M.J. Rose is the International bestselling author of nine novels and the creator of the first marketing service for authors - AuthorBuzz. com. She's also on the founding board of ITW and runs the blog, Buzz, Balls & Hype.

M.J. had this to say:

Staying Alive

I think the single most difficult and yet liberating moment I had in publishing was when I found out that ultimately my success depended not on me or the reader, not on my talent or the responsiveness of the audience but by the vagaries of the publishing industry.

That truth was provided to me by a friend, who happens to be a very good agent, one day over lunch, when he simply said, no matter what you do for your book, you can't make yourself a bestseller.

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Welcome industry guest Tamela Hancock Murray, an agent with Hartline Literary Agency and the author of numerous published books.

Tell us about your agency and yourself.

I live in Northern Virginia with my awesome husband of 24 years. We have been blessed with two beautiful daughters. I like to say I have the best clients in the world! Find out more at: www.tamelahancockmurray.com

Hartline Literary Agency has several agents. Joyce Hart, our CEO, has been with CBA since 1978. Terry Burns, Diana Flegal, and Erik Schmidgal are my other colleagues. I have been with Hartline since 2001. I love Hartline because we are the agency with a heart. We give our clients personal attention and the agents enjoy working together. Find out more at: www.hartlineliterary.com

What kind of book grabs your attention and makes you consider wanting to submit it? [Read more...]