Welcome to the home page of Andy Ross, literary agent, publishing consultant, and freelance editor. My job as an agent is to help get my clients’ books published. I work with them to polish their non-fiction book proposals so that they answer the questions book acquisition editors are asking. Authors are experts in the subjects they write about, but they don’t always know whether that subject will resonate with a commercial publisher. My job is to help the author develop the concept of the book so that it will excite book editors and maybe even make them fall in love with the idea.
I work with novelists as well. I can evaluate your text and tell you what’s working and what isn’t. A great novel is 20% about the story and 80% about how you tell the story.
Most agents get ten to twenty query letters a day from writers seeking representation. The agent will probably spend about 45 seconds reading your query. So you have to make it compelling to the agent in just a few words.
If you are reading this now, you are probably wondering how you begin the process of getting your book published. It can be pretty intimidating. I’d like to help you get through that process.
I give classes at writers conferences and workshops all over the country on how to write book proposals, effective query letters, and how to find an agent who is right for you.
If you are interested in working together with me, you can learn a little bit more about me and look at the services I have to offer.
My Book
To get your non-fiction book acquired by a commercial publisher, you are going to have to write a book proposal. The Literary Agent's Guide to Writing a Non-Fiction Book Proposal will lead you through the steps to constructing a convincing book proposal that will make the best case possible for your project. Writing a great book proposal shouldn’t be a daunting task if you have a great idea for a book. In the book, I lay out the issues you will have to address in the proposal: how to describe what the book is, why it is needed, why you are the best person to write about it, who is the audience, and how will you promote the book when it is published. I also touch on some other subjects important for writers seeking book publication for the first time. How to find an agent, how to compose a query letter, the elements of the book deal, and how publishers decide to acquire a title.
The book is available in both paperback and e-book edition.
My services
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Book proposal consultation, evaluation, and editing
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Query letter composition and editing
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Strategic consulting on getting your project ready for submission and finding the right agent.
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Partial and full manuscript evaluation and editing.
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Book contract review and consulting