Building a lasting relationship with your publisher or agent:

Building a lasting relationship with your publisher or agent. More articles on e-publishing can be viewed at http://nextgoodthingblog.blogspot.com

Building a lasting relationship with your publisher or agent:

Trying to maintain strong communication can cross over to bothering and stalking (hey it was never court ordered) surprisingly quickly.
Ask concise but detailed questions. It is essential to be informed; it is in your interest to understand your objectives for publication, to understand your market and be able to articulate concepts.
Some people like to converse via the phone, some prefer email; Find out which method your contact prefers (and remember cookies are your friend). By always meeting deadlines, preferably being early for everything, you will cultivate a strong relationship with your agent, editor or publisher.

Learn to leave good messages; I suggest writing out important voice messages before you call the person, read them out load and slowly you’ll learn to hear the best word choices. Some tips on things to avoid, no ums, no long pauses, leave your phone number at the beginning and at the end of the message.

Learn to write sharp emails; just as it takes practice to leave great phone messages it is a good idea to write several versions of a standard email. Go over the different versions and see what aspects of each email have a hook, are most professional and which versions get your message across without sounding too scripted. Be polite, make your point and have a professional closing signature.