Fenella Miller, sales to MWPN and Linford

The Kate Nash Literary Agency is delighted to announce the sale of An Unexpected Encounter by Fenella Miller to MWPN, and the sale of A Mistaken Identity to Linford Romance (large print).

Additionally large print rights for Two Gentlemen from London has sold to Ulverscroft. (World Rights to Two Gentlemen from London with Robert Hale.) Congratulations, Fenella.

Janet Woods, two books to Severn House

The Kate Nash Literary Agency is delighted to announce a two book deal for Janet Woods to Severn House, for two novels: Paper Doll and a second novel, title tbd. Congratulations, Janet.

New office assistant

BAJ Nash

The Kate Nash Literary Agency is delighted to announce the arrival of a new office assistant and will be shortly installing a play gym in the office for the new member of staff.

A tough year

A good writer does not mince words and so my summary for the Kate Nash Literary Agency’s first year stands. Launching any new business in a recession is difficult but publishing is going through its own particular stormy weather and evolving. In 2009 we said goodbye to Borders UK, we should have said hello to the Amazon Kindle and we got our knickers in a twist about the Google Book Settlement.

I remain concerned about erosions of authors’ rights and underwhelmed by a rosy future belonging only to the ebook. However, I am more optimistic for 2010 as a whole, and will continue to report the journey.

Closed to submissions

The Kate Nash Literary Agency is now closed to new submissions until 1st December 2009.

If you have an outstanding submission with the Agency, thank you for your patience. Kate Nash reads all submissions personally but will be taking a maternity leave break over the next few weeks.

All glamour and champagne

There are no doubt people who assume the life of a literary agent is (apart from being drowned by vast paper mountains) all glamour and champagne. Actually, it’s hard work and at this time of year there is the additional drudgery of royalty statements. Royalty statements are produced by publishers, typically six-monthly, to show how many copies of an author’s books have been sold and therefore how much in royalties is owed to the author.

Advances and provisions for returns will generally be offset against this figure so authors receive additional monies only after their advance has “earned out” (as the phrase goes).

The upsides of royalty statements are:

• that hopefully royalties are owed and therefore a cheque is enclosed.
• they contain valuable information. The agent and author can see in detail how a title has sold and where things stand.

The downsides are:

• admin involved in dealing with them and checking. Especially if your agent is a one-person business like me and therefore there is no one else to pass this chore onto.
• every publisher has their own system and conventions and so deciphering what is going on isn’t as straightforward as you might think.

You never told me you were a writer…

A thoughtful blog post from Sam Ellis, a writer who did some work experience at a publisher.

Note for UK authors – Irish PLR

UK authors should have an had email today from UK PLR alerting them to the fact that they can automatically transfer all their book details over to the new Irish PLR system, to which they may be entitled to payments for borrowings from public libraries in Ireland. The process is simple and involves logging into your online account and pressing the “I agree” button at the end of the message which automatically appears on logging in.

There is only two weeks to do this, after which you would have to register directly with the Irish PLR system. I googled a few libraries in Ireland and found a number had editions of my books so fingers crossed there should be a few pounds (or will it be euros) coming my way from across the Irish sea in the future.

Especially in tough times like these, any opportunity for authors to increase their earnings is welcome news and so do take the opportunity to register for Irish PLR while it’s a ten second process.

Dealing with rejection

When you’re an author, dealing with rejection can be really hard. This is because it is almost impossible not to take it personally. I think this is because writing is such a personal thing, and you can (and should) put your heart and soul into your work.

What I hadn’t anticipated was how personally awful and down I would feel when my clients’ work is rejected by publishers, especially when a publisher has had a full manuscript for a while and been seriously considering it. Yes, I can keep telling myself ‘this is business’ but my feelings don’t seem to want to listen and obey.

What are your any tips or strategies for dealing with rejection? Are some rejections harder to bear than others?

Slightly Foxed by Jane Lovering

Slightly Foxed, Jane Lovering’s second novel, is published in trade paperback.

Slightly Foxed

They say you’ll know when you’re in love. What if you don’t?

Alys, a single parent and certified romantic disaster area, is always falling for unattainable men—the latest one being the dead author of a “borrowed” book of poetry. When she reluctantly returns the book to its rightful owner, she meets Leo. He’s very much alive, very much attracted to her and, well, it’s love at first sight.

Isn’t it?

After all, she’s a single mum with a boring job in a bookshop and, as her daughter puts it, gravity’s not going to hold off forever. Leo’s got the financial stability she’s been craving and he looks like an aftershave advert. So it must be love.

Mustn’t it?

Then there’s Piers, whose spontaneity draws her like a magnet. But is it love she feels, or just his infectious love of life? Before she can choose, an unexpected source threatens to lay bare the lie she has been living for the last sixteen years.

With happiness close to slipping out of her grasp, Alys is forced to ask herself whether she’s ever really been in love at all.

‘Throughly enjoyed’ Dear Author