western, Danger Ridge (DORCHESTER/LEISURE BOOKS) has been listed by Ingram Book Company among the top ten most requested western fiction titles in the mass market/paperback category for several consecutive weeks in June. The excellent showing was posted even before the title was scheduled to reach bookstores by the end of that month.
Tim McGuire is among writers whose ready-to-publish and newly-released works are listed on Authorlink Danger Ridge is his first novel. Another western, titled, “Nobility,” , is due for release by LEISURE next year. Ingram is the world’s largest trade book distributor.
Authorlink Writer
Pax Riddle Sells
Book to Berkley
6/20/98—Authorlink writer, Pax Riddle, has sold his first novel “Lost River” to Berkley Publishing Group for the mid four figures. Pax joined the Authorlink site in early 1997. Some months later he signed with a top New York agent, whom he found through the Authorlink private agency directory. Berkley Editor Kim Waltemeyer bought the manuscript in June, 1998.
Lost River is the story of a young Modoc woman married to a white man, who struggles to balance her Indian heritage and her family in the face of looming war between her people and the US Army. The book will be released in Summer, 1999.
Pax Riddle writes full time, and lives with his wife and teenage daughter in Connecticut. He is working on a second novel, The Education of Ruby Loonfoot, and recently sold a nonfiction article to Wild West magazine.
Pax advises new writers to join a good work-oriented critique group, and consider their comments closely, while maintaining your style and integrity. “If you wish to sell your work, versus merely write it for artistic, self satisfaction, find out about the marketplace. See where you can find a niche,” he says.
New Author Finds
Agent on Internet,
Sells Six-figure Deal
7/98—First-time novelist William Kowalski of Erie PA. has sold his manuscript, Eddie’s Bastard, to Harper Collins. After receiving offers from several houses, agent Anne Hawkins of John Hawkins & Associates Inc., New York accepted a two book deal totalling in the mid six figures. Marjorie Braman, Senior Vice President for Harper Collins Adult Trade Books made the successful offer. Irv Schwartz of The Renaissance Agency, Los Angeles, CA, will handle film and television rights.
Kowalski first contacted Hawkins with an unsolicited E-mail query. He found her E-mail address via a search of AOL user profiles for literary agents.
In the fictional autobiography, William Kowalski explores the importance of family and the place of the individual in the continuum of history and time.
Living alone in a decaying mansion, Grandpa Mann is the last surviving member of a once-great family. Or so he believes until the day he stumbles drunkenly out the back door and discovers a baby in a picnic basket. A note taped to the handle identifies the occupant as “EDDIE’S BASTARD,” the child of his only
son recently killed in Viet Nam. What follows is the bittersweet story of the old man raising his grandson as the last, proud scion of the Mann family and steeping him in all of its rich and bizarre heritage.
Kowalski braids the story of the boy’s journey to young manhood together with family anecdotes and homespun philosophical excerpts from great-great grandfather Mann’s Civil War diary. The result is a story mixing warm humor with nostalgia and the inevitable sadness common to most American family histories.
Michigan Writer
Sells First Book
Via Authorlink
7/98—David Whale has found an agent and sold his book, HOW SCHOOLS REALLY WORK: AN ACTION GUIDE FOR PARENTS, through Authorlink Before having his work accepted for a listing on Authorlink he had written an agent himself, only to be turned down.
“It seemed like to me there should be a better way to reach potential editors and agents. Authorlink turned out to be the answer,” David said.
He found Authorlink through a search engine while surfing the web. “I liked the way it was laid out and the content,” he said. ” I figured it was worth a try, and the results and support were outstanding all the way.”
Whale said his agent has been great to work with. “We do all of our communicating via email. She is based in Idaho and I am in Michigan. We’ve never met face to face but I feel I know her and we have a very good relationship.”
David waited a number of months before his agent connected with him through Authrolink! But persistence paid off. About nine months after his listing on Authorlink Agent Elisabet McHugh had made a sale for David. That’s less than half the time it usually takes to sell a manuscript.
The hardcover book will be released in September, 1998 by Avisson. While David has published some scholarly papers and continues to do research and writing on the same topic as his book, this is his first full-length published work.
Sam Sackett’s
‘Career Karate’
Finds Publisher
6/98—Sam Sackett expected it would take a long time to find an agent, even with the help of Authorlink His listing first appeared on the site in April, 97, and about six or even months later he signed with agent, Elisabet McHugh, after receiving requests from three different representatives, and subsequently a publishing house.
“Placing the book with a publisher took longer than I thought, “said Sackett. “I think any author feels his work is so good that it will sell immediately, and I am no exception. Reality was, as it usually is, disillusioning.” That process took about four more months.
“Was I skeptical of Authorlink at first? Sure. Anybody who has lived long in this economy has run across enough scams to make him skeptical of anything that sounds like a good deal. It’s a by-product of the free enterprise system that crooks are free to function until they’re caught.
“I found Authorlink very professional and timely. I was particularly impressed with their efforts to make sure that the agents they list operate ethically, ” Sam said. ” I even passed along a couple of names of agents who approached me about whom I was leery, and Authorlink acted appropriately.”
