Literary Consultants

There have been some misconceptions on what a literary consultant is and what they do. The position has arisen once the literary market has boomed for authors and writers. However, for the new and aspiring authors, they do not have the support and knowledge as some of the seasoned authors do. Some authors, literary researchers, publicists, literary agents, and even some book club presidents take on the job or task of a literary consultant.

Literary consultant is a person who gives the client advice and insight on becoming an author or publisher (usually independent or self-published). Some consultants will also offer research, literary notes and information, referrals to editors, publishers, graphic artists and so forth and also other networking connections.

Literary agents will present your manuscript to publishers. In some cases, they will give you advice about the pitfalls and rewards for being a published author. They also will review contracts and other legal matters to make sure you are getting the best deal for your manuscript to be published, since they will collect their fees once they complete this business transaction. Yet, some authors feel that literary agents are only looking out for themselves and not their clients. However, if the authors do not get paid, they will not receive an income.

Literary publicists or media publicists is a person who markets, promotes, and get you publicity for your published works (books, audio books, poetry, spoken word, etc.). There are also virtual public assistants who will do virtual tours online as another promotional tool. They can also get you on online and public radio stations, television, and other venues where there are crowds of readers or fans to purchase your material. Do not confuse publicists as a book marketer. They are not the same.

Literary consultants also partner with other literary services or businesses to provide the needs of their clients, such as web designers, editors, graphic artists, literary agents, and other social networks to help authors to get further in their career as a writer. They also research and create a listing (database) of publishers, agents, and other resources to assist authors in the literary market. Others will also give advice on ISBN, writing, self-publishing tactics, and copyrights to protect their work.

Some literary consultants will also host events, online radio shows, and other venues to promote and market the authors. These events, venues, and online radio stations are another tool to have authors, agents, and publishers to allow everyone to network and speak about their services or goods they provide. In other words, some literary consultants will play the role as an agent and publicist to help their clients; also based on their networks they have readily available to them.

However, some authors will research and learn on their own through their own experiences. It is best to find the resources and advice you need to learn the literary market and how books are published, including marketing and promotional outlets after you finish writing your book. There is more to having a published book since there are other markets you can look at to get your book in, such as book clubs, book reviews, submit to publishers and/or literary agents. Literary consultants can help you with query letters, cover letters, synopsis, and first three to five chapters of the manuscript that publishers and agents require from potential authors. Some consultants offer development content editing, writing critique groups, and reviewers to make sure your book is ready for publishing or to send to a publisher or literary agent.

Knowledge is power. As a new and aspiring author, you are no longer in the dark about these key players in the literary world.