• Deciding to acquire a book is a gamble
• Agents act as filters and they manage writers’ careers
• It’s a very slow and long career full of hits as well as misses
• It’s not a huge moneymaking business; you will need a second job
• It costs A LOT to make a book and it’s a long before the books makes any money
• Editing is diagnosing a book’s problems and writing a prescription to make it better
• Finding the book a home is kind of a matchmaking business
• Think of editing as developing a manuscript into its best form
• There are a lot of criteria to consider in acquisitions
• Readers’ reports offer a synopsis and your recommendation
• One good part of the job is that you meet smart and interesting authors!
• It’s a very social job in an industry full of introverts
• There are so many variables: social trends, current events, and saturation
• Having a mentor would be really helpful because it’s so hard to get into this field
• Sandra Bond, literary agent, said she likes it after getting into the field at 45 and knowing her strengths

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