So you want to be published? - includes a list of Black editors at various publishing houses - Career Opportunities

Black Enterprise, Feb, 1997 by Shawn E. Rhea

In addition to securing a publishing deal, an agent will negotiate your advance and other contractual terms, such as whether your publisher will issue both hardcover and paperback editions of your book. You will also be advised throughout the process of working with your editor. Since an agent often sets the tone for a writer's relationship with the publisher, you'll want to research the kinds of deals and relationships that the agent has developed for other clients.

An agent receives 15% of a client's earnings. This hefty cut into a writer's earnings coupled with the fact that finding an agent can be a lengthy process are the two most frequent reasons some writers choose not to use an agent at all. But you should know that the process of getting to print can be shortened significantly once you have an agent; most likely, the agent can negotiate a better contract with a publisher than you. In addition, most editors won't even consider a manuscript or book proposal that doesn't come through an agent. Addison Wesley Books Executive Editor Liz Maguire says she sometimes considers work submitted directly by a writer, but admits that 80% of her authors are signed through agents. If you are unsure about seeking an agent, you may want to check out The Beginners Guide to Getting Published (Writer's Digest Books), Be Your Own Literary Agent (by Martin Levin, Ten Speed Press) or The 1996 Guide to Literary Agents (Writer's Digest Books).

GETTING AN EDITOR INTERESTED IN YOUR WORK

Getting an editor's attention takes savvy. Having an agent helps, but creating awareness of your work in the publishing world is almost equally important. Writers such as Rohan Preston, who wrote for the Chicago Tribune and the New York Times, and Mark August, who wrote for the Dallas Times Herald and Tampa Tribune, were working journalists prior to trying their hands in the literary marketplace. Writers such as Paul Beatty, author of the critically acclaimed novel The White Boy Shuffle (Houghton Mifflin), and Sapphire, author of PUSH (Knopf), made names for themselves performing on the poetry circuit before publishing their novels.

According to Preston, contributing essays, poems or short stories to anthologies is one of the best ways to grab the attention of editors. Several of the writers who contributed to his anthology, Soulfires, have attracted interest as a result of this kind of exposure. In particular, contributor Colin Channer will publish his first novel, Waiting In Vain (Ballantine Books), this fall.

Reading your poetry or excerpts from your work of fiction at local coffeehouses and bars is another way to get linked into the literary network and begin making a name for yourself. Many places offer open-mike nights, and well-known spots such as the Nuyorican Poets Cafe in Manhattan, the Guild Complex in Chicago or Victor's Cafe in Oakland draw editors who are scouting new talent.

ONCE YOU HAVE A DEAL

Once you've struck a deal with a publisher you can expect to spend several months working out the details of your contract. Some of the terms you will want to address are the payment schedule of your advance; book sales royalties; your input on the book's cover design; whether your publisher will retain or sell your book's paper-back rights; and whether you or the publisher will retain foreign, audio and electronic publication rights. While terms such as royalty percentages are standard (10% of the first 5,000 copies, 12.5% of the next 5,000 copies and 15% of 10,000 and over for hardcover sales), others such as who retains foreign, audio and electronic publication rights can be negotiated.