[Dottore]

Getting published? There is a lot of good advice out there. Lots of books, websites and blogs. I think the single best book on this is the big Jeff Herman Guide that comes out annually.

Assuming you have an interesting product, the real key to getting published though (in my view) is having a good agent. Agents are now the gatekeepers of the publishing industry, and (at least in the US) it is virtually impossible to get the attention of a good publisher without one.

Finding a good agent in turn involves a lot of research. You really need to find someone with a track record in selling your genre/type of work—and someone that you trust and feel comfortable working with. There are a lot of flakes in this business. Nothing can ruin your career quicker than getting stuck with an agent who has no idea how to get the most out of your book. So hooking up with the right agent is absolutely key.

In my case I spent (lost) almost two years dealing directly with a large publishing house that had purchased a "first look" option for my first novel based on some chapters I sent them a few years ago. This turned out to be a huge mistake on my part. I ended up dealing with a junior editor (the much dreaded junior editor) determined to make his career by re-writing my book. By the time I exposed this charlatan for what he was I was completely fed up with the publishing house and decided to find a decent agent to sell my original manuscript to another house.

So that's where I now am. I have two novels completed that my agent is shopping around for a two book deal. Based on early interest we are very optimistic. A third novel is well underway—and a cookbook also nearing completion.

So I look forward to also being Amazon'd before too long.