The publishing world can seem as distant as Mars.  Getting there seems impossible.

Like traveling to the red planet, getting a book published is a journey.  It takes months, if not years, for things to take shape and it’s easy to get lost along the way.  It’s a daunting process.

But, for some reason, people still want to get there.   Me, for example.  I’d love to visit Mars.  Crazy as it seems, I would silence my fears, don my helmet and climb aboard.

For those who are undertaking a writing project it can seem as crazy as an interplanetary trip.  But, people take it on even though most won’t make it.  But that crazy dedicated few will push through the setbacks, the discouragements and the nights spent writing when you should be sleeping.  And they will get there.  And we will all reap the benefits of their passion.

The publishing world is veiled and cloudy.  There’s even a specific language: query letters, partials, fulls, submissions, contracts, foreign rights, and so on.   If you have been looking for help in navigating the world of publishing, there are people to help you get there.  They are the literary agents. You can think of an agent as an interplanetary guide.  They can help you make it from this world into the wild world of publishing.

My agent, Mary Kole, is running a webinar on Writer’s Digest later this month.   She is offering her professional services to help aspiring authors refine their queries, sharpen their hooks and polish their pitches.  This is the kind of advice that is truly invaluable for someone who dreams of having their words on the shelves at book stores around the country.

If you are wondering if the $80 fee is worth it to hear what this lady has to say about your book, let me calm your fears.  Think of it as a small investment in your career as a writer.  If you are hoping to get published then you have questions, the kind you haven’t been able to get a good answer for after hours of scouring agent blogs.  Or questions about how to make your book proposal more appealing to publishers.  Questions you can’t ask your friends because they don’t have a clue what you are talking about.

For 80 bucks she will answer those questions and help you refine your young adult novel or children’s book into something a publisher would eat for breakfast.  She’s brilliant, frankly.  And you should listen to her because she will help you.  I mean it.

Mary Kole:  Your interplanetary tour guide.