Inside Independent Publishing (with Ibpa)

Andy Ross of the Andy Ross Agency discusses how agents evaluate manuscripts and how agents operate in today’s book publishing climate. Andy Ross has been active in the publishing world for 40 years, first as a bookseller and now as an agent. In this podcast conversation, he shares his thoughts on agenting and when and how an agent can work with a small independent publisher. Highlights include: Is there life after bookselling? What does an agent do? What are the real advantages of working with an agent, besides contract negotiation? Why agents need to be more than just dealmakers. How do you find a good agent, or how do you know if a particular agent is good for you? Why is it so hard to get published these days? Will agents work with small indie presses? Why the agent’s first obligation is always to the author. Is it true that agents can turn small indie books into big commercial hits? The age-old question: is Amazon good or bad for publishing and publishers? How does an agent decide if he/she likes a book