Literary Agent Bruce Barbour on Submitting Your Book to Publish

Long Time Literary Agent Bruce Barbour Talks About How To Submit Your Book or Story

Literary veteran Bruce Barbour talks to OPM about how to submit your book to him.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRmatbYQQ6c]
I met Bruce at the incredible Author 101 Event in Los Angeles. This interview is well overdue since I recorded in in 2011, but the information has not changed.

Bruce is a veteran literary agent and he tells it like it is, about getting your book to him. What he wants to see, how he wants to see it and many more tips and suggestions to make sure you get your stuff read and taken seriously. JW

Bruce Barbour Literary AgentBruce Barbour

Excellence in Literary Management

Bruce R Barbour has been active in book publishing for thirty years.

Known to friends and colleagues as “BRB”, Bruce is the fourth generation of a publishing family that has served authors and publishers for nearly 140 years.

In 1870, his great-grand uncles, Fleming H. Revell and Dwight Moody, started publishing Christian books. Following in the footsteps of his great-grand uncles, grandfather, and father, Bruce joined the Fleming H. Revell Company in 1975 after graduating with honors from Pepperdine University, Malibu, CA.

He has held executive positions at several publishing houses including Fleming H Revell Company (family owned-business sold in 1979), Barbour and Company (co-founded and Exec VP in 1983-1986), Thomas Nelson (VP, Publisher, 1986-1993), and Random House (VP, Publisher 1994-1996).

In 1997, Bruce founded Literary Management Group, Inc., a full service literary agency and publishing consulting firm that has represented best-selling authors and properties including Zig Ziglar, Sandra Felton and The Beginner’s Bible and consulted with publishing houses including Thomas Nelson, Zondervan, Gospel Light, Pneuma Life, Legacy, New Hope, White Stone Books and others.

Literary Management Group

Literary Management Group is committed to providing excellent support and counsel to authors and publishers of a variety of resources (print, multi-media, and electronic).

We represent adult fiction and non-fiction and recommend that authors of children’s, gift, poetry, illustrated and academic books seek out literary firms which specialize in these genres. A great source for seeking out agencies is at www.michaelhyatt.com.

Although we specialize in the area of Christian publishing from an Evangelical perspective, we have editorial contacts and experience in general interest books as well.

Services include:

Literary Representation

  • Preparation of proposals based on a proven template that presents features, advantages and benefits so editors can review and quickly determine if book concept fits their editorial strategy and publishing needs.
  • Development of publisher submission strategy that identifies the list of publishers and editors most likely to be interested in reviewing and publishing the book.
  • Negotiation of optimum terms in publishing contract; terms that are fair for author, and reasonable for publisher, so everyone wins when the book is successfully published.
  • Project management and facilitation with publisher to ensure author’s experience, from editorial through marketing and publication, is smooth and understandable.
  • Review of publisher’s royalty reporting so author is clear on what the statements mean and confident in their accuracy.

Publishing Consultant and Executive Coach

  • Needs Assessment of all phases of publishing process including: strategic planning; budgeting; acquisition; editorial; design; production; sales and marketing; fulfillment; customer service; and, financial systems
  • Management mentoring and training.
  • Turn-arounds
  • Acquisitions and Sales of Assets
  • Strategic Planning facilitation

Packaging

  • Development of content from manuscript through delivery of bound books to customer including edit, design, production, and fulfillment
  • Sales and Marketing guidance and counsel

For Editorial Guidelines and Proposal Templates, please visit: http://literarymanagementgroup.com

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Rick Frishman’s Author 101

Are you curious about what publishers like Harper Collins, Morgan James, Adams Media, Wiley, Random House, and Simon & Schuster are looking for? What is the best way to get your manuscript read when you’re an unpublished author? Want to know the biggest mistakes to avoid when writing book proposals? You’ll be engaged as these top pros share their expertise, reveal the inner workings of the publishing industry, and discuss various approaches to common marketing and publishing challenges.

Author 101 University Event Website: www.author101university.com

One response to “Literary Agent Bruce Barbour on Submitting Your Book to Publish

  1. Hello,
    My name is Valerie. I wrote a kids book and would like to know what is the 1st step in having it reviewed? Please advise.

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