Happy New Year everyone! Welcome back to the Monday Marvelous Marketer Series. The series will evolve with some new features this year. To provide your input, please take my poll on the side and give me your ideas on what you would like to see in the series this year.
We start the year off with the one and only Nathan Bransford. I'm sure we all follow his famous blog as he steers us through the publishing world. Today, he's here to share some of his Marketing knowledge.
Hi Nathan, thanks for joining us. As if you are not busy enough! Pretend that some people here don't know who you are and tell us about yourself.
Hi Shelli.
Curtis Brown Ltd. is a New York-based agency that has been representing authors since 1914, and over the years has represented an incredible array of legendary/bestselling authors. I was fortunate to have joined Curtis Brown out of college in 2002 as an assistant in the San Francisco office. I had grown up in a small town in Northern California (my parents are farmers), and living in San Francisco and working in publishing was a dream. I’ve been with Curtis Brown ever since, including a few years in the New York office, before I returned to San Francisco and began building my list in earnest.
I also recently wrote a middle grade novel called JACOB 
WONDERBAR AND THE COSMIC SPACE KAPOW, which will be published by Dial Books for Young Readers in 2011.
Nathan also runs a very popular blog - if you have not checked it out yet. It is a valuable resource! You can also follow him on Twitter and Facebook. It's OK he likes to be cyberstalked! ;)
Congrads on your book deal. Give me a corn dog and space any day! Thinking with both an author hat and agent hat, what do you think are the top 3 things authors should do to promote their book?
I actually only have one thing on the must do list, and that’s to have some sort of Google-able, professional web presence, whether it’s a blog, website, Facebook page… anything that is th
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By: Shelli,
on 1/4/2010
Blog: Faeriality (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: jennifer Hubbard, Secret Year, Marvelous Marketer, agent, interview, Advice, Monday, Nathan Bransford, Add a tag
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By: Shelli,
on 1/4/2010
Blog: Faeriality (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: jennifer Hubbard, Secret Year, Marvelous Marketer, agent, interview, Advice, Monday, Nathan Bransford, Add a tag
18 Comments on Marvelous Marketer: Nathan Bransford (Literary Agent), last added: 1/6/2010
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Nathan's great and Jennifer's book looks amazing!
Thank you, Shelli and Nathan, for the interview. I learned much. Also appreciated the insight about Facebook and blogging. It helps to have an agent opinion.
Happy new year,
Nathalie
Good read Nathan and Shelli. Thanks. I would like one or both of you to explore the issue of what is professional in a blog. I think the obvious things to avoid are rants on politics and religion, as well as obscenities. But are there more subtle things that an agent or editor would notice? Anything to avoid? Or anything good to promote? Again, thanks. Advice is so welcome.
Great interview Shelli and Nathan! I particularly like the advice that there is no ONE way to market a book, that each writer should do what is best for her depending on her particular interests/talents. Thanks!
Ha! I love "pretend that some people don't know who you are."
Fabulous interview with a fabulous blogger/agent. You both are valuable assets to the writing community!
Tricia-
Definitely agree that bloggers should avoid rants completely, and I don't think bloggers should needlessly stir controversy. And they certainly should never disparage anyone in the business (polite disagreement is obviously completely fine).
But at the same time I also wouldn't muzzle yourself completely and avoid everything even remotely controversial as the result can sometimes be, well, dull. I know political and religious statements turn some people away, but other people may appreciate it and it can lend itself to a lively discussion, particularly if it relates to your project. Provided everything is done professionally (no rants, no flame wars, people treated with respect) I don't think the actual content of the blog is going to offend anyone you might potentially want to work with.
But it's up to everyone to decide what they feel is appropriate for their own blog, how they want to present themselves, and what the content should be. I think the most important thing to do is to find your blogging "voice" and stick to it. Consistency is important.
And no matter what you say, being respectful is key. People are always going to disagree with you and there will always be trolls. The professional thing to do is to stay above the fray.
Great interview! I second Tricia's request. What can make a blog/website more professional? Not just in content, but in form?
Thank you both for this interview. Enjoyed it!
Thanks Shelli--It's fun to see Nathan in a smaller venue. I always feel a little lost in the crowd when I hang out at his blog. (Although his new forum feature does help out with that.)
Thanks for the interview, and thanks, Nathan for always making me feel a bit more optimistic about this whole journey. Your advice about devoting energies to the right endeavors just lowered my inner writer's stress level.
I ordered Jennifer's book because of that excerpt on Nathan's blog. Holy compelling. I can't wait until it arrives. Thanks Nathan and Shelli!
Awesome interview. Thanks, Shelli and Nathan. :) I like the rule that the Internet is always watching, that it never sleeps. It's so very true. Very nice points to think over. :D
Happy New Year to you, Shelli! What an awesome person to start with in 2010. Let's hope Nathan's wise words and book deal rub off on us too!
GREAT interview Shelli and Nathan! I am definitely going to buy The Secret Year and had fun reading all of the journal entries on Nathan's blog.
Awesome interview Shelli! I liked the bit about having a Google-able web presence. I hate when I try to find information about an author and there's nothing online.
Great interview, Shelli. And thanks to Nathan for also responding to Tricia's thoughtful question. That subject has also stressed me out, so I appreciated reading that.
Thanks for that interview and especially the timing about web presence. It's tough sometimes putting the time aside, or putting too much time aside. I do because I love the chit-chat, but Nathan's point about being true to yourself and the kind of writer you are is a very good one. My favorite blogs are personal ones where I really get to know the writer.
Thanks so much!
Great interview and a good reminder to keep things professional on your blog.
Hey, I'm a new follower and just found your blog! Great interview, I can't wait to read more of your posts :D