One of the most comprehensive guides currently on the market, MASTERING THE BUSINESS OF WRITING is an insiders guide to the business of being a professional writer. All aspects of the publishing industry are explained, both for the aspiring author and the established writer wishing to jump start a professional career. This guide includes everything you need to know about publishers, agents, and the track to success, including: What agents do and how they develop relationships within the publishing industry that can be beneficial to your career; the best way to formulate a book proposal that sells; what publishers are really looking for in a bookand what they arent; understanding technicalities of advances, contracts, multibook deals and subsidiary rights; the significance of sales conferences and bookstore chains; essential manners and protocols for establishing positive relations with your agent, editor and publisher, legal issues, copyright, and much, much more.