“This is a business and learning the business side of a passion will help you in every aspect of your writing career.” –Amy Collins
Amy Collins, Agent with Talcott Notch Literary Services, has over 30 years’ experience matching books with readers. As a former book buyer, publisher, and sales director for one of the largest non-fiction publishers in the US, Amy has been focused on market and sales potential for author and brings that skill to her role as an advocate for her clients. As an agent, she represents many authors who have signed deals with major publishers for Cookbooks, Romance, Pop Culture, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Horror, and Thrillers. She is a member of Mensa, a featured expert for Writers Digest Magazine, and a trusted teacher at conferences world-wide. She has taught and spoken at many of the publishing industry’s top festivals and conferences including Scottish Writers Association Conference, Pacific Northwest Conference, London BookFair, Publishers Weekly BookCon, Writers Digest and many others. Amy is the author of several non-fiction books ranging from self-help, It’s The Little Things (Simon & Schuster/Adams Media), to books on Publishing and working toward becoming a successful author. She is currently traveling the country in a solar powered bus with her two dogs meeting with editors and authors and can be found on social media everywhere at @askamycollins and online at www.amysadvice.com.
On Saturday, September 14, Amy Collins is teaching a class for the WLT called “Writing a Plot Synopsis Without Losing Your Mind.“ In this class, you’ll learn how to polish your existing synopsis or write one from scratch using Amy’s tried-and-true method.
Here’s what Amy had to share with us:
Scribe: How would you describe your personal approach to working with an author?
Amy Collins: I tend to focus on the marketing and business side of things when working with an author a bit more than the editorial. I see my job as bringing the marketplace to my authors so that they can stay on top of current trends. And, conversely, I bring my authors to the marketplace in the form of pitches and proposals. I do not pretend to know everyone’s taste, so when a well-written manuscript comes across my desk, even if it not my personal taste, I tend to start by focusing on finding editors that WOULD like it. My years as a bookstore book buyer taught me to consider the vast different tastes and desires out there in the reading population.
Scribe: What’s one piece of advice you find yourself giving to authors time and time again?
AC: Learn about the industry and stay up to date on trends, news… This is a business and learning the business side of a passion will help you in every aspect of your writing career. It is not possible to “just write.” It has NEVER been possible to “just write.” The thing that separates talented authors from successful authors are all the things that happen BEFORE and AFTER you have written.
Scribe: What excites you the most about the publishing industry today?
AC: I love that independent authors who publish directly are having so much success. There is now room for stories that traditional publishers will not touch, but readers are clamoring for. There is no longer just one path to author success and I love that. Many of my clients are both indy AND traditionally published. It allows them to achieve their financial and creative goals. I am so excited that it is possible to do both now.
Scribe: Tell us about a recent book/project that you worked on that excited you and you want everyone to know about?
AC: Stacey McEwan wrote a trilogy that did very well with a smaller press and is now ready to break out to a larger audience and larger house. Her Artisen duology was recently acquired by Simon & Schuster for world wide release in UK, US and AUS. The story was so much fun to brainstorm with Stacey on. I am very proud of Stacey and her growth as an author over the last three years.
Scribe: What is one thing that people will take away from this class?
AC: When people are done with his class, they will have a fully flushed out outline and a solid draft of their plot synopsis. Everyone who takes this class will come away with a full understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of their current plot as it is revealed in the process of laying it out for an editor or an agent in the synopsis form.
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Thanks, Amy!
Click here to learn more about Amy Collins’ upcoming class.
