Bookseeker Literary Agency

Introducing authors and publishers.


by

Are you having problems with uploads to Amazon?

Are you a publisher, a publishing house, or someone who self-publishes. Do you upload your titles to Amazon? Many people do, because it is one of the first places readers go to if they want to buy a book on line.

Have you had any technical problems uploading to Amazon? We would like to find out. We’d also like to know how you managed to fix the problem or devise a work-round. Please get in touch, using the agency email address on the contact page.

Thanks

__________

Please note that any advertisements on this page are a feature of the platform and do not imply any endorsement by this agency.

__________


by

Our position on Transgender rights

In the present atmosphere it has become necessary to make the following statement. Our position on transgender rights is clear: they are human rights. Our agency is a zone of safety and respect for trans and nonbinary people along with all other people whose identity comes within the LGBTQ+ matrix. We will not knowingly work with any person or organisation that does not give the same respect.

__________

Please note that any advertisements on this page are a feature of the platform and do not imply any endorsement by this agency.

__________


by

Farewell Les Noble, an exceptional editor.

We have learned today that Les Noble, who has edited so many of our clients’ books, died on the 13th of March. It was an honour to be associated with him – his skill at spotting errors in manuscripts was enviable. He was also a good storyteller himself, and his fiction is still in print.

We have left this blog post as it stood, apart from an introductory paragraph, as a tribute to Les.

.

.

.

.

.

.

__________

Any advertisements below are the responsibility of the platform, and should not be taken as an endorsement by this agency.


by

Covid-19

Just a quick update. Due to the current situation with coronavirus, the P.O. Box for the agency will not be checked. Please don’t send anything by post until further notice. Thank you.

.

.

.

.

.

.

__________

Any advertisements below are the responsibility of the platform, and should not be taken as an endorsement by this agency.


by

Publishers! Tell us what you want!

Publishers!

Are you wondering where your next best seller is going to come from? Are you waiting for the next Salman Rushdie, Jean Rhys, or Margaret Atwood? Or even the next Dan Brown, Jeffrey Archer, or JKR?

This agency has access to a large list of authors working in many genres:
Children’s, crime, fantasy, historical, horror, humour, literary fiction, mystery, psychological, romance, satire, sci-fi, thriller, YA…

Just let us know what you’re looking for, and we’ll see what we can find for you – chances are we already have an author for you. Get in touch with us!

.

.

.

.

.

.

__________

Any advertisements below are the responsibility of the platform, and should not be taken as an endorsement by this agency.


by

We like to help…

… so if an enquirer sends round an email which, in our opinion, will put off potential agents, we tell them, politely. We don’t have to do this. It’s something we do as a courtesy, because we like to help writers, even if we can’t take them on as a client. Unfortunately this doesn’t always work, and someone emails us back like this:

Yes, we are lucky, lucky that most enquirers appreciate our help. We’ve only had this sort of response once. We won’t identify the person, we’ll just say, yes, we got over ourselves, and you’re welcome.

P.

[Edit: It turns out that the sender was someone to whom we had previously extended an ex-gratia service, so he knows we like to be helpful! Folks, we go the extra mile that other agencies don’t go, even when we don’t offer someone outright representation. Like I said, most people appreciate that.]

.

.

.

.

.

.

Any advertisements below are the responsibility of the platform, and should not be taken as an endorsement by this agency.


by

Your agent – “Visionary” and photographer!

Paul writes:
After an event at the Edinburgh Book Festival – a session on literary prizes – where I joined in the final Q&A session, the Administrator of the Man Booker Prize for Fiction made a point of coming over to shake my hand. She thanked me for such a “visionary” question. I must admit that I’m still basking in the rosy glow.

However, you writers do not really need a “visionary” for an agent, you need a grafter. The Book Festival is over, and there is plenty of work to do, so I have planted my feet firmly on the ground. But if you would like a flavour of the Festival before I finally close the door on it until next year, my little photo-album is here.


by

Reviews, and news from Edinburgh Book Festival moving

Paul writes:

After several years writing event reviews for an Edinburgh-based organisation, I am now working as a freelance. I’ll be publishing my reviews on my occasional blog for light academic and other articles. But I’m also available if anyone else would like to engage me to write for their publication.

Also I’ll be moving my annual photo album of the Edinburgh International Book Festival from this site to the same place, so please feel free to follow the blog.

*

This agency works hard for its clients, often going further than many established agencies go on their behalf. It is therefore very irksome when an established publishing house does not bother with the courtesy to reply to a letter, even though a stamped envelope was included for their convenience. How much time does it take to pop a compliment slip into an envelope?

Then there is the major publishing house that does reply, but has on three occasions sent us an identical letter in reply to ours. The letter is the standard one they send to authors, advising them to get an agent, ignoring the fact that it was an agent that wrote to them in the first place! What is more, they have ignored letters pointing that out. It is discourteous, and actually plain damned negligent. Thankfully there is only one publisher in the whole UK that does this. We’re saying no more for now, but next time we’re considering simply naming them!

*

There have not been many updates here lately. This does not mean there’s nothing happening. We’re working towards at least one book launch before the end of the year, for example. Keep watching this space.


by

Meetings, greetings, and web-sitings!

Elizabeth Mostyn

This week I had the great pleasure of meeting, once more, our client Elizabeth Mostyn, whose novel Wisp is getting closer and closer to its date of publication. Elizabeth is a prolific author, and is working on more novels, which the agency will take a look at. Be on the look-out for Wisp when it appears – it’s a corker!

*

I also travelled in to Edinburgh to meet Luka Vukos, who directed the prizewinning short Lose like a Human, all about artificial intelligence. We had a long chat about  possible projects for the future. Edinburgh has been much on my mind lately, because I have to arrange visits to events at The Fringe and the Edinburgh International Book Festival. I have all that to look forward to, but Time’s winged chariot isn’t exactly hanging about!

*

Meanwhile, Lyz Russo has just announced on her blog that P’kaboo publishers in the Republic of Ireland have a revamped web site. It has a look of the old one, but it has now been made phone-friendly. Again, it’s a case of “Watch this space,” because P’kaboo will be launching a series of books very soon – mainly fiction, but one very important work of non-fiction. At least I’d say it was. More news as and when it happens.

Paul

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Please note that the appearance of random advertisements on this web site is a feature of the platform, and should not be taken as an endorsement by this agency.


by

James Tait Black Prize shortlist announced.

jtb-2019-fiction

This year is the centenary of the UK’s oldest literary award – the James Tait Black Prize. I had the privilege to be one of the readers for this year’s prize, and it was gratifying to see that one of the books I read and reported on, Murmur by Will Eaves, has been placed on the shortlist of four titles from which the winning book for the fiction prize will be chosen. I have to admit I was very hard on the book in my report to the judges, but I’m glad that they were able to support it. I’m looking forward to attending the prizegiving at the Edinburgh International Book Festival.