How did Sam Sackett begin his writing career?
“Miss Grassle, my kindergarten teacher, assigned all of us to write a book in imitation of the little reader which was our text. I became hooked on writing and have been writing ever since.”
Right now Sam has obligations that prevent him from the kind of sustained writing effort that he would like to make, so he’s working along at translations of a couple of Flemish novels because he can do them a page at a time in between other chores. When he can free up his time more fully, he plans to finish a book on how to get a job, TWELVE STEPS TO FINDING THE PERFECT CAREER, which his present agent is also interested in representing.
Another agent whom he found through the Authorlink listings, has three of Sam’s novels: ADOLF HITLER IN OZ, AN AMERICAN PRODIGAL, and SWEET BETSY FROM PIKE.
Sam’s book, CAREER KARATE: WINNING STRATEGIES FOR MANAGERS, will be released by The Graduate Group sometime this spring.
“I think Authorlink is a great opportunity for writers. Before I discovered Authorlink, I had used the lists of agents in the Literary Market Place, only to be told by them — at least by those of them that answered at all — that they were not accepting work from new writers. The agents listed by Authorlink are all agents actively seeking new talent. For that reason Authorlink saves writers an enormous amount of time and effort in bringing them together with people who actually are interested in considering their work. So I am really very thankful to Authorlink and will be happy to sing its praises wherever and whenever I have the occasion.”
Eric Winkler Sells
First Work
Within Five Months
6/98—Eric Winkler signed with a literary agent and sold his first manuscript, Partnership Marketing, to Greenwood Publishing, all within only five months. How did he do that? Through Authorlink
“At first, I made the mistake that first-time authors make of trying to pitch my manuscript directly to publishing houses. While searching the Internet for publishers, I ran across Authorlink” Eric explained. “Rather than try and learn the book publishing industry overnight, I thought I’d “borrow some experience” from Authorlink and I couldn’t be more pleased with the results.”
Authorlink asked Eric if he were skeptical of the service at first, and why?
“I have to admit I was skeptical at first. There are so many mine fields on the Internet that I worry about paying for any service offered on the ‘net. I was impressed by the list of authors on the site and by the current publishing industry news. It seemed like a gamble worth taking and I’m very pleased with the connections Authorlink made for me.”
Eric had searched for several months and had a number of dead-end conversations with publishers. He made the mistake of thinking he didn’t need an agent. “Looking back, it was a little like thinking I could do my own dental work with a few lessons,” he commented.
Eric said he was surprised how fast Authorlink produced results for him. It took less than a month for him to sign with agent, Elisabet McHugh through Authorlink He agreed to partner with her in October. By December, 97 he had received his first serious offer from a publisher. Then, in February, 98, only five months after Authorlink connected him with an agent, he sold his first book.
Asked if he had any advice for other first-time authors, Eric advised: “Don’t be afraid to admit what you don’t know. Do you need Authorlink? Yes. You can’t possibly expect to learn the publishing industry overnight, so let Authorlink lend you their contacts and their expertise.
“I don’t know about other writers, but I asked myself over and over whether or not I needed an agent. I did. My agent helped me focus my work and helped crystallize the vision for my project. Unless you are fortunate enough to be a publisher writing about the publishing industry, you need an agent to help you navigate this complicated business.”
Eric Winkler said he had “nothing but praise” for Authorlink “This service sets realistic expectations and then exceeds them. I consider myself fortunate to have found Authorlink and even more fortunate that my agent found me through Authorlink This is a service I’d recommend to any first time author.”
Roland Jansen
Finds Publisher
In Six Months
5/98—Roland Jansen has just sold his first book to John Wiley & Sons as a direct result of having secured agent Elisabet McHugh through Authorlink
Unnatural Profits from Natural Resources: How to Make Big Profits, Globally, From Oil, Gas, Grains and Metals will be released by John Wiley & Sons in August, 1998.
Dutch-born Jansen, director of fund management for the oldest bank in Liechtenstein, wrote the book in German in September 1996 and originally titled it, The Coming Squeeze in Natural Resources. A friend who review it told him his German was “hopeless” and suggested he write it in English. He did. In January, 1997 he began surfing the Internet to find information on publishers and came across Authorlink
“I thought Authorlink was a great idea for an aspiring writer living in a remote area and with no contacts in the publishing world. My book was accepted for listing on the service and after only two months, in March, 1997, Authorlink Editor Doris Booth informed me that literary agent Elisabet McHugh was interested in reading the full manuscript. After receiving valuable background information from Doris about the agent, I signed with Ms. McHugh on April 3.”
In the following six months, Ms. McHugh encouraged Jansen to refocus the book and he completed the new version in August, 1997. Only a month later John Wiley & Sons made the offer to publish the book.
His advice to new writers: “Listen to the feedback you get from publishers who don’t want to buy. Your work must be unique and you must be able to tell a publisher why it is so special. Finally, don’t let anyone take away your dream of being published.”